Each place has its own unique character, a spiritual compilation of what it once was, what it is now, and what it could potentially be in the future. Things are continually in a state of flux – everything changes, and that’s most evident in the various places we explore throughout our lives. You might visit one place multiple times and find something uniquely different each time which was perhaps missed in the tourist brochures.

Travelers and photographers Herman and Pamela Odijk are not new to the adventure of travel. Their preferred mode of travel is cruise ships and tour buses. They have ventured around the islands of New Zealand multiple times and discovered something new with each recurring visit. Their photographs create a compelling photolog of their journeys and adventures. Around New Zealand In 14 Days is this couple’s photolog of about 700 photographs. Following an interesting introduction, the rest of the book is a visually documented journey with clear, bright, colorful illustrations and interesting captions. I loved the photograph of the Hobbit tour guide – he definitely fits the profile. The photographs of innovative signs to lure in the curious tourist are also fascinating. Each photograph captures something that defines the character of the place, from its unique signs to its creative people to some of the quirkiness that sets it apart. This is a beautiful coffee table book to be enjoyed and studied multiple times at one’s leisure.

New Zealand is the one country that offers infinite variety in its geography and climate: a photographer’s dream. Perhaps that’s how Herman and Pamela Odijk also felt as they traveled this small island country, not just in the titular fourteen days but over several years. They were obviously impressed by what they saw and experienced to compile 700 photographs into their book, Around New Zealand In 14 Days. But like many of us who know how limited an insight one gets of a country and its people on guided tours, they often chose to ride scooters where they could. That afforded a much better chance to speak with local people, enjoy the country’s foods, and visit parts of the island one could never access by bus or plane.

A review can only tell you so much about the contents of a photolog of a country. There are so many well-arranged photos. I was happy to be reading the digital version of this book: the snow-capped mountains rising to incredible heights really came alive on the screen. While it’s impossible to document their discoveries without a lot of words, since “a picture is worth a thousand words,” they are letting their photos do the talking. These tell us about New Zealand’s remarkable fjords, waterfalls, and mountains on the south island and show us how they contrast the lifestyle and commerce of the north island. You will enjoy looking at the architecture of Wellington’s wonderful buildings, visiting the Hippopotamus restaurant, wondering at the fruit and confectionery artistry, imagine taking a drive in a “Hupmobile” or riding on the very strange-looking Kelly Tarleton’s bus. You have to see the photo to believe that last one. There is only one better way than this book to “see” New Zealand and that, of course, is to visit it yourself. I’ve been lucky enough to do that. Those who can’t will surely appreciate seeing its magnificence in Around New Zealand In 14 Days.

New Zealand will always be the land of Lord of the Rings for me, but it is also so much more than that. The country is mountains, coastlines, and sprawling cities. It is rich in history, both in the local Maori people and those who came after. If you wish to experience it yourself, albeit from the safety of your couch, then climb aboard and sail away on the book, Around New Zealand In 14 Days. Herman and Pamela Odijk are your tour guides. Between the two of them, they have enough knowledge to fill a literal cruise ship. Whether you visit and photograph the same place at different times, or different places each time across subsequent visits, a unique picture emerges of the changing character, i.e., the spirit of the place, with all its beauty, honesty, and often inherent quirkiness, and the people who belong there - something the tourist brochures can’t possibly show you because that is not their objective.

Herman and Pamela Odijk want to show you the here and now and persuade you to go there and find out for yourself. All the simplest little details perhaps mean the most to make up a bigger picture. I enjoyed the small details Herman and Pamela added in Around New Zealand In 14 Days. Though their experience is centered around Princess Cruise Lines, it managed to show a unique and inspiring adventure. All the facts were precise, down to the last picture. Like Bilbo Baggins once said, “I’m going on an adventure!”