Awaiting your call, 2017

And so begins a new year, which everyone is innocently hoping will be a better one than 2016, as if something as artificial as a numbering system will make any difference whatsoever to current events. And, yet, it might, since it's people who - mostly - cause current events; and people are suckers for concepts like new year, new slate. Let's hope so.

This year begins for me, as usual, totally much blank. Since last year ended with a bit of a travel flurry, which will take me some time yet to work through, story-wise, I'm in no rush to hit the road again. Also, spending summer (once it actually begins for real) on Waiheke Island is the sort of thing many people aspire to doing, so it would be a bit churlish of me to swan off away.

In the past, I've speculated about where I might end up going to in the year to come - Africa, Galapagos, the Kimberley Coast - and, sooner or later, it's happened. Sometimes, twice. So, in the spirit of getting it out there and seeing what happens, here's the current bucket list (possibly somewhat influenced by having been to a number of hot places recently): Iceland, Finland, northern lights, polar bears, orcas, Torres del Paine, Japan, Antarctica, gorillas and some of the local luxury lodges I've written about recently but never yet been to - Eagle's Nest, Kauri Cliffs, Huka Falls, even The Boatshed just up the hill. Right then, providence. Get cracking.