The beach just south of Kaikoura on the eastern shore of South Island, New Zealand was a couple of miles long and was deserted. Just the bones of water smoothed pines littering the beach along with seaweed and stones. The hills in the distance changed as I worked. They darkened then lightened leaving the tops of the ridges to catch the light. At times the hills were deep, dark maroon, then blue, then green. I was working in direct sunshine which didn’t help, but the sound of the lazy pacific breakers hitting the beach made the task a little easier.
graham mcquade 