The Traveling Plant: Preparatory Logbook

Anne Niemetz

A Letter to the Traveling Plant from New Zealand

Wellington, New Zealand
Media Artist and Senior Lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington

Dear traveling plant, you are going to love visiting Aotearoa – the land of the long white cloud – that is, if you manage to get through immigration. See, New Zealand has learned from the past when settlers brought plants and animals that are now destroying the native ecosystem. But you are not a plant of an invasive species, are you?
Once you get through quarantine you will find yourself in a lush and gorgeous natural environment. From the fjords in the South to the subtropical beaches in the North, Aotearoa has an enchanting landscape to offer. I hope you will come visit me in Wellington, the ‘coolest little capital in the world’. Wellington is small and intimate, alternative and charming. Known for its excellent cuisine and expert baristas, your human friends will find Wellington to be a very yummy place. Of course there are several museums and a lot of cultural heritage to discover. And when you wake up in the morning, you’ll hear the songs of so many birds – bird voices you have never heard before. But most of all, New Zealanders are a genuinely friendly people, with a thoroughly enjoyable humour.

Hope to see you soon in the South Pacific,
Anne