I see that one of my regular blog haunts, Ugly NZ has made it to the MSM in a Sunday Star Times opinion piece HERE.
Ugly New Zealand is a blog littered with those New Zealand photos everybody else would delete immediately. The blog's mission is to collect the ugliest, most boring, most appalling and plainly dull landscape photography possible.
The man behind the blog, is German designer Ralf Hebeker who unlike the stereotype of his fellow countryman, possesses a dark sense of humour and a natural talent for taking the p*ss. Hebeker doesn't seem to have any problems maintaining a stream of photos generated from readers that are happy to share their own discoveries of truly ugly landscapes in New Zealand.
The blog is a celebration of the mundane and quirkiness of Kiwi landscapes and culture. Some of the scenes depicted aren't necessarily "ugly". In a round-about sort of way the blog promotes the uniqueness of New Zealand and makes the viewer appreciate the stunning, abundant urban and natural landscapes not featured on the blog that we take for granted.
However, the blog also highlights horrific man-made blights on the landscape that includes mocking bland, uninspiring architecture connected with tourism.
Anything to do with travel should be sexy and glamorous, however at the other end of the scale the motel industry has Bella Vista churning out 80's inspired no-thrills architecture, while the hotel industry has Formule One Hotels.
Featured in Ugly NZ's latest post is the new 125 room Formule One Hotel that has been knocked-up by Auckland Airport for the budget conscious traveller. The bleak, functional concrete creation that greets weary travellers looks like it was designed by a team of Public Service architects stuck in a 1970's time-warp.
Every time this type of development opens, a little bit more of the glamour, allure and excitement of travel dies:
