Video Journeys

I’ve always thought that the range of birdlife in New Zealand was impressive, but I was blown away on a recent trip to Western Australia, where I saw more than 50 different species over a 2-week period, and I was able to get close-up shots of at least 40 of these. There were too many shots to post individually so I’ve made this video showcasing the best images. See if you can spot the birds that we also have in New Zealand. The tune is The Meaning of Light, by Torn Chorus

This song celebrates my love of the sea and the beauty of our natural environment in New Zealand. The video compares the experience of watching scenery on a computer screen, alongside the immersive experience of actually being there, in the moment. The drone footage was shot around the Auckland coastline at Musick Point and Point Chevalier, with the remainder filmed at various locations across New Zealand. MUSIC CREDIT: Sunshine Mind, by Torn Chorus Recorded and engineered at TC Studios, Auckland Music track is available on all major streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Apple, Tidal, etc. You can find the links here: https://artists.landr.com/990591232556 WEBSITE: www.tornchorus.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on Sony FDR-AX53 camera and DJI Air 2 Drone. VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: Midjourney (AI generated still images) Pika (AI generated video) Engin Akyurt Kostas Exarhos Peter Fowler Pavel Danilyuk Volkan Yilmaz Riki Risnandar Ray Raimundo Pat Whelen

Today is Waitangi Day in New Zealand, when we celebrate the signing of the treaty between the British Crown and about 540 Māori rangatira (chiefs), an appropriate day to launch my new Torn Chorus song, Turn Back History. One of the key messages in the song is that we should look for the things that we have in common with other people, rather than the things that (we believe) are different. Learn to work together rather than against each other. It doesn't always have to be a competition. When I was growing up, I always assumed that mankind was getting smarter and more civilised as technology developed. We would soon be driving around in flying cars, solve our global problems and live in harmony. But now I look back on our progress and the state of the world today, it looks like we keep making the same mistakes over and over again. Same old conflicts, same old prejudices, rampant pollution and no sign of international harmony. The ultimate lost opportunity! I used historical paintings as linking theme for the video, modifying them a little using Midjourney and then animating them with Pika Labs AI technology. See which paintings you can recognize. # waitangiday #waitangitreaty #waitangi #midjourney @Pika_Labs , #pikalabs, #chatbot , #aichatbots, #worldpeace, #stopthehate, #stopwar, #stopfighting MUSIC CREDIT: Turn Back History, by Torn Chorus Recorded and engineered at TC Studios, Auckland Music track is available on all major streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Apple, Tidal, etc. You can find the links here: https://artists.landr.com/064837441436 WEBSITES: www.essentialnewzealand.com www.tornchorus.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on Sony FDR-AX53 camera. VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: Midjourney (AI generated still images) Pika Labs (AI generated video clips) CCTV News Agency Erik Mclean Taryn Elliott James Cover Kelly Tom Fisk Cottonbro Studios Yan Krukau Koolshooters Monstera Production Hannah Barbera Productions Paramount TV

New Zealanders send around 252,000 tons of plastic to our landfills every year, a small but significant part of the 350 million tons of plastic waste produced globally. Plastic debris is now found washed up on the most remote islands and our waste is even floating around in space. If you like music videos and songs about our environment, please like and subscribe. I started writing the lyrics for this 40 years ago but the message is still relevant, in fact even more so. And it’s not just about waste, it’s about everything we consume. With 8 billion people on the earth we all have to learn to share our resources. Every little bit helps, no matter how small we think we are down here in New Zealand. FYI, I created much of the video content with AI chatbot software. Big shout out to @Pika_Labs and Midjourney for giving us access to this technology. #mandalorian #mandolinian #midjourney #pikalabs #chatbot #aichatbot MUSIC CREDIT: Mechanical High, by Torn Chorus Recorded and engineered at TC Studios, Auckland Music track is available on all major streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Apple, Tidal, etc. You can find the links here: https://artists.landr.com/055120952197 WEBSITE: www.essentialnewzealand.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on Sony FDR-AX53 camera. VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: Midjourney (AI generated still images) Pika Labs (AI generated video clips)

I created this video to highlight the wonder of the sun and celebrate the spectacular beauty of southern light, showing landscapes and cityscapes in Aotearoa during sunrise and sunset. If you like to watch videos about New Zealand scenery, please like and subscribe. I filmed the sunrise and sunset sequences at locations throughout the North Island including Auckland, Coromandel Peninsula, Rotorua and Taupo. The sun brings warmth and light into our lives. Without it, we could not survive. It is a wonderful, clean source of power, which we need to harness more fully to help secure the future of our civilisation. #southernlight, #southern, #light MUSIC CREDIT: Golden, by Torn Chorus Music track is available on all major streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Apple, Tidal, etc. You can find the links here: https://artists.landr.com/055120864018 Recorded and engineered at TC Studios, Auckland WEBSITE: www.tornchorus.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on Sony A7iii and FDR-AX53 cameras. VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: Nikunj Patel James Fernando Vilasboas Yaroslav Shuraev Resonate Video Productions Timestorm Films Chris Sisarich Truekit Inflatable Boats Lightsource BP

With its lovely beach and sheltered waters, Kuaotunu is one of our favourite spots on the Coromandel Peninsula. When we were there just recently, I shot some video footage for my new song and I have made a special, fun edit to showcase the beach. We’ve had some bad weather this year and you can see some of the damage it has wrought with the fallen tree across part of the beach. I should mention that the theme of the song does not reflect my feelings about Kuaotunu, but it was a lovely place to shoot the video. Make sure to see the sunset shots in the middle and at the end, which were taken looking towards Matarangi. Music: Time I Wasn't Here by Torn Chorus Video: Shot on Sony FDR-AX53 video camera and DJI Air 2 Drone Edited and produced by Franklin Davis

After the first lockdown in 2020, we were keen to get out and about again, so we took the earliest opportunity we could to do the 10km (6 mile) Coromandel Coastal Walkway, from Stony Bay to Fletcher Bay. I recorded a lot of video on the walk but didn’t get around to editing it until now, so here is a short visual summary of our journey, using this footage combined with some material from other sources. The music is an instrumental version of my new single, Tell You Somethin’. If you like videos featuring New Zealand scenery please like and subscribe. The Coastal Walkway is one of New Zealand’s most popular coastal walks, with a range of different scenery and a remote location adding to its appeal. Inaccessible by vehicles, the walkway is the only way to connect east with west, at the tip of the Northern Coromandel Peninsula. The walk can be approached from either end however we started at Stony Bay and worked our way north to Fletcher Bay. The first part of our walk took us uphill and downhill, through regenerating native bush, providing some spectacular views of the coast looking north towards Great Barrier Island. At one point we descended to a beach before climbing back up again to a lookout. Then the bush gave way to lush farmland, complete with cows and sheep. MUSIC CREDIT: Tell You Somethin’, by Torn Chorus (instrumental version) The original music track is available on all major streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Apple. You can find the links here: https://artists.landr.com/692531820334 You can also view the official music release video here: https://youtu.be/SGuvrRqLWp4 WEBSITES: www.essentialnewzealand.com www.tornchorus.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis, shot on Sony FDR-AX53 video camera. VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: Earl Te Bas Van Den Berg The Coromandel Good For Your Soul Lukas Albiston Murray

Starting with a spectacular timelapse reverse sunset filmed from the top of Mt Albert, Auckland, this video showcases the quality and beauty of New Zealand light, featuring clips of sunsets and sunrises from across the country, as well as footage of the Southern Lights (Aurora Australis). If you like videos of New Zealand scenery and landscapes, please like and subscribe. The soundtrack is my latest music release, The Meaning of Light/Rhythm of Sound. You can watch a different version of the video on my Torn Chorus music channel: https://youtu.be/69MQ9_yu8RM WEBSITE: www.essentialnewzealand.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on Sony FDR-AX53 video camera and DJI Air 2 Drone. VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: Valentino Esguerra Pixabay Cottonbro Tobias Wagner Sosa Films SUJ Productions Bellergy Sovereign Digital 1Step Journey Paul Wilson Timestorm Virginie Bitterlin Warren Williams Iforce2d Mark Gee Big Picture Queenstown MUSIC CREDIT: The Meaning of Light/Rhythm of Sound, by Torn Chorus Music track is available on all major streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Apple. You can find the links here: https://artists.landr.com/692531500342

As a musician these days, sometimes I feel like a bird perched on a branch, singing out loud, but never knowing who, if anyone, is listening. That comparison was the inspiration for this video, which includes close-up footage of native NZ birds such as tui, kereru, kotare, kakapo, morepork, kea, takahe, etc. If you like New Zealand videos and music, please like and subscribe. Note that these visuals are different from the video on my Torn Chorus music channel, where I delve more deeply into the social media aspects. To view that version, see https://youtu.be/kwjIEVrP3NU MUSIC CREDIT: Whispering Words, by Torn Chorus Music track is available on all major streaming platforms, such as Spotify and Apple. You can find the links here: https://artists.landr.com/692531318312 WEBSITES: www.essentialnewzealand.com www.tornchorus.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on Sony FDR-AX53 4K video camera VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: BBC Bird Rescue Geoff Reid Nate Sundance-Kid Once Upon An Island Tony Palmer

I received this Christmas video from Joseph and his wife Zama, who live in South Africa with their daughter, Daniella. They love New Zealand so much that they started learning te reo online some days ago and decided to do a kirihimete song in maori, wishing the beautiful people of New Zealand a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Thanks to Joseph, Zama and Daniella and we wish you Happy Holidays from New Zealand. Tena Koutou Katoa

I created this song and video to celebrate Auckland (Tamaki Makaurau) - a unique city that floats on both molten rock and sea - and to highlight some of the difficulties you may encounter when negotiating life in the big city. If you like watching videos about New Zealand places and landscapes, please like and subscribe, and you can view still photographs on my website: www.essentialnewzealand.com Auckland is located upon a wide volcanic field, which includes 53 volcanoes spread over an area of 1,000 square kilometres, forming the hills, lakes and basins of Greater Auckland. It is a sobering thought that the city floats atop a vast lake of active magma, which may come through at a new place and form a new cone at any time - next week, next year or next century. I live on the lower slopes of one of these volcanoes, Mount Albert, (in Maori: Ōwairaka or Te Ahi-kā-a-Rakataura) and it is always a privilege to climb the mountain and appreciate the natural beauty of our city. When you reach the top, you can see both harbours and many of the volcanic cones. MUSIC CREDIT: This City Floats, by Torn Chorus Track now available on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/4ShyfF5jU3P7ThlBDX8Hr5?si=efd41df4c4af4073 Mastered by: Howard Rogers, Bring It On Studios WEBSITE: www.essentialnewzealand.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on Sony FDR-AX53 4K video camera and DJI Air 2S Drone VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: BBC Earth Diego Cobena Pavel Danilyuk Mohamed Hassan Mdherren Mikhail Nilov NZTE: ATEED, Truekit Pressmaster Rotislav Uzunov Ruth Sakura Studio VideoProduktion

When we visited Cape Palliser a few months ago, we were lucky to chance upon a rockpool full of playful seal pups, carefully guarded by their mum who was resting nearby, but keeping a watchful eye open for any danger. Cape Palliser, in the Wairarapa area, is home to the North Island's largest fur seal colony. The music is Corridor of Life by Torn Chorus. You can listen to the full version on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/album/7dRJhy2uNnsgUlRhGVAedr

This is a timelapse video shot from Bastion Point in Auckland, New Zealand. Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf, which last erupted about 600 years ago. The 5.5 km wide island is a symmetrical shield volcano cone, reaching a height of 260 m. Bastion Point is a coastal piece of land in the suburb of Orakei, overlooking the Waitematā Harbour. The area is significant in New Zealand history as the site of protests by Māori against forced land alienation by pākehā in the late 1970s. Music by Torn Chorus - Silver Horses: https://youtu.be/vmf5c4iMOik

Maungakiekie (One Tree Hill) is one of the oldest volcanoes in Auckland (at least 28,500 years old) and the second-largest with 20 square kilometres of lava flow fields surrounding the scoria cone. It sits amidst Cornwall Park, which is a stunning sight when viewed from the air, as you can see in this video compilation from the drone. If you enjoy seeing videos about New Zealand travel, please click on Like and subscribe to my channel. MUSIC CREDIT: All I Really, by Torn Chorus Track available on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/album/0Nsgrcoh28nmGwQOSVO6e7 WEBSITE: www.tornchorus.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on DJI AIR 2S Drone VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis

The scenery around Queenstown and Te Anau, in the South Island of New Zealand, is amongst the most spectacular in the world. Most of the scenic shots in this video were filmed during our visit to the area a few months ago. If you enjoy seeing videos about New Zealand travel, please click on Like and subscribe to my channel. Our trip took us around Lake Wakatipu, to Glenorchy, Paradise, Coronet Peak, Lake Te Anau and Lake Manapouri. The beach scenes were filmed on Karekare Beach, on the west coast of Auckland (where the movie “The Piano” was shot). The opening sequence of the “smoky sun” was a timelapse video taken during January 2020, when the skies were full of smoke from the devastating Australian bush fires. MUSIC CREDIT: Now I Have You, by Torn Chorus Track available on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/album/2MkvncItNKZLxvc4yeAJMo?si=Q6Q3o4QiT66sAN9MgumPBA WEBSITE: www.tornchorus.com VIDEO CREDITS: Video by Franklin Davis shot on Sony FDR-AX53 4K video camera VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Franklin Davis OTHER VIDEO FOOTAGE CREDITS: Artyom Cottonbro Indigo Blackwood Koolshooters Maksim Goncharenov Mikhail Nilov Naveen G Pexels Piklu Dey Pressmaster Richard Carrigan Roman Odintsov Street Donkey

I recorded a timelapse video of the blood supermoon last night (also known as the super flower blood moon). This was shot in Auckland between 11 and 11.30PM. Music is by Torn Chorus. See www.tornchorus.com

Filmed during a trip to the gannet colony at Muriwai Beach, near Auckland New Zealand, this is a short compilation of footage showing these magnificent birds. If you enjoy seeing videos about New Zealand, please click on Like and subscribe to my channel. About 1,200 pairs of gannets nest here from August to March each year. These two-and-a-half kilogram birds have a wingspan of two metres, and their mastery of the onshore updrafts is impressive to say the least. MUSIC CREDITS: MUSIC: Torn Chorus PERFORMED BY: Torn Chorus www.tornchorus.com VIDEO EDITED AND PRODUCED BY: Frank Davis

We had perfect weather one day at Queenstown during our South Island trip, so we drove up to Coronet Peak and found this group of paragliders riding the currents. If you like videos about New Zealand travel and scenery please Like and Subscribe. The music is from River of Tears by Torn Chorus. For more information about Torn Chorus, please visit www.tornchorus.com