Cathay Pacific Travel Media Awards

Wellington Writer, Photographer and Author Scoop the Top Prizes

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. October 14, 2008

APRIL 9, 2008. John McCrystal, freelance writer, author and book reviewer, won the Cathay Pacific Travel Writer of the Year Award and Wellington photographer and adventurer Grant Sheehan took the Cathay Pacific Travel Photographer of the Year Award, presented last night [Tuesday 8 April] at a glittering Italian-themed gala dinner at The Heritage Auckland's Grand Tearoom.

One of New Zealand's funniest women, star of television, radio, print and the stage, comedian Michele A'Court hosted the awards. The Cathay Pacific Travel Media and Whitcoulls Travel Book awards are organised by Travcom (New Zealand Travel Communicators) to celebrate excellence in travel writing and photography.

McCrystal, who took top spot with his story "A Quiet Night Out in Waitangi" was born in Taupo, educated at the University of Auckland, but lives and works in Wellington. He has been working as a freelance writer since 1990, and has published (in descending order of respectability) a number of non-fiction books, travel pieces for newspapers and magazines, journalism, short fiction and book reviews. He travels wherever and whenever he can, which has mostly meant New Zealand so far. But the rest of world is hardly safe if his ambitions have a say.

The writing chief judge was William Fraser, editor in chief of the seven Cathay Pacific and Dragonair magazines, former editor of Qantas magazine, founder of Australian Financial Review Magazine and Boss Magazine. A former literary and food editor who has worked in magazines, newspapers, book publishing and radio and television, Fraser said: "There was a world of difference in the quality of writing about New Zealand and the rest of the world. The level of detailed information that people could act on - often wittily and easily conveyed - in the New Zealand stories was in marked contrast to many once-over-lightly, highly impressionistic treatments that highlighted a lack of research about foreign destinations."

Wellington-based photographer, author and publisher Grant Sheehan's diverse photographic career spans twenty-five years. His commissioned work has been published in magazines and books in New Zealand and internationally. In 1994 Grant set up Phantom House Books, a publishing company which he runs in parallel with his photography business. He has published a variety of books on architecture, New Zealand heritage, motor sport and travel. Most of these titles showcase his photography. His travel projects have taken him around the globe from Africa

and Central America to Antarctica. He is currently working on several client commissions, and two new books; one on New Zealand landscapes encompassing Northland to Antarctica, and the other on the humorous behaviour of penguins.

Sheehan's portfolio of images taken in Africa, Australia and Cambodia impressed the panel of three photography judges - James Frankham editor of NZ Geographic Magazine and last year's Cathay Pacific Travel Photographer of the Year award winner, John Malcolm, head of photography at Unitec and Todd Eyre, prominent editorial and advertising photographer. "The standard was very high. The winners have produced photos of exceptional quality and a great variety of subjects and locations."

Both McCrystal and Sheehan win a return ticket to Italy, travelling with Cathay Pacific, NZ$500 travel expenses, plus a sightseeing and accommodation package courtesy of Adventure World and Tauck.

Eleanor Meecham won the sixth annual Whitcoulls Travcom Travel Book of the Year Award for Llamas and Empanadas (Penguin NZ). Meecham's prize is NZ$2000 cash plus NZ$500 in book vouchers from Whitcoulls. Dunedin writer Lloyd Spencer Davis received the runners-up prize for Looking for Darwin (Longacre Press).

The Whitcoulls Travcom Travel Book of the Year Award was judged by three award winning writers; Robin Charteris, recently retired editor of the Otago Daily Times and a long-time, award-winning travel writer, Peter Calder, Travel Editor at the Listener and Paula Morris, a well known kiwi novelist who lives in New Orleans. The judges enjoyed reading the eleven entries although were critical of the general standard of English and grammar.

Meecham's tale of her adventures cycling through South America was the second time publisher Penguin NZ has won the award. Last year's winning title, Chasing the Chimney Sweep, was another Penguin title featuring a biking journey through France. Eleanor Meecham is a freelance illustrator and editor for Spoke magazine. She is currently working on a book about cycling solo through Mexico and lives in Wellington with her two bicycles.

Chief Judge Robin Charteris said "this entry stands out for the quality of Ms Meecham's writing. I found this, once started, a hard book to put down. The joys of discovery, discomfort and solitude are excellently chronicled."

Full list of awards:

Cathay Pacific Travel Writer of the Year Award Winner: John McCrystal

The winner was selected from one of the following category award winners

Holiday Shoppe's On Location Magazine Award for the Best Magazine Travel Story

Winner: Mike White

For "Wide White Land"

Published in North & South Magazine, May 2007

Runners Up: Liz Light

For "Apple Days"

Published in Unlimited Magazine, April 2007

Karen Goa

For "When In Goa"

Published in the Listener, November 2007

Navigate Oceania Award for the Best Newspaper Travel Article

Winner: Susan Buckland

For "Islands of the Birds"

Published in the NZ Herald, June 2007

Runners Up:Peter Calder

For "Life Afloat on Nile Gives Taste Of Bliss"

Published in the NZ Herald, December 2007

Carroll du Chateau

For "Let's Dance"

Published in the NZ Herald, March 2007

Heritage Hotels Award for the Best Travel Article Written About New Zealand

Winner: John McCrystal

For "A Quiet Night Out in Waitangi"

Published in the Dominion Post, April 2007

Runners Up: David Burton

For "The Inner Circle"

Published in Cuisine Magazine, November 2007

Mike White

For "River Wizz"

Published in North & South magazine, March 2007

Interislander Award for the Best Article About A Journey

Winner: Karen Goa

For "Leaping Tiger, Sleeping Dragon"

Published in Unlimited Magazine, February 2007

Runners Up: Peter Calder

For "In Absurdistan"

Published in the NZ Listener, January 2007

Fergus Blakiston

For "Path of Memories"

Published in Avenue, January 2007

Visit Britain and Tourism Ireland Award for the Best Travel Article Written About Britain

and/or Ireland

Winner: Michele Hewitson

For "To Visit the Queen" and "Falling in Love Again"

Published in the NZ Herald, July 2007

Runner Up: Paul Rush

For "Dublin's Fair City"

Published in Taranaki Daily news, August 2007

AA Directions Magazine Best New Travel Writer of the Year Award

Winner: Heather Mackenzie

For "A Room With A View"

Runners Up: Pauline Herbst

For "Too Kind"

Peter Kemp

For "History Deluxe"

Commended: Anna Sidey

For "Congo by Night"

Nola McRae

For "Jive Talking"

John Arnold

For "Tubby Chan's adventure in Beijing"

Whitcoulls Travcom Travel Book of the Year Award

Winner: Eleanor Meecham

For "Llamas and Empanadas" published by Penguin NZ April 2007

Runner Up: Lloyd Spencer Davis

For "Looking for Darwin" published by Longacre Press in October 2007

Photography Awards:

Cathay Pacific Travel Photographer of the Year Award

Winner: Grant Sheehan

Special Mention:

Chris Coad

Kent Blechynden

This award is presented for the best overall portfolio of travel images,

taking into account all entries in the awards in every category.

The Jucy Rentals Award for the Best Travel Image Taken In New Zealand and Pacific

Islands

Winner: Liz Light for her image of a church destroyed by a cyclone in Samoa Published in the

Herald On Sunday, October 2007

Runners Up: Katherine Robinson for her image of Carterton in the Wairarapa

Published in Wairarapa, The Guide Book, October 2007.

Fay Looney for her two images of the Coromandel Published in the Taranaki Midweek

newspaper, December 2007

The Leica Award for the Best Travel Image Taken Outside New Zealand

Winner: Greta Anderson for her image taken at Bullo River Station, Northern Territory, Australia.

Published in NZ Life & Leisure magazine in June 2007.

Runners Up: Grant Sheehan for his images of a Camel Driver texting in a sandstorm in the United

Arab Emirates and shadow puppetry in Siem Reap Cambodia. Both published in More Places To

Stay, March 2007

Chris Coad for his image of Eastbourne taken from Eastbourne Pier, south coast of the U.K.

Published in the Wellington Guide, August 2007

The Air Vanuatu and Le Meridian Port Vila Resort & Casino Award for the Best Series of

Travel Images

Winner: Ross Giblin for his images of glamour camping at the Bedwell River outpost, Clayoquot

Sound, Vancouver Island, Canada. Published in the Dominion Post, October 2007

Runners Up: Chris Coad for his images of houses on the south coast of the UK. Published in the

Wellington Guide in August 2007

Highly Commended: Kent Blechynden for his images taken in Northern Vietnam

Published in the Dominion Post, August 2007

Grant Sheehan for his images of Ayers Rock, Australia

Published in More Places To Stay, March 2007

The AA Directions Magazine Award for Best Unpublished Travel Image

Winner: Kent Blechynden for his image taken in Vietnam

Runner Up: Karim Sahai for his image taken on Trocadero Esplanade, Paris, of a young couple

kissing.

Highly Commended: Julia Thorne for her for her image of Pont du Gard, Provence, reflected in the

river

Greta Anderson for her image of a river and man in the Waitakeres

Mark Hamilton for his image of a Buddhist nun in Shanoukvile, Cambodia.