Overview
There's something about nature that has a calming effect on the body. In Japan the practise of forest bathing, or taking in the atmosphere of the forest, is used as stress relief for civilians in urban areas. In these uncertain times when international travel is still limited, Tourism New Zealand is hoping the unique sounds of our landscape will help Kiwis find a place of calm and disconnect from their stresses.
The organisation's first album, Mindful Journeys, features four meditative audio tracks inspired by our own backyard.
It features the sounds of New Zealand, including native birdlife, bubbling geothermal mud pools, the Pacific colliding with the Tasman Sea, and the sound of the breeze moving through the forest. There are narrated tracks — featuring master carver James Rickard — and two aural soundscapes from the Far North to the Canterbury Plains.
Listeners begin their journey on the beaches of the upper North Island, listening to the gentle sounds of surf and seabirds. From there, the breeze move into the forest where native birds and insects chirp and warble. The journey eventually emerges in the geothermal area of Rotorua.
In the South Island the tracks move from the lapping waters of the Marlborough Sounds to the rugged West Coast beaches. You'll stop at the Punakaiki Rocks before moving inland to the Southern Alps.
Tourism New Zealand says "The sound of nature is proven to help relax, and physically change the mind and body systems by having a positive impact on the flight or fright nervous system."
Tourism New Zealand's four-track 'Mindful Journeys' album can be streamed now on Spotify.
Image: Dan Kerins Photography.