The Discovering New Zealand Series is a Free series of short episodes (in the form of HD and 360 videos) about Salto del Pastor Canario in New Zealand. In the first season, we will visit several mountain ranges around the North Island seeking new routes to practice and develop Salto del pastor Canario in New Zealand.
Our hope is to provide the audience with unique insight into this ancient Spanish tradition from the Canary Islands, as well as the opportunity to experience New Zealand’s magnificent scenery.
We hope to be able to release it by this summer in NZ( Christmas time).
The idea behind the series:
I started practicing Salto del Pastor as a teenager, more than three decades ago. It became one of my favourite outdoor activities. About 16 years ago, I moved to New Zealand, and have since received many curious looks and enquiries whenever I go to practise, as no-one seems to know anything about it. This Series will allow Salto del Pastor Canario to become more widely known.
Another reason I took on this project was related to my main job as a Health Practitioner. During my years of practice, I have worked with several people who are unable to enjoy the outdoors – who, due to their injuries or disabilities, are unable to sit by a river, climb a mountain, swim in a lake, be in the forest, or just listen to the wilderness. Some carers have mentioned that it is common for these people to use virtual reality devices. That inspired me to make this Series in a 360 format as a way for people with limited mobility to experience the outdoors in a very exotic way.
I also would like to motivate the general population to get out and witness first-hand the places we are visiting. Many of these are very accessible and have good tracks which do not demand high levels of fitness. Spending time in mother nature is the best anti-stress medicine as well as a wonderful source for seeking clarity and inspiration, and we could all benefit from that nowadays.
Salto del Pastor Canario is a beautiful tradition that offers a very special way to enjoy the outdoors, as well as being a fun way to keep fit and explore new places. It has great potential to bring happiness to many people, and therefore needs to be shared. I hope this project will help in achieving that.
“Salto del Pastor Canario is much more than jumping from rocks and cliffs. It is the experience of finding your own path in nature”.
