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Exploring Mackenzie Country

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Posted by Samuel Phineas Upham

The article “Chasing Mackenzie’s Ghost,” by Patrick Symmes is about one writer’s journey to Mackenzie Country, an area located on the South Island of New Zealand. The region is named after James Mackenzie, a man who was famous for stealing sheep and living off the land. Symmes began his journey by stealing a car and picking up hitchhikers along the way. Then he decides to go bush like Mackenzie.

While most maps refer to the area as the Mackenzie Basin or the Mackenzie District, the author suggests that Mackenzie Country is a lot bigger than the area reflected on the map. According to the article, it “encompasses 23 of New Zealand’s 25 highest peaks.”

The author describes when he first heard about Mackenzie the outlaw and why he was intrigued by the fact that he would go into the woods for months at a time. Symmes then describes his various adventures in the beautiful land.

Read entire article: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1999/12/06/1999_12_06_096_TNY_LIBRY_00001969