No passport, travel insurance or bulging suitcase is needed for this travel experience, guided by a group of volunteers from the comfort of armchairs.
The Armchair Travellers have mapped out four annual evenings at Whakatu Presbyterian Church in Richmond since 2010, with mostly local guest speakers sharing their international travel stories through photos and videos with up to 65 visitors.
Retired cold soil specialist Iain Campbell says the group made headway after he gave talks about his many travels to Antarctica at a Nelson travel club and church.
“People basically love it, because you're not sitting at home watching a five second clip on television. You can actually sit and see a picture and talk about it, and if you've got a question, you can get an answer,” he enthuses.
“The format is usually people can talk for an hour, and they must have pictures, slides, and then there's a period of time for questions.
“Some of the travel talks have been amazing. For people to sit in their chairs, they can virtually be there, and because a lot of those who come are older and probably aren't going to travel much anymore, [the talks] are about reminiscing.”
Iain says the church provides free use of its venue for the talks and while entry is also free, voluntary donations for selected charities are encouraged.
Over the years, supported charities have included Nelson Tasman Hospice, Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter, Land Search and Rescue and the Red Cross.
Inspiration for future guest speakers is often discovered through newspapers, when an interesting article about their excursions is published.
Guest speakers have included locals who have trekked across England, visited Greenland and Nepal, and explored South America by motorcycle.
For more information, email: armchairtravellers.nelson@gmail.com.
