The World in 360 Minutes

Painting of RMS Ruahine in the Panama Canal by Ron Esplin

In this first episode discover how Ron Esplin travelled one and a half times around the world by the time he was ten years old. Find out this young boys joy at the sound of the steel drums, the taste of his first banana and his one big memory of the ancient city of Pompeii.

Painting of Earnslaw, Queenstown NZ by Ron Esplin

In this second episode discover how Ron Esplin, despite staying in New Zealand for his teenage years, managed to get free travel. Find out his disappointment when a “tua” finally arrived in Queenstown. What did he think it was going to be, and, what did it turn out to be?

Painting of Frogner Park, Oslo, Norway by Ron Esplin

In this third episode discover how many countries Ron visited in his third decade. Find out what language was not popular to speak at that time, who were the gruffest people in Europe, and what’s the one word Ron used to describe Liechtenstein.

Painting of 63 Pacific Street, Dunedin, NZ by Ron Esplin

In this fourth episode hear all about Ron’s family life back in Dunedin and how he walked the streets to get a job. Even though this decade involved no overseas travel, discover what quirk enabled Ron to find adventure on his own two feet.

Painting of Hong Kong harbour by Ron Esplin

In this fifth episode Ron travels to Asia and America experiencing electronics and discovering the marketing magic of Akio Morita. Ron’s country count shoots up by nine, join him to find out what he thought of China in 1986, and of Bali, before it became a destination of choice.

Painting of University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ by Ron Esplin

In this sixth episode Ron heads to the Cook Islands with two of his daughters before going to the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia where another was competing. Running features heavily in this episode, so find out what a doorman at a Los Angeles hotel said to Ron when he returned from a morning run.

Painting of 759 Highgate, Maori Hill, Dunedin, NZ by Ron Esplin

In this seventh episode Julie Woods came along and the pair set themselves a goal of visiting the Seven Wonders of the World. Recall Ron’s memory of his mother telling him about Petra in Jordan, and listen to him describe the light as it shone on their fourth Wonder of the World.

Painting of Charles Bridge, Prague, Czechia by Ron Esplin

In this final episode discover the 17 countries that took Ron to 80, including what he thought of the Canadians, Budapest and the Baltic states. You’ll zip up the UK from Lands End to John O Groats , dash down the Rhine-Main-Danube and end up in Russia. Before you know it, you’ll have been around the world in 80 minutes.

In this first episode discover what a Bedouin guide said to Ron when he tried to trade Julie in for 5,000 camels, what Julie gave the horse for carrying them through the siq’ and what they did when they came home from their first Wonder of the World, the ancient city carved out of rock.

In this second episode discover what Ron read on the Great Wall of China, what Julie did when she was left all alone, and what her two boys got up to one night in a hotel in Beijing?

In this third episode, find out what the guide said to Julie at the Colosseum, and how many people can squeeze into the world’s largest ampitheatre. Also discover how Ron approached fitting this colossal building onto a piece of A3 watercolour paper.

In this fourth episode, discover what Ron says the colour of this wonder of the world changes to at sunset, what the pair put on their feet to go inside and Julie’s taste entry, for something she drank on her way to wonder 4.

In this fifth episode discover what was at the back of the statue of Christ the Redeemer, what Julie smelt in Brazil, and what Ron said the views were like in the most unlikely accommodation in Rio de Janeiro.

In this sixth episode discover what Ron replaced people with in his painting of Machu Picchu, what struck Julie when she touched this wonder, and what Ron ate that made it into Julie’s sensory diary the night before they visited their sixth wonder.

In this seventh episode Julie and Ron achieve their dream of visiting the Seven Wonders of the World when they travel to Chichen Itsa in Mexico. See this Mayan pyramid through the eyes of and artist and find out which Wonder of the World was their favourite?

Julie playing the ukulele at Hutton Theatre in Dunedin painted by Ron Esplin.

In this first episode discover what Julie did when she was told she was too young to learn the guitar, what it was like to move to a new house, and what she saw when she looked out the window of a Queenstown motel?

Australian outback painted by Ron Esplin.

In this second episode find out what differences Julie spotted between Australia and New Zealand when she travelled there in 1980.  Discover what she had to do every day when she started work on the checkout at her local supermarket, and where she was when she noticed her eye sight change?

Carcassonein France painted by Ron Esplin.

In this first episode discover what Julie did when she was told she was too young to learn the guitar, what it was like to move to a new house, and what she saw when she looked out the window of a Queenstown motel?

Lothian Street painted by Ron Esplin.

In  this fourth episode discover how Julie approached going blind in 1997,  what she loved about Braille, and how the opportunity of nude touch rugby came about. Let’s not forget Ron as this is the decade he came along.

The Scramble, in Japan painted by Ron Esplin.

In this fifth episode hear Ron reading the list of 42 countries Julie visited in this episode, and where she found herself turning 50. But this decade didn’t start well, so find out what happened that could have ended it all.

Ju in Jiufen 60 by 60 painted by Ron Esplin.

In this sixth and final episode discover how Julie’s sixth decade began with an accident and what she learned from it.  Find out what it was like to speak to a crowd of Vietnamese blind people,  and where Julie managed to go to for her 60th country.