American Stormtroopers

Richard Pendavingh

Back in 2015 Amazon unveiled a promotional campaign for their TV adaptation of Philip K. Dick's famous novel The Man in the High Castle.

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May
10
2020
Part 2: Replicants of the Reef Richard Pendavingh 10.05.20

On a rocky stretch of coastline on Hawaii’s Big Island a group of marine biologists are studying the lifecycle of the octopus - a creature that lives fast and dies young.

May
10
2020
Part 1: The Acheulean Sleep Richard Pendavingh 10.05.20

In the closing act of Blade Runner it’s a game of chess that allows the replicant Roy Batty to finally meet his maker.

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Apr
14
2020
Welcome to the Elephit House Richard Pendavingh 14.04.20

I knew it was going to be bad. I'd read all the one and two star reviews and looked at the pictures of weird murals and overgrown gardens but I kept circling back to the listing every time I looked for accommodation on Kauai.

Apr
13
2020
Violence in the Aloha State Richard Pendavingh 13.04.20

I knew that Hawaii was part of America but I still didn't expect it to be so American.

Mar
02
2020
The Pirates of REM Island Richard Pendavingh 02.03.20

On a cold day in December in 1964 three helicopters belonging to the Royal Dutch Navy set out across the north sea towards a tiny speck in the ocean about ten kilometers west of Noordwijk on the Dutch coast.

Jan
25
2020
Remembering Cummeragunja Richard Pendavingh 25.01.20

Studying Australian history often feels more like uncovering some sprawling conspiracy. Buried underneath all the accounts of white explorers, convicts, bushrangers, miners and diggers is a vast bedrock of black history. The more you dig the more connections you find but the full story always seems to remain hidden.

Feb
11
2019
Banner Blindness Richard Pendavingh 11.02.19

In movies about conspiracies there’s always a moment when the main character finds the clue in the stack of evidence and rushes off to tell someone.

Nov
09
2018
The Battle for Schloss Itter Richard Pendavingh 09.11.18

Tucked away on a forested hillside in Austria’s Tyrolean alps is a château called Itter with a long history and one remarkable footnote.

Jul
03
2018
The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant Atomkraft? Nein Danke Richard Pendavingh 03.07.18

As a nation with a large reserve of uranium but no nuclear energy industry Australia is periodically subject to op-ed pieces designed to drum up support for a domestic nuclear power industry.

Feb
10
2017
South Coast Track Richard Pendavingh 10.02.17

Tasmania's southern coastline is one of the most wild and remote parts of Australia

Jan
18
2017
The Women of Rojava Richard Pendavingh 18.01.17

Photos by Asmaa Waguih and Joey Lawrence of Kurdish fighters provide a face for a revolution that is quietly taking place behind the front lines of the war with ISIS.

Dec
28
2016
The Hordes of Mt Doom Richard Pendavingh 28.12.16

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing on New Zealand's north island has a reputation as one of the most dangerous hikes in the country. On a good day it's a hard slog across 20km of rock and scree taking you up onto the desolate but spectacular plateau that forms the base of Mt Ngauruhoe.

Oct
18
2016
The Devil’s Staircase Richard Pendavingh 18.10.16

Despite the spectacular views on offer around Mt Howitt it's clear from the map that early European explorers had a rough time surveying the region.

Sep
20
2016
Unfinished Business Richard Pendavingh 20.09.16

Our first day on the bikes took us up the west coast from Negombo to Puttallam. It was a busy stretch of road and we were still a few days away from getting comfortable with the traffic so progress was slow.

Sep
11
2016
Sea Tigers of the LTTE Richard Pendavingh 11.09.16

In a lagoon north of Mullaitivu is a gold-painted 'victory monument'. It presides over the area where the 'Liberation Tamil Tigers of Eelam' (LTTE) made their last stand against the Sri Lankan army in 2009.

Sep
01
2016
Sri Lankan cricket fans at the Australia v Sri Lankan one-day international at Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium. Riding the Whitewash Richard Pendavingh 01.09.16

It's hard to know when to visit Sri Lanka. December to April is officially the dry season but the weather conditions are somewhat complex with various monsoon seasons affecting different parts of the island at different times.

Aug
26
2016
Conflicting Stories in Sri Lanka Richard Pendavingh 26.08.16

A couple of chance encounters highlighted the dueling narratives of Sri Lankan history and the tensions that still remain following the end of the civil war.

Aug
20
2016
Junk in a motorcycle workshop Sri Lanka by Motorcycle Richard Pendavingh 20.08.16

The best way to see Sri Lanka is on two wheels.

Apr
16
2016
The Art of Amistics Richard Pendavingh 16.04.16

Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag paints images of suburban Sweden in the 1980s transformed by some unexplained technological breakthrough.

Apr
21
2015
Osaka and the Dekasegi Richard Pendavingh 21.04.15

I met my first talkative local wandering Osaka looking for the famous Umeda Sky building.