The Neverland is a real place, not so difficult to find as one may think. To get there, you will not need any map, just a few directions such as these...
“second star to the right, and straight on till morning”
... and you will find it at the breaking of dawn. Of course, one must always add an ounce of imagination into the matter, because the Neverland exists somewhere between the spaces between the stars, the mind, and the twinkling of the sun on the surface of water.
And, not every Neverland looks the same. For instance, one child's Neverland may have flamingos flying over a lagoon, and another's might have lagoons flying over flamingos. Nevertheless, they are all quite magical places.
My own Neverland exists here in New Zealand, in a place called The Able Tasman. It has white beaches of soft sand, bordering yellow and turquoise seas, where the pirates dock their ships to hide treasure in the rocky coves.
Further inland, there are several lagoons. There, you may find the mermaids, who are quite vain, and like to comb their hair lazily and bask on stones in the midday sun. Sometimes they hide beneath the surface, near rocks and things, and blow small bubbles for fun.
In the deepest and densest part of the forest, there are all manner of birds, tigers, lions and bears, which you have to watch out for. And right in the middle there, is the fairie's hollow, where tiny sprites shine in the night, when nobody is watching.
My Neverland is inhabited, not only by pirates, but also by the Lost Gypsies - a raggedy bunch that traipse about the land, searching for adventure. It is a circular kind of world, in the Neverland, as for many moons each beast has been hunting the Pirates, who in turn are hunting the Gypsies, who are actually hunting the beasts. If one is caught, they are promptly released and the hunt can begin again.
All photos were taken on the Able Tasman walking trail, in New Zealand, a most beautiful place that brings people great joy.
