Essential New Zealand

Essential New Zealand Showcases the spectacular scenery of Aotearoa through video and the music of New Zealand artist Torn Chorus (a.k.a. Franklin Davis).

Get ready to immerse yourself in a fusion of art and sound! My new acoustic version of Symbols is live on YouTube, featu...
21/03/2026

Get ready to immerse yourself in a fusion of art and sound! My new acoustic version of Symbols is live on YouTube, featuring stunning street art installations from around the globe, brought to life with the magic of AI. Check it out now at:

From the very first cave drawings, humans have always used symbols to depict significant ideas and events. Over time, these symbols have evolved to tell the ...

15/03/2026

My new, acoustic version of Symbols is now available to view on YouTube. If you like street art and music, you may like to check out the video, which showcases significant street art installations from around the world. Link is in the comments below.

My new, acoustic version of Symbols is now available to view on YouTube. If you like street art and music, you may like ...
15/03/2026

My new, acoustic version of Symbols is now available to view on YouTube. If you like street art and music, you may like to check out the video, which showcases significant street art installations from around the world. See if you can recognize any of the images, and please like and subscribe:

From the very first cave drawings, humans have always used symbols to depict significant ideas and events. Over time, these symbols have evolved to tell the ...

25/02/2026

This video shows a recent recording session for the acoustic version of my song, Symbols, one of the tunes on my latest Torn Chorus album, Mortal Café. The instrumental backing on this song features multiple acoustic guitar tracks, and some mandolin in the instrumental breaks. You can see me playing a Martin D28 Street Legend in the foreground and a Martin 00016-GT on the screen in the background. Please see the comments below for a link to the full Mortal Café album.

I was really lucky today to spot this shining cuckoo (pīpīwharauroa) at Mourea, near Lake Rotorua. It's the first time I...
24/02/2026

I was really lucky today to spot this shining cuckoo (pīpīwharauroa) at Mourea, near Lake Rotorua. It's the first time I have seen one in the wild. I didn't have my big camera with me, but I was able to get a couple of shots on my mobile phone before it flew away.

18/02/2026

The new Torn Chorus album, Mortal Café, is here now! This album includes my latest single, Time is the Enemy, a new acoustic version of Symbols, and 9 other recent singles. Check it out on Spotify and all streaming platforms. Link is in the comments below.

17/02/2026

Thanks to everyone who has listened so far to my new single, Time is the Enemy. Really appreciate the support. If you enjoy it, please save or follow on Spotify or your favourite streaming platform – link is in comments below

The new Torn Chorus single, Time is the Enemy is out today! Watch the full video here:
16/02/2026

The new Torn Chorus single, Time is the Enemy is out today! Watch the full video here:

There’s a curious phenomenon that happens to many of us as we grow up. The body gets older, but the mind can get stuck at a certain age and stay there. This ...

After long months of patiently waiting, our resident tui have finally started sipping the nectar from our feeder. When I...
13/02/2026

After long months of patiently waiting, our resident tui have finally started sipping the nectar from our feeder. When I first installed it, there was plenty of attention from the waxeyes (tauhou), who could easily drain a whole bottle within a day, but now that the tui have started, the tauhou are nowhere to be seen. Has anyone else had the same experience?

Thanks to the Menzshed Pauanui for creating such a colourful piece of garden bird furniture 🙂

13/02/2026

The new album, Mortal Café, is nearly here, available for streaming on 16th February. This album includes my latest single, Time is the Enemy, a new acoustic version of Symbols, and 9 other recent singles. Presave link is in the comments below.

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