Second Time Lucky

On his first trip to Chile, Derek Paterson fell instantly in love with the people and the country. On was ready to leave when the b;oozy coup of 11 September 1973 slammed the borders closed. Three days later he was thrown into a police cell and then taken to the infamous, notorious National Stadium in Santiago. He was one of thousands of Americans, Canadians, Europeans and Latin Americans, many of whom did not survive.
He came back to live 36 years later to find a vastly different land economically and politically. In the three years he lived there, Chile celebrated 200 years of freedom from the Spanish yoke and the country voted in its first democratic, right wing president in decades. The country was also shaken by one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded with huge loss of life. He travelled the country from north to south, reaffirming his love of the people and the country.

Derek Paterson has a background in journalism and publishing. He has worked on newspapers, radio and television. He has founded his own magazine, published and edited several books, freelanced internationally as a writer and photographer, taught English as a second language and was part of the film crew that shot the world's first open sea, underwater footage of Orca (Killer Whales).
He has travelled widely and lived in North and South America, Europe and Asia and, of course, Australia and New Zealand.
Fine art photography, principally panoramic landscapes, is another passion and his works are hanging in homes and collections in Europe, North and South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. His photographs have also been bought by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade for hanging in missions around the world.