Many residencies offer artists and writers a comfortable house for a few months to relax in and concentrate on completing a project. You need to be a bit more intrepid to apply for the Auckland Regional Parks Artist in Residence where you're going to be spending a lot of time in the wilderness, night and day, Titirangi poet Elizabeth Welsh has recently wrapped up her residency at Awhitu Regional Park. Lynn Freeman talks with Elizabeth, and with last year's artist in residence Chris McDowall. Chris is an award-winning cartographer who roamed and mapped the Glenfern Sanctuary at Aotea Great Barrier Island.