Peninsula Stock Ramp & Shed – Buy
There’s a wonderful feeling of semi-isolation about this hut. I say semi, due to the fact that it’s on a DOC walking trail so quite a few people end up walking past it. However, if you can look past that and concentrate on its location and connections to the environment it speaks volumes.
Queens Gardens – Buy
I left the Chinese Gardens and headed across the road into Queens Gardens, a triangular garden filled with lawn and surrounded by trees and statues. Sitting close to the city’s Warehouse Precinct, Queens Gardens is a popular place due to its close proximity to the Railway Station, the NZR Bus Depot, The Early Settlers Museum and the wharf. Originally known as The Triangle, at the time of the 1860’s Otago Gold Rush, the many notable buildings that overlook Queens Gardens give an indication of just how wealthy the Otago province was while the rush was in full swing.
Lan Yuan Lily Pond – Buy
One lunchtime I went for a walk through the Lan Yuan Dunedin Chinese Gardens. The gardens were quiet with the only other visitors being two men playing chess by the tearooms. It really is a tranquil, peaceful and serene place near the Dunedin Railway Station, Queens Gardens and Toitu Otago Early Settlers Museum. The garden is an authentic Chinese Garden that was created with the support of the Shanghai Municipal Government. It is New Zealand’s only authentic Chinese Garden and when it was opened, one of only three outside China.
Dunedin sunset with textures – Buy
There have been some wonderful sunrises in Dunedin lately and even better sunsets. At the moment, here in Dunedin, as we move through autumn and slowly approach winter, the sun has been setting at 5:30pm. Meaning, the long summer evenings are definitely gone and the chilly winter nights aren’t far away. However, recently the evenings here have been still and warm, resulting in some lovely sunsets.
The Beautiful Colours Of Blackhead Beach – Buy
Given the nature of what a stunning autumn day it was, and with the winter months looming on the horizon, I wasn’t sure how many more I would see. So, I ended up on the south coast of Dunedin at Blackhead Beach. The day was still, full of colour and the beach was filled with people making the most of the warm, summer-like afternoon.
Jervois Quay In Wellington – Buy
While I was in Wellington, one night I found my way to Jervois Quay near the waterfront and harbour. Really, what I was after was an interesting viewpoints to capture city lights at night and I thought the view from the City to Sea Bridge looking down to Jervois Quay might just do the trick.
Autumn reflection at Lakes Hayes – Buy
What a tranquil place Lake Hayes is. For the life of me, I can’t recall ever seeing it anything but placid and serene. Even when the weather has been miserable, all around the lake manages to remain reposeful. I’ve seen it when it’s windy, when it’s raining, when it’s hailing and snowing. I’ve seen it in the morning and the evening, at dawn and at dusk yet it really is quite remarkable how untroubled it always seems. I wonder why that is!
The Remarkables at dusk – Buy
Usually, when I travel to the Queenstown-Lakes District I generally try to avoid Queenstown by either staying in Arrowtown or continuing up Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. Last year, for something different, I went through Frankton and headed down the lake to Kingston.
Recently, needing to travel to Wellington, I decided to fly from Queenstown rather than Dunedin, but wanting to avoid Queenstown I stayed a night in Frankton. After driving 3 and a half hours from Dunedin, I found my hotel, unpacked and walked outside to be just in time for the sun to be setting behind The Remarkables as a large bank of cloud was rolling in at the end of the day.
Twilight On John Wilson Drive – Buy
It’d been one of those summer days that started off fine and only gets warmer as the day unfolds. Then, once the sun goes down the heat from the day stretches into the evening, lasting long after the sun has set. The wonderful thing about summer evenings like this is that you can walk late into the twilight as the light hangs round.
Dunedin Public Library – Buy
At first glance the low cloud that was covering the city in the morning looked like it could clear. However, several hours later it was apparent that the gray rain clouds weren’t going to move anywhere soon, so with that, I decided a trip to the library was in order. Also, just like the large pile of books by the front door, somewhat overdue!
When I got to the library car park it was hard not to notice a 2017 Suzki Swift that seemed to be having a little trouble with steering, reversing, braking, finding the accelerator, doing three point turns and generally not blocking traffic! Parking with caution, I took some time to admire one of the many scaffolding features that seem to be a permanent feature of the inner city before heading for the depth of the library.
One morning I was out walking near Dowling Street in Dunedin as the sun was rising in the distance. It was creating all sorts of shadows and silhouettes with the architecture on the nearby buildings. As I moved along and down the street, I started to follow the position and angle that the sun appeared between buildings.
Light on the Kirkliston Range – Buy
Tucked away in the Waimate District is the Hakataramea Valley which sits at the foot of the Kirkliston Range. If you like hiking and adventuring into the wilderness there is a walk up to Pearson Hut. A basic four-bunk hut, getting to Pearsons Hut requires a nearly 3 hour, 6 kilometer walk up to an elevation of 1176m.
Glenorchy mountain range at dawn – Buy
There really is something wonderful about places and locations around Queenstown, once you venture out of the traffic in the main shopping area that is.
This is a sunrise that I shot one morning while I was in Glenorchy. The bright dramatic light and colour in the clouds didn’t last long and was localised to one specific section of the mountain tops as the sun’s rays escaped through some thick cloud to dance across and through the face of these mountains.
Lone Tree In The Maniototo – Buy
I like the name ‘Gimmerburn’. It’s got a kind of, ‘where the hell is that?’ feeling. It’s one of those place names that makes you wonder about the place itself. After all, ‘The Gimmerburn’ hardly sounds like a bustling suburb of London or New York.
So, one day after a self guided tiki tour through the Maniototo, and at one stage passing through The Gimmerburn, I found this lovely singular tree.
Freyberg Beach and Oriental Bay– Buy
My plan for the day was simple: walk to Oriental Bay in Wellington to see the famous Carter Water Fountain. I was staying near the top end of Cuba Street in the city centre, and set out by first heading to the lower end of the street, before arriving at the waterfront. Once there, I passed the National Museum of Te Papa and the Naked Man Statue which linked up with the Wellington Waterfront Walk. This would lead me to the famous fountain which I was quite looking forward to seeing in action. Passing in front of Waitangi Park, I detoured around Clyde Quay Wharf and joined up with the road Oriental Parade. From there, I enjoyed a casual stroll which eventually led me to my destination of Freyberg Beach, Oriental Bay – home of the Carter Water Fountain.
Upon arriving in Oriental Bay, I came across something that I wasn’t expecting. The Fountain wasn’t working. This is something that hadn’t occurred to me before now. After a moment’s reflection, I decided that my first clue should have been the lack of a 16 meter high water spout 150 metres out into the bay.
Feeling slightly disappointed that I wasn’t going to see a Water Fountain, I turned my attention to a strangely shaped half circular Band Rotunda come Restaurant style building that was at the end of the bay. Consisting of three levels, with the bottom two being closed, I found my way to the open air, top level of the building. So, while I wasn’t able to see the Carter Water Fountain in action I was able to enjoy a view across the bay and harbour.
Riverton, Southland’s Riviera – Buy
I wasn’t entirely sure if I’d been to Riverton. I couldn’t remember ever going there, however that’s not to say that I hadn’t visited the Southland town some time in my childhood. Riverton is spread out on either side of the Aparima River and lies 38 km west of Invercargill. So, with some spare time on my hands I set off for Southland’s Riviera.
Butchers Dam In Alexandra – Buy
Despite having driven through the Central Otago township of Alexandra many times, it’s not a place I had really spent any great length of time in, since my childhood. So, with a few days spare during the winter months, I decided to base myself at a local hotel and set about exploring the area. Over the preceding days I explored numerous walking tracks through the hills, found disused cemeteries and visited dams in relative isolation.
Lake Wakatipu – Buy
Here’s an interesting fact for you, Lake Wakatipu is so deep that while the surface of the lake is 310 meters above sea level, at its deepest point it is below sea level with a maximum depth of 380 meters.
Local Māori tell a legend about the lake involving two star-crossed lovers called Matakauri and Manata. One night, Manata was kidnapped by a giant and cruel taniwha named Matau. Manata’s father was so distraught about losing his daughter, he declared that any warrior that was able to rescue her, could have her hand in marriage. Matakauri decided to accept the challenge and successfully rescued Manata as the taniwha lay sleeping.
After the wedding, Matakauri feared the taniwha would return and decided to deal with Matau once and for all. So, one night he crept out and set fire to Matau to ensure he would never steal Manata again. As Matau’s body melted it created a deep ‘S’ trough in the ground which then filled with rainwater and created Lake Wakatipu.
The Kingston Flyer – Buy
Feel like a ride on the famous Kingston Flyer? After the train stopped running in 2013, the famous Flyer is back on the tracks departing Kingston every Sunday at 10.30am & 2.00pm. The journey on the Flyer is an 1.5 hour return trip along the 14km rail corridor from Kingston to Fairlight Railway Station and back.
Allans Beach towards Mt Charles– Buy
My destination was Lovers Leap and the Chasm. Both places I hadn’t been to in some years. I was looking forward to a nice walk with my reward being a pleasant peninsula view at the end of it. At one point I did notice that the track signs seemed to have changed, however, confident I knew where I was going I ignored these and set off under the watchful eye of the local sheep population.
Several Spotify songs later, I arrived at the spot where the viewing platform should be, only to find it wasn’t there. Replaced, with an unstable land warning. Confused, I backtracked and headed to the other viewing platform, which I quickly learnt had also disappeared.
Deciding it would now be prudent to follow the signs, I discovered a new track and viewing platform had been built and placed looking northeast over Allans Beach, Hoopers Inlet, Mt Charles and inland to Harbour Cone. Offloading my pack, I had to admit that this was probably a better view. I also realised that I was being watched by a very smug group of sheep that seemed to be saying “told ya so!”.
Epilogue
In 2019 The Department of Conservation removed the viewing platforms overlooking Lover’s Leap and the Chasm due to concerns over unstable land.
The Northern Royal Albatross – Buy
Spend some time thinking about the Albatross for a moment. These wonderful creatures have a lifespan of at least 50 years, spend up to 85% of it at sea and can go up to six years without touching land. They live off a diet of fish, squids, and crustaceans and once they find a mate they pair-up for life, producing one egg every two years. One fully grown, they weigh around 12 kilograms, have a wingspan of 3.5 meters, can fly up to 40km per hour and can travel up to 15,000 kilometers. In fact, the Northern Royal Albatross has been known to fly 190,000 kilometers a year.
If that’s not enough, there is only one place in the world where the Northern Royal Albatross breeds on the mainland and that is Taiaroa Head, on the Otago Peninsula in Dunedin. A place that is home to more than 250 albatrosses. Isn’t that remarkable and just a little bit special.
Twilight on the peninsula. – Buy
It was one of those lovely autumn evenings where the weather was kind and the warmth of the day lingered into the evening. Deciding to enjoy the twilight, I ventured up to the Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial on the Otago Peninsula. Once there, I was able to watch the sunset while enjoying an almost 360 degree view of Dunedin.
Taieri patchwork quilt of green. – Buy
We’d been following the Taieri River, which really is a remarkable waterway. It starts from seemingly nowhere in the Lammerlaw Range and flows north, then east, then south-east on its 288 kilometre journey to the sea. It passes through at least six towns, two gorges, it links with two lakes, the fish are plentiful, there are some lovely picnic spots along its banks and it is part of the fabric of the farming community.
After we passed over the towns of Outram, Allanton and Momona we flew over Henley before turning, and beginning to retrace our steps. It was then that I realised that there’s just nothing like the patchwork quilt of green that stretches out over the Taieri plains.
Paraparaumu Beach – Buy
After spending the day in the small North Island coastal town of Paraparaumu I finished the day with a walk on the beach. Feel quite content having been fed and watered at local restaurant, I let the meal digest over a beer at a nearby bar before wandering back to me accommodation via the beach.
Sunrise on the Esplanade – Buy
I had a look around the Esplanade and soon realised that apart from a lone delivery truck, I had the place to myself. In the distance, the sun was rising as the beach sat at low tide and somewhere down the street, the smell of fresh coffee started to fill the air.
Dunedin from Dowling Street – Buy
I found my way up a side street that led to a parking lot that has one of my favorite views of Dunedin. Looking out over streets, buildings and car parks it’s not the most stunning of views, yet there’s something rather wonderful about it.
The Regent – Buy
I spent a good part of the day aimlessly wandering around Dunedin’s city streets in the area of Moray Place, the Octagon and a number of alleyways. I wasn’t looking for anything specific, simply interesting vantage points that I hadn’t seen before, or views I had forgotten about.
Dunedin Cityscape (ii) – Buy
While walking the city in search of interesting vantage points, I found my way into a car parking building. The good thing about parking buildings is that they usually have roof access, and roofs are a wonderful position to photograph from. I’d photograph from my roofs if I could, however annoyingly we have trespassing laws in New Zealand, which means that you either need to find a different view, or take a photo worth the $1,000 fine/three months in prison.
Dunedin Cityscape – Buy
When I started, I planned to stroll through the city and see what I could find. There’s something very delightful about wandering with no set purpose. In the end, I ended up completing a large 5 kilometer loop of the city. I walked up hills, sheltered from rain, found vantage points of the city that I’d forgotten about, and eventually found my car where I had left it. Which is always a bonus.
Sunlight In The Exchange – Buy
Having parked not more than a minute or two’s walk from the square, I enjoyed the stroll along the street, watching sunlight find its way into the shadowy corners in between buildings. It seemed busier than usual for this early time of day. A motley mix of people hurried their way into the various buildings that surrounded the square, clearly there were more pressing matters to attend to than watching sunlight reflect off windows.
Light on Dowling Street