The Ida Burn – Buy
There are many amazing and magnificent features about Central Otago. My favourite being that it feels like another world. It really does have its own characteristics and qualities that make it such a special place. I hope it remains the unspoiled beauty it is now.
Kaka Point – Buy
I found my way to Kaka Point in the Catlins and parked near the beach. It was one of those days where the wind seemed to swirl across the top of the water and washed waves ashore onto the beach at strange angles.
The drive from Dunedin had taken over an hour. After passing through Balclutha I turned off State Highway 1 and headed towards the coast. As I passed houses and farms I noticed the weather seemed to be turning a dark shade of grey. Once the coastline came into view, I followed it for some time before arriving in the small village of Kaka Point. Leaving my car parked near a sign advising visitors like myself of the local wildlife, I went for a stroll.
Happy Birthday June
June is a lovely lady who comments every day on my blog posts. She’s been doing it for several years now and it’s always great to hear from her. You can read her comments by scrolling to the bottom of each post. So, since today is her birthday I wanted to take a moment and say June, I hope you have a lovely day.
Gore Railway Station – Buy
Let’s take a moment to summarise the current situation at the Gore District Council shall we. In October 2022, Ben Bell became mayor of Gore when he defeated incumbent Tracy Hicks by 8 votes. When that happened, he became the youngest mayor in New Zealand at 23 years of age and ended Hick’s six terms as mayor of the town.
Following his election win, the relationship between Bell and chief executive Stephen Parry broke down to the point where they no longer talk. Then, the city council brought forward a motion of no confidence in the mayor. However, at the time of the council meeting, no one would move the motion against the mayor and thus the motion of no confidence was not passed. A clear case of the wheels of local body politics working smoothly as always.
The Duke of Marlborough – Buy
Russell or Kororareka as it was once known, had the reputation of being the ‘hell hole of the Pacific.’ This was mainly due to the drinking, brawling, prostitution and general lawlessness of the town. As the port grew to be one of the biggest whaling ports in the Southern Hemisphere, so too did the town’s reputation for unruly disorder.
One of the early drinking establishments was known as “Johnny Johnstons Grog Shop”. The owner being Johnny Johnston, an ex-convict. In the late 1820’s, Johnson purchased land which he turned into a hotel and to give the place a touch of class he named it after the richest man in the world, the Duke of Marlborough. Today, The Duke of Marlborough sits elegantly on the waterfront in Russell and holds the distinction of being New Zealand’s oldest licenced hotel.
The Lindis Pass – Buy
The Lindis Pass is another stunning area of New Zealand and vastly different in winter and summer. During winter, it’s often full of snow and ice with caution being advised when the road is open. In summer, it’s a landscape from another world with its dry, sun burnt textures.
Set between the Lindis and Ahuriri Rivers, the pass was often used by Māori as they travelled around the land. Then, in 1857 surveyor John Turnbull traversed the area and named it after his home, Lindisfarne island in north-east England.
Wellington CBD – Buy
It was a morning where upon awakening and venturing out into the city, I discovered that Wellington had disappeared under a blanket of fog. This was something I hadn’t been expecting and somewhat altered my plans. The fresh, new light I’d been wanting to see was replaced with a heavy blanket of harbour fog. So, I spent the early part of the day taking photos of the fog, until it started to lift and Wellington city was revealed.
Riverton Wharf – Buy
There really is something intriguing about old fishing boats at a wharf. Maybe it’s because of the stories both the boats and wharf could tell, if they could. When I was in Riverton, after crossing the bridge and talking to some of the locals who were fishing, I went exploring a bit further. I found these boats tied up to a not altogether stable wharf!
Arrowtown autumn colour – Buy
It was a sunny May day, yet at this time of year in Central Otago, the warmth that the sun brings can be fleeting. Winter was just around the corner and in the small town of Arrowtown, pockets of autumn colour were still visible. Fairly shortly the area would start to take on a distinctly winter feel however, for now I decided to enjoy the last of the autumn leaves.
Paraparaumu Beach – Buy
My intention was to photograph the sun setting beyond Kapiti Island on the West Coast of the North Island. It was a lovely clear evening and to the north the coast stretched up all the way up to the coastal communities of Peka Peka, Ōtaki and Waitārere Beach. To the south, in the distance the coastline reached Raumati South, Paekākāriki before linking into Pukerua Bay.
The Haka Valley – Buy
The morning was unbelievably cold. That was until the first sign of sun appeared over the Campbell Hills in the Hakataramea Valley. Tucked away in the Waimate District, the Hakataramea Valley sits between the Kirkliston Range and the Hunter Hills in the South Island of New Zealand.
The Flagpole at Kororāreka – Buy
When I was young, I always thought the story of Hōne Heke and his warriors cutting down the flagpole on the hill above Kororāreka (Russell) was something quite fascinating.
In the years preceding the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, Ngāpuhi chief Hōne Heke protested against unfulfilled British promises from the Treaty by cutting down the flagpole he had gifted to the British Crown. After his initial attack, the pole was re-erected, only for Heke to chop it down twice more, showing his displeasure against the British actions.
The fourth attack on the flagpole came at night on the 11th March. Despite the flagpole being well guided by British soldiers, Heke and his warriors managed to secure the hill and cut the flagpole down once more. Following this, war broke out and the battle of Kororāreka took place. The battle marked the beginnings of The Northern Wars.
The light of dawn in Oban – Buy
Before dawn, The Stewart Island town of Oban must be one of the quietest, inhabited places on earth. It’s a wonderful place and walking the streets in the early hours as the dawn light is starting to appear, it feels like you have the whole place to yourself.
As a settlement, local Maori who often visited the island named it Rakiura, meaning “Land of the Glowing Skies”. After European arrival, the town grew due to the demands of the sealing, whaling, saw-milling and fishing industries.
Today, the island has a population of around 400.
The Hooker Valley – Buy
The walk through The Hooker Valley is rated as one of the best walks in the country and it’s not hard to see why. Starting at the White Horse car park, the track begins by passing the Alpine Memorial and Freda’s Rock before the Mueller Glacier comes into view. The track crosses the Hooker River, it ventures into the wider valley and open tussock which includes three swing bridges that need to be crossed. After passing over the third swing bridge, the path leads to the source of the Hooker River and amazing views of Hooker Lake.
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.
Light on Dowling Street