Mid July in the hinterland – Buy
Mid July in the hinterland, heading up along one of the tracks that leads into the hills above Butchers Dam near Alexandra. Around these parts in July, the days are cold, the evenings are bitter and the mornings are painful. Yet, the air holds a mystic beauty. Isn’t it strange how these things work.
The Port Hills – Buy
Somewhere on the way over the Port Hills, heading towards Lyttelton I stopped. Well, actually I stopped many times so it’s hard to recall the exact place. However, on the way the mist and clouds that were covering the Port Hills were constantly changing and shifting quite quickly so everytime I stopped it looked a little different. On this occasion it reminded me of a scene you see in the Scottish Highlands.
The Martinborough Hotel – Buy
If you’re going to name a town, why not name it after yourself! That’s exactly what Irish settler John Martin did in 1879. After arriving in the South Wairarapa District from Wellington in the North Island of New Zealand, John Martin purchased a large sheep station with plans to develop a town in the area. Wanting to pay tribute to the city of London, all the streets leading out from the main square were planned and built in the form of a Union Flag. In 1882, three years after John Martin first purchased the land where Martinbourgh would be developed, on the corner of the town square the grand Martinborough Hotel was built. At the time, so impressive was the Martinborough Hotel, the proprietor boasted that it was ‘the finest hostelries ever erected in any inland town in New Zealand’.
Spring at the beach – Buy
One of the things you come to expect during Spring in New Zealand, particularly in the lower half of the South Island, is that the weather can be somewhat changeable. Take the last seven days for example. There was heavy rain, then several days of overcast conditions before a few cloudless days with temperatures reaching into the 20’s before the week ends with snow in a few days time.
The Glenorchy Pier – Buy
A few years back now, I stayed a few nights in the tiny South Island town of Glenorchy. One morning, waking up early I snuck out for a walk as dawn was starting to break over the lake and the surrounding mountains. I made my way down to the pier at the lakefront as heavy clouds started to clear over the mountains and sunlight started to hit the hills high above the lake. If there’s one thing that is guaranteed to make you feel insignificant, it’s watching the earth wake-up while being encircled in mountain peaks when you’re the only one around.
Harbour Street in Oamaru – Buy
I recently drove to Christchurch from Dunedin, a distance of some 360 kilometres. On the way I ventured through Oamaru and on a whim I detoured through the heritage precinct situated near the harbour. Made up of several streets, the heritage precinct is a wonderful streetscape of commercial Victorian style buildings that are constructed from local limestone and were built around 1865 to 1885. Needing to stretch my legs, I parked several blocks away and joined the steady throng of people who were ambling around the area. I walked down Tyne Street and turned left into Harbour Street. I was hoping to photograph the outside of some of the historic buildings, however for reasons that can only be guessed the street has been left open to traffic. As I was standing there, I tried to figure out the logic of having a street no more than 100 metres in length, with a width of no more than several cars and buildings over 150 years old that attracts large crowds, and the council allows people to park cars right in front of them. As I moved along the street, I thought to myself there really is nothing like casually strolling from shop to shop, admiring hand crafted facades and having to wait while some numb nut tries to parallel park a Subaru Impreza or for a Mitsubishi Outlander to move because the driver doesn’t want to walk the extra 10 steps to the shop!
Here’s a wee video I made showing you the before and after of today’s photo.
Lyttelton Harbour / Whakaraupō – Buy
It wasn’t my intention to drive to Lyttelton on Banks Peninsula but then I often end up in places I don’t intend to be. I’d driven up into the Port Hills in Christchurch and had spent the previous few hours wandering some of the tracks in the area. Before heading back to Christchurch and my motel for some lunch, out of interest, I decided to continue on and see what was on the other side. Well, before you know it I’d driven half the way to Lyttelton. From there it only made sense to continue on and see the small port town.
The Makarora River – Buy
One of the places I was looking forward to visiting while I was staying in Makarora was the famous Blue Pools. Unfortunately, the two bridges to the pools were closed for repair work which was a little disappointing. So, instead I spent some time exploring along the Makarora River bank where I made a tasty snack for the fierce local sandflies.
Towards Chatto Creek & Springvale Road – Buy
The Matrix is fixed. You might have noticed there’s been a bug over the last few days as posts appear and then vanish or don’t seem to appear at all. It turns out there was a problem with an update in one of the widgets and a few other bugs that had crept into the system. Essentially my blog had a cold! The good news is that it’s all fixed and normal business has resumed.
The Taieri River at Outram Glen – Buy
The Taieri River at Outram Glen is one of the popular spots in the Dunedin area. About 23 kilometres from Dunedin, Outram Glen is a popular picnic and swimming area following the Taieri River. It also has numerous walking tracks, one of which leads all the way to Lee Stream, a distance of around 8.5 kilometres. The track is made up of an easy walking track and then a more difficult tramping track.
Christchurch Airport – Buy
I took this photo during an unscheduled eight hour stop in Christchurch. I was only flying from Dunedin to Wellington!
It all started with a noise that didn’t sound quite right. Clearly this is not something you want to be thinking having just taken off on an A320 Airbus heading to 30,000 feet. The next thing that happened was the captain and cabin crew informed us that there was a problem with the landing gear and our flight to Wellington would be making an unscheduled stop in Christchurch. As I sat there watching the coast and listening to a plane that seemed to be rattling more than a car I once owned.
The chaos all started with a series of announcements. All of them simple enough but when strung together created bedlam for a good hour at the Air New Zealand domestic check-in desk. The first announcement came as the plane parked outside the terminal in Christchurch. Hoping it would be a shortstop I was relatively pleased to hear that we would be transferred to a waiting plane, our luggage transferred and all we would have to do is wait for a boarding call. Clearly this meant I would have a few minutes to spare, so like a few other passengers I went in search of coffee.
Clutching my beverage, I spent the time in Relay’s Bookstore looking over the Top 50 reads. The No 1 ranked book was The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*ck however oddly it was also ranked as No 14. Another book titled Everything Is F*cked also had a double ranking of both 2 and 16. Similar titles were also placed at 3 and 5, 6 and 15, 9 and 20 while most of the numbers from 30 to 50 were empty. I wasn’t quite sure if these placings reflected the quality of the books or an employee’s incompetence when suddenly the next announcement was made.
Over the loudspeaker all the other passengers and myself were told that our flight to Wellington had now been cancelled and we would all have to collect our luggage and rebook. This started a stampede of passengers that is rarely seen. In an instant arms and legs went flying as people headed for the check-in desk. Carry on baggage was flung over shoulders, battle plans were made as families spilt up to collect luggage, while others blocked the escalator looking for loved ones. Having made it to the bottom of the stairs I was pleased to find myself near the front of the pack. I collected my luggage in record time and headed for the appointed counter at the far end of the terminal. Now I don’t want to brag but upon arrival I joined a queue of people that only had two people in front of me. Feeling chuffed I happily waited secure in the knowledge that I would soon be back in the air and off once more to Wellington.
Then, the third announcement came. We were now told to head over to the domestic check-in desk. I turned and looked in horror as my third place in the queue had now slipped to somewhere in the 50’s! Annoyed, I joined the line. The fourth announcement informed me that those travellers who had the Air NZ App would be automatically rebooked and now didn’t have to queue at all! Still feeling somewhat annoyed, I left the line and waited for my update. I waited and waited and waited. Half an hour later, no update had come through.
I head back to the Air NZ counter, making my way past all manner of travellers to inquire about my automatic rebooking. I approached an Air NZ staff member and proceeded to tell my story to which she informed me that I’d have to re-join the line. It was somewhere between the words ‘re-join’ and ‘line’ that my expression changed. This line that I was once third in, snaked off into the distance down the terminal. Feeling sorry for me, she took my details and after much typing printed out a boarding pass. My new flight was now scheduled to board in 7 hours!! Feeling somewhat dumb stuck I headed for a bar.
St Joseph’s Cathedral on a spring morning – Buy
During World War I, around 300 prisoners were held in these barracks on Matiu Island. Most of whom were German nationals who were considered aliens who were a risk to New Zealand’s security. In World War II the island again became an internment camp. The prisoners were primarily German however there were also a large number of Italian and Japanese that were required to do road-building, gardening and fishing.
Victoria Avenue In Whanganui – Buy
I arrived in Whanganui to rain, torrential rain to be precise. Having driven from Wellington to Upper Hutt and then up the North Island’s West Coast, the weather had been reasonably settled. Then, somewhere around either Levin or Foxton it had started to rain. By the time I reached Bulls the rain was getting harder and my arrival in Whanganui was greeted with an almost wall of rain. With the streets covered in puddles that were only increasing, I found a park near the river and went in search of sustenance.
Sunset on St Kilda Beach – Buy
If there’s one thing I enjoy in the summer months it’s spending the evenings on Dunedin’s eastern coastline. After a long hot summer’s day, it’s a lovely way to end the day, watching the sun go day over a calm sea.
The Avon In Christchurch – Buy
Once I had spent some time exploring the Riverside Market and then later The Crossing near Manchester and Cashel Street, I made my way back to the Avon River. I have to admit it, but I do like the Avon River. It’s quite a lovely stroll through the centre of the city following the contours of the river as it gently ambles along.
St Paul’s Catherdral In Spring – Buy
Since there was more than just a touch of spring in the air, I went in search of signs of new blossoms in the central city. So, with a mind for fresh, bright, clean and warm colours I walked along Moray Place, turned onto Stuart Street and arrived in the Octagon. It was there that I spied the fresh bright colours of the flower beds that surrounded the streets, framed by the lovely pink undertones coming from the nearby Cherry Blossom Trees.
Swimming at Tapeka Point – Buy
This was one of the stranger places I’ve had a conversation. At Tapeka Point Beach in the Bay Of Islands I was testing a waterproof camera and playing around with a few settings. In the bay there was a swimming pontoon. As I was about to swim back to the beach this man was waiting for his son and so we started chatting. We must have been talking for a good 3 to 4 minutes before his son snuck up behind him and pushed him in. It was all very assuming.
Spring on the Leith – Buy
I’m not completely sure how my thought process brought me to this point on the Leith but I believe it went something like this…. I started by wandering around the University of Otago looking for signs of spring. This took me down Castle Street (which was littered in glass and had a strange flight club style gathering happening outside one flat) where I came across the Leith River at the Botanical Gardens. Following the Leith which was rather full due to the recent heavy rain, I became interested in the graffiti and the surrounding colours from the gardens.
Coffee Culture at The Crossing – Buy
Feeling both restless and hungry, I left the areas around Manchester and Cashel Street. As I edged back towards Cathedral Square, I became drawn to a walkway named Cashfields Lane. A narrow thoroughfare that’s closely surrounded by shops that opens to a retail and hospitality complex known as The Crossing. Ignoring the surrounding fashion outlets, my search for food took me past eatery’s such as Zeeks, Coffee Culture and Joyful Express before settling on the authentic Korean street food at The Chicken.
Wisdom Glow – Buy
I often wander past this line of sculptors by Regan Gentry called ‘Harbour mouth molars’. Installed in 2010 on the shoreline of Dunedin’s Kitchener Street park, they were inspired by the University of Otago’s dental school and Otago Peninsula’s volcanic origins. The sculptures combine the ideas of painfully emerging teeth and new landforms thrust up by volcanoes. Personally, I think they’re wonderful, however I know others who feel differently. I like to think of them representing wisdom, but that’s just me.
Regent Theatre Dunedin – Buy
If there’s one thing to be discovered about a theatre it’s that they have all sorts of interesting doors, stairwells, passageways and nooks and crannies. They really are fascinating places to explore. Eventually, when you think you’ve got the whole place worked out you’ll discover a mysterious new corridor that leads to a section of the theatre that you never knew existed. I can’t understate how compelling an empty 1600 seat theatre is when you’re exploring it for the first time.
Riverside Market – Buy
I couldn’t remember the last time I was in Christchurch. I’d driven through it plenty of times however I had no idea when I was last in the city centre. So, it was with some interest that I left my car on Park Terrace near Hagley Park, walked the short distance up Worcester Street until I reached the Avon River. Exactly what I was doing or where I was going, I wasn’t too sure however a short time later I found myself entering the Riverside Market. Opening in 2019, the Riverside Market overlooks the river and is filled with boutique retailers, restaurants, cafes & bars. It has 30 independent food outlets and 40 fresh food stalls covering 3500 square metres and attracts over 10,000 a day. It really is a wonderful place!
Mangatoetoe Beach – Buy
The next day, heavy, dark clouds hung overhead like a thick blanket and in the distance a wall of weather loomed ominously on the horizon. Between, patches of blue sky gave a sense of hope that there might yet be some fine weather left in the day. I hoped so, I was heading for Cape Palliser Lighthouse, the southernmost point of the North Island.
Approaching the coast which would eventually lead to the Lighthouse, the wind picked up and the countryside changed to a beach of blacksand with dramatic pinnacle cliffs. Occasionally I’d pass cribs and huts that were scattered along the road that held little or no protection from the elements. I manoeuvred past partially washed out roads and small villages that were filled with crayfish pots and fishing boats that were pushed into the sea by bulldozers. The road narrowed to a single lane, a ford had to be negotiated, fallen rocks scattered the way ahead and I lost wifi coverage. This was a place that you’d truly have to love to spend any length of time. It was New Zealand’s rugged coastline at its very best and what’s more, it even had a Lighthouse!
Vogel House – Buy
The corner of Water and Vogel Street is set in heart of Dunedin’s Warehouse Precinct. There you’ll find Vogel House which during the 1980s and 1990’s was used as a music venue for bands that were part of the Dunedin Sound. It was a popular rehearsal venue for musicians that included the popular group, The Chills who recorded their single Doledrums there in 1984.
The Hooker Valley Track – 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.
Stained glass window at St Paul’s Cathedral – Buy
On Sunday evening I was planning to walk to the beach in the early evening. I had a spot on the rocks all picked out and I was in the middle of getting my gear ready, when the weather turned. A southerly blew in from the south bringing with it thunder, lightning, heavy rain and strong wind gusts. It really was an intense front of weather and I was really glad I was caught in the middle of it. Instead, I processed this image of the lovely stained glass window at St Paul’s Cathedral here in Dunedin.
Sunrise over Lawyers Head – Buy
Sunrise over Dunedin’s Lawyers Head from St Kilda Beach on a clear, spring morning.
‘Numbers’ – Buy
Titled ‘Numbers’ and created by New Zealand artist Anton Parsons, it was the first sculpture commissioned by the Palmerston North Sculpture Trust. Unveiled in 2007, ‘Numbers’ was created from a series of stainless steel boxes that create a never ending loop of numbers.
Pompallier House and Missionary – Buy
When ships started stopping off at some of the more well known bays and inlets around New Zealand in the early 1800’s, they brought plenty of goods to trade with local Māori. Local iwi eagerly provided items such as fish, pork, kumara, freshwater and women for items such as guns, and blankets.
However, when the ships were in port and their crews were set loose on shore-leave, they also brought other interests with them such as grogshops and brothels. Both of which did a roaring trade. In fact, life in some of the bays around New Zealand became fairly rough and rowdy. Nowhere was this more evident than at a place in the Bay of Islands called Kororāreka (Russell).
In Kororāreka, such was the unruly behaviour that when Charles Darwin visited in the summer of 1835/1836 he declared the place the “hellhole of the pacific”. So, to help sort out all the miss-behaviour, Missionaries were sent to New Zealand and when they arrived they had two main goals. Firstly, to introduce christianity to Māori and secondly to try and keep law and order among the European settlers.
One of these Missionaries was French Bishop Jean Baptiste François Pompallier who arrived in January 1839. Pompallier quickly got to work and by the end of 1844 he had setup Missionaries in Hokianga Whangaroa, Kaipara, Tauranga, Akaroa, Matamata, Ōpōtiki, Auckland, Wellington, Rotorua and Whakatāne, with his headquarters being Kororāreka.
At his headquarters at Pompallier House (built in 1842), he developed a printing press that translated church texts from Latin to te reo Māori. They were then printed, bound and distributed around the country. Producing a staggering 40,000 books, the missionary at Pompallier House had a major effect on the development of literacy around the country.
The Blue Lake of St Bathans – Buy
When Gold was discovered in Otago by Australian Gabirel Reid, in 1861, it started what was to become known as the Great Otago Rush. The rush brought miners from all over the world to the Otago region who steadily made their way inland as the hunt for gold, fame and fortune took them all over the barren hills of the Central Otago landscape.
By around 1863, the search for gold had brought miners to an area known as Dunstan Creek, a place now called St Bathans, and a town quickly grew. The famous Vulcan Hotel was built in the area in 1882 and by 1887, the place had developed into a bustling town of over 2000 people.
In the area, one of the main ways to search for gold was by sluicing, where powerful jets of water are blasted at banks that wash gravel into sluice boxes. The boxes then trap the gold at the bottom of the box. In St Bathans, this method was so popular that the nearby Kildare Hill was transformed into a 168 metre deep pit. It was only when the pit started getting too close to the town that mining was halted in 1934. Once mining was stopped, the huge hole was filled with water which created the beautiful blue lake that we see today.