This is a view from one of the points on Victoria Peak. The original residents of Victoria Peak in the 19th Century reached their homes by using a sedan chair which carried them up and down the slope of the peak. In the early 19th century Governor Sir Richard MacDonnell built his summer home up on the slope to take in the wonderful views to take advantage of the cooler but humid climes. So, of course other wealthy residents followed suit
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If you get the opportunity to go to the Treaty Grounds at Waitangi in the Bay Of Islands, it’s definitely a must do. Next time your own Instagram, if you look up the hashtag #mustdonz it won’t be to long before images of the treaty grounds pop up. It truly is a special place that gives you a much deeper understanding of the treaty, and possibly a different outlook on it.
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I like to think this is what the Lindis Pass would like if it was captured on a map or image pre1900. To get to this vantage point it’s quite a scramble up a well worn track however the view is simply amazing as you get to see all the surrounding grassland covered in snow tussocks with the occasional Falcon flying overhead.
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I missed the point in history when gift shops started popping up in Churches, but then I also missed the point when all politicians, heads of state and Kings and Queens were honest loyal citizens who were respected and looked up to for their integrity and principles. The pages of history are littered with nobles and powerful families who act in ways that seem to range from just a little peculiar to acts of complete lunasee.
In the 15th Century, two powerful Irish families that competed for positions of power were the Butlers and the Fitzgeralds. The Butlers of Ormonde and the Fitzgeralds of Kildare didn’t like each other very much. Saying that these two Irish clan’s found each other repugnantmight even be a little kind. The fact is that these two families despised each other.
At the time of 1492, parts of Ireland were ruled by the King of England (The King of England was also the Lordship of Ireland) who was Henry VII. As Henry was a very busy person and couldn’t be in two places at once, he was represented locally in Ireland. At this time in Ireland, the King’s representative was called the Viceroy of Ireland. As the Viceroy was also a very busy person, he too had a deputy. This position was called the Lord Deputy. It was this high position of office that the powerful James Butler and Gerald Fitzgerald were bitterly arguing over. Unfortunately the appointment of Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1492 was not the honest, calm and well-mannered debate of modern day elections. The years of hostility, bickering and disagreement between the two families broke out into a violent conflict of outright warfare.
Outside the city walls of Dublin, the fighting escalated into a brutal battle which obviously started to go badly for the Butler’s as he and his followers took refuge at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Once at the Cathedral, the Butlers then bolted themselves inside the Chapter House. Angered by this, Fitzgerald followed them into the Cathedral, thumping on the door that separated the Cathedral from the Chapter House, demanding they come out. Afraid they would be slaughtered, the Butlers refused.
Fortunately sanity took hold of the situation when Fitzgerald realised that here were two families, living in the same country, worshiping in the same church, trying to kill each other. Needing to show his honest intent, Fitzgerald ordered a hole be cut in the middle of the door. When it was finished, an undefeated and defenceless Fitzgerald, at risk of having his arm chopped off, thrust it through the hole and extended his hand in peace.
At once, Sir James Butler realised that the offer of peace was a serious one, took his hand, shook it and unlocked the door to the Chapter House of St Patrick’s. Restoring peace to the Butlers and Fitzgeralds families, giving us the phrase “to chance your arm” and the Cathedral a nice little gift shop 520 years later.
Now I’m not suggesting this is the way we should solve all our political disagreements or that politicians should risk having their arm chopped off however the idea has some merit. An action like this requires a test subject who would be willing to blindly stick their arm through a hole to a waiting angry mob for no other reason than to prove a point. I would like to suggest we try first with Donald J Trump.
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I always thought this church was older than it actually is. Built in 1935, I had presumed there was an earlier church on the site that had been rebuilt, however this is not the case. The original sketches were made in 1934 before the church was built in 1935 to commemorate early settlers. When construction started, the builders of the Church were instructed that it must blend into the environment, and that even the Matagouri bushes surrounding the building were to remain.
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This is the wonderful Kororareka Bay and Russell Wharf in the Bay of Island on a warm summer evening in January.
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One of the special places in New Zealand has to be Aoraki/ Mount Cook and the surrounding area. There are spectacular views everywhere you go! When I visited there had just been a massive snow fall over almost 18 hours, leaving everything with a brilliant blanket of white. This is the view of the Hooker River and Mueller Lake from the 1st Swing Bridge on the 5km walking track.
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Early morning in Oban, Stewart Island is an extremely quiet place. When I was there I headed out early and had the place to myself as the day dawned and the sun started to stir the residence awake.
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This image is reduce to three elements and that’s why I enjoy it is much. It really is uncomplicated with a sunset, a tree, a bush and a herd of cattle. By using the silhouettes, the objects become simple, basic and straightforward creating a romantic relationship of harmony.
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Beech Trees filter light in the Paradise forest, located in the Paradise Valley near Glenorchy, Otago.
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I love this sculpture by artist Max Patte. I visit it every time I go to Wellington but I always seem to catch it in the morning. I’ll have to make a return trip one day to catch it with the evening light behind it. I did a bit of research about it the first time I saw it and it turns out that it was originally loaned to the city for a year in the hopes of finding a patron but has been there ever since.
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Waikawa Bay in Picton reminds me a lot of Halfmoon Bay in Stewart Island, only on a smaller scale. I think it’s the combination of the shape of the bay, the surrounding hills, the boats at anchor that drift with the tide but the similarities are far beyond physical. The casual, easy going nature of the people that past by and the relaxed feel of the small Picton Bay are hard not to enjoy. I spent a morning out in the water taking all kind of shots and watching the sun reflect in crazy ways between the boats.
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I love the shapes in this image. I’d been wandering around Arthur Square for a while, looking at all the buildings and foot traffic that was passing by. I thought the shape of this building was simply brilliant and there was also an art sculpture that was also very funky. I wanted to see if I could combine the two shapes so as people passed by, I’d adjust my camera small amounts at a time.
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When I came up with the idea of visiting Wānaka for a few days between Christmas and New Years, I prepared myself for many things. I was prepared for a lack of parking, a crowded lake front, youths gathering in public places with large amounts of alcohol, expensive jet skis populating the lake, crowded restaurants and take away outlets and loud base thumping music late into the night. In fact, I would have been a little disappointed if all these things weren’t present.
What I discovered was the best way to tackle Wānaka was to do any shopping that was required while the youth population were still in bed (pre midday), have a large lunch and then enjoy the afternoon and evening sunshine. This proved to be a successful tactic, until I decided to eat at Subway at 6:00pm!
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I’m not sure Central Otago and the Lakes District have a bad season. Summer and Winter are seasons of extremes and are completely unique while autumn is full of colour. There are so many great reasons to visit Arrowtown and the colour of autumn is definitely one of them. If you get a chance to explore the Chinese Village by the Arrow River then the autumn leaves, trees and colours will astound you. I was lucky when I took this photo as it was a fairly still day, meaning the only blur I had to worry about was from other visitors. Sometimes blur and movement is okay in photos but on this particular occasion I wanted everything completely still.
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This is what a $63 million (AU) hybrid tensegrity bridge looks like at night. It’s official name is the Kurilpa Bridge, opened in 2009 and it connects Kurilpa Point in South Brisbane to Tank Street in the Brisbane CBD. I’ve included all this information to try and disguise the fact I can’t explain what a tensegrity bridge is. I could have Googled it and included the definition (written in my own words), however there were two reasons why I didn’t. One, I didn’t want to sound condescending and assume other’s didn’t know what it might either. Two, I was more interested in finding out that the aboriginal word Kurilpa means ‘place of water rats.’
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I love the colours in this image. A lot of people ask if the Lake really is that blue and the answer is yes due to it being formed and fed from glaciers and the presences of fine dust in the water from the Dart Valley that refracts light. It can also be extremely moody like here as a storm front bring wind and rain passes over the head of Lake Wakatipu, Pigeon and Pig Island in the Queenstown Lakes District, Otago.
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I wanted to test the video function here on my blog. It’s something I’ve been meaning to try out, that’s loading a video from my phone, straight to my blog. So, here’s a wee video I took while in Belfast at the beginning of 2020. We were at Fibber Magees on Great Victoria Street in Belfast. It was a Monday night and just when it looked like the place was going to close a band started up. After that the crowd steady grew and grew.
The Whiskey Hut & The Mackenzie Backcountry
A Bad Decision / The Whiskey Hut
There are two ways to get to this point in the Mackenzie background, one is walk and the other is fly. Walking takes you up to three days while flying was less than an hour. Which ever way you choose, you end up at 7000ft at this little hut called A Bad Decision Hut/The Whiskey Hut with outstanding views of the surrounding peaks, valley’s and everything in between.
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Isn’t this floor just outstanding! I find it hard to believe there would be a better floor anywhere in Melbourne. This is in the Victorian National Gallery in Melbourne. I was originally aiming to photograph the stain-glass ceiling they have there , but an event was on (held by Christian Dior I think) so I searched out the best possible vantage point to capture the floor instead. I ended up on the second floor, because the view from the second floor gave me the interplay between the brick walls and the coloured floor that I wanted.
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Hong Kong really is an interesting place, particularly you’ve never been there before. Just wondering the streets can be an overload for the senses with all the sights and sounds that greet you. This is one of t he images I took while exploring Woosung Street which was close to where we were staying, however, it only recently occurred to me that I have no idea what these signs say. Until now I’d simply like the photo for all the different textures, colours and shapes that it contained. However, now I’m wondering what the signs say. I’m wondering if someone can help me out?
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It recently occurred to me that I have no idea what the name of this mountain range is. I’m sure I found out at the time I took this picture however for now, the name escapes me. I took this on an early morning stroll around the Glenorchy village when most normal people are asleep. The sun was creeping up between the mountains and it must have struck a gap in the clouds because this spectacular band of light lit up across the mountains above the lake.
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Venturing through a new city while it is raining is a very frustrating exercise due to the fact that knowing where you are requires you to observe your surroundings. This is something that is very difficult to do if you’re trying to duck and weave around rain drops at the same time. This was just the case when I arrived at the former Harland & Wolf shipyard, otherwise known as the Titanic Quarter in Belfast.
Upon arrival, shaking the rain off like a wet dog and noticing the rather large puddle of water I had created, I was suddenly startled with a cheerful ‘good morning.’ Having moved through the entrance way, I was now aware of the sizable water obstacle I had made right in the doorway of Belfast’s popular ‘Titanic Experience.’ Replying to the ‘good morning’ with a sheepish ‘sorry’ I moved towards the direction of the ticket booths. It was at this point that it struck me how appropriate it seemed to be drenched in rain, visiting a museum about a ship that sunk. It also struck me how empty the place was, this was partially by design and partially by hope.
With my ticket in hand and the clock sitting just before 10am, I made my way through the near deserted foyer. The plan had been to arrive early and thus avoid long lines and lots of slow moving crowds. Adding to this plan was the fact that the school holidays had finished and people had returned to work after the December/January festive season. Pleased with the success of this planning and having paid the entry fee while watching people avoid the water jump I had created, I headed for the escalator with a head full of Titanic excitement.
I have to admit I fall into the group of people who find the Titanic fascinating. I also have to admit that I agree with James Cameron. I agree that the Titanic is a love story. I’m not sure it’s the epic, romantic disaster tale that James Cameron showed us in 1997, but it is a love story nonetheless. My visit to Belfast showed me that it’s not a romantic story between two people, it’s much more complicated than that. It’s a story of a love affair, about hopes and dreams, death and survival, of passion, of lust, of beauty, greed, wealth, vision and a promise of a golden age yet to come. It’s a tale of love between a ship, the city it was built in, the people that built her and the families that watched it grow into the sky at the Harland & Wolf shipyard. It’s a Belfast love story.
* * *
Speaking of the Titanic, let’s talk about acts of heroism. Let’s talk about John Jacob Astor IV. In the early hours of April 15th, 1912, just after 1:55am on a clear, star light night Astor stood smoking a cigarette. Having just kissed his darling wife and helped her into lifeboat Number 4, he watched the lifeboat get lowered into the water, having given his own place to two scared and frightened children. You can only imagine what would have been going through his mind as he watched the boat lower without him. Seven days later Astor’s body was found and identified by the initials sewn on the label of his jacket. Found on him was a gold pocket watch which his son Vincent wore for the rest of his life. Some time later, while his wife and unborn child sat in a lifeboat, a survivor claimed to have seen Astor in the water clinging to a raft with supposedly frozen feet. At some point the coldness forced him to release his hold.
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A bit of a change today from my usual creative adventures on the Esplanade. This is St Paul’s Anglican Church in Arrowtown, which is inland from Dunedin in Central Otago. It’s been awhile since I’ve done a road trip so I might need to organise one once the weekends become free. St Paul’s in Arrowtown was built at the time of the Otago gold rush in September 1871 which makes it 150 years old. Before it was the built many of the miners wanted a dedicated Anglican Community and once they had raised the necessary funds and found a piece of land, the church was built. It has been holding services in the same place ever since. @johncaswellnz#lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
Late last month before autumn officially ended and winter began, I went on one last search for some autumn colour. There’s still some last pockets around the city however in general the trees are pretty well bare now. Fortunately around Queens Garden in Dunedin I found a few trees the still maintained a hint of the autumn colour palette. #lovindunners#majesticdunedin#johncaswellnz
I made a very stupid decision the other day. I decided to try and find a place to park in town. After my plan to easily slip into a space in one of the many parking buildings was quickly thwarted, I then joined the other like minded drivers who were making multiple laps around the city centre. If ever there was a breeding ground for road rage, this was surely it. After some time, and resisting the temptation to yell helpful driving tips out the car window, I eventually found a spot and skillfully maneuvered into it. Upon leaving the car, I found that in actual fact I was only a block from home. (But of course this is not true!) Proceeding on foot, sometime later I reached my destination of the local mall. On entry, I found myself listening to Michael Buble telling me that was ‘beginning to look a lot like Christmas.’ Apparently, everywhere I went.
I’d imagined Evansdale Glen as nothing more than a small reserve with an impracticable carpark, some scattered picnic tables, an ineffective rubbish bin and a small path leading up to some type of creek or stream. There’s an unwritten rule in Aotearoa that every reserve must be placed beside a waterway of some sort.
I awoke to pain that left me in no doubt about the agony I was set to suffer for the rest of the day. Usually, these symptoms are associated with a pounding head, a throat feeling like sandpaper and an overwhelming feeling of dehydration. Today, things were different. The endless pain was not coming from a pulsating vein in my left temple. Nor the result of overindulging the night before, but from my calf muscles.
I’m not sure Central Otago and the Lakes District have a bad season, if you like extremes that is. The summers are deliciously hot and the winters intensely cold making them completely unique. Unfortunately, they are heavily reliant on international tourists and with those dollars not coming in at the moment it means areas like Queenstown, Arrowtown and Lake Teakpo are hoping that Kiwi’s take a local holiday.
There are so many great reasons to visit Arrowtown and at the moment it’s full of colour, giving it yet another distinctive season. If you get a chance to explore the Chinese Village by the Arrow River then the autumn leaves, trees and colours will astound you with deep oranges, fiery reds and warm yellows. I had a trip all planned before the whole Covid 19 thing hit. The idea was to spend a few days exploring the colours of autumn in and around Arrowtown. Instead we all ended up in lockdown at home. Maybe it’s one local holiday that could be rescheduled.
Following on from my 2011 exhibition A Rugged Paradise, I was invited to hang a two months exhibition at Dunedin Airport as part of their ‘Artist in the Terminal’ programme in early 2015. The initial planning for this exhibition began in late 2012 with shooting taking place in locations around Otago during 2013 and 2014. After the two month run at the airport ended in March, 2015, the art works went on to be displayed in numerous locations around Dunedin before finding permanent homes across Otago. What follows is a rerelease of my 2015 exhibition, Silent Observations.
Exhibition Introduction: I was 12 when I first started using my parent’s camera on family outings. I’ll never forget going to a four wheel drive rally and finding just the right spot to photograph the vehicles as they made their way through all sorts of mud puddles and then waiting excitedly for the local pharmacy to have the prints ready. Since then it’s been a constant search, looking for moments of beauty or action to capture for people to view and enjoy. I’ll also never forget going on summer holidays to all corners of the Otago region, and some of the sights still last in the back of my mind – recalled as I revisit some locations all these years later.
The only time I’ve
really put the camera down is when I embarked on my teaching career that has
seen me teach primary school both here and in the United Kingdom. These days I
try and balance the life of a primary school teacher with the life of a
photographer
Once I was well into my teaching career a shift happened between
photography growing into a passion and the desire and aspiration to be more
creative. Hidden within the cracks and spaces that separate passion, desire and
creativity, a transition started to happen – a transition from Photographer to
Artist.
At the moment, I’m increasingly viewing the world through an
arrangement of shape, colour, angle, perspective and light. For some reason,
I’m drawn to the notion of annotating and transcribing the world around me, not
as a passive bystander but as an active participant who alternates between
participant and observer, exploring and experiencing new places, sights and
sounds. I also find that the notion of telling a story in a single frame,
making the viewer feel something and documenting through images and words is
highly intriguing to me. Rather than chasing the perfect shot, I’m interested
in journeys, voyages and stories.
Silent Observations
This collection of images is based on the notion of Silent Observations. These Silent Observations happen in slow brain time, where looking is more important than doing. It’s a story, a moment, a time, a place, a feeling, a state of mind and a sense that time can stand still. This is my own wee corner of the world, where I share the stories behind my images while trying to seeking out and capture the still, silent and timeless places in New Zealand’s South Island. In a way all these images are my observations and annotations, the things I’ve noticed or will try to explain by way of viewing, watching and looking. My notes aren’t taken with a pen, they’re taken with a camera as I quietly watch the world go by for a while.
My images are about the human experience; the curiosity and inquisitiveness to explore; to feel and to hear. These are my stories, my Silent Observations of this life as I journey from place to place.
I hope you enjoy
John Caswell
There Grows The Human Spirit (2014). White Island and Saint Clair Beach, St Clair – Dunedin.
I missed the point in history when gift shops started popping up in Churches, but then I also missed the point when all politicians, heads of state and Kings and Queens were honest loyal citizens who were respected and looked up to for their integrity and principles. The pages of history are littered with nobles and powerful families who act in ways that seem to range from just a little peculiar to acts of complete lunasee.
In the 15th Century, two powerful Irish families that competed for positions of power were the Butlers and the Fitzgeralds. The Butlers of Ormonde and the Fitzgeralds of Kildare didn’t like each other very much. Saying that these two Irish clan’s found each other repugnantmight even be a little kind. The fact is that these two families despised each other.
At the time of 1492, parts of Ireland were ruled by the King of England (The King of England was also the Lordship of Ireland) who was Henry VII. As Henry was a very busy person and couldn’t be in two places at once, he was represented locally in Ireland. At this time in Ireland, the King’s representative was called the Viceroy of Ireland. As the Viceroy was also a very busy person, he too had a deputy. This position was called the Lord Deputy. It was this high position of office that the powerful James Butler and Gerald Fitzgerald were bitterly arguing over. Unfortunately the appointment of Lord Deputy of Ireland in 1492 was not the honest, calm and well-mannered debate of modern day elections. The years of hostility, bickering and disagreement between the two families broke out into a violent conflict of outright warfare.
Outside the city walls of Dublin, the fighting escalated into a brutal battle which obviously started to go badly for the Butler’s as he and his followers took refuge at St Patrick’s Cathedral. Once at the Cathedral, the Butlers then bolted themselves inside the Chapter House. Angered by this, Fitzgerald followed them into the Cathedral, thumping on the door that separated the Cathedral from the Chapter House, demanding they come out. Afraid they would be slaughtered, the Butlers refused.
Fortunately sanity took hold of the situation when Fitzgerald realised that here were two families, living in the same country, worshiping in the same church, trying to kill each other. Needing to show his honest intent, Fitzgerald ordered a hole be cut in the middle of the door. When it was finished, an undefeated and defenceless Fitzgerald, at risk of having his arm chopped off, thrust it through the hole and extended his hand in peace.
At once, Sir James Butler realised that the offer of peace was a serious one, took his hand, shook it and unlocked the door to the Chapter House of St Patrick’s. Restoring peace to the Butlers and Fitzgeralds families, giving us the phrase “to chance your arm” and the Cathedral a nice little gift shop 520 years later.
Now I’m not suggesting this is the way we should solve all our political disagreements or that politicians should risk having their arm chopped off however the idea has some merit. An action like this requires a test subject who would be willing to blindly stick their arm through a hole to a waiting angry mob for no other reason than to prove a point. I would like to suggest we try first with Donald J Trump.
Victoria Peak in Fog – Buy
