Kapiti Island Reserve – Buy
During the 1840s, the whaling trade/industry around parts of New Zealand had started to fade away. Kapiti Island was one of these locations. At this time, much of the land on the Island was cleared for farming and sheep, goats, pigs, deer, cats, and dogs were introduced. For the next forty to fifty years, the island was farmed until around 1900 when the government purchased most of the island and developed it into a predator-free, bird sanctuary.
Kapiti Island – Buy
Accessible only by specific ferry companies, Kapiti Island is a wonderful place to spend some time. These days, the predator-free Island is managed by the Department of Conservation however back in the mid-1830s, there were up to five whaling stations on the island. At the time, European traders and whalers were populating the coastlines and so local iwi provided them with land, pigs, potatoes, dressed flax and women in return for guns, tobacco and alcohol.
The Cardrona Hotel – Buy
Dating back to 1865, the Cardrona Hotel is an iconic pub/hotel situated in the Cardrona Valley, that dates back to the Otago gold rush days. It had numerous owners of the years, however none more famous than proprietor James “Jimmy’ Patterson. Having purchased the hotel in 1926, Jimmy Patterson owned the establishment for 35 years until his death at the age of 91 in 1961. His attitude towards serving alcohol to patrons was legendary in the area. He preferred not to sell alcohol to women, and the amount you could drink depended on the direction you were heading. For those heading into Wanaka, he would allow two drinks while those heading over the Crown Range were limited to a single glass.
Sunrise in Merton – Buy
This morning for some weird and strange reason I was thinking about world time zones as I published this image. For example, at the time of publishing it was 6:00am, on Wednesday 6th December in New Zealand. However, if you are San Francisco it would have been 9:00 am on Tuesday 5th December. How do I know this? Well, I looked it up on a World Clock! In New York it was 12:00 noon on Tuesday, in Dublin it was 5:00pm and in Moscow it was 8:00pm. In Beijing, China it was 1:00 am on Wednesday 6th December, in Tokyo it was 2:00 am, in Port Moresby it was 3:00 am and in Melbourne it was 4:00am.
So, hello, good morning, good afternoon, good evening or good night depending on where you are.
Homestead Road
The Hakataramea Valley is a glorious spot to be in the mornings. There’s a deafening silence that seems to echo throughout the valley as the light appears over the Campbell Hills and brings a new day to the surrounding Kirkliston Range and the Hunter Hills.
The Head of Lake Wakatipu – Buy
This is one of those fabulous locations and views of Lake Wakatipu where everyone stops for a photo. However, there’s a very good reason for that, and that’s because it is a simply wonderful spot. The lookout, which can be very exposed if you are travelling on a day when a weather front of wind and rain is passing overhead, provides a glorious vista of Lake Wakatipu in the Queenstown Lakes District. Looking up to the head of Lake Wakatipu you get an outstanding view of Big Geordie Peak, Major Peak, Minor Peak, Mount Earnslaw and Cosmos Peak. While, further round is the Routeburn Valley, Mount Bonpland and the Greenstone Valley.
Mt Bonpland – Buy
The town of Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu is an amazing place. If you’re keen to get up early you’ll see some outstanding sunrises and in the evenings the sunsets are just as good. Add to that, in the warm summer months the dusks are long and the lake is splendid. It’s also a great access point for the Routeburn Track and the Paradise Valley.
Boulder Beach, Ulva Island – Buy
Ulva Island is one of only a few open, pest-free sanctuaries in New Zealand. Located in Patterson Inlet on Stewart Island, it has been pest-free since 1997 which has enabled native bird species to flourish.
The first visitors to Ulva Island were members of the Ngāi Tahu tribe who often visited the area as part of their food gathering trips. They also used to strip bark from Totara Trees for use in storing harvested muttonbirds. In fact, some sites where tōtara trees are stripped are dated to be nearly 200 years old.
Palmerston Sunrise – Buy
This is one of those images where I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time. I spied the glow from the sun as it appeared beyond the trees, at the same time creating wonderful beams of light shooting out in all directions. The only issue was the extremely heavy dew, only added to the recent heavy rain, meaning the grass wasn’t exactly stable to walk on.
Mt Cargill Panorama – Buy
The other day it felt closer to winter, rather than being seven days out from summer. There were heavy clouds rolling in from the south with southwesterly winds, rain and a high of eleven degrees. I can tell you that on top of Mount Cargill, which sits some 670 metres above sea level it was rather cold! Summer felt a long way off!
Lake Wanaka – Buy
A summers afternoon on Lake Wanaka in late December.
Butchers Dam Near Alexandra – Buy
Butchers Dam was built between 1935 and 1937 as part of a works project during the great depression. At the time, the reservoir was created to supply water to the nearby town of Alexandra however these days it is used for irrigation purposes. It’s also a great place to wander and explore on a lazy summer’s afternoon.
Breaking at Smails Beach – Buy
It’s been one of those stunning days here in Dunedin where all you want to do is be outside in a garden, at the beach or anywhere that you can enjoy the sunshine. I spent time at Smails Beach where people were surfing, swimming, there were Fur Seals scattered along the beach and families enjoying playing in the sand dunes. Roll on summer.
Golden Bay – Buy
The walk from Oban on Stewart Island to Golden Bay is worth the effort. As Stewart Island isn’t that big, you can walk most places if you’re feeling energetic. Located on the eastern side of the Island, water taxi’s leave Golden Bay for Ulva Island which is another remarkable place worth visiting.
Sunrise on The Kilmog – Buy
About 20 kilometres north of Dunedin, State Highway 1 crosses over a hilly area known as The Kilmog. At the top of The Kilmog is a cemetery called Merton cemetery which among other things is a great place to catch a sunrise.
Catlins Valley Road – Buy
I want to say this is part of the Catlins Valley Road beyond Owaka, near Tawanui and in the Catlins. However, I’m not 100% sure. I definitely took it on my way to the Tawanui Campsite and the start of the Catlins River walk but then again it might be Catlins Road, Morris Saddle Road or Catlins Valley Road. I wish I could remember.
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 Marlborough Sounds and Bluebridge – Buy
The peace and tranquillity of the Marlborough Sounds. It’s home to over 200 species of fish and three different types of sea mammals. It has several predator free islands to protect endangered species like the kakapo, tuatara, and giant weta and since 1962 it has been the main route for inter-island ferries travelling between Picton and Wellington.
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.
Here’s a quick selection of images I’ve taken at the beach over the years.
The Tucker Box– Buy
It occurred to me the other day that I might have drifted off topic a bit on my blog. My intention had been to photograph, write and blog my way around my own backyard and beyond, by chronicling my trips through words and pictures. To get back on track, I began to make plans for all the trips I could take in the upcoming weeks and months but it became too big and complicated. Then, a voice in my head said, ‘heck John, go for a walk on the Wharf!’ So that’s what I did.
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.
Paraparaumu Beach – Buy
Here in Aotearoa we have some wonderful beaches. There are occasions when I don’t think we realise how lucky we are with the beaches we have. They really are various and distinct. From being able to swim and surf to using them for walking and running to everything in between. There’s even more and more wildlife appearing all year round.
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.
Signpost on Catlins Road – Buy
Signpost on Catlins Road, The Catlins – 2023
If you’re ever scrolling through Instagram or Facebook make sure you look me up. On Instagram you can find me here (@fromasmallcity) and Facebook here (@fromasmallcity)
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.
Farm Field at Hooper’s Inlet – Buy
A farm field at Hooper’s Inlet as a rain storm passes in the distance and mist rolls in over the low lying hills.
Tracks Heading West – Buy
It took me three visits to this spot to get the image I wanted. It’s a decent journey from Dunedin and not a spot I could quickly detour to when the time seemed right. To get the timing right it took a bit of planning. On the first two occasions I came home, only to realise I wasn’t happy with the composition which was rather annoying. There’s also a wonderful metaphor that comes with railway tracks and railway stations that seem to be a growing theme for me.
The Neighbours – Buy
The township of Oturehua is a delightful wee place and is one of the many small, isolated townships that make up Central Otago. Officially known as Rough Ridge until 1907, it once had a post and telegraph office, a general store, a hotel (pub) near the railway station, a school and nearby coal pits and a flour mill. Only the pub and the general store remain.
Railway Station at Sutton – Buy
The Sutton railway station was once a busy wee place as locals came and went from the Strath Taieri area to Dunedin. These days, still visible inside the small, disused station, etched into the timber are the names of locals that date back nearly to the turn of the century. Some of them include the initials of soldiers from the area who served in the First World War, among them are the initials of A.C Peat.
At the age of 21, Arthur Charles Peat left Sutton in late 1914 and was enlisted for ‘The Great War’ as a member of the Otago Infantry Battalion on the 13th December 1914. On board the vessel the HMS Tahiti, his journey from Sutton took him firstly to Egypt where in early April he wrote to his brother Jack. In his letter he wrote about spending three days on the Red Sea before getting sight of the Suez canal. He wrote about saluting other ships as they passed, about buying fruit off the locals and disembarking to a train to head through the canal. He went on to write about meeting some of his mates once they were in camp and how they went into Cairo to have a look at the sites, commenting that he had only seen the pyramids from a distance. Wanting to ensure his letter went out on that day’s mail, he ended by promising to write all the news and tell all about the sights next time.
Arthur and the Otago Infantry Battalion were then shipped out to Gallipoli as part of the Gallipoli campaign. At Chunuk Bair on 7 August, 1915 Arthur Charles Peat was killed in action.-
– lest we forget, we will remember them.
Fenceline In Tussock – Buy
A landscape from one of my trips into Central Otago. Visits to areas like this seem to be becoming more frequent for me. I’m not sure why, maybe it has something to do with capturing the sparse beauty that seems like it comes from another world.
