That Wanaka Tree – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I couldn’t help myself. One evening in Wanaka I found myself walking along the side of the Lake, joining at least two dozen others, photographing that Wanaka tree. I later read that the tree started life, growing from a fence post line that ran into the water around 1939 some 83 years ago. A determined wee thing!

Otago Harbour At Sealevel– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

For reasons that can only be guessed, I was interrupted while taking this shot. It was a short but baffling interchange that left me as annoyed as I was perplexed. Photographing water at sea level requires you to be in one of two positions. Either in the water or lying flat on your stomach at the water’s edge. On this occasion I was the second when I suddenly felt a nudge on my shoulder. I looked around to see a man standing behind me. 
“You’ll not catch many fish with that,” he laughed.
“I beg your pardon,” I replied, taking my headphones out of my ears. 
“You can’t catch many fish with a camera,” he repeated before walking off.
As he walked away, I hoped it all made sense to him, because I was confused as hell!

Forsyth Barr Stadium – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I spent some time wandering around the University which was surprisingly quiet. Spring is just around the corner, so blossoms are starting to pop up all around the city, bringing with it a touch of colour after winter. I was actually heading to a rugby game, however running ahead of time, I took the opportunity to enjoy a little walk. It was while on this walk that I found myself looking at the shapes of the roof design at Forsyth Barr Stadium that I became intrigued at the way it appears above the treeline.

Farm Fields – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

Farm fields, stock tracks and waterways out near Henley, South of Dunedin and Mosgiel looking like a jigsaw.

Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens Steps– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

The recent heavy rain in Dunedin caused a few minor rock falls around the city. One of which exposed these steps that start at the base of the Otago Peninsula that once led up to the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. 

The Pleasure Gardens were opened in 1862 and were hugely popular at the time, being accessed by way of a steamer that brought people across the harbour. The gardens featured private picnic areas, various flower gardens, a band rotunda, tea rooms, baths and on special occasions firework displays were held. 

However, by the early 1870s the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens were a place of intoxication and prostitution which lead to their closure and the land being sold off for housing development. 

Wild tide at Blackhead Beach– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I was shooting out at Blackhead Beach one afternoon where I had the big 10 stop filter in play to get a nice slow, candy floss effect in the water which was had a very hostile feel to it as wind buffeted the point. The sky had an angry feel to it as dark clouds passed out to sea and the local seals where active as well as they looked for dry places to bask in the sunshine where they wouldn’t get soaked by the tide. Fun times.

The Highcliff Track on Otago Peninsula– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

The Highcliff track on the Otago Peninsula is quickly becoming one of my favourite spots on the peninsula. One part of it has an amazing view of Boulder Beach and beyond while the peak of the track has all these boulders scattered on it. It’s a wonderful spot to sit and watch the world go by.

More info on the Highcliff Tracks can be found here: https://www.dunedin.govt.nz/community-facilities/walking-tracks/peninsula-tracks/highcliff-tracks

Dunedin CBD– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

As I was standing somewhere near either View or Tennyson Street, just a stone’s throw away from The Octagon, it struck me that there are some unique views of Dunedin’s city centre to be found. If you’re prepared to walk up hills that is. You see, while it doesn’t have a cluttered skyline made up of buildings that light up like a Christmas Tree at night, the small and compact CBD can be viewed from some quirky vantage points if you’re in for a walk!

Dunes at Blackhead Beach– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I headed off while the weather was still holding. After a period of rain a while back, over the last week the winter weather had been delightfully settled. While the temperature was still inclined to drop away at night, the daylight hours were filled with increasing hours of warmth and sunshine. On this particular day I enjoyed the popular spot of Blackhead Beach.

Second Beach– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

The thing about winter is that I always end up shooting in cold places, that are often windy and rainy! Oh how I love summer. I’m much more of a summer person than a winter person. Speaking of winter, here’s another long exposure from Dunedin’s Second Beach. 

A Give Way sign on the corner of Milne and Hakataramea Valley Road. Tucked away in the Waimate District, the Hakataramea Valley sits at the foot Kirkliston range in the South Island of New Zealand.

The Rocks at Lawyers Head– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

Here are the rocks at Lawyers Head here in Dunedin in warmer times on a summer evening.

St Kilda Beach – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I enjoyed the last moments of a sunset on St Kilda beach the other day. However with wind whipping off the hills that contained snow it wasn’t exactly warm.

Second Beach at St Clair– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I spent an hour or so in the rain at Dunedin’s Second Beach. It must be said that you don’t live in Dunedin because of the weather. Yesterday there was a fresh dump of snow on the hills surrounding Flagstaff and the Pineapple Track and the wind and rain at sea level were certainly energetic!

Smaills Beach– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

It was the most time I’d  spent  actually on a beach in a good while. It was the end of the week and the end of the day and so with the sun starting to drop below the hills I spent a good hour or so enjoying the quiet surrounds of Smaills Beach. The nearby stream showed all the signs of recent heavy rain and  all that was left was a collection of debris scattered among the sand dunes. On the rocks by the point at the end of the beach two Fur Seals rested while an ever increasing group of surfers enjoyed the small barrels that were breaking just off shore. 

‘Not a bad spot to end the week’ I thought to myself.

Wingatui Racecourse– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I found my way to the Wingatui Racecourse in Mosgiel, which was holding an Artisan Farmers Market however I wasn’t exactly sure why I was going. The previous night having watched the All Blacks lose to Ireland, I then proceeded to drink a dozen pints of something that didn’t agree with me and in the morning was feeling the worse for it. However, by midday feeling much more human and stable on my pins, I pointed myself in the direction of the market and set off. 

Not being completely confident about what I was going to find, I didn’t some research and found myself heading towards a large collection of candles, smellies, dried flowers, hangers and other arrangements that included knitting, soft toys, cushions, soaps and perfumes. All I was hoping for was a good busker playing something from a folk music catalogue and a good hamburger, however now I doubted I would either.

The Otago Coastline– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I had never seen Dunedin from a helicopter before and now having done so, I can highly recommend it. It truly is a remarkable way to see a landscape. Particularly the Otago coastline that has all the grandeur you’d expect to find anywhere in the world. 

Glenorchy Boardwalk – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

When I started out along the Glenorchy Boardwalk I had the path to myself. Now, nearly 30 minutes later I was coming across the first group of people I had seen. For a split second I felt somewhat annoyed that I had to share the lagoon walk and surrounding mountain views with other people. Suddenly I realised that in the 30 minutes I’d been on the boardwalk, I had become so used to not seeing anyone else, I had come to think of the path as mine, and mine alone.

Te Papa in Wellington– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

While walking in Wellington ….
I recently explored Te Papa in Wellington which has the honour of being labelled ‘The Museum of New Zealand.’ Having been stupid enough to visit during the school holidays I quickly decided that it is best avoided on the following days; Christmas Holidays, School Holidays, whenever a cruise ship is town and possibly Sundays! But, The Gallipoli exhibition is somewhat breathtaking and sobering all at the same time and any time spent looking at Rita Angus paintings is always time well spent! 

Lake Roxburgh Walkway– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

While walking in Alexandra ….
A sign on an old, faded white post, with a bright blue background and white lettering said ‘Graveyard Gully Road.’ Here I found myself a little disappointed. If ever there was a chance to show a little creativity in road signs, then this was it. I paused for a moment at how ominous and dramatic it would be for tourists if the road name was simply painted on old faded wood in black lettering that had aged in the sun. With a few animal skulls scattered nearby. 

Disappointed in the simplicity of the road sign design, I headed along it anyway until I found the Manuherikia Cemetery. Beyond the cemetery is Lake Roxburgh Walkway. I didn’t have any intention of walking the 4 kilometres to Butchers Point or the further 6 kilometres to Doctors Point. However, for a few moments I did enjoy the first wee section of the track as it opened above the river.

Smith Gallery at Toitu Museum– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

While walking in Toitu Early Settlers Museum ………
I emerged into the Smith Gallery to find four walls of images staring down at me. No matter how many times I visit this room, there’s always an unnerving moment when I realise all these eyes are fixed upon me. Once I’ve gotten over the fear that one of the photos might come to life, there are two things that I find remarkable about this room. Firstly, all the portraits are displayed in chronological order of the settlers’ arrival, along with details of the ship they travelled on and who they married. Secondly, so many pioneers had their photos taken at all, as it must be remembered that photography was a fairly new invention when these fine folk were alive.

Esplanade Reflection – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

While walking on the St Clair Esplanade ………
I had spent some time trying to dodge seaspray, low flying seaweed and chunks of driftwood that were ricocheting off the St Clair Seawall during a particularly high tide.

Afterwards I noticed that scattered among the collection of debris on the Esplanade were a number of large puddles. Fortunately these sat undisturbed and upon closer inspection I noticed a number of reflections were providing mirror like images of the various buildings and structures that sat along the street. Not having the lens I would usually use to capture such an angle, I improvised as best I could. Funny that everyone else was letting themselves get covered in seaspray, yet I was the one being looked at as the one doing something odd!

Big Mumma (Mum) – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I spent the afternoon enjoying the lovely beach at St Clair. It wasn’t particularly sunny, however it wasn’t windy either and that was good enough for me. I parked at St Kilda and walked over the dunes onto the beach and along to St Clair before scrambling up the rocks to the esplanade to see a statue of a Sea Lion called ‘Mum.’ 

I had recently read that according to a recent Department of Conservation report, 29 New Zealand Sea Lion pups were born in Otago and Southland over the 2021/2022 breeding season. This is a remarkable effort considering at one point the New Zealand Sea Lion population was nearly extinct. 

It had been nearly 150 years since a New Zealand Sea Lion birth was recorded on the mainland. Then, one day around Christmas in 1993, a female Sea Lion turned up at Taieri Mouth to give birth to a pup. Over the ensuing years the Sea Lion became known as  ‘Mum.’ Now, many years later the growth of the Sea Lion population has continued and Sea Lions are a common site on local beaches.

Boatshed on Otago Harbour – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

There are certain news item’s you don’t expect to come out of Britian during their summer months and temperatures reaching 40 degrees is one of them. If Britain is anything like New Zealand, then temperature from the mid-20’s up is considered a ‘scorcher.’ So this morning when I woke up to hear the headline of ‘UK records its hottest-ever temperature, with 40.3C’ well that was a surprise. If you spend a summer in Australia, temperatures of 40.0C seem to be the norm, however in Britain that’s unheard of.

So, with summer heatwaves in mind, here’s a picture from a lovely summer’’s day on Otago Harbour.

South Dunedin at night – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

Walking through South Dunedin on a Friday night is not without its interesting highlights. Due to the number of takeaway outlets and a few surrounding pubs, there’s always more than a few people around. On this occasion the night was cold but clear and the street was filled with people bustling about their business in order to get home at the end of the week.

Street Art by Dal East – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

Yesterday I was exploring some of the Dunedin Street Art scene as extreme wind gusts ripped through the city. It was like walking through an urban obstacle course as all sorts of items went barreling down the street or flying past my face! I wanted to see the painting of a large bird with all these metal pieces flying off but I couldn’t remember where it was. Fortunately, as I was heading home I remembered. It’s on Stafford Street. Also, with a little help from the internet I was reminded it’s by Chinese artist Dal East and represents New Zealand’s extinct Haast Eagle constructed out of shards of metal. So cool!

Dunedin Street Art by Milarky – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

The only problem with Dunedin Street Art is that now there is so much of it. It’s hard to remember where they all are. Once, they were all near the Warehouse Precinct, Queens Gardens and Vogel Street making it easy to wander the streets in some sort of missguided, jumbled order. However, so many pieces are now scattered around the city it is nearly impossible to remember them all. I was actually looking for an artwork of a large bird with all these metal pieces flying off. However, I couldn’t remember where it was. So, I enjoyed all the other artworks I did find, such as this piece by Taranaki artist Milarky.

Dunedin City from St Kilda towards the harbour – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

Another image from the air, Dunedin City looking from St Kilda towards the harbour.

Dunedin Art Gallery– Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery

I drove to Dunedin in even heavier rain. The windscreen wipers were working overtime and the traffic moving at a steady pace. It wasn’t long before I was weaving through traffic along George Street. I parked the car and dashed between raindrops towards the Dunedin Art Gallery. Upon entering, I shook the rain off like a wet dog and casually strolled up the Gallery stairs to explore. 

An hour or so later I left the Art Gallery and headed out into the rain. How it is possible to rain nonstop for three days is quite beyond my scientific knowledge. What is also beyond my knowledge and understanding is how people who plan extensive city upgrades are able to make it seem as inconvenient as possible. As I manoeuvred my car into a slow moving stream of traffic, I contemplated if there is an unending supply of orange road cones? Will there come a day when a young tradie will be told to head over to the orange road cone collection centre to pick up a load of cones (to block off a street where work might start any time in the next six months) only to be told ‘sorry mate, we’re all out’ Tom over there got the last lot, ‘they’re blocking off Inconvenient Avenue between Disruptive Street and Annoying Road to replace a perfectly good footpath before ignoring the potholes in the middle of the intersection.’   

Thanks to the monumental amount of roadworks taking place in the centre, it took me nearly 10 minutes to go 120 metres in city traffic. It wasn’t even that busy! It’s not as if Dunedin’s traffic is like London where there is often gridlock and people (mainly in large, spotless 4WD’s) drive as if they are invading a country! I recently read an article that in 2021 drivers in London lost an incredible 148 hours due to congestion. That’s the equivalent of over six days a year spent sitting in traffic! So while the queue of traffic ahead of me was insignificant compared to the world stage, this was Dunedin in the early afternoon and I was at an impasse. At one point, having not moved for a considerable period of time, despite seeing a number of green lights in the distance I considered abandoning my car where it was and popping over to the Little India Restaurant to grab a nice curry for lunch. I could then scoot a few doors down and place a bet at the TAB, head around the corner to wash it all down with a beverage at Woof before returning to the car where I would find that the entire line hadn’t moved one iota. This of course was quite a silly idea, as for one thing the Little India was closed!