Demonstrators calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza
It was a bright, clear, sunny day. Since I had no particular plans, I decided to walk to the Botanical Gardens in North Dunedin. A distance of around 7.5 kilometres (4.6 miles). The harbour looked radiantly still and flat, I decided to stick as close to it as I could. Others clearly had the same idea as I passed all manner of people who were enjoying the stunning Dunedin day. After some time, I reached a spot called Steamer Basin where I decided to detour. I left my seaside stroll and head through the centre of town for a different vista. After crossing the railway tracks and passing the Railway Station, the Early Settlers Museum and the High and District Court, I ventured up to the Octagon where I visited the statue of Scottish poet Robbie Burns. Once there, I rested for a bit and contemplated a number of questions like why people find it so hard to use rubbish bins? a question I often find myself asking and one that I’m yet to answer.
After saying hello to the famous bard, I headed off towards the Otago Museum and the Botanic Gardens that are located in the north end of town. It was once I was nearing the museum that I came across a sight I wasn’t expecting, a protest rally. The crowd of several hundred were matching in silence which was strangely frightening and very effective. They carried signs that read “Cease Fire Now!” “Liberation for Palestine,” and other such signs and banners that called for a ceasefire to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. I stood and watched them as they slowly and silently matched down the street. Unlike other rally’s I’ve watched that seem a little disorganised and disjointed, this one clearly had a point that everyone believed in. I stood and watched as they rounded a corner and suddenly broke into one loud voice. Later, I read that the rally for Palestine group planned to hold similar rallies unless a ceasefire deal was reached. As they disappeared down the street, I wished them well. Then I turned, and headed for the Botanic Gardens.
With caution, I’d spent the afternoon negotiating the Otago Peninsula Road. I say with caution as there were lots of tourists in campervans and rental cars who always make the summer roads a bit of a lottery. The peninsula road begins at Andersons Bay Inlet at the head of Otago Harbour and winds its way for 26 kilometres to Taiaroa Head where there’s an albatross colony. As a drive it’s quite spectacular. The coastal road passes through small settlements, past beaches, boat moorings, marinas, boat ramps, and jetties by the dozen. Along the way there’s also places where you can see fur seals, sea lions, penguins and all manner of bird life. There’s art galleries you can visit, cafes and restaurants to pass the time at and of course the classic honesty box sitting by the odd farm gate or fence.
I must confess, there aren’t many honesty boxes that I don’t pull over at. In fact, I’ve been known to put money in the box without actually buying anything. I think it’s the element of surprise I love best. On this occasion, not only were there fresh eggs and tomatoes, but decorative paua shells and other assorted items for sale. Looking over the display, I decided that there wasn’t anything I really needed, however it didn’t seem right to leave without making some type of contribution. So, I found $4 in the car and popped it into the payment tin. I figured it was payment for the photo.
I sit down on a shady piece of grass where the shadows of two trees meet. I’m wearing shorts, a t-shirt and jandals. On my head is a faded bucket hat and over my shoulder is a camera with a 10-22mm lens. Usually, I carry a backpack with other lenses and camera bodies, however today is different. Today I wanted to travel light. Having only one lens means I have less decisions to make. It means I become more focused on how I’m going to show the idea I have in my head. Some days it’s good to have more equipment and more options to shoot with, however today isn’t one of those days.
The patch of grass where I now sit has been carefully chosen, it’s the spot where I have the view of the church that I want. It’s the spot that I find the most interesting, the spot that generates the most questions in my mind. Earlier, I walked around the grounds at the church at least three times to make sure I found the spot I wanted. Now, as I settle on the grass I look at the trees I’m sure I have. As the sun moves between the branches I look to a nearby park bench, then more trees. Beyond the trees is a flower bed that is filled with summer colours and past that a driveway. I turn to my right and observe a spacious grass lawn that has other church buildings sitting on the boundary line in the distance. In between all those, sits the old gothic church.
It’s not so much the church that I’m interested in, nor is it the trees, the park bench or grass but how all the objects interplay with each other. In this spot, I have questions. I have questions about the shapes, textures and spaces I see in front of me as I sit on this shady piece of grass.
This is St Clair at 7:30am this morning, isn’t it stunning? If you’re still on holiday then it’s one of those lovely Dunedin mornings that still, clear and fine. Perfect weather for being outside at the beach, a park or lazing around home soaking up the sun with a good book. Enjoy the day.
I wanted to have a little bit of fun editing this image. It’s taken from the top of a very steep lookout in the Lindis Pass. While finishing the image, I began to wonder what it would look like without the road passing through it. So, I took it out!! Doesn’t it look like another world? I imagine this is what the surface of Mars might look like.
I spent the evening exploring the beauty of Second Beach at St Clair. Along this stretch of beach, years of consistent wave movement have created great drifts of raggedly oval stones worn to a polished smoothness. They are nearly impossible to walk on since your feet sink with each step while at the same time having to navigate piles of driftwood that have washed up. The coast path above the beach is much easier and doesn’t require clambering up and down a bank to reach it. At any one time you’ll meet anyone and everyone from the young to old, those getting their daily fitness quota, surfers and people just enjoying a tranquil escape for 5 minutes. No matter which option you take, if it’s the beach or the path you’ll hear the sea, crashing into the shore creating a seemingly endless musical score of stones clattering on the water’s edge. It’s one of the most glorious places in Dunedin.
With a bit of time to spare I spent a lazy afternoon casually wandering around the boardwalk at Orokonui Lagoon. At one point, while walking over the road bridge that leads to Doctors Point I became distracted by this railway bridge. While crossing the road bridge, I came across a family who were fishing. The children were having a wonderful time, even if they hadn’t caught anything.
This is the view from the stage at Dunedin’s Regent Theatre. It must be a surreal feeling to walk out on stage when the place is full with its 1600 seat capacity. In fact, the theatre’s stage was the largest in New Zealand until the Aotea Centre in Auckland opened in 1990.
Dating back to 1928, The Regent Theatre was registered as a Category 1 historic building in 1987 meaning it is a national place of outstanding historical and cultural significance and value. It’s also reported to be haunted with ghost stories including tales of “the lady in the dressing rooms.”
The corner of Cannongate and Serpentine Avenue– Buy
When I had last walked around this area of Dunedin it was the middle of winter and the area had a bit of a drab feel to it. Now that the trees (and bush) are full of summer colour and life it looks completely different. Actually, this image is more of a test run to see how the composition sits. I like the curved shapes, it’s something a bit different. I think I’ll revisit it at some point as I have a few other ideas I want to try out.
I spent a couple of hours wandering around the beach at dawn. It was one of those mornings where you could feel the sunrise coming, and it didn’t disappoint. The sky lit up a brilliant mix of yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue. It lingered, before dissolving as the sun hit.
This main sound awfully stupid, but for the first time it dawned on me in a profound way just how big a fence needs to be to keep predators out of an enclosed wildlife area. In this case, I found myself confronted with an impassable fence that was 9 kilometres in length, that protected 307 hectares of coastal forest from pests. Thus, ensuring native wildlife could thrive. It was at this point in my thinking that I became glad we have such visionaries living among us.
Lies of life step forth, Like lost faces in the night. Forgotten memories with musketeers, In the dawn I would rewrite. Silent voices echo, Void in space and time. Absent beliefs of innocence, Hidden and doubtful, sometimes.
Light in darkened shadows, Guard the empty road ahead. Before the places nothing moved, In the moment that I fed. Thoughts bring forth confusion, Voices echo within a technicolor dream, And I must seek for mine, Hidden and doubtful, It would seem.
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.
The pleasant and serene Orokonui Lagoon. The native bush and wetlands feature a flax swamp, grasslands and plenty of birdlife. It’s also a stunning stroll on a gorgeous Dunedin day.
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.
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!
It feels a long time since I spent time going walkabout in the bush. I’m not sure why that is. Having no real photographic home, or location to stick to, I think at some point I simply arrived in town and started wandering the city streets from place to place and never stopped. So, the other day, feeling the need for a change in surroundings I headed into the bush.
Well, it’s fair to say that on this occasion I hadn’t really been staying in one spot for very long until the sun dropped below the horizon. Not being able to settle in one spot, the scene of a low skyline with the silhouette of the hills in the distance formed in front of me. It was then that I found a place to stop for a moment.
With a bit of time to spare and not having to be in any specific place for the time being, I went wandering. If you haven’t spent time idly wandering and aimlessly strolling through a city, then I strongly suggest you do. There’s nothing like letting your soul be carefree for a while and your thoughts drift where they may.
I was going for an aimless stroll, drifting from place to place in central Dunedin with no real purpose when I came across the Carnegie Centre on Moray Place. Noticing a door was open, I wandered inside for a look before spotting an arrow on the floor pointing down the stairs that seemed to be made of masking tape. Taking it as a beacon of light that needed to be followed, I headed down the stairs before finding my way into a sunlit courtyard. Not knowing if I was now officially trespassing or not, I decided it was probably best that I retraced my steps and beg forgiveness if questioned.
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.
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.
Eventually I made my way to a nearby car parking building. Which, I must admit, are really interesting places if you’re looking for some creative inspiration or mental stimulation. They provide all sorts of views across the tops of buildings, from all kinds of angles. You can also find some fun textures and lines if that’s what you’re looking for.
… from a Small City. My daily musings from Ōtepoti to get you inspired. Read the blog, view the photos, embrace the creativity.
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Demonstrators calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza 
The Lindis Pass – 
