Rain clouds over Second Beach – Buy
It had been raining since early the previous morning. I had hoped it would clear but with every passing minute, it was becoming obvious that the weather had settled in for a long stay. The rain seemed to be passing over in patches that varied between light drizzle and heavy rain. Summing up the situation, I decided that I was going to get wet no matter what I did and with that, I went for a walk on the beach.
The Ida Burn – Buy
There are many amazing and magnificent features about Central Otago. My favourite being that it feels like another world. It really does have its own characteristics and qualities that make it such a special place. I hope it remains the unspoiled beauty it is now.
Kaka Point – Buy
I found my way to Kaka Point in the Catlins and parked near the beach. It was one of those days where the wind seemed to swirl across the top of the water and washed waves ashore onto the beach at strange angles.
The drive from Dunedin had taken over an hour. After passing through Balclutha I turned off State Highway 1 and headed towards the coast. As I passed houses and farms I noticed the weather seemed to be turning a dark shade of grey. Once the coastline came into view, I followed it for some time before arriving in the small village of Kaka Point. Leaving my car parked near a sign advising visitors like myself of the local wildlife, I went for a stroll.
Happy Birthday June
June is a lovely lady who comments every day on my blog posts. She’s been doing it for several years now and it’s always great to hear from her. You can read her comments by scrolling to the bottom of each post. So, since today is her birthday I wanted to take a moment and say June, I hope you have a lovely day.
The Lindis Pass – Buy
The Lindis Pass is another stunning area of New Zealand and vastly different in winter and summer. During winter, it’s often full of snow and ice with caution being advised when the road is open. In summer, it’s a landscape from another world with its dry, sun burnt textures.
Set between the Lindis and Ahuriri Rivers, the pass was often used by Māori as they travelled around the land. Then, in 1857 surveyor John Turnbull traversed the area and named it after his home, Lindisfarne island in north-east England.
Wellington CBD – Buy
It was a morning where upon awakening and venturing out into the city, I discovered that Wellington had disappeared under a blanket of fog. This was something I hadn’t been expecting and somewhat altered my plans. The fresh, new light I’d been wanting to see was replaced with a heavy blanket of harbour fog. So, I spent the early part of the day taking photos of the fog, until it started to lift and Wellington city was revealed.
Paraparaumu Beach – Buy
My intention was to photograph the sun setting beyond Kapiti Island on the West Coast of the North Island. It was a lovely clear evening and to the north the coast stretched up all the way up to the coastal communities of Peka Peka, Ōtaki and Waitārere Beach. To the south, in the distance the coastline reached Raumati South, Paekākāriki before linking into Pukerua Bay.
The Haka Valley – Buy
The morning was unbelievably cold. That was until the first sign of sun appeared over the Campbell Hills in the Hakataramea Valley. Tucked away in the Waimate District, the Hakataramea Valley sits between the Kirkliston Range and the Hunter Hills in the South Island of New Zealand.
The Hooker Valley – 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.
The Glenorchy Lagoon Boardwalk – Buy
The Glenorchy Lagoon Boardwalk is an amazing place. On a calm day, the mountain peaks reflect in the lagoon, while native bird life such as the pied stilt and the South Island pied oystercatcher fill the area. If you’re lucky you might even spot The New Zealand falcon soaring above the wetlands.
The Beautiful Colours Of Blackhead Beach – Buy
Given the nature of what a stunning autumn day it was, and with the winter months looming on the horizon, I wasn’t sure how many more I would see. So, I ended up on the south coast of Dunedin at Blackhead Beach. The day was still, full of colour and the beach was filled with people making the most of the warm, summer-like afternoon.
Bray at dusk – Buy
I was heading to Clover Hill in South Bray, not that I really knew where that was. Even on the way there, I can’t say I was completely sure where I was going. I’d left Dublin by train and around 40 minutes later I arrived at the train station in Bray. From there, I walked down Quinsborough Road, which took me past the lovely Duncairn Terrace which was lined with multi-storey houses that were filled with lights and while Christmas decorations hung in the window. Further on, as Quinsborough Road turned into Herbert Road and the terraced houses turned into shops the last of the sunlight disappeared on what was an usually warm, winters evening.
The Wheel of Brisbane – Buy
My final stop of my night walk in Brisbane was ‘The Wheel of Brisbane’ located in Southbank Parklands. I had started out before dusk at the Brisbane Central Railway Station and spent the rest of the time simply wandering aimlessly from place to place, looking at nothing in particular. After a while, I made my way through King George Square, headed along Ann Street and crossed over the Brisbane River on the Kurilpa Bridge. From there, I made my way along the South Bank which was busy with cyclists who seemed to have no regard for anyone but themselves. So, I filled some time walking at annoying angles so they’d have to swerve to miss me. Eventually, with no more cyclists to irritate, I turned my attention back to my walk and the Wheel of Brisbane which was glowing in the distance.
The Crown Liquor Saloon – Buy
I went here on advice and I was really pleased I did. Known as ‘The Crown Bar’ but also the ‘Crown Liquor Saloon’, it’s one of the most famous pubs in Belfast. Dating back to 1826 and refurbished in 1885, it had the reputation as one of the finest Victorian gin palaces in the British Isles that features stained glass windows, mosaic tiling, an amazing carved ceiling. There are also 10 snugs that were made for the more reserved customer in the Victorian area that still has the original gun metal plates for striking matches and antique alarm bell system for alerting staff for service. It’s a true masterpiece in bar design and architecture.
A symphony of lights – Buy
The Symphony of Lights show in Hong Kong really is something quite amazing. Starting nightly at 8:00pm, it’s a 15 minute spectacular of light and sound that luminates Victoria Harbour. The best viewing locations for the nightly spectacle are the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront outside the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, the Avenue of Stars, the promenade at Golden Bauhinia Square in Wanchai or from sightseeing ferries in the harbour.
Originally started by the Hong Kong Tourism Board in 2004, the show is set to an orchestra of music and features lights, lasers, fireworks and other multimedia light and sound displays from over 50 buildings that participate in the show. It also holds the world record for the largest permanent light and sound show.
The Remarkables at dusk – Buy
Usually, when I travel to the Queenstown-Lakes District I generally try to avoid Queenstown by either staying in Arrowtown or continuing up Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy. Last year, for something different, I went through Frankton and headed down the lake to Kingston.
Recently, needing to travel to Wellington, I decided to fly from Queenstown rather than Dunedin, but wanting to avoid Queenstown I stayed a night in Frankton. After driving 3 and a half hours from Dunedin, I found my hotel, unpacked and walked outside to be just in time for the sun to be setting behind The Remarkables as a large bank of cloud was rolling in at the end of the day.
Chimney stack on the Maniototo– Buy
In places like the Ida Valley, Blackstone Hill, Kyeburn, Patearoa and near the Rock and Pillar there are old structures scattered all around the place. They are like a window into the past that tell stories of human existence, past lives and hint at a sense of belonging in a timeless place.
Looking over the land, I like the questions those old structures ask and how they hint towards a forgotten human presence. Here, a crumbling chimney stack sits in a dry and sunburned field, just beyond a small pond in the wide open spaces of The Maniototo.
The Cliffs – Buy
I drove to Cargills Castle on the cliffs above St Clair. Well, to be precise, I drove to the area that Cargills Castle is located in and walked around the neighbourhood looking for a good view of the historic building. That’s because the house is now completely surrounded by suburban homes. To get to the building you need to trespass across multiple driveways and properties, something the neighbourhood is clearly sick of as the whole suburb is filled with signs like ‘Private Driveway’, ‘No Trespassing – Private Property’ and ‘Private Property – Keep out!’ The Castle is actually nothing like a castle, is more of a stately home that has fallen into ruin through years of neglect. In the mid 1990’s the building was so derelict that the ballroom was demolished and the rest would have followed suit if the Cargill’s Castle Trust had not been formed and bought the building for $180,000.
Stormwater outlet at Second Beach – Buy
Second Beach was covered with the usual accompaniment of small boulders, countless amounts of seaweed and washed up driftwood. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t enjoy a visit there. Made up completely of rock, the beach is nearly impossible to walk on since your feet sink with each step as years of consistent wave movement have created great drifts of raggedly oval stones worn to a polished smoothness. At the same time, the sea crashes into the shore creating a seemingly endless musical score of stones clattering on the shoreline while the air is filled with the smell of seaweed and spray from saltwater. It has tidal rock pools, unstable cliffs, disused quarry structures that are nearly eighty years old and occasionally you’ll see Sea Lions or Fur Seals basking on the shoreline. It’s one of the most glorious places in Dunedin.
Fenceline at Karetai – Buy
One of my favourite places on the Otago Peninsula (and there are many of them), is the Karetai Track. Once a short 2 kilometre dirt road that links Smails Beach to Karetai Road, it’s now a walking track that provides outstanding views along the Otago coastline. It has old stone walls, wildlife, farm machinery, sheer cliffs and great photo opportunities that all combine for a wonderful outing. One that I enjoyed immensely.
St Paul’s Cathedral – Buy
Standing on the steps of St Paul’s Cathedral, looking out over the Octagon several thoughts occurred to me in a very random, scattered sort of way.
I stood facing the main entrance, my thoughts marveling at how Cathedral’s such as the one in front of me were built. If the task was left to me (despite that being a mass mistake) I wouldn’t know where to begin, let alone successfully designing and constructing a grand vaulted ceiling made of stone.
Turning to see the city, standing on the steps of the Cathedral looking out towards the harbour, it occurred to me what a glorious outlook it once would have been. Not that it’s a bad view now, but with a few less buildings and tall trees the view would have been superb.
My thoughts then focused on the stone steps that lead up to the main entrance and how many famous people and events had walked the same path. It’s no wonder Cathedrals were often considered the heart of a city I thought to myself.
Winter morning in Alexandra – Buy
If you leave Dunedin and travel in a north-west direction, after 195 kilometers (or 121 miles) you’ll reach a town that started life being called “Lower Dunstan”. These days, it’s better known as Alexandra. Named after Princess Alexandra of Denmark by town survivor John Connell, it sits at the junction of the Clutha and Manuherikia rivers.
In 1862, the Otago Gold Rush stretched into the Cromwell Gorge and later towards the Kawarau Gorge and Lake Wakatipu when Horatio Hartley and Christopher Reilly collected 34 kilograms of gold from the Cromwell Gorge. The discovery brought thousands of miners over the Rock and Pillar from Strath Taieri into the town of Lower Dunstan which became known as Alexandra.
Sunrise At Blueskin Bay – Buy
Recently, on one of the pages in my notebook I found a scrawled and scrambled note that read “don’t forget the stones – 01.06.18”. Just what that meant, I didn’t have the faintest idea! The fact it was written in one of my notebooks led me to believe that it must have something to do with a photo location but what, I couldn’t imagine.
Upon further investigation into my digital archives, I discovered that the only place I visited that day was Blueskin Bay at sunrise. However, just what “don’t forget the stones” meant, I hadn’t the foggiest idea! Maybe, that morning I’d drank too much coffee and wired on caffeine I’d been listening to The Rolling Stones. Or, it could have been a warning to myself to stay away from dangerous boulders on the shoreline. Either way, somehow it linked to this photo, however I haven’t a clue why!
Lan Yuan Chinese Garden – Buy
When I started out for the day, it wasn’t my plan to visit the Lan Yuan Chinese Garden in the center of Dunedin, however I was rather glad I did. Earlier in the day, I had spent a few hours in a local art gallery staring at paintings and pretending I knew what the meaning in them was. Once I’d made my way around the gallery, I left and followed a street art trail that took me through the city streets and ended near the Lan Yuan Gardens. Noticing the gardens were open, and with no other plans, I decided to go in for a look.
Sunset through the sand dunes.– Buy
Having spent the last hour walking along the beach, with a bit of a scramble I made my way up through the sand dunes. The day had been warm and now, as the sun was starting to drop below the horizon, a light breeze started to blow.
Historic Wall On Otago Peninsula – Buy
One of the terrific things about walking on the Otago Peninsula is finding unexpected things. What’s even more terrific is rediscovering things you remember you forgot. These historic stone walls that separate farm fields definitely fit that criteria.
Fenceline In Fog – Buy
Fog is such a wonderful element in photographs, it adds a very mystic feeling that leaves questions unanswered. While I was driving on the high road on the Otago Peninsula, I came across a fast moving cloud of fog that was hiding and revealing the surrounding countryside. Including this fenceline.
One morning I was out walking near Dowling Street in Dunedin as the sun was rising in the distance. It was creating all sorts of shadows and silhouettes with the architecture on the nearby buildings. As I moved along and down the street, I started to follow the position and angle that the sun appeared between buildings.
Light on the Kirkliston Range – Buy
Tucked away in the Waimate District is the Hakataramea Valley which sits at the foot of the Kirkliston Range. If you like hiking and adventuring into the wilderness there is a walk up to Pearson Hut. A basic four-bunk hut, getting to Pearsons Hut requires a nearly 3 hour, 6 kilometer walk up to an elevation of 1176m.
Glenorchy mountain range at dawn – Buy
There really is something wonderful about places and locations around Queenstown, once you venture out of the traffic in the main shopping area that is.
This is a sunrise that I shot one morning while I was in Glenorchy. The bright dramatic light and colour in the clouds didn’t last long and was localised to one specific section of the mountain tops as the sun’s rays escaped through some thick cloud to dance across and through the face of these mountains.
Tautuku beach at sunrise – Buy
There really is something rather special about having a spectacular beach all to yourself at sunrise. While I was staying in the Catlins, one morning I headed out early to Tautuku Beach and spent the hours pre and post sunrise wandering up and down the beach which has a truly wild feel about it.
Light on Dowling Street