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.
I have to admit that there’s one thing I love discovering beyond perfect barbecuing weather, it’s old or abandoned houses, sheds or buildings. Whenever I’m driving somewhere, invariably I’ll find myself pulling over on the side of the road, next to an empty field that contains some time of derelict structure. When I’m with my family, this is usually accompanied with an audible groan from the rest of the car as it often entails waiting while I stare in amazement at the crumbling remains of a factory or homestead out of the car window.
However, on this occasion, being the only occupant in the car I could stop wherever I wanted. And, that’s exactly what I did.
I made my way through streets that looked vaguely familiar. Not having a great knowledge of Christchurch’s CBD, anything past the Avon River was really a mystery to me. Yet, occasionally I found a street or location that seemed recognisable. Colombo Street was one, Manchester Street was another and then of course there was Cathedral Square. The rest looked nothing like I remember it. But, that’s to be expected when you’re rebuilding a city!
I made my way along streets, down passage-ways and through alleys with a simply delightful gaze in my eye. It was like discovering a whole new city and I was very much enjoying myself. I walked past new buildings that seemed to feature a style of architecture called ‘jigsaw puzzle pieces that don’t fit’ and shops that either had a minimalist vibe or were still under construction.
Eventually, I came across a junction point for three laneways. Clearly I was approaching the food and beverage sector of the CBD as nearby there was an Italian Restaurant, a Mexican Bar, A place called ‘The Craft Embassy’ and one known as ‘The Little Fiddle’. It was this last one that caught my eye, for no other reason that it was bright red. It was covered in signs that read “Stout & Porter”, “Pedlers of fine Irish Whiskey, Beer and Wine” and “Try our hot and tasty fare.” It did look very enticing, but unfortunately I still had to navigate my way back to my car and negotiate my way through Christchurch traffic and I wasn’t too sure that alcohol would help the matter.
Isn’t this an outstanding spot for a place to sit and watch the world go by? It’s part of the GlenorchyLagoon/Boardwalk which crosses wetlands that are full of bird life and surrounded by stunning mountain ranges. The track twists, turns and loops around with multiple starting and finishing points. In addition, it’s completely flat and a really easy walk which makes it perfect for a family outing. In the summer the lagoon is still, warm and full of colour whereas in the winter the mountain ranges are covered in snow and the air has a bracing chill, making it equally delightful.
The small community of Cherstey lies between the South Island towns of Rakaia and Ashburton. The great thing about Cherstey is the local Book Barn. Located in a massive disused shed that sits between the railway tracks and state highway 1, it’s one of those quirky roadside places that make driving in Aotearoa so interesting.
Housing over an estimated 300,000 books, it’s the kind of place where you could happily spend hours rummaging through the almost endless maze of titles. If you’re lucky you might even get a free hot drink, biscuit or a few lollies for the road.
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 stand in front of two signs. One is a formal council sign with white lettering on a blue background that reads ‘Boat Harbour’. The second is less formal. It’s made out of a surfboard that’s stuck in the ground that has red and black lettering. It reads ‘Slow Down. Free range kids! Slow!’ As I look at the surfboard my eyes drift across the road to a crib close by. For a moment my mind skips between the words crib and batch. My thoughts linger on how the use of the word crib or batch depends on where in Aotearoa you’re from. My attention moves back to the crib, then the surfboard, then finally once more to the crib.
The longer I look the more I notice various objects like; flagpoles, boats, flower pots, ornamental fish and a lifebuoy. My eye drifts over the whole scene and arrives back at the surfboard and a boat not far off. It all seems so very typical backyard Aotearoa.
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.
White Island and Saint Clair Beach, St Clair, Dunedin – Buy
Historical Note: The Esplanade at St Clair is a lovely area of coast with some outstanding Bars and Restaurants. It’s also home to White Island and ‘The Poles’ on St Clair beach which have become an icons in their own right.
Photographic Note: Instead of making ‘The Poles’ the focal point of this image, I wanted to make them a part of it. Personally, I love the way White Island sits just of the coast of St Kilda and St Clair, appearing to be in a constant state of flux with the light and sea forever dancing around it.
Historical Note: The Otago Harbour is a stunning setting that never fails to inspire from any location. Along Portobello Road, there is a great collection of boat sheds that vary in all shapes and sizes as the road twists and turns its way around the bottom of the peninsula.
Photographic Note: Capturing this was an exercise in patience. Over the weeks I’d had a number of false starts, knowing the shot I wanted but not getting the light I’d hoped for. Then one morning, it all came together when then sky cleared and lit up in an amazing display of colour.
Historical Note: Lawyers Head separates St Kilda Beach and Tomahawk Beach on the east coast of Dunedin City. It gets battered and buffeted with wind and rain during winter and hit with warm dry winds in summer. It also offers spectacular views of the South Pacific Ocean and the whole East Coast of Dunedin.
Photographic Note: I clambered onto the rock face of Lawyers Head to find this vantage point of the surf at Tomahawk Beach. On this particular morning the suns reflection bounced off the waves with a lovely golden glow. You’ll often be told to not shoo t into the sun, but if you select your moments the results can be astonishing.
Historical Note: Olveston was built for Dunedin businessman and philanthropist David Theomin, his wife Marie and their two children Edward and Dorothy. Olveston was a family home from the time it was built in 1906 until 1966. Since then it has been maintained as an historic house museum depicting the life of a wealthy merchant family in the early part of the twentieth century.
Photographic Note: This photo was all about showing off the Olveston gardens as well the building itself. The gardens are full of colour and they complement the building magnificently. I searched the grounds high and low to find the right view and this perspective showed it all.
Historical Note: The Dunedin Railway Station was built in 1903 and remains one of New Zealands most photographed buildings. It stands in an elegant and grand location in ANZAC Square at the end of Stuart Street.
Photographic Note: There are many views, scenes, moments and situations when I’ve photographed the Dunedin Railway Station. By far, my favourite view is looking across ANZAC Square to the front of the building when the flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining and the sky is a brillant blue.
Historical Note: On the bushwalk to McLean Falls, there are a number of smaller waterfalls that the river passes through. They all look pretty nice, and they are also accompanied by some interesting features in the river, like this whirlpool.
Photographic Note: There was a good six to eight photographers around me all photographing a small waterfall in very much the same way, from the same position. I wanted something a bit different, so I turned around.
Purakaunui Falls, The Catlins, Clutha District – Buy
Historical Note: I heard it, before I saw it. I saw it and I just stop and stared! I stared some more and I just thought wow! The bush walk was a short (10 minute) stroll that took us through some outstanding forest before reaching a truly impressive sight.
Photographic Note: I wanted to show as much of the falls as possible, in a way that captured the beauty and power of the water and the falls. I wanted to capture the rough plateau of rocks at the bottom while also bringing out a mysterious, mystical feeling that the area seemed to hold.
Historical Note: There are two places to start the Pineapple Track that runs along the Dunedin City skyline. The starting points however are 5 kilometres apart and it takes over two hours to get from point to point. Towards the Southern end, the track starts to pass through tussock high above the city tree line and along Flagstaff Hill. The Flagstaff Hill vantage point, high above the harbour and inner plains, was used during pioneering times to signal when a ship was entering the harbour. A flag was raised on the hill signalling the ship’s arrival to the people on the plains and surrounding areas.
Photographic Note: This vantage point offers a 360 degree view of Dunedin City. From viewing down the Peninsula, to St Clair beach and inland over the Taieri plains. The main decision is which direction to photograph first. On this day, I timed it so I’d had a wonderful view back over Dunedin City.
Historical Note: Mitchells Cottage is a superb example of what living would have been like in the 1880’s in Central Otago. It was built by gold miner, Andrew Mitchell, for his brother and sister-in-law. Building began in 1880 and he used local stone and stone masonary techniques he had learned from his father.
Photographic Note: There were so many different ways to photograph this wonderful old building it was hard to decide which image to choose. What drew me to this one was the fact that you get a real sense of the hillside and the harsh surrounds.
Catherdral Caves, The Catlins, Clutha District – Buy
Historical Note: Getting to the caves was an experience in itself. First, we had a pleasant 20 minute walk through a native forest before a 10 minute stroll along Waipati Beach. The caves themselves rise (in some points) an amazing 30 metres from the ground and are only accessible at low tide.
Photographic Note: The caves are almost always filled with people, so in this case it was a choice between photographing the caves with people walking around or waiting till they had moved on. I went for the without people option, as I wanted to show just the natural features of the caves.
Historical Note: These fields of rapeseed often become a local attraction when the plants flower and huge fields turn into a sea of yellow. When you see it on a nice summer day with the green surrounds it really does become a wonder of colour.
Photographic Note: This composition took longer to find than I thought it would. The tricky balance was getting the right amount of yellow and green at the front, while not leaving the rest of the image to tight. The clouds also brought another dimension to the image.
Historical Note: McLean Falls is at the end of Rewcastle Road which is about 3 kilometres from the main road. Since it was a nice day, we decided to walk the 3 kilometres to the start of the walking track. After a few uphill climbs with the sun getting warmer, it was definitely nice to see a cool river before having to walk back!
Photographic Note: At the falls, the river plunges an astounding 22 metres into a ravine. This meant I wanted a slower shutter speed to give the water a candy floss style look, but not overexposing the surrounding bush at the same time.
Historical Note: Exploring around the coastline of Karitane and the Huriawa Pa was really fun. I found myself clambering over rocks, past seaweed and even stopping to view a few rock pools. It was like revisiting my childhood. Mind you, I couldn’t have picked a windier day to do it!
Photographic Note: I instantly knew I wanted to do this shot in black and white. The textures of the rock and the wood when added to the early afternoon light meant my mind was thinking and seeing in black and white.
Shag Point Coastline, Shag Point, East Otago – Buy
Historical Note: I was happy to see the sun come up over the rocks with the sea slowly drifting in and out. The local sea lions weren’t as happy to see me! They seemed to be in a grumpy mood, so I kept a respectful distance and found a spot that was away from where they were.
Photographic Note: I tend to leave wildlife alone. When wildlife get close, I often put the camera away and just let them be. On this occasion I focused on something else. I did need to keep one eye open however as they were all moving and starting to look for breakfast.
Historical Note: I was driving home late one evening through East Otago, after a very long day. As I drove, I watched the sky change and evolve as the night drew closer. I finally decide to stop and found myself a nice spot beside a tree that opened out onto a field.
Photographic Note: I wanted to frame the picture on the right with the tree, drawing the eye into the field with the long grass. At the same time capturing the colours that were changing in the sky and keeping the green glow of the field.
Historical Note: The area around Macraes really has to be caught in a dramatic light. In a nice light or moody conditions, the landscape starts to take on a different façade. The tussock, rocks and barren features all become interesting structures on their own.
Photographic Note: We’d been driving around the area near Macraes Flat for an hour or so without any luck. There was low lying mist and while it was very atmospheric, there wasn’t much happening in the way of interesting scenes. That was until we came around a bend and saw an old, unused carriage.
Historical Note: The wind was fairly whistling through the Ida Valley when I saw this view from the car window. It was a moment that seemed typical of the Ida Valley.
Photographic Note: I took the opportunity to take this from a low perspective as it gave the image a different feeling and mood. Once the horizon was lowered the image instantly changed and made me start to wonder ….
Historical Note: Getting to Poolburn is an adventurous drive up the Old Dunstan Road that twists and turns through part of the Ida Valley. Once you get there, it’s like an Oasis or a well-kept secret with the old huts scattered around a marvellous lake.
Photographic Note: I played around with all sorts of compositions at Poolburn and I fell into the trap of over thinking what I wanted to capture. The final result (which I’m pretty pleased with), came after putting the camera down, stopping and asking myself, “what unique view speaks to me?”
Home Hills Runs Road, St Bathans, Central Otago – Buy
Historical Note: There are many roads around the St Bathans and Ida Valley area like Home Hills Runs Road. They seem long and deserted, yet they still have their own unique sense of calmness and wonder.
Photographic Note: Once I dropped the horizon down and let the sky and road take centre stage this image started to give the sense of what it really felt like, standing in the middle of an empty Central Otago Road.
Lake Dunstan & Clyde Dam, Clyde, Central Otago – Buy
Historical Note: The trip to the top of the lookout about Clyde is a pretty spectacular drive, however I ended up doing it in the middle of winter, in the dark, with a decent frost on the ground. About three quarters of the way up I had to abandon the car (due to ice) and finish the journey on foot!
Photographic Note: This shot was an exercise in patience. Once I found the spot I wanted it was a case of getting the settings and calculations correct and waiting for cars to head along the road beside Lake Dunstan while hoping the sky lasted.
Historical Note: I was hoping to get a few more people surfing in this shot than I did. There had been a large number in the water, but by the time I had scrambled up a bank to get an evaluated view, they had all headed into the beach.
Photographic Note: I was timing this shot with captuirng the waves as they were building, before breaking. There was also a challenge with getting two waves breaking together before the sun hit and the colours blew-out.
… 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 
