When I was visiting Waitangi I went to the treaty grounds which is a very spiritual place. In the Upper Grounds there’s the Treaty House and also a Wharenui called Te Whare Rūnanga, which is a carved Māori meeting house. Inside the Wharenui we were allowed to take photos of all the wonderful carvings which are amazing to see.
Once I was home, and after processing the original image I decided to have a bit of fun with reflections, lines of symmetry and mirror lines to create this finished image.
The town of Makarora is situated on the Haast Pass Highway between Wānaka and the West Coast. I stayed in Makarora for three days, two nights, and on the last day it snowed heavily. This left all the surrounding mountains covered in thick snow. It also, meant that on the way home it created some stunning scenery along the shores of Lake Wānaka.
In the small Central Otago town of Waipiata I found this sculpture of the planet Jupiter. At first it seemed a rather random place to have a sculpture such as this but, I figured it must be there for a reason. Instead, I was much more interested in the unique shape and structure of it and the way it looked against the clear blue sky. I then spent a good 20 minutes photographing it from all sorts of usual angles and distances.
I’d spent the day at Cape Palliser, the southernmost point of the North Island. There, I explored the famous lighthouse, wandered around a few of the fishing villages, avoided washed out sections of road and went for a walk along the beach. Now, arriving back at my base of Martinborough, I discovered snow was starting to fall. Earlier in the day, I read that snow was forecast to fall in the Wairarapa area however that was something I’d chosen to ignore. I’d simply assumed it wouldn’t happen. After all, how often do you really believe snow will fall when it’s forecast.
The Hayes family homestead and engineering works really is an intriguing place and tribute to the term ‘No 8 wire thinking.’ In fact, an argument can be made for Ernest Hayes to be one of the original backyard Kiwi innovators (even though he was actually English!). Set amongst the rural backdrop of Oturehua in Central Otago, Hayes set-up his home and engineering workshop around 1895 where he invented all manner of agricultural tools, rabbit bait cutters, wind turbines and a patented wire strainer for applying tension to wire on farm fences. Which is still in production to this very day.
On my way to Ranfurly in the Maniototo, I stopped near the small town of Dunback. I’d been following the line of the Shag River which rises in the Kakanui Mountains and flows all the way to the Pacific Ocean near the town of Palmerston. Along the way, I’d spotted a few promising photo locations and finally decided to stop by a ford in the Inch Valley, only five minutes from Dunback. There, I found the river maintaining some of the flow created by the recent rain.
As much as I grow tired of seeing images of ‘That Wanaka Tree’, I have to admit that it does create a great subject for a photo. With the surroundings of the lake, mountains and big clear skies, it makes a wonderful scene for an image. In fact, if you catch it on a still autumn morning with moody clouds in the sky and mist rising off the lake, or on a calm, summer evening after the sun has set as colours hang around in the sky, it’s really rather magical. Therein lies the problem, it’s a vicious circle really.
By the time I arrived in the Mount Cook Village it was snowing heavily. Once I’d found the car park and after navigating my way through the snow in the fading dusk to the Alpine Lodge, I walked in through the front door to the reception covered in a blanket of snow. The owner then informed me that it had been snowing for around 12 to 18 hours and it seemed to be easing.
The next morning in the bright sunlight, the village was covered in deep snow. Scanning the village around me, it all looked very wonderful. The day’s expedition involved a 10km round trip hike through the Hooker Valley to the Hooker Lake. Now, with the heavy snowfall, I found myself eager to get going.
While I was in the North Island, I spent some time in the Wairarapa District. On my travels, one of the places I stayed at was Fareham House in Featherston. Before I arrived, I had read it was haunted and upon arrival in Featherston while browsing in a local bookstore, one of the owners had informed me that it ‘most definitely is.’So, you can imagine my excitement and anticipation when upon arrival I found the house to be a massive historic homestead, set amongst 25 acres of farmland, bush and orchard. The perfect setting for some ghostly ghouls to haunt.
Unfortunately, the only thing I discovered at Fareham House was a hangover the next morning after a little too much overindulgence at a bar the night before.
The church on the corner of Church, Robertson and Baker Street in Russell (Kororāreka) was one of the places I wanted to visit while staying in the small town. Not only is it New Zealand’s oldest surviving church however it contains the grave sites of important Māori leaders Tamati Waka Nene, Hannah King and many other names linked to New Zealand’s history. It also has the graves of men from the HMS Hazard who died in the battle of Kororāreka which took place March 1845. What makes the church even more interesting is that as it was at the centre of the conflict between Māori and the British Army, there are bullet holes scattered around the church that remain to this very day.
It started raining some time early in the morning. Now, several hours later having driven through the Haast Pass to the West Coast township of Haast, it seemed to be getting harder. I parked by the Haast Bridge, ate lunch in the car and went for a walk beside the river before starting the drive back to Makarora. On the way, I stopped at Thunder Creek Falls.
The falls are an impressive 28 metres high and the recent heavy rain had left the river level high and the falls heavy with water. By the time I reached the viewing platform for the falls, the rain had gotten harder, heavier, was coming in sideways and for some reason I had only brought an fairly ineffective umbrella.
Having some time to spare, and feeling like a wander, I called in to the old farm buildings at Matanaka. Dating from around 1840, the Matanaka Farm is Otago’s earliest farm and includes some of New Zealand’s oldest surviving farm buildings. When the buildings were first constructed, owner Johnny Jones had the reddish-brown timber buildings built in Australia before they were shipped to his farm and where they were completed. While there were once many more buildings in the area, now, the buildings consist of stables, granary, schoolhouse, and a three-seater privy.
I made my way to the Vauxhall Yacht Club which is located on the shoreline of the Otago Peninsula. The previous two evenings I’d visited the same location, only to find the sun had already disappeared from sight. Being a tad late on the preceding days hadn’t been the end of the world, I was there to get a specific shot that had been monopolising my thoughts. Upon arriving at the Yacht Club, I was delighted to find the sun seemingly suspended just above the Dunedin skyline. It created a brilliant glow of light stretching out across the harbour. I stood and watched the sun slowly disappear from sight. Then, once it had gone, I returned to my car and headed for home.
If you ever find your way to Stewart Island and staying the night in Oban, then the following day you should put some time aside to do the following.
In the morning, from Oban, walk through the village and over the hill to Golden Bay. From there, take a water taxi across Paterson Inlet to Ulva Island, a predator free, wildlife sanctuary. Once you’re at Ulva Island, take the walking track to the West End Beach where you’ll find lots of Weka along with many other bird species and not much else. If you’re lucky, everyone who is walking the island will be off exploring other tracks so I’ll have the whole place to yourself.
When I was there, I was reminded of the Gaelic phrase quietness without loneliness. I knew I wanted to photograph the scene in front of me, I just couldn’t see the finished product. So, I decided to sit and watch until I could see the image I was looking for. 1 minute turned into 2, 2 minutes turned into 10 minutes, 10 minutes turned into 15 minutes when suddenly an idea started forming in my head. Today’s image is the finished result.
When I was in Tawanui, near Owaka in The Catlins, I went walking along the Catlins River track. Like everywhere in The Catlins, it’s an amazing place that’s incredibly peaceful and serene. All spots in The Catlins seem that way, they hold a majestic quality that’s hard to describe. While walking along The Catlins River, I passed through an exotic forest that’s filled with all sorts of amazing ferns and silver beech trees that inspired this photo.
Ten kilometres south-west of Oamaru, near Maheno, is the small settlement of Gemmell’s Crossing. Named after James Gemmell from Ayreshire in Scotland, Gemmell purchased a 283 hectare property for farming near Oamaru in 1870. With the Kakanui River running close to his farm, James Gemmell used to drive his cattle over the river at the point now called Gemmell’s Crossing.
On my way back to Wellington, I made a short detour up Paekakariki Hill to the lookout. The view looking north is quite amazing as you can see out to Kapiti Island and up the western coastline.
To get to the lookout, you need to take Paekakariki Hill Road. Built in 1849 by British Army engineers with road-building gangs, it linked Wellington and Porirua with the beach road to Whanganui. The road was completed in November of that year and remained the main highway north until 1939.
Allans Beach, Hoopers Inlet, Mt Charles and inland to Harbour Cone, – Buy
Once I was back in Dunedin, I went for an exploration on the Otago Peninsula. While wandering the tracks at Sandymount, I must admit to initially being a little disappointed to find that the viewing platforms for both Lover’s Leap and the Chasm had been closed and removed. However, after spending some time on the new section of track and viewing platform which looks northeast over Allans Beach, Hoopers Inlet, Mt Charles and inland to Harbour Cone, I hadto admit, the views are even better!
By the time I arrived in Wellington it was later than I had anticipated. On my way from Palmerston North I made a number of stops along the way and while none of them were long in duration, they had all added up to making me quite a bit later than scheduled. After navigating the motorway and the various one way systems that make up Wellington’s city centre I parked near Lambton Quay, one of the main streets that runs nearly the entire length of the CBD.
It was starting to get late, and the place was unusually quiet. I walked for a few blocks and enjoyed the sights and sounds of a city at night, occasionally accompanied by groups of inebriated youths who all spoke in a gibberish sort of slur. I walked a little longer, eventually arriving back at my car whereupon I made the decision to go insearch of my hotel and the hope that the restaurant would still be open, or at least the bar!
My journey to Palmerston North was undertaken in bright sunshine, something I hadn’t seen in some days. After leaving Waiōuru I drove through Taihape, Mangaweka, Cheltenham and Fielding, arriving in Palmerston North in the early afternoon.
Before finding my accommodation, I stopped in The Square and went for a walk around. Located in the very centre of the city, The Square is 17 hectares of land that features monuments, fountains, art work and picnic areas. At one end was a large Plaza while the other end featured the usual arrangements of shops that you might expect to find in a city centre. The Square was large with small pockets of people scattered around enjoying the warm, sunny day. For a long time, I couldn’t work out what it was, however something didn’t seem right. Then it struck me, that was exactly what was wrong. It was large and open but there simply wasn’t anyone there! In a larger city, it would be filled with people but here in Palmerston North it almost seemed too big. Almost as no one was really sure what to use it for.
For a short time I walked the streets surrounding the Square before deciding to find my accommodation and a bite to eat.
10 kilometres west of the town Waiōuru in the central North Island, I arrived at a place called Tangiwai. The location of New Zealand’s worst railway accident where 151 died.
Having read a lot about the famous accident, it was a place I was very much looking forward to seeing. So, it was with intrigue and a touch of excitement that I parked my car and went for a look around. As I got out of the car, light rain began to fall and for the next half hour I wandered around the various information boards that detailed the events that took place on Christmas Eve, 1953. With the light rain that was falling and the grey, overcast sky, the place had a lonely, sombre feeling.
The tragedy was caused when part of a carter wall containing a lake on the volcano Mount Ruapehu collapsed and a torrent of water surged down the Whangaehu River. Moments before the Wellington to Auckland express train arrived at the Tangiwai bridge, it had been damaged by the fast moving lahar and the bridge collapsed when the train began to cross it. Of the 285 passengers aboard the train, 151 died. To this day it remains New Zealand’s worst Railway accident.
Leaving Parikino, I headed for the town of Raetihi which is close to the Tongariro National Park. That morning the rain had been heavy and while it was starting to ease it had left the nearby rivers high and fast flowing. I had been following the path of the Mangawhero River and I stopped near a bridge now to view it as it made its way through the valley.
Later on, I read that the name Mangawhero comes from the Maori word manga meaning “stream” and whero meaning “red”. Looking at the photos I had taken earlier in the day, that seemed to make sense.
Not far from Whanganui, I passed through the small settlement of Parikino where there was once a pā site. Dating back to the 1840’s and situated on the flat bank of the Whanganui River, the pā was used as fortification against rival war parties. I had a short look around before rejoining State Highway 4 and continuing on to the Parikino Lookout which had views across the surrounding valley’s.
Before arriving in Whanganui, I had read that the city is buzzing with creative energy and that it’s the absolute highlight of any trip. After spending 15 to 16 hours in the city, I would have to disagree.
The next day, I moved accommodation from Queenstown to Frankton as I needed to be closer to the airport. I was flying to the North Island early the following day, so I figured being a short distance from the airport would make life easier first thing in the morning. I was staying at the La Quinta Hotel and after checking-in and exploring my room for a few minutes, which included turning all the switches on and off to see what they did, I went for a walk. It was late in the day and a big bank of clouds was rolling in over The Remarkables and the Kawarau River, threatening to rain.
At Arrowtown I took Malaghans and Gorge Road (through Arthurs Point) to Queenstown. The hills were covered in clouds and the lake was darker than expected with patches of strong wind gusts creating a choppy surface in the distance. There can be no doubt that the scenery around Queenstown is quite stunning however the lake is something just as special. People often comment about the unique colour of Lake Wakatipu, which is created by glacial dust from crushed rocks falling into the lake from rivers at the head lake I had read.
As special as the scenery is, navigating the town can be something of a nightmare and deciding I couldn’t face the overcrowded town centre, I headed straight for my accommodation looking across the lake to the suburb of Kelvin Heights and The Remarkables.
Back in autumn I was fortunate enough to spend some time in Arrowtown. I say fortunate because I wasn’t meant to be there at all. I had planned to spend some time near Christchurch, but my accommodation was unexpectedly cancelled. So, I had to choose an alternative destination and Arrowtown was it. What a joy the town is during autumn when the colour takes hold.
Is it just me or is there something fascinating about old animal skulls? After leaving Butchers Dam, I ventured the short distance up the road to Conroys Dam. An historic gold mining site that was dammed in 1935 for the Last Chance Irrigation Scheme to provide irrigation for orchards on the Conroy and Earnscleaugh flats. Having arrived, I enjoyed a pleasant amble around the conservation area, which is where I spotted an old animal skull in the long grass. An object I found most captivating I must admit. For a moment I considered taking it with me but being stuck by a moment of clarity, I realised it wouldn’t fit on the mantelpiece. A while later, I continued on to Alexandra, skulless, yet knowing my wife would be a little happier with my decision.
Am I alone in thinking that driving New Zealand roads isn’t the majestic, relaxing pastime it once was? All too often the journey is filled with morons with caravans who drive at 20 km/h an hour, idiots in campervans who seem to be permanently lost and Leaf drivers who pull out in front of you and drive like they are at the front of the parade. Then, just as you break free from this challenge to your patience you come across a 10 kilometre stretch of road that is reduced to 30km/h and a single lane, just so 6 guys can fill in a pothole.
Thus it was that I found myself on a stunning Sunday afternoon in mid-January, driving in a long line of traffic through Alexandra’s dry, rocky and dramatic landscape, slowly losing the will to live! By the time I reached a place called Butchers Dam, with 10 kilometres until Alexandra, my sanity couldn’t take it any more, so I called in at Flat Top Hill Picnic and Conservation Area and went for a stroll around the lake.
Heading back to Dunedin, I decided to detour back through the Catlins and stop off at Purakaunui Falls. The falls have long been an iconic image of the Catlins and have appeared on everything from book covers to stamps and can be found south of Owaka, within the Purakaunui Scenic Reserve.
The walk to the falls was short but delightful as the track wound its way through the podocarp and beech forest, accompanied by the Purakaunui River. The falls themselves are an impressive 20 metres high as the river cascades over three tiers of rock before flowing through the Catlins and out into Purakaunui Bay.
… 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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Carving at Te Whare Rūnanga – Buy 
Silver Beech Trees In The Catlins – 
