Sunset on St Kilda Beach – Buy
If there’s one thing I enjoy in the summer months it’s spending the evenings on Dunedin’s eastern coastline. After a long hot summer’s day, it’s a lovely way to end the day, watching the sun go day over a calm sea.
The Avon River In Christchurch
The Avon In Christchurch – Buy
Once I had spent some time exploring the Riverside Market and then later The Crossing near Manchester and Cashel Street, I made my way back to the Avon River. I have to admit it, but I do like the Avon River. It’s quite a lovely stroll through the centre of the city following the contours of the river as it gently ambles along.
St Paul’s Cathedral In Spring
St Paul’s Catherdral In Spring – Buy
Since there was more than just a touch of spring in the air, I went in search of signs of new blossoms in the central city. So, with a mind for fresh, bright, clean and warm colours I walked along Moray Place, turned onto Stuart Street and arrived in the Octagon. It was there that I spied the fresh bright colours of the flower beds that surrounded the streets, framed by the lovely pink undertones coming from the nearby Cherry Blossom Trees.
Swimming At Tapeka Point
Swimming at Tapeka Point – Buy
This was one of the stranger places I’ve had a conversation. At Tapeka Point Beach in the Bay Of Islands I was testing a waterproof camera and playing around with a few settings. In the bay there was a swimming pontoon. As I was about to swim back to the beach this man was waiting for his son and so we started chatting. We must have been talking for a good 3 to 4 minutes before his son snuck up behind him and pushed him in. It was all very assuming.
Signpost On Catlins Road
Signpost on Catlins Road – Buy
Signpost on Catlins Road, The Catlins – 2023
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Spring On The Leith
Spring on the Leith – Buy
I’m not completely sure how my thought process brought me to this point on the Leith but I believe it went something like this…. I started by wandering around the University of Otago looking for signs of spring. This took me down Castle Street (which was littered in glass and had a strange flight club style gathering happening outside one flat) where I came across the Leith River at the Botanical Gardens. Following the Leith which was rather full due to the recent heavy rain, I became interested in the graffiti and the surrounding colours from the gardens.
The Crossing In Christchurch
Coffee Culture at The Crossing – Buy
Feeling both restless and hungry, I left the areas around Manchester and Cashel Street. As I edged back towards Cathedral Square, I became drawn to a walkway named Cashfields Lane. A narrow thoroughfare that’s closely surrounded by shops that opens to a retail and hospitality complex known as The Crossing. Ignoring the surrounding fashion outlets, my search for food took me past eatery’s such as Zeeks, Coffee Culture and Joyful Express before settling on the authentic Korean street food at The Chicken.
Harbour Mouth Molars
Wisdom Glow – Buy
I often wander past this line of sculptors by Regan Gentry called ‘Harbour mouth molars’. Installed in 2010 on the shoreline of Dunedin’s Kitchener Street park, they were inspired by the University of Otago’s dental school and Otago Peninsula’s volcanic origins. The sculptures combine the ideas of painfully emerging teeth and new landforms thrust up by volcanoes. Personally, I think they’re wonderful, however I know others who feel differently. I like to think of them representing wisdom, but that’s just me.
The Regent Theatre Dunedin
Regent Theatre Dunedin – Buy
If there’s one thing to be discovered about a theatre it’s that they have all sorts of interesting doors, stairwells, passageways and nooks and crannies. They really are fascinating places to explore. Eventually, when you think you’ve got the whole place worked out you’ll discover a mysterious new corridor that leads to a section of the theatre that you never knew existed. I can’t understate how compelling an empty 1600 seat theatre is when you’re exploring it for the first time.
Riverside Market In Christchurch
Riverside Market – Buy
I couldn’t remember the last time I was in Christchurch. I’d driven through it plenty of times however I had no idea when I was last in the city centre. So, it was with some interest that I left my car on Park Terrace near Hagley Park, walked the short distance up Worcester Street until I reached the Avon River. Exactly what I was doing or where I was going, I wasn’t too sure however a short time later I found myself entering the Riverside Market. Opening in 2019, the Riverside Market overlooks the river and is filled with boutique retailers, restaurants, cafes & bars. It has 30 independent food outlets and 40 fresh food stalls covering 3500 square metres and attracts over 10,000 a day. It really is a wonderful place!
Moa Creek, Manorburn, and Puketoi.
Moa Creek, Manorburn, and Puketoi – Buy
Having spent the morning, and part of the afternoon driving the dirt roads of the Maniototo, I arrived at an intersection. The day was warm and fine and over the last few hours I’d been driving roads with names such as Gimmerburn, Gimmerburn-Naseby, Gimmerburn-Waipiata, Maniototo, Sharkey and Moa Cottage. There were place names that included Moa Creek, Manorburn and Puketoi to name a few. At the intersection I carefully surveyed the options, eventually pointed the car in the direction of Waipiata and headed off in a cloud of dust.
Farm Field At Hooper’s Inlet
Farm Field at Hooper’s Inlet – Buy
A farm field at Hooper’s Inlet as a rain storm passes in the distance and mist rolls in over the low lying hills.
Tracks Heading West At Pukerangi
Tracks Heading West – Buy
It took me three visits to this spot to get the image I wanted. It’s a decent journey from Dunedin and not a spot I could quickly detour to when the time seemed right. To get the timing right it took a bit of planning. On the first two occasions I came home, only to realise I wasn’t happy with the composition which was rather annoying. There’s also a wonderful metaphor that comes with railway tracks and railway stations that seem to be a growing theme for me.
The Neighbours At Oturehua
The Neighbours – Buy
The township of Oturehua is a delightful wee place and is one of the many small, isolated townships that make up Central Otago. Officially known as Rough Ridge until 1907, it once had a post and telegraph office, a general store, a hotel (pub) near the railway station, a school and nearby coal pits and a flour mill. Only the pub and the general store remain.
Railway Station At Sutton
Railway Station at Sutton – Buy
The Sutton railway station was once a busy wee place as locals came and went from the Strath Taieri area to Dunedin. These days, still visible inside the small, disused station, etched into the timber are the names of locals that date back nearly to the turn of the century. Some of them include the initials of soldiers from the area who served in the First World War, among them are the initials of A.C Peat.
At the age of 21, Arthur Charles Peat left Sutton in late 1914 and was enlisted for ‘The Great War’ as a member of the Otago Infantry Battalion on the 13th December 1914. On board the vessel the HMS Tahiti, his journey from Sutton took him firstly to Egypt where in early April he wrote to his brother Jack. In his letter he wrote about spending three days on the Red Sea before getting sight of the Suez canal. He wrote about saluting other ships as they passed, about buying fruit off the locals and disembarking to a train to head through the canal. He went on to write about meeting some of his mates once they were in camp and how they went into Cairo to have a look at the sites, commenting that he had only seen the pyramids from a distance. Wanting to ensure his letter went out on that day’s mail, he ended by promising to write all the news and tell all about the sights next time.
Arthur and the Otago Infantry Battalion were then shipped out to Gallipoli as part of the Gallipoli campaign. At Chunuk Bair on 7 August, 1915 Arthur Charles Peat was killed in action.-
– lest we forget, we will remember them.
The Portobello Hotel & Bar
The Local – Buy
I’ve had this building sitting in the back of my mind as a subject I’d like to do something with for a while. However, every time I’ve been past the light has been wrong or the outside has been blocked by cars, buses, trucks and utes. Fortunately, recently I discovered the whole area all but empty which gave me lots of time to work out exactly what I wanted to do.
Evening Over The Pacific
Evening Over The Pacific – Buy
This is another image about the passing of time, the pace of life and the passing of thought. It’s about a moment’s reflection and a projection towards the future. I’ve always found dusk and the end of the day a very contemplative period.
Peninsula Road
Peninsula Road – Buy
The Otago Peninsula is starting to have a growing fascination for me and its wondrous landscape. It really is a diverse place. On the peninsula the weather is constantly changing which can prove challenging. It also provides a terrific element for subject matter.
Mangatoetoe Beach
Mangatoetoe Beach – Buy
The next day, heavy, dark clouds hung overhead like a thick blanket and in the distance a wall of weather loomed ominously on the horizon. Between, patches of blue sky gave a sense of hope that there might yet be some fine weather left in the day. I hoped so, I was heading for Cape Palliser Lighthouse, the southernmost point of the North Island.
Approaching the coast which would eventually lead to the Lighthouse, the wind picked up and the countryside changed to a beach of blacksand with dramatic pinnacle cliffs. Occasionally I’d pass cribs and huts that were scattered along the road that held little or no protection from the elements. I manoeuvred past partially washed out roads and small villages that were filled with crayfish pots and fishing boats that were pushed into the sea by bulldozers. The road narrowed to a single lane, a ford had to be negotiated, fallen rocks scattered the way ahead and I lost wifi coverage. This was a place that you’d truly have to love to spend any length of time. It was New Zealand’s rugged coastline at its very best and what’s more, it even had a Lighthouse!
Kokonga Road In The Maniototo
Kokonga Road – Buy
That morning I had set off with the idea of heading towards Middlemarch and maybe continuing on to Kyeburn in the Maniototo. However, beyond that I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do. I’m not sure when, but at some point I decided to detour into Waipiata via Kokonga and Kokonga Road.
Omarama Clay Cliff
Omarama Clay Cliff – Buy
It’s not often you can say you’re standing in front of something that was formed 20 million years ago but that’s just what the Clay Cliffs near Omarama are. The pinnacles and ridges were formed from layers of gravel and silt that came from ancient rivers, lakes and glaciers. The layers were compressed and pushed up by a fault-line. As this happened, the rock was eroded by wind and rain, creating deep ravines and high pinnacles.
The Corner Of Water and Vogel Street.
Vogel House – Buy
The corner of Water and Vogel Street is set in heart of Dunedin’s Warehouse Precinct. There you’ll find Vogel House which during the 1980s and 1990’s was used as a music venue for bands that were part of the Dunedin Sound. It was a popular rehearsal venue for musicians that included the popular group, The Chills who recorded their single Doledrums there in 1984.
The Hooker Valley Track
The Hooker Valley Track – 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.
Stained Glass Window At St Paul’s Cathedral
Stained glass window at St Paul’s Cathedral – Buy
On Sunday evening I was planning to walk to the beach in the early evening. I had a spot on the rocks all picked out and I was in the middle of getting my gear ready, when the weather turned. A southerly blew in from the south bringing with it thunder, lightning, heavy rain and strong wind gusts. It really was an intense front of weather and I was really glad I was caught in the middle of it. Instead, I processed this image of the lovely stained glass window at St Paul’s Cathedral here in Dunedin.
Fenceline In Tussock
Fenceline In Tussock – Buy
A landscape from one of my trips into Central Otago. Visits to areas like this seem to be becoming more frequent for me. I’m not sure why, maybe it has something to do with capturing the sparse beauty that seems like it comes from another world.
Sunrise Over Lawyers Head
Sunrise over Lawyers Head – Buy
Sunrise over Dunedin’s Lawyers Head from St Kilda Beach on a clear, spring morning.
The Marlborough Sounds
The Marlborough Sounds – Buy
A gentle, early morning boat ride through the Marlborough Sounds really is quite a delightful thing. Then, you hit the Cook Strait where it can get a little rough.
The Remarkables
The Remarkables – Buy
I was staying the night in Frankton near Queenstown in South Islands Lakes District. In the last few years the development and growth in Frankton has been quite amazing. So, I found myself staying there the night before an early morning flight from Queenstown Airport the next morning. Late in the afternoon I went for a walk on a section of the Twins River Trail which is part of the Queenstown Great Ride’ network that follows the iconic Kawarau and Shotover Rivers and provides wonderful views of The Remarkables.
Numbers In Palmerston North
‘Numbers’ – Buy
Titled ‘Numbers’ and created by New Zealand artist Anton Parsons, it was the first sculpture commissioned by the Palmerston North Sculpture Trust. Unveiled in 2007, ‘Numbers’ was created from a series of stainless steel boxes that create a never ending loop of numbers.
A Very Brief History Of The Lupinus Polyphyllus
Lupinus Polyphyllus – Buy
We can thank horticulturist and Yorkshireman George Russell for the wonderful range of colours we see in today’s Lupins. However, the story starts further back with a Scottish botanist called David Douglas. After being recommended by London’s Royal Horticultural Society, Douglas went on a plant-hunting expedition in the Pacific Northwest in 1824. Two years later, when returned home, he brought with him many new species of plants, which included the predominantly blue and white Lupinus Polyphyllus (or Lupin).
Then, in 1911 at the Coronation of King George V, George decided he didn’t particularly like the blue and white coloured Lupins that were on display. So, he spent the next twenty six years of his life collecting and crossing different Lupin to develop a more colourful species that was exhibited for the first time at the Chelsea flower show in 1936. This new species would become known as the Russell Lupin and was exported all over the world.