Posts Tagged ‘new zealand’
Lake Matheson is a photographers dream. Without any real evidence I am willing to wager that it is one of the top three most photographed locations in the whole of the country.
Famous for its perfect reflections of mount cook framed by the surrounding trees and vegetation it is THE picture postcard shot of New Zealand.
Located about a 10 minute drive from where we were staying in Fox Glacier, it is really easy to access. The lake itself can be circumnavigated by walking track in around an hour and there are a few lookout points along the way from which to take in some of the areas outstanding beauty.
We had a couple of opportunities to head out to the lake for sunset and on the particular occasion that these shots were taken it had remained clear-skied for most of the day but as was the pattern during our 3 days in Fox, the clouds started rolling in just when we wanted to grab some views of mount cook bathed in the light from the setting sun. However the whole scene was just so magical we were only slightly disappointed that the very tip of the mountain was hidden from view.
The conditions do have to be just right and we got very lucky with how still the air went which kept the lake nice and calm letting those reflections really come through. I later learned that one of the factors in how reflective a lake like this is, is how dark the water is. It seems counter-intuitive to me and I can’t re-produce the scientific reasons for it here, but rest assured that a dark and murky lake will give much better reflections than a clean and clear one.
The shot above is taken from the same lookout as the first, but is just zoomed in a bit to really fill the frame. You can see a few ripples in the water in this image which help to demonstrate that the reflections are not some camera trickery with long exposures to flatten the water out – it really was this calm!
This third shot was taken from a lookout slightly further along the track, which ascends slightly to a higher vantage point than the previous. I like how the trees in the top and bottom of the photo really frame the scene and how the angles and lines of the shoreline add a bit of dimension. The light changes so quickly and so this image is not quite as golden as the last two, but I’ll make up for that with the last photo now…
I took this last photo from the car park at Lake Matheson just as the sun disappeared over the distant hills. We were back to the campervan by this point as the sun had become too low in the sky to give us the light we wanted on our lake shots, even though it was still casting this warm haze across the landscape which was out of sight from our lake viewpoints. We were sat in the van, preparing to drive back to camp when all of a sudden it was like someone flipped on a lightswitch and this awesome glow just lit up the sky – I have never rushed to grab my camera so quick in all my life when I realised the scene that was unfolding infront of us. Anyway, I had time to shoot only a handful of frames before the switch was flipped again and the lights went out!
I hope you enjoyed these photos, they are some of my absolute favourite from our holiday so I thought I’d test placing them slightly larger on the page even though my sidebar may overlap depending on your screen resolution. I guess I need to work through that one, but for now I couldn’t resist the larger image format.
’til next time.
After spending last week putting our New Zealand photobook together I came to realise how many photo’s I still have left to share with the world, so after a 6 month break I’m returning to a NZ themed post. Milford Sound was the absolute highlight of our trip around the south island last xmas, not only for the fjords themselves, but also the famous drive there from the next closest town of Te Anau. The Milford road has it all, from grassy plains and crystal clear fresh water rivers in the shadows of majestic mountains to countless waterfalls descending down sheer rockfaces. We spent around 3 hours on the journey taking a little more time than the average trip, making the most of random stops along the way to soak in the scenery and we could have spent much longer, but enough of the words… Here are some of my favourite photos.
As you can see, we had pretty changable weather over the 2 days we spent in the area which unfortunately did not contain much sun. Mostly overcast, wind, rain but with some decent light breaking through the thick cloud cover now and again. However this did not dampen our enjoyment one bit – it would take something out of this world to take anything away from the wonderment of Milford Road and Milford Sound itself.
The only thing I really regret with these photos is not having included any objects that could portray a sense of scale to these scenes. As great as the scenery looks, my photos don’t really translate the grandeur of the mountains quite as well as I would have liked.
Thanks for reading, I hope you weren’t put off the images by the drivel I’ve been typing! If you’re reading this far then I guess I’ve done well enough!
Above are just a few photos to get you started – the gallery below contains these and a bunch more to be enjoyed in a larger resolution.
Southern Alps, New Zealand
I’ve taken my sweet time in uploading my next set of shots from New Zealand, but here it is after 2 weeks or so since my last effort.
This collection is from a little helicopter tourist flight we took over the mount cook range. It was an experience of mixed emotions. On the one hand we were flying high above and between the most beautiful snow-capped mountain range, getting close-up views of the famous landmark peaks and just generally having a whale of a time. On the other there was the disappointment of it being too foggy to land up in the snow and take our promised walkabout. Oh yeah, and there were the 2 small girls in the back who wouldn’t stop screaming.
The Helicopter Line
The image above is of the actual chopper we rode in. Luckily Sonia and I got given the front two seats next to the pilot which meant we had a much better view than the 4 people (plus two brats) in the back.
Up, up and away!!
Shortly after takeoff we were already being introduced to some spectacular views, this shot somewhat able to convey the scale of the scene unfolding, with Mount Cook Road in the foreground providing an anchor. It was about now that the kids behind (2 girls aged around 2 and 4) started wailing. We were extremely grateful for the headset that we had to wear to listen to the pilot as it did manage to block most of the girls shrieking.
On the way to Mount Cook
The shot above shows the way ahead as we made our way towards Mount Cook which is the right-most peak in the photo. If you look really closely you can just about make out Mount Cook Road again in the middle-right portion of the frame. We headed along in this direction before veering left and up towards the snowy peaks that you can just make out amidst the clouds.
A steep incline… Or decline depending on your footing.
This was one of the first areas I was able to take a nice shot up in the peaks. Unfortunately for me, once we got up there a combination of the striking similarity between one mountain and the next and a general confusion brought on by a feeling of euphoria from being amongst such a wonderland meant that any one of these shots could have been of Mount Cook itself, but I’m never likely to know now.
A Glacier – who knows which one?
High above a glacier, possibly the Tasman, but just as likely any other. You can see in the top left a glacial lake that is fed by this huge chunk of ice as it slides down through the valley.
Landing anyone?
It was around about this time when we realised we weren’t going to be making our snow landing. The pilot made out that it was too cloudy, but he really didn’t seem too sure. He seemed to be avoiding the subject when other pilots suggested alternative sites over the radio… In hindsight I am 99% certain that he just didn’t want to deal with the little sh… kids in the back, having to get them out and then having the hassle of making sure they dont die. All I know is that the $20 refund we received for not getting to go out and have a walk didn’t really make up for it considering it was supposed to be a big chunk of our $295 trip. It was difficult to stay mad though considering I was having the time of my life anyway.
Go West
This penultimate shot was taken looking west towards the Fox Glacier area, although I cant promise exact accuracy. For a few moments we could actually see the coastline which was incredible considering to get there by car from where we took off would take around 8 hours.
Lake Pukaki
This final shot was taken on our descent towards Glentanner park where we were staying. You can just make out a runway at the bottom-right edge of Lake Pukaki which is where we were to land. The wonderful colours of Lake Pukaki did not diminish even from this great height and were a great little bonus to finish our little tour on.
See you next time!
Hey there!
I figured it was time to share my next bunch of photo’s from my recent New Zealand trip, so here is a set taken from along the Mount Cook road which runs all the way from the bottom of Lake Pukaki to Mount Cook Village near the foot of the mountain. About 50 kms in all. The valley is such that no matter where you are along the road you will be sure of a great view of New Zealands highest peak.
Sunrise on Mount Cook road
I braved the early morning temperatures to make it along for this sunrise. I wasn’t sure exactly what I was going to get, given the time of year, the angle of the sun and the weather conditions etc. I didn’t get too much action with the sun hitting Mount Cook, but I was pleased when the sun rose a little higher and shed a nice warm light onto the grass and trees in the foreground.
Mount Cook road
Here’s a shot I took in the late afternoon as the sun cast some nice warm light and attractive shadows across the mountains. This is possibly my favourite photo of the Mount Cook area and it doesn’t actually contain Mount Cook. It definitely serves as an example of always checking whats behind you when you are taking landscape photos, as I had my back to Mount Cook when taking this one.
Mount Cook road
This image was made from around the same place as the prior one above when I turned around to find another amazing scene laid out beside me.
Mount Cook road
Back on the road and another beautiful scene unfolds.
A New Zealand Falcon
This last photo is of a bird that I didn’t identify until I came back home and googled for it. Turns out it is a Falcon, all I knew is that I saw quite a number of them during our trip and that I hadn’t seen any before.
This one was in a car park at the end of mount cook road and was feasting on what looked like a rabbit. It’s meal was too heavy to fly away with so the little guy was making the most of his catch where he stood. I was lucky enough to get to within a few meters without scaring him away and was enthralled. After a few minutes I figured I should just let him eat in peace.
So I guess thats all for now, see you next time!
Greetings friends and happy new year to you all!
I have just returned home from a 3 week trip to New Zealand where Sonia and I spent our holiday period and as you can imagine I was like a kid in a sweetshop, spoiled with all the wonderous photographic opportunities all around me the whole time. We hired a camper van and spent the first 11 days touring the South Island, visiting many of the famous natural landmarks, including Lake Tekapo which has views towards Mount Cook.
A boat sets off into the misty blue Lake Tekapo
Lake Tekapo is fed by the southern alps and sits at an altitude of 700 metres. It covers an area of 83 square kilometers making it the second largest of three lakes that sit at the northern edge of the mackenzie basin. It is fed by glacial melt that contains finely ground rock powder which gives the water the distinctive blueness. I find it hard to believe that the colours in the above image are real, but as anyone else who has seen the lake for themselves will vouch – it really does look like this!
The Church of the Good Shepherd overlooking Lake Tekapo
A church sits at the edge of the lake, built in 1935 it was the first church in the Mackenzie Basin. There is an altar window inside which provides stunning views over the lake and mountains, but there were a few too many other tourists in there for me to want to go check it out close up. I took this shot from a distance up near the cafe and tourist info center.
The Winding Road
I do not think that I would be exaggerating if I were to claim that there is a stunning photo waiting to be taken where ever you are in New Zealand, so to prove it, above is a photo I took as I was about to cross the road back to the parked camper after getting my first glimpse of Lake Tekapo. Never has the old addage of “Always check whats behind you” been so true as when you are in the wonderful country of New Zealand.
As you can imagine, I have a whole load more images from my first trip across the Tasman – so I am looking forward to selecting the picks and highlights and bringing them to you here on my blog in the days to come.
References:
Lake Tekapo @ Wikipedia
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