New Zealand Photos 1

11-14 June

And here we have long overdue New Zealand photos! Yes, one up for procrastination. Now I'm just going to write brief captions (or not!) so...here goes.

Nice, shiny facade of Changi Airport. I know the composition could have been better, but given the limited time, this is what I got.



I'm just going to pick the nicest photos out of the bunch...or the nicer ones as the case may be, so I have skipped a day, and will be doing several days in one post. So, this first one here is an evening view from Mt Maunganui in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty. Beautiful views, and wonderful for a slow climb to the summit in winter. Of course the sea is too cold to do anything there, but the fresh air is good, and the scenery is really worth a good look-see. This shot was taken about halfway up the hill, sometime in the evening. There's a good cafe that serves excellent hot chocolate; it's two sticks of chocolate in hot milk, with pink and yellow marshmallows on the side. And these marshmallows aren't just coloured, they're fruity-flavoured! Good stuff, good stuff.


Sprig of rosemary. Lovely thing, I still have it pressed inside my journal along with a leaf said to have medicinal properties that I picked from Mt Maunganui.

The great spillway of a dam at a hydrostation. Amazing stuff, you can hear the water roaring away inside even from the showrooms which tell you how the whole thing works and also how it was all built. We got a lovely clear sky on that day.


After we left the hydrostation, I took this photo just outside the entrance. I know it's pointing at the sun and the levels are probably all unbalanced, but you can see how the sun reflects off the water, and the patterns made by the insane undercurrent caused by immense volumes of rushing water.

By now you may have deduced that this is a geography-themed trip. So next up was a visit to the dunes, at some beach. Can't remember the name, but it was a great learning experience even if I didn't take geography. All my photos of the group at the dunes aren't that fantastic...but well.

Here is Michelle, our leader and guide for the entire trip, with dune grass and ranging poles in tow. We learned a lot from her. (Again, beautiful weather!)


Some kind of dune grass against blue sky.

Another shot pointing at the sun, but I like the way you can see the silhouette of the gull and the top half of a person. Sun, sea, sky, sand. And a little lens flare. (You may have noticed dark smudges...that's dirt on the lens that somehow could not come off.)

After the dunes, we have mudflats! Possibly one of my favourite parts of the trip.

I love the silhouette effects here. There's a sense of expanse, of infinity, and mystery.


Making it's mark on the world...I think it's a whelk.

Humans staking our claim on Mother Nature...a previously untouched landscape.

Masses and masses of sargasses. Sargasso's. No? Seaweed. Yes? Good.


To infinity, and beyond! And yet...we are all frail...

A very old car....


...and a very old sunset.


Hope you liked these, more to come over the March holidays (hopefully...)