Walking along Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown New Zealand the clouds were clearing from the night’s rain revealing snow packed peaks of the southern alps. Sound too good to be true? Just another day in the land of magic.
Colors of Arrowtown
The colors on New Zealand’s south island were in full array last week, and none more than Arrowtown. Located in a valley it was surrounded by an explosion of colors on all sides. Here we walked through a park at the end of the day looking for compositions. We didn’t have to look too far. 😉
Deer Park Heights
This is the view of the Remarkables from Deer Park Heights which is one of the mountains above Queenstown. At that early hour the pond was as a mirror and the landscape provided amazement in all directions. After I composed this shot I walked along some hills overlooking the town. As I returned from my walk the ground thundered below me and as I turned around a muscular ram stampeded past me no more than ten feet away. My guess is he was spooked and just happened to be running by, but it got my heart going nonetheless.
Infinity Lake
I guess you can call this an infinity lake because it just kind of disappears into the horizon. It’s high up on a mountain and as we flew straight through the rock walls the water fell of a cliff into a waterfall. I took this while leaning outside of a helicopter since we took the doors off for this trip. I was intrigued by how the early morning light played on the rock walls ahead. Talk about a morning cup of Joe.
Closing Time at Epcot Center
I shot this last month when we visited Epcot center and decided to take our time walking out of the park. That way I could capture a few shots of the architecture without the crowds like this in the Italian pavilion. I thought I was being pretty smart but have since learned that if you stay in one of the Disney resorts there is a package that entitles you to after hour access to the park. That sounds like a lot of fun, especially not worrying about being hurried out by a security guard. Might have to try that one day.
Dawn Over Queenstown
I took this last week as we walked in the early morning along the shores of Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand. We’d had rain at lower elevations the night before and so the mountains were all capped with snow. Those are the Remarkables in the distance which seem to dominate the view of all the small towns below. In any case, now that I’m back in Florida I long for the cool air and breathtaking vistas of New Zealand. Time to plan my next trip.
Golden Gate
Last night we had an overnight layover in San Francisco on our way back from New Zealand. So being fairly jet lagged we did the only sensible thing, rent a car and go driving up the coast. That was a lot of fun but towards the end we got pretty tired and hungry and so headed for Fishermen’s Wharf. I figured I’d take the last exit before the bridge but as luck would have it the exit was closed and we crossed into Marine County. So in effect this wasn’t planned, it just kind of worked out that way.
Autumn in New Zealand
Twice I’ve had a chance to experience Autumn in the last year, once in North America and once in New Zealand. The crisp air is refreshing and adds a little bounce to my step. I took this the first day we arrived for a photo adventure in New Zealand and it has improved since then. Everyday we’ve had a cornucopia of colors, vistas and the breathtaking landscapes that exists only in New Zealand. Before I arrived I didn’t know a thing about this country, now I’m in love with it. Tomorrow we travel home to Florida with enlightened hearts and memories so full it will take months to process. In the coming weeks and months I’ll be sure to share more experiences with you through my photography. Have a wonderful day everyone.
Place of Magic
Imagine, if you will, walking along a misty frozen swamp just after sunrise, surrounded by snow capped peaks. Occasionally the silence is broken by the call of black swans as the establish they’re presence in the valley. This is not a fiction of my imagination, this is the scene at Glenorchy this morning. As I was immersed in this magical landscape I couldn’t help but wonder how such a place could exist in our modern world. But it does, right here on the southern island of New Zealand.