Join me in experiencing my adventures and excitement on my photo shoots, as I unwrap my journey involved in capturing images that linger, whilst reflecting spectacular scenery that soak the soul with peace and hope!
During my visit to South Island, New Zealand, I was hoping for snow. It is not uncommon for it to snow during late October, which is the time I was there. I drove from the Catlins, the lower part of South Island, New Zealand to Cromwell, which is an hour’s drive from Queenstown. It was a comfortable drive, appreciating fertile valleys.
The drive was good, with little traffic. I noticed that, perhaps it was the time of the year, but the tourist traffic was lighter than when I have travelled further north in South Island. The weather conditions were perfect too, they were predicting a rainstorm, but I dodged that!
My accommodation at the head of Lake Dunstan was outstanding. The host had put on a good spread for breakfast. The accommodation was so perfectly located in front of the lake, you could lie on the bed and watch the activity of the birds in the water, it was memorable in every way, with Mt Pisa behind the unit. I had a one-bedroom unit, which was perfect for my needs. It was central to where I was going to travel to.
During the early hours of my first morning in the unit, there was a snowstorm. The snow collected in front of the glass sliding doors. I was so excited about that. It was an opportunity to use a lot of my lenses that I’d brought over with me. It did not take me long to get into my layers of clothing with temperatures below freezing point.
To be honest, I hardly noticed the cold I was so excited about the snow on the mountains and around where I was shooting from. Fortunately, it had stopped snowing. So, I walked outside with my equipment and started shooting straight away. I finished off with my telephoto lens. It was an incredible time of witnessing how quickly mountains and the surrounding countryside can change with snow.
This region is renowned for fruit growing and vineyards. The farmers use large turbine fans during the frosty winter months to lower the risk of frost on their produce. It is a stunning part of the county. And yet, so much of South Island, New Zealand is.
It’s a world in one country, as compact as the island is (compared with Australia), it commands attention with impressive mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, with simply stunning scenery and warm, hospitable, generous people who make up for the cold conditions!
Of course, the bonus was, I did not need to drive back to my accommodation. I simply stepped inside, once I’d removed my muddy boots. And I knew I’d captured moody, snow-covered mountains, which is always a joy to my heart.