New Zealand: to Queenstown and Beyond #Blog4NZ

Weathered

The Old Car

Our first stop on our way from Christchurch was the Tin Shed, a treasure trove of fine New Zealand wool and some fun reminders of days gone by; quite definitely it is also a fine place for photographs!  

Packing our treasures we traveled further toward Queenstown, our lunch stop was at Lake Tekapo, what a glorious day, clear and brilliant, the lake surrounded by mountains reflected in the water with the afternoon sun, just dip a toe, after all it is still winter here!  The scenery is purely dazzling, brilliant, stunning, impressive, striking!

Open Spaces

Reflections

I wondered what would be around the next bend.  As a photographer it was all eye-candy to me and it was all simply delicious! 

Fall Reflections

Muted Pathway

Setting Sun Rays

Arriving late into Queenstown at our hotel we took our usual first day walking tour of the city.  9pm and the city was still bustling with people and activity.  I wondered if it ever slept!  After a little late night exploration we headed back to the hotel along the pathway  near the water, tomorrow was another adventure.  Rising early to catch the sunrise was the first order of business for me and I was grateful I made the right decision; the sunrise encapsulated the beauty of the surrounding mountain and lake with glorious colors and calm. I watched the city begin to wake and begin the activities of the day.  

Queenstown Sunrise

Invitation

Remarkable Colors

Pretty in Pink

The Spinner

Walter's Peak

It was a day we were to travel by steam to Walter’s Peak Sheep Farm!  We walked to town early to see what shops and restaurants offered.  On the harbor we stopped to get some real Belgium hot dark chocolate!  Don’t miss this treat; it comes highly recommended from someone who does not usually drink hot chocolate!  Near the boat dock there was an outdoor market where I picked up a handmade merino wool ear muff band to keep my ears warm and watched a spinner spinning her yarn.

Who Me?

Shakin' the Dags-or not!

What a glorious day!  On the dock waiting to board was a lovely princess who was celebrating her birthday with a trip to Walter’s Peak Sheep Farm, what a lovely little tea party they had too! 

The trip to the farm was punctuated with beautiful mountains surrounding us and a lovely reflection to greet us.  Learning the sheep shearer’s life and settling for some tea and treats was all part of a learning experience and a wonderful day.

Garden Path

To bed early, for tomorrow was the “not to be missed” adventure long anticipated.  We arose well before dawn to board our bus and make the journey to Milford Sound, the area of the Hobbits.  Well, I didn’t notice any Hobbits but my breath was taken away with the magnificence of the journey.  It was a gray day at the start, cold and rainy.  We traveled through beautiful country and the clouds would break on occasion giving us hope for a beautiful day on the Sound.  One of our stops that day was at Mirror Lake, even without a glassy surface but speckled with droplets of rain, it reflected the surrounding beauty. 

Through the Window

Snow and the Winding Way

We were asked to hurry on; we didn’t quite understand the extent of it till we continued our ascent and found the rain had changed to snow! I was elated to experience snow in both hemispheres and to my delight this was a beautiful presentation of the mountains as we made our decent to the sound.   It was a wonderland and certainly made me question what could possibly top all this!  But then as we boarded our vessel to journey Milford Sound under the low clouds, I was prepared for disappointment.    
The boat wound its way through the mist as we headed toward the sea and as we broke around the first fiords we were met with sunshine and yes…rainbows!  Indeed this must be the land of the song “Somewhere over the Rainbow”.

Somewhere

Sound Beauty

Divergent paths

Thunderous Mist

We were informed there were more waterfalls this year than usual and were given some incredible amount I did not write down, but certainly saw everything from a trickle to a thunderous roaring waterfall; multiples and singles, some joining others creating a puzzle of water across the fiords.    

The only visible wildlife today were the seals as they sunbathed on a rock with the sun playing peek-a-boo in the clouds.  

Sunbathers

Left with our thoughts to contemplate a day full of experiences the travel home was serene while we watched the wonder continue as a glorious setting sun and the changing colors of the sky brought our day to a close.

Cloud Brilliance

Moonrise

Mysterious Cloud

Evening's Close

As always you can view more photographs of the drive from Christchurch to Queenstown on flickr and facebook
and Queenstown and Walter's Peak on flickr and facebook and Milford Sound on flicker and facebook.

In tomorrow's post we go to Auckland and visit the Maori.

New Zealand, the essence of magnificence

Today in an effort to reach across the ocean in conjunction with #blog4nz and help a land that is rich in culture, rich in natural beauty, rich in hospitality and all around loveliness I am doing a three day series on my week of adventure in New Zealand last August 2010 to exclaim, if you can, visit this incredible land the adventures that greet you will stay with you as the land and its people niggle their way into your heart!

Magical Mist

We flew into Christchurch from Sydney.  What a wonderful city! While the city might currently be limited in some ways to tourists I wanted to include it to bring you an essence and introduction of its land and its people.  The city the old juxtaposed against the new.   It was rainy that first night but not cold, perhaps I’d call it more of a heavy mist.   Stepping from our hotel in the dark mist, we started a walking tour of the area close to our hotel; walking just a few blocks when we came to the city center square where the lovely cathedral seemed to oversee the activity below.  The lights of the cathedral glowed in the mist making for a rather surreal yet magical atmosphere.  It was a lovely first encounter of the city.   

Silver Leaf Column

Finding many sculptures of art on the square brought a sense of the modern world to bear amidst the lovely architecture of older days.   The silver leaf column lit in the mist, dressed in blue and silver and the radiating light sculpture provided for the modern day interest.  Even a Starbucks on the corner was a new meeting the old housed in a beautiful old building.   

Lone Soul

Walking a bit further, the architecture seemed to add to the wonder; lit in the mist of the evening it created lovely sculpted facades and deep shadows of contrast.  Continuing our walk to the Bridge of Remembrance; its lit archway provided the framing for a lone person walking in the night, adding to the wondrous mystery of this new venture. 

Finally as I turn my back to the arch and walk down the store-lined street, I look upward; again I am amazed, the sculpted facades continue along with the modern edge of a hanging multicolored lit sculpture suspended over the street.  What else would this adventure hold?  Who else would I find in this fascinating city? 

The rain was still falling as morning came but that didn’t stop our exploration!  We visited the walking sights from yesterday as we headed to the botanical gardens, yes even in the deluge!   It was still lovely and there to greet us were the crocus of spring!

Waddling in the rain and always dressed for the weather were the ducks, the paradise shelduck drakes and hens, feeling quite at home in the rain.

 We continued our exploration to the arts and crafts area of the city and met lovely Marilyn Rea-Menzies, an amazing fiber artist.  She was warm and delightful and we exchanged information and have stayed connected on FaceBook.  Our tour guide, Andrea, is from the Rotorua area of New Zealand and was invaluable as we experienced the nation and land of New Zealand, I cannot speak highly enough of her; she is a wonderful representative of this land and its people.  The people in New Zealand are really the cream.  You not only have magnificent scenery but incredibly wonderful people.  We continued our walk that day, visiting the art museum and the Blue Pearl shop where we met still other wonderful people; the list goes on as we also enjoyed a home-hosted overnight stay as well as a local storyteller share a bit of history.  We took a bus tour of the city and chased a rainbow, quite literally, which seemed very fitting to think the pot of gold lay right here in New Zealand!  

Christchurch and New Zealand began to niggle its way into my heart quite quickly!  We traveled after our 3 days in Christchurch to Queenstown stopping first at the Tin Shed, then for a break and lunch at Lake Tekapo.  My, such beauty and we haven’t even been to “the gem” I was told not to miss.  Such loveliness!  Tomorrow Queenstown and beyond!

As usual for more photographs please see them on Flickr or Facebook!

Reflections from Okinawa,Japan

Last Friday afternoon we kept hearing the constant drone of loudspeakers on the street outside the post.  We thought that it was just one of the political vans that they have here on Okinawa (after a while you just ignore them) but this one kept on all afternoon.  I happened to have my internet up while I was editing photographs and my sister, from Indiana, sent me a message telling me what had happened, that there was a large earthquake and tsunamis were to follow.  We were in “the zone” of warning.  Thankfully we only ended up having high water levels here.  I am especially grateful after seeing the photographs and video footage of the wall of water that lifted and moved houses off their foundations and large trucks all floating down roads in the power of the incoming tsunami leaving entire communities covered in mud and washed out to sea; even today there are so many people missing.  My heart is saddened by the sheer devastation and the continued dangers that remain.  I am moved to tears for the lovely land of which I am only a visitor.  When you spend time amidst a people they have a way of niggling their way into your heart.  As you watch children play in the sand or running through water fountains; others sifting through shells or admiring the lovely flowers; people resting on benches or visiting the same venues about a culture rich with fascinating history; you realize how much we have in common.

The Flower Strewn Path

The Wet Wait

The Blonde

Saturday came and I was thankful we could drive down the road, breathe the fresh air, feel the sun as it peeked through the cloud cover, and walk on dry land amidst flower strewn pathways.  What a stark contrast; and yet somehow your mind was never free of the pictures of devastation 970 miles north of here.  We spent the day at Ocean’s Park Expo where there didn’t seem to be the hustle and bustle of visits past, but nevertheless people, who like us, were not only trying to experience the moments of their culture but to try to put aside just for a few moments the visions we kept with us of the events on the main island.  As we stood looking across the water to the island of Ie, we saw four military helicopters heading north, only then were we shaken back from our momentary escape from reality.  We were always only a thought away anyway with the Okinawan’s gracious manners and their concern for us voiced in English, as they smiled at the children, making sure we knew of their concern since we were and still are under a tsunami warning.  How can you not love them!

Helicopter Heading North

Here are a few photographs from the Okinawan Village and the grounds at Ocean’s Park Expo. 

Silent Memories

Ready

The Lute Line

Intertwined Connections

The events that have taken place here in Japan have been rather overwhelming for me.  While I am nearly 1000 miles from the devastation here in Okinawa, I cannot keep them very far from my thoughts amidst personal concerns for my family here.  The situation is very fluid and we are currently in uncharted territory.  Keep Japan and its people in your thoughts and prayers.

Hibiscus Call

Additional photographs can be seen on flickr and Facebook.

Equipment DOES make a difference!

All this talk about equipment not mattering.  In many ways that is very true.  

As I am certain you have read all across the web that you are selling yourself and your unique way of seeing the world and what you bring to your photographs.  I don’t disagree one iota with that assessment but you cannot and should not dismiss the idea of what good equipment means for you.  I started in DSLR with a simple Fuji camera long ago but had “graduated” to a Canon Rebel XT in 2006 leaving film entirely behind, (almost.)  In 2008 a new body, the Rebel XTi replaced a broken one that needed some work that couldn’t be done while I lived in England.  I have used it almost exclusively with ES lenses, my favorite probably is the Canon 60mm macro using my Canon 55-250mm lens and 28-135mm macro often.  In January, I decided if I was going to really make a serious go at being a professional photographer I needed to upgrade and get some better gear. 

 

I purchased a Canon 5D Mark II but now I had to decide on my first lens.  Ouch!  Ouch, again!  Even with the discounts offered by Canon last year it cost a pretty penny, but I opted after much thought and looking through SOME lenses, I decided on the 70-200mm f/4 IS USM L lens, the less expensive version.  What a delight!  What a surprise!  Such clarity.  Such speed. Oh the color!   What a difference!

Gyokusendo Cave

Lone Rock

 The difference in clarity and sharpness of image as well as the speed of the lens and flexibility of ISO and other features on my new camera holds no comparison to my Rebel (yes I still have it and use it!) The clarity, pixel count and data it collects far exceeds my expectations and holds no comparison to what I have taken in the past, even with a tripod.  Once you have been baited, you will be “hooked.”  There is no turning back for me and I’m anxious to make some money so I can buy the 100mm macro lens for my 5D camera.  I’ll keep working hard and expanding my borders to make this business succeed.  In the meantime, rent a good camera and lens and just try it, but be careful, there may be no turning back!

Say Bye-bye

The Okinawan Setting Sun