More Postcards from New Zealand

In Travel by David30 Comments

Photographing in Golden Bay earlier this evening, waiting for that rare miracle when you find something that captivates your interest and the light goes all magical. It was windy and moody earlier today and I was expecting dramatic skies but got calm and serene instead. Made photographs for a couple hours, waited for the light, played with my 15mm fisheye lens, sat and smoked my pipe and thought about the beauty and the serenity. Then went back to the RV and joined the Legendary H for a few minutes before retreating from the bugs.

Having a blast. Lots of driving around hairpin turns in a vehicle that handles like a, well, like a giant box, and eating a mix of great local food and drink and meals like tonight’s trailer-cooked tortellini and meat sauce with a bottle of local Pinot Noir. Napped a little this afternoon, threw the kettlebell around for a while, made some photographs. Hard to beat that.

See you soon. Wish you were here!

Comments

  1. Looks like you’re having a great time when some of us have to work at the office the whole day while enduring harsch winds and heavy snowfall 🙂 Have fun, enjoy it and take some more great photographs.

  2. Wait until you get down the West Coast to experience Real Sand-flies! They will carry you away! All part of the experience 🙂

  3. If those pesky sandflies & co are getting too much, I highly recommend “No Insects Repellent” by Botanica, made right here in NZ! Wonderful stuff. Me and my little boy didn’t get bitten once. 🙂 hooray! oh- you can find it at local health stores.

    thanks for the updates, really enjoying the commentaries and images. Wonderful.

  4. Sounds like a great trip – just two questions: 1. Is that the spiffy Sigma 15mm fisheye? – and 2. did you pack that kettlebell with you – or was it thrown in with the RV rental?

  5. Great photographs, I’m really enjoying the moodiness of them. Your writing and activities bring back the memories of our 4WD caravan trip between Perth and Darwin here in Australia. The scenery of course was completely different, but the tranquility of camping with no one else around was just fantastic.

  6. thanks for that distinctive profile shot. we miss him, but are happy that you guys are having a great time. however, if he tells me that it’s so similar to Corsica one more time…! that’s not assuaging me at all and based on your photographs i can say that they have completely different landscapes.

  7. Ditto on the Mussel Inn – the beer is marvellous. Hope to manage the long winding and gravel road to the Tasman Park via Golden Bay – it is a truly beautiful place.

  8. I grew up in golden bay and know the Takaka Hill well! If you are still in the area, and haven’t been there yet, the Mussell Inn at Onekaka (mussellinn.co.nz). They make their own beer and cider and it’s a great place to relax and enjoy the sunshine.

    Sounds like you’re having a great trip!

  9. Hey David, I feel it’s my duty to my eyes to ask if you could provide a ‘Biggen It’ option to view your sweet photographs better. Thanks man! 🙂

  10. Hard to beat indeed! Is this some sort of torture you inflict on all of us who are sitting in an office looking out to a grey sky with freezing temps and rain? 😉

  11. There’s a different tone to your writing…yes, more relaxed but something more. Are you finding the peace that arrives after the stress dissipates? May your health and wellness continue to strengthen!

  12. If you’re still up in Golden Bay checkout a place called Paturau. It’s a bit of a drive down a long gravel road to the middle of nowhere, but there’s some cool beaches/coastline and a campground just above the beach.

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