Between the Piles - Matiatia Bay, Waiheke Island

Walking in bays where there are boats at anchor is a favourite pastime.  I like to watch what is going on. Sooner or later, even on boats that seem to be unattended, signs of life appear as crew members come from below decks where they have been working or resting and take in the surroundings. Here a seagull takes advantage of the top of an unattended pole to rest and preen itself.  Occasionally a new boat enters the bay looking for anchorage, or another already at anchor readies itself for a new passage.

This image was taken while on a coastal walk between the ferry wharf at Matiatia Bay on Waiheke Island and the main town of Oneroa.  Just out of frame on the left there was a yacht standing on cradle and tied to the piles while maintenance was being performed.

"Stand to Attention!" - Dinghies at Matiatia Wharf, Waiheke Island

Beside the ferry wharf at Matiatia Bay on Waiheke Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf is this stack of dinghies waiting for their next outing.  It is as though someone had ordered them all to “Stand to attention!”.

This is another of my images from my experimenting with black and white.  I felt that the tonal qualities from the early morning light made this image ideal for a monochrome treatment.

Dinghy beside coastal track, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Waiheke Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf is a short 40 minute ferry ride from the CBD of Auckland City.  The island is a favorite residential suburb for those who want a more relaxed lifestyle, and a popular day-trip or short holiday destination for Aucklanders and tourists alike.

Amongst the wide range of activities available on the island is walking on the clifftop tracks that weave in and out of the many bays.  One of these is a walk that starts at the ferry wharf at Matiatia Bay and ends at the small township of Oneroa.  The bus ride takes less than 10 minutes, but the walk requires 2-3 hours.

This little bay is at the point where the telegraphic cable to the island comes ashore.  Beside the cable markers is a sculpture of a dog on a trolley, and this dinghy pulled up on the shore.  The images have been converted to black and white to add atmosphere to the scene.

Trolley Dog, Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Early Morning Reflections - Mitre Peak, Milford Sound

While reviewing images taken this year in order to create a calendar, this one brought back fond memories of our visit to the Fiordland National Park.  One of our sons had returned from North America with his wife for a summer visit.  We joined them on a tour of the South Island.  Milford Sound was one of the must-see places on the tour.

It had rained heavily during the night, not an unusual occurrence in this wettest part of New Zealand.  In the morning the air was still and the scenery was fresh and crisp. Mitre Peak, an icon in the Sound, was displayed at its best. This one of my favourite images of the year.

A major feature of the Devonport waterfront is the ferry wharf.  It has undergone several redevelopments over the years, including the most recent (1990s) and probably most controversial.  It is about to undergo another major refurbishment in 2012.

Several weeks ago I had a short walk along the Devonport shoreline and captured these images.

Towards Auckland CBD from under the Devonport Wharf

Cross bracing under the Devonport Wharf

Sea Wall, Devonport

Rangitoto in Shades of Mauve and Orange

Rangitoto Island in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf is a significant part of the view from my house.

According to Wikipedia “Rangitoto was formed by a series of eruptions between 550 and 600 years ago. The eruptions occurred in two episodes, 10-50 yrs apart, and are thought to have lasted for several years during the later shield forming episode The first episode erupted most of the volcanic ash that mantles Motutapu Island next door, and also produced the lower, northern, scoria cone. The second episode built most of Rangitoto erupting all the lava flows and main scoria cone at the apex.”

The island is reasonably symmetrical in shape and can be seen from many parts of Auckland.  All shipping that enters the Waitemata Harbour passes through the channel between the island and the Takapuna/Devonport peninsular.

Depending on the weather and time of day Rangitoto reflects various moods, as this image demonstrates.

Mt Aspiring that way!

Further along the road towards Wanaka there is a small lake with boggy edges and patches of reeds. The clear blue sky and mountains coloured yellow by the evening sunlight were reflected in the water. I just had to stop to capture this image. Within a few minutes a breeze caused the water to ripple and the reflections were lost.

Reflections - Mt Aspiring National Park

“Where the road runs out and the sign posts end

Where you come to the edge of today…”

Where the road runs out and the sign posts end...

It was late in the afternoon when we arrived at the Raspberry Creek Shelter at the end of the public road from Wanaka to Mt Aspiring National Park.  A few cars were parked at the shelter.  Despite “No Camping” signs posted by the Department of Conservation,  a lone tent was  pitched beside the car park.

The grassy valley stretching before us was tinted with yellow highlights from the setting sun.  Returning day-walkers relaxed in their cars preparing for the drive back to Wanaka before darkness made the narrow rutted road beside the Matukituki River more difficult to navigate.

In the distance, nestled against the mountains that rise steeply behind, a small green shepherd’s hut accentuated the isolation of this remote corner of Central Otago.

A shepherd's hut nestles beneath steep mountains - A view from Raspberry Creek Shelter - Mt Aspiring National Park

Matukituki River

The Wanaka-Mt Aspiring Road to the Matukituki Valley beyond the Treble Cone ski field road is gravel and gets narrower the further you drive up the valley. Bridges across streams are replaced by fords and care must be taken on single-track sections of the road beside the Matukituki River. Climbers wishing to summit Mt Aspiring must leave their cars at the Department of Conservation shelter at the end of the road.

Matukituki River at Sunset near the DOC shelter

The scenery becomes more spectacular as you drive further towards the head of the valley. We had a great time here after 4 days skiing at the nearby Cardrona ski field.

Old Maori Road looking towards the hills behind Bendigo

Today the river valleys and surrounding hills are grazed by sheep which brought prosperity to the area after the departure of the early prospectors in the Bendigo Goldfields.  Recently though, grape vines have been planted in the dry gravelly soil as the area has grown in reputation for the Pinot Noir wine that is produced. Some wineries, such as Quartz Reef and Aurora, take their names from old gold mines.

Looking northwest from the Old Maori Road there is a distant view of the Lammermoor Range.

Lammermoor Range from Old Maori Road