Up, Up and Away
In a recent post on his blog retireediary, Hong Kong based Michael Lai showed an image of fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, Turkey. This image brought back memories of our tour of Turkey in 2006 and I thanked Michael for his image. In his response he mentioned that he did not get the opportunity to go hot air ballooning during his trip. So, for Michael, as a form of thanks for his post I have included some images taken during our wonderful early morning flight.
Take Off
Burner
Moon Shadow
Skimming the Tops
Fairy Chimneys
Plenty of Company
Big Surf
Surf at Porpoise Bay
One of the features of any coastal area that is exposed to the prevailing weather is surf. The Catlins Coast catches all of the weather systems that come from the south, and south here means the Antarctic and South Pole. It was an overcast and windy day when we visited Porpoise Bay and nearby Curio Bay, and the wind had a decidedly polar feel to it. The waves were large and unwelcoming, fascinating and alluring at the same time.
Porpoise Bay
Rocks at Porpoise Bay
The tiny settlement of Curio Bay in the Catlins region of Southland on New Zealand’s South Island hugs the long white sandy beach of Porpoise Bay, while Curio Bay proper is around the headland at the southern end of the beach. Near the camping ground at Curio Bay is a reef at the foot of the cliff of the headland, which is where this image was taken. The sandy beach is to the left of the image. A pod of endangered Hector’s Dolphins live here and they can often be seen from the beach, hence the name.
Chris Gregory's Alphathreads 