Reflections

Reflections in the Lake - f/13 | 1/180 sec | ISO 1250

After out helicopter flight around Mt. Cook we went on a walk around a lake where on a calm day you can see the reflection of the mountain. Sadly Mt. Cook was hidden in clouds but I still managed to take some pretty cool shots of the forest reflected in the water and we also watched some birds fishing which was awesome! 

Landscape - f/9 | 1/250 | ISO 100

Uncurling Fern - f/5,6 | 1/100 sec | ISO 500

Boardwalk - f/5.6 | 1/30 sec | ISO 100

Cloudy - f/5.6 | 1/1250 sec | ISO 100

Helicopter Flight

Glacier Textures - f/7.1 | 1/400 sec | ISO 100

White and Blue - f/6.3 | 1/400 sec | ISO 100

Cloudy Sky - f/8 | 1/500 sec | ISO 100

Angle - f/8 | 1/500 | ISO 100

Snow Drifts - f/7.1 | 1/500 sec | ISO 100

Meltwater - f/5.6 | 1/400 sec | ISO 1250

My godfather kindly treated me to a helicopter flight when I was in New Zealand, we flew around Mt. Cook and the Franz Josef Glacier. We also had a landing on the glacier, it was an amazing experience to walk around up there and get a different perspective from above! As the guide explained about the glaciers, it was clear how much they have melted even in the last few years, it would be a shame for such beautiful features of the landscape to disappear...

Off to Watch the Sunset...

Sun Breaks Through - f3.5 | 1/400 sec | ISO 200

Firstly, sorry I haven't been up to date with my posts of late! But I will continue with my New Zealand adventures from here and show some of my wildlife photographs near my home as we continue into 2014...

This collection of landscape photographs were shot one evening when we decided to drive up onto the mountain ridge on the road that would lead to Akaroa to watch the sun go down! Sadly the weather went against us and we caught only glimpses of the beautiful landscape until we got much lower out of the clouds. At the same time the conditions made for some interesting atmospheric shots that have a sense of mystery to them...

A Purple Sea - f/5.6 | 1/400 sec | ISO 1600

Haunted - f/5.6 | 1/400 sec | ISO 2000

Looking Back - f/3.5 | 1/400 sec | ISO 125

Castle Hill

Castle Hill Landscape - f/6.3 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100

 We drove up to Castle Hill one afternoon, that is so named for the imposing limestone boulders in the area that resemble from afar an old run down castle. As we walked around the place I saw lots of people bouldering - it's a fantastic place for climbing and a beautiful natural landscape!

Rock Formations - f/6.3 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100

Rocks - f/3.5 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100

Looking Up - f/5 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100

View from the Top - f/4 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100

Akaroa

Looking Up - f/4 | 1/200 sec | ISO 640

 We decided to drive to Akaroa a pretty town near Christchurch on the coast for lunch. Afterwards we went on a walk in the hills and through a pretty New Zealand forest! 

Forest Track - f/3.5 | 1/60 sec | ISO 125

Bay in Black and White - f/8 | 1/125 sec | ISO 100

View of the Bay - f/4 | 1/200 sec | ISO 100

And on to Christchurch...

Sunset - f/3.5 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100

We continued on down towards Christchurch catching the ferry between the two islands and driving the rest of the way in one day. The road ran alongside the beautiful coastline and I kept asking to stop to take photos! We saw more seal colonies along the way, and there was an amazing sunset sky...

Panorama - f/5 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100

Cape Palliser

Cape Palliser - f/4.5 | 1/200 sec | ISO 100

 We left Whanganui and headed down towards the south coast, to stay the night at Cape Palliser. A short drive from our campsite there was a seal colony and it was great fun watching them as well as getting some photos! 

Yawn! - f/5.6 | 1/640 | ISO 640

Relaxed Seal - f/8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 1250

Crab Hiding - f/8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 3200

On one of the beaches we stopped at, there were some amazing rock pools, we saw starfish, crabs and more alongside beautiful corals and shells! 

Seal - f/8 | 1/320 sec | ISO 800

Seaweed - f/8 | 1/160 sec | ISO 200

Barnacles - f/8 | 1/160 sec | ISO 400

Natural Patterns - f/6.3 | 1/125 sec | ISO 100

Seal Fight - f/6.3 | 1/125 | ISO 200

New Zealand Conservation

Kiwi - f/3.2 | 1/160 sec | ISO 640

 We visited a friend who does conservation work for New Zealand native bird species, by saving injured birds. Birds here were, until the arrival of the first humans, an extraordinary diverse range! In New Zealand, the ecological niches normally occupied by mammals, instead consisted of reptiles, insects and birds. When humans arrived this unique and unusual ecology began to become endangered. The first rescued bird we met was a kiwi, she was hit by a car which damaged her beak meaning shes completely reliant on human help and cannot be released back into the wild. They are making a beautiful large enclosure for her however so this kiwi is a lucky survivor! 

Kiwi Eye - f/2.8 | 1/160 sec | ISO 3200

Tui Sunning Itself - f/3.2 | 1/250 sec | ISO 100

Wood Pigeon - f/2.8 | 1/20 sec | ISO 100

Baby Pukeko - f/4 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100

The River Road

First Views From the River Road - f/8 | 1/200 sec ISO 100

 We decided to spend a day driving the length of the River Road that runs alongside the Whanganui River, through some beautiful countryside both farmland and rainforest!

Fantail - f/5.6 | 1/200 sec | ISO 125

 I spotted a lot of wildlife from the van window! One of the first sightings was a New Zealand Kingfisher just like the one we had seen in captivity at the wildlife sanctuary with the kiwis! I spotted it resting on an overhead electricity wire and when I back-tracked to find it with my camera it had moved to a very pretty tree! I also saw the fantail above on the way back, they move so quickly its a challenge to get a good photograph but i've had some great sightings - one even landed 1m in front of me! Beside the road we also saw a hawk but it flew away when I got my camera ready!

New Zealand Kingfisher - f/5.6 | 1/500 sec | ISO 800

New Zealand Kingfisher II - f/10 | 1/500 sec | ISO 2500

Lamb - f/5.6 | 1/640 sec | ISO 100

 Of course we also saw many, many sheep! There were lots of adorable lambs as well!

New Zealand Sheep! - f/5.6 |  1/200 sec | ISO 125

Puppy - f/4 | 1/160 sec | ISO 100

 We found this little guy when I stopped to photograph a meadow of buttercups, possibly the cutest puppy i've ever seen, he came from one of the nearby farms and was curious to meet new people! 

River Road - f/2.8 | 1/500 sec | ISO 100

The Whanganui River - f/5 | 1/160 sec | ISO 100

Towards the end of our journey the weather got really stormy and there was lots of thunder, which was exciting and made for some more atmospheric photo opportunities!

The Road and The River - f/5 | 1/250 sec | ISO 100

Low Clouds - f/6.3 | 1/160 sec | ISO 200

Sheep on the Road - f/5 | 1/250 sec | ISO 250