Tag Archives: Photography

Unknown's avatar

That Wanaka Tree

by

Over 70 years ago, “That Wanaka Tree” began as a wooden fence post that kept livestock from wondering through the Wanaka Village.

From those origins, a beautiful willow tree has grown.

The signage nearby notes that photographers come from around the world in an effort to capture the beauty of this tree.  Please visit this link to see a photo of a swarm of photographers trying to capture this distinct little tree.

Evidently the popularity of the tree and the desire for selfies is starting to damage the tree.  Per a story on News Hub, Lake Wanaka Tourism is asking tourists not to climb the tree to get photos, after a branch fell off before Christmas.   “The loss of a branch is a big concern as it takes longer for this particular tree to regenerate,” a Queenstown Lakes District Council spokesman told NZ Newswire. “It’s quite a small tree growing in a challenging environment with its roots often completely submerged in alpine lake water.  When bark falls off, which is more likely if people climb on it, the wound can be a focus for decay fungi and other diseases,” he said.

Thankfully, there were only a few others there when Boomdee and I visited, and I definitely did not damage the tree when I took my selfie 🙂  Sadly, the selfie of Boomdee and I, due to the bright sun and the angle at which I held the camera, did not turn out.

Unknown's avatar

New Zealand Wine Tasting

by

A trip to New Zealand would just not be complete without a visit to a winery, and we were fortunate to have Rippon within walking distance.  No matter the wine, the view alone is worth the visit.

Is that not incredible?  Stunning!

During the tasting we learned that “the winegrowing team’s principal commitment is to the soil. Nurturing a healthy, responsive medium underfoot binds the vines and the people to their land.  Biodynamic farming and no irrigation help the vine drive energy into its seed and issue raw material that is capable of fostering wines that are true to their place”.

My favorite of the wines that we tasted was the Pinot Noir.   The winery also produces a Sauvignon Blanc, an Osteiner, a Gerwurtztraminer, and an Riesling.  Of course, part of the fun of any tasting is the people you are with.

After the tasting, we enjoyed playing with photography,

and hanging out in the Chair for Contemplation.

Finally, with no Designated Driver required, we walked home.

Happiness!

Unknown's avatar

Kayaking Lake Wanaka

by

On Monday, four members of the Wanaka Crew spent a couple hours kayaking on Lake Wanaka.  What a blast!  Photo credits go to Alys, Danella, and Joanna as I left my camera and phone on shore.  Information about Lake Wanaka was taken from various online sources.

Lake Wanaka covers an area of 192 km2 (74 sq mi) and is New Zealand’s fourth largest lake.  It is estimated to be more than 300 m (980 ft) deep.  The clarity of the water is remarkable, especially to one who is used to the New River and Claytor Lake, which are full of organic matter.  The name Wanaka is Maori and means ‘The place of Anaka’, a local tribal chief.

At its greatest extent, which is roughly along a north-south axis, the lake is 42 k / 26 miles long. Its widest point, at the southern end, is 10 k / 6 miles.  The lake’s western shore is lined with high peaks rising to over 2000 metres / 6500 ft above sea level.

Wanaka lies in a u-shaped valley formed by glacial erosion during the last ice age more than 10,000 years ago. It is fed by the Matukituki and Makarora Rivers, and is the source of the Clutha River. Nearby Lake Hawea lies in a parallel valley carved by a neighbouring glacier.

We rented the kayaks from Paddle Wanaka, and while they did not provide much instruction or information (thank goodness I am not a novice!), they did encourage us to paddle out to Ruby Island.

Ruby Island – photo credit: Me!

We put in along the beach of Wanaka’s town center and paddled past an area of construction.  This tourist town is rapidly growing as evidenced by several new areas of development.

It took us about an hour to paddle out to the island.  Ruby Island has a boat jetty, a picnic table, and even a toilet (the word restroom is infrequently used here).  Our happy group posed in front of the Ruby Island sign.

 

Joanna took this great shot looking back out across the lake to our put in.

Other than a slight sunburn, it was a glorious day on the lake!

Unknown's avatar

Daytrip to Queenstown

by

With Alys’ husband due to fly into the Queenstown airport, the 7 of us piled into two vehicles and drove the 68k into the city.

Can you guess who my seat mate was?

Along the way, we passed Bradrona, the famous “bra fence of Cardrona”.  The collection of bras started around 1999, when four bras mysteriously appeared overnight on a fence along the Cardrona Valley Road.  It wasn’t until an unknown bra thief began cutting them away under the shadow of the night that the fence gained its notoriety.  Every time they were cut away, even more were added, and the bra count has reached over 7000.  The infamous fence was rebranded to “Bradrona” in 2015 to raise money for breast cancer and $30,000 has been raised by people leaving donations in a box at the site.

What a powerful monument to say the least.  While we did not leave our bras, we did make a monetary donation.

We weren’t on the road long before, unable to resist the incredible view, we stopped at the top of the mountain.

What a thrill and what a chill!

Check out that road down the mountain!

Our first views of Queenstown and Lake Wakatipu took our breath away!

One of the fun things about New Zealand is the ever present cafe with ourdoor seating.  We found a table and enjoyed the view, the buskers, and the coffee.

A quick walk through the Queenstown Gardens revealed old growth trees, more beautiful views, and quiet time for reflection.

Then it was off to ride the Gondola!

Absolutely incredible!

After oohing and aahing over the view, and taking many a photo, we settled into the lounge for drinks.

Photo Credit Alys Milner and her selfie stick

The clouds began to roll in.  Check out the difference between these next two images.

We took the trip back down and after dinner in the Queenstown city centre, we hit the road for Wanaka.

Tommorow: Kayaking!

Unknown's avatar

Come and Hike Mt Iron With Me

by

A hike in the hills was on my list of things to do while in New Zealand and on the second morning in Wanaka I set out for the Mt Iron Track.  Located on the edge of Mount Aspiring National Park, the track is a 4.5k / 2.8m walk with a total ascent of 166m /  546.86 ft and has a maximum elevation of 546m / 1,747.64 ft.  Those numbers may not seem impressive but the elevation of Wanaka is only 277 m / 90o ft.  Including the walk to the trail head and back, I logged 16k / 9.9 miles that morning.

This image, taken from a moving car the next day, shows the silhouette of Mt Iron.

Walking in a slight drizzle, I reached the trail head around 9am.  I took the obligatory “beginning of the hike” image (thinking of Karen, the Unassuming Hiker), and set off in the mist.  The women I hike with would have loved the well maintained toilets just around that curve in the first image.

This sculpture, erected in 2012, commemorates the world’s first recorded sheep dog trial, held in 1867.

The hike is a loop trail and the first 45 minutes of hiking are a solid, uphill climb.  Finding myself a bit out of breath, I marveled at the number of people who ran by me as they used the trail as a work out.

Yes, this was the trail in places.

At times the mist would clear, but much of the time the view was shrouded in mist and fog.

I crossed over the stile and saw some hikers coming back down the trail.  Can you see them?

I reached the summit and immediately saw the survey and summit markers.

Clearly the view was obscured but I enjoyed reading the signage and learning the history.

The loop offered different scenery on the way down and I enjoyed viewing the plants and trees.

During the descent, the view became more visible.  I took these images about halfway down.

Soon enough, I was back at the parking lot and started the walk back into town.

My 10 mile morning earned me a well deserved flat white at a nice little cafe.

On to the next New Zealand adventure!

 

Unknown's avatar

Morning Walk on Lake Wanaka

by

Waking up at 6am on vacation means that I am back on Virginia time, and that is a good thing in terms of making the most of the day.  I slipped out of the house at 7:15 and took the 15 minute stroll to Lake Wanaka.

It was such a peaceful morning with just a few runners, walkers, and photographers out and about.

And a few ducks …

It was a slightly overcast morning, but slowly the sun began to peak through the clouds.

I could see the town off in the distance, and knowing that we’d be visiting later in the day, I turned around for home.

After putting my feet in the water, of course.  Look at that clear water!

Unknown's avatar

Three Days in Dunedin

by

Please take a moment to read Alys’ take on our journey thus far ❤

Born To Organize's avatarGardening Nirvana

I’m having the time of my life!

In some ways this journey began two years ago.  During a Skype session, the Blogging Babes, as we’ve come to call ourselves, dreamed out loud of a trip to see Pauline in New Zealand. In 2015 Pauline joined us on our side of the world for an incredible trip to Virginia and Washington, D.C. Our time together deepened the friendships and expanded our hearts.

Now here we are three years later, meeting up with Pauline and her two lovely daughters in Dunedin, New Zealand.

Mike drove me to the San Francisco airport where I connected with Laurie. Though I dreaded the 13 hour flight across the Pacific, I was in for some lovely surprises.

SFO at Joe & the Juice Putting our heads together at Joe & the Juice, SFO (This one’s for you, Joe)

We got our sillies on five minutes into our journey, before boarding the…

View original post 407 more words

Unknown's avatar

The Drive to Wanaka

by

After organizing 7 people and packing up 2 cars, we were off to Wanaka (sounds like Monica or Hanukkah).  As is typical for New Zealand roads, the route was curvy and the scenery beautiful.

A brief stop along the way allowed Siddy to get a(nother) treat.

By 2pm, we were ready for a late lunch, and Monteith’s Brewery Bar in Alexandra was the perfect stop.  We enjoyed puppy friendly al fresco dining accompanied by Murphy’s Irish Stout (for me) and followed by a yummy flat white.

Soon enough, we were back on the road but another brief stop, this time at the Clyde Dam, offered some nice photo ops. The Clyde Dam, New Zealand’s third largest hydroelectric dam, is built on the Clutha River near the town of Clyde

With 45 minutes to go, we let Siddy enjoy the breeze.

And THEN we arrived at our temporary home.

What an incredible gift this week in Wanaka will be!

Unknown's avatar

University of Otago

by

After a wonderful day Experiencing Dunedin and Otago Harbour, we slowed our pace with a lovely walk around the University of Otago.

With the first students being accepted in July 1871, it is the oldest university in New Zealand, and the third oldest in Oceania.

With over 20,000 students, the University offers Bachelor, Master, and Doctoral degrees in Health Sciences, other Sciences, Business, and Humanities.

I’m not sure which was more impressive: the architecture or the trees!  The stone, while of a darker color, reminded me of Hokie Stone.

The walk was peaceful, offered wonderful scenery, and was the perfect way to end our day.

Unknown's avatar

5 Person Trike Ride Around Otago Harbour

by

Pauline arranged for the most fun outing: a 5 person trike ride around Dunedin and Otago Harbour!  This bike chick loved it, as did everyone else.  What a blast!

We met our guide Andrew, owner of Experience Dunedin at The Octagon in the Central Business District of Dunedin, and soon we were off.

Andrew obligingly hit the gas and we found ourselves hooting out loud with excitment!

The roads were curvy and changed elevation frequently, and I was reminded of riding back home in southwest Virginia.  Well, except for the “wrong side” of the road thing.

 

The views of the harbour were incredible and these photos do not do them justice.

Alys took some great photos with her selfie stick, so please visit her blog to see more!

Thank you, Pauline, for arranging for this fun, fun outing, and to Alys for treating us!