Milford Sound
Our adventure started in the tranquil waters around Milford Sound. We photographed both sunrise and sunset at Mitre Peak. New Zealand is sometimes called the Land of the Long White Cloud. Our weather for the first two days was sunny and spectacular.
At low tide we found exposed green rocks that made the perfect foreground for Mitre Peak. Everywhere we traveled in New Zealand we were surrounded by mountains. The "Southern Alps" run from one end of the South Island to the other. It is a perfect destination for landscape photography.
Alpine Kea
There is also terrific bird life in New Zealand. Our favorite bird to photograph was the Kea - the world's only true alpine parrot. In several places on the trip the keas would walk right up to us for their photo session.
Southern Beech Forest
The plants and ecosystems in New Zealand are as stunning as the landscapes. Many of the species in the southern beech forest are endemic - meaning found only in New Zealand.
Te anu
We spent several days in the area around Te Anu, photographing mountain peaks reflected in pristine lakes. We used slow exposures with ND filters to stretch the clouds and also practiced time lapse photography on overcast days.
Wanaka
The lone tree at Wanaka was a popular subject for both sunrise and sunset. As we photographed the tree we watched birds fly by, like the Pied Cormorant, Paradise Shelduck and South Island Oystercatcher.
Rain Forest
The rainforest near Fox Glacier was a completely different ecosystem. And we had plenty of rain there! We strolled under the fern trees looking for macro subjects like fiddlehead ferns. Forest birds like the Tomtit, sang to us from the surrounding trees. New Zealand has more than 500 different species of ferns.
Kaikoura
A private boat tour at Kaikoura provided the perfect chance to photograph wildlife offshore. At times we were surrounded by leaping Dusky Dolphins. We also photographed 5 species of albatross near the boat, Giant Storm Petrels, Cape Petrels and Silver Gulls.
Thanks to our photographers and the excellent guidance from Phil at Capture New Zealand
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Credits:
Tom Bol, Cree Bol and Melissa Stanton