The Catlins River
When I was growing up, most of the history of Aotearoa that I was taught started with the arrival of Europeans. Very little mention was made of earlier inhabitants which were actually here for quite a significant period of time. Take the Catlins for example, Captain James Cook first sighted the area in the 1770’s when he sailed past. However, archaeological evidence points towards Māori tribes occupying the area to about 1350AD.
Cornish Piano in the Owaka Museum
Here’s what I can tell you about this piano (organ) which I discovered in the Owaka Museum. The antique organ is carved and turned in wood and finished with red fabric along the front while the keys are constructed of wood with white plastic and ebony. Made by the Cornish Piano & Organ company, the business was established in Washington, New Jersey in 1879. Once production started, the reputation of the company quickly grew and it was known for producing products with excellent craftsmanship. So popular were the pianos and organs, by the 1890’s, the Cornish company was producing over 10,000 instruments a year, shipping them all over the world.
Unfortunately, in 1922 a devastating fire ripped through the Cornish company, bruning the factory to the ground. The company was never rebuilt, instead replaced over time by a gas station and later a food store. These days, the pianos and organs made by the company can be found all over the world, including this one in the Owaka museum.
Catlins Valley Road – Buy
I want to say this is part of the Catlins Valley Road beyond Owaka, near Tawanui and in the Catlins. However, I’m not 100% sure. I definitely took it on my way to the Tawanui Campsite and the start of the Catlins River walk but then again it might be Catlins Road, Morris Saddle Road or Catlins Valley Road. I wish I could remember.
Signpost on Catlins Road – Buy
Signpost on Catlins Road, The Catlins – 2023
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Tautuku Bay and Beach – Buy
There are many magnificent beaches in the South Island of New Zealand, and Tautuku Beach has to be right there with the best of them. It’s incredibly splendid, in an isolated sort of way.
Silver Beech Trees In The Catlins – Buy
When I was in Tawanui, near Owaka in The Catlins, I went walking along the Catlins River track. Like everywhere in The Catlins, it’s an amazing place that’s incredibly peaceful and serene. All spots in The Catlins seem that way, they hold a majestic quality that’s hard to describe. While walking along The Catlins River, I passed through an exotic forest that’s filled with all sorts of amazing ferns and silver beech trees that inspired this photo.
The Purakaunui Falls – Buy
Heading back to Dunedin, I decided to detour back through the Catlins and stop off at Purakaunui Falls. The falls have long been an iconic image of the Catlins and have appeared on everything from book covers to stamps and can be found south of Owaka, within the Purakaunui Scenic Reserve.
The walk to the falls was short but delightful as the track wound its way through the podocarp and beech forest, accompanied by the Purakaunui River. The falls themselves are an impressive 20 metres high as the river cascades over three tiers of rock before flowing through the Catlins and out into Purakaunui Bay.
Tautuku Estuary Walkway – Buy
I arrived at the Tautuku Walkway late in the afternoon as the sun was dropping in the sky and the evening was drawing closer. A short 30 minute walk, the track began on an old sawmilling road and changed to a board-walk that led through podocarp forest and out on the estuary flats. I stood and took in the silence before heading back to the car. I was glad I’d stopped.
The Catlins River – Buy
After arriving in Owaka, I continued south on the Southern Scenic Route, State Highway 92. I turned right onto Catlins Valley Road, right onto Morris Saddle Road, then left which eventually brought me to the Tawanui Camping in the Owaka Valley. From there, I found the beginning of a walk along The Catlins River. Something that was a true delight.
Kaka Point – Buy
I found my way to Kaka Point in the Catlins and parked near the beach. It was one of those days where the wind seemed to swirl across the top of the water and washed waves ashore onto the beach at strange angles.
The drive from Dunedin had taken over an hour. After passing through Balclutha I turned off State Highway 1 and headed towards the coast. As I passed houses and farms I noticed the weather seemed to be turning a dark shade of grey. Once the coastline came into view, I followed it for some time before arriving in the small village of Kaka Point. Leaving my car parked near a sign advising visitors like myself of the local wildlife, I went for a stroll.
Happy Birthday June
June is a lovely lady who comments every day on my blog posts. She’s been doing it for several years now and it’s always great to hear from her. You can read her comments by scrolling to the bottom of each post. So, since today is her birthday I wanted to take a moment and say June, I hope you have a lovely day.
Tautuku beach at sunrise – Buy
There really is something rather special about having a spectacular beach all to yourself at sunrise. While I was staying in the Catlins, one morning I headed out early to Tautuku Beach and spent the hours pre and post sunrise wandering up and down the beach which has a truly wild feel about it.
The Nuggets – Buy
When Alan Martin lost his job in 1989 due to technological advancement, he had the honor of being one of the last Lighthouse Keepers employed in the country. So, after the Nugget Point lighthouse became automated in 1989, and Mr Martin was no longer needed, it brought to an end the tradition of lighthouse keeping at ‘The Nuggets.’ A tradition that dated back 119 years to 1870
Tautuku Bay – Buy
At the end of Tautuku Bay is a peninsula that’s full of wildlife and history. It’s a wonderful walk and a great way to explore a section of The Catlins coastline. Near the neck of the peninsula a whaling station ran for 7 years from 1839 and when the timber industry grew a port was developed as well. I’m pretty sure William Larnach was a major investor in the timber industry and used timber from this area on part of his castle in Dunedin.
Purakaunui Falls – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
With international visitors now being welcomed to New Zealand without any covid restrictions, I was interested to see what visitors were told about some of New Zealand’s iconic attractions. Turning to The Lonely Planet Guide, I looked up the Purakaunui Falls and discovered that it is described as ‘ a magnificent cascade down three tiers of jet-black rock.’
Having discovered what visitors are told about the falls, I then turned to online reviews to discover what people thought of the falls which were featured on a postage stamp in 1976. In an exercise of pure interest, instead of turning to the reviews that were categorised as excellent, I turned to the poor and average reviews. To sum up, the feeling was that the bathroom facilities were clean, there’s a good timber deck for viewing, the forest walk is pleasant and the falls would be better in full flow.
Deciding that these reviewers might have missed the point of reviewing the falls themselves, I turned to the excellent reviews for balance. Amongst the many comments that listed the falls as a memorable sight, once again the viewing platform being ‘well constructed’ was a common topic. This goes to show one thing, people have a healthy respect for quality outdoor construction in New Zealand.
Tautuku Beach – Buy or view the Ōtepoti | Dunedin gallery
At the end of Tautuku Beach is the Tautuku peninsula. Near the peninsula a whaling station was once in operation from 1839 to 1846. A port was then developed when the fishing, flax and timber industries were growing in the area. However, once the industries declined the port was closed.
On the morning I was there I had this whole beach to myself. It was quite an airy feeling to be strolling along the beach in the darkness. I hadn’t seen another person or vehicle since I left the camp site and once reaching the beach, there certainly wasn’t a shortage of location options to see the sun coming up.
Purakanui River– Buy
This is the Purakanui river which flows through a native bush consisting of Podocarp and Silver Beech trees before reaching the Purakanui Falls in the Catlins.
Tautuku Beach Sunrise– Buy
I had this whole beach to myself and it was quite an airy feeling to be strolling along the beach in the darkness. I hadn’t seen another person or vehicle since I left the camp site and once reaching the beach, there certainly wasn’t a shortage of location options to see the sun coming up.
Tautuku Beach – Buy
This is early morning on Tautuku Beach in Tautuku Bay. At one end of the beach is the Tautuku Peninsula where a whaling station was located from 1839 to 1846, a port was developed for the fishing, flax and timber industries and these also a long local history of numerous shipwrecks.
Tautuku River at Dusk – Buy
Some time ago I read a line in a poem that went along the lines of ‘the memories drift’. That’s what came to mind when I was working on this image ….. but when the memories drift.
Following on from my 2011 exhibition A Rugged Paradise, I was invited to hang a two months exhibition at Dunedin Airport as part of their ‘Artist in the Terminal’ programme in early 2015. The initial planning for this exhibition began in late 2012 with shooting taking place in locations around Otago during 2013 and 2014. After the two month run at the airport ended in March, 2015, the art works went on to be displayed in numerous locations around Dunedin before finding permanent homes across Otago. What follows is a rerelease of my 2015 exhibition, Silent Observations.
Exhibition Introduction:
I was 12 when I first started using my parent’s camera on family outings. I’ll never forget going to a four wheel drive rally and finding just the right spot to photograph the vehicles as they made their way through all sorts of mud puddles and then waiting excitedly for the local pharmacy to have the prints ready. Since then it’s been a constant search, looking for moments of beauty or action to capture for people to view and enjoy. I’ll also never forget going on summer holidays to all corners of the Otago region, and some of the sights still last in the back of my mind – recalled as I revisit some locations all these years later.
The only time I’ve really put the camera down is when I embarked on my teaching career that has seen me teach primary school both here and in the United Kingdom. These days I try and balance the life of a primary school teacher with the life of a photographer
Once I was well into my teaching career a shift happened between photography growing into a passion and the desire and aspiration to be more creative. Hidden within the cracks and spaces that separate passion, desire and creativity, a transition started to happen – a transition from Photographer to Artist.
At the moment, I’m increasingly viewing the world through an arrangement of shape, colour, angle, perspective and light. For some reason, I’m drawn to the notion of annotating and transcribing the world around me, not as a passive bystander but as an active participant who alternates between participant and observer, exploring and experiencing new places, sights and sounds. I also find that the notion of telling a story in a single frame, making the viewer feel something and documenting through images and words is highly intriguing to me. Rather than chasing the perfect shot, I’m interested in journeys, voyages and stories.
Silent Observations
This collection of images is based on the notion of Silent Observations. These Silent Observations happen in slow brain time, where looking is more important than doing. It’s a story, a moment, a time, a place, a feeling, a state of mind and a sense that time can stand still. This is my own wee corner of the world, where I share the stories behind my images while trying to seeking out and capture the still, silent and timeless places in New Zealand’s South Island. In a way all these images are my observations and annotations, the things I’ve noticed or will try to explain by way of viewing, watching and looking. My notes aren’t taken with a pen, they’re taken with a camera as I quietly watch the world go by for a while.
My images are about the human experience; the curiosity and inquisitiveness to explore; to feel and to hear. These are my stories, my Silent Observations of this life as I journey from place to place.
I hope you enjoy
John Caswell
There Grows The Human Spirit (2014).
White Island and Saint Clair Beach, St Clair – Dunedin.