Otago Peninsula Honesty Box

Harington Point Road  Honesty Box

With caution, I’d spent the afternoon negotiating the Otago Peninsula Road. I say with caution as there were lots of tourists in campervans and rental cars who always make the summer roads a bit of a lottery. The peninsula road begins at Andersons Bay Inlet at the head of Otago Harbour and winds its way for 26 kilometres to Taiaroa Head where there’s an albatross colony. As a drive it’s quite spectacular. The coastal road passes through small settlements, past beaches, boat moorings, marinas, boat ramps, and jetties by the dozen. Along the way there’s also places where you can see fur seals, sea lions, penguins and all manner of bird life. There’s art galleries you can visit, cafes and restaurants to pass the time at and of course the classic honesty box sitting by the odd farm gate or fence.

I must confess, there aren’t many honesty boxes that I don’t pull over at. In fact, I’ve been known to put money in the box without actually buying anything. I think it’s the element of surprise I love best. On this occasion, not only were there fresh eggs and tomatoes, but decorative paua shells and other assorted items for sale. Looking over the display, I decided that there wasn’t anything I really needed, however it didn’t seem right to leave without making some type of contribution. So, I found $4 in the car and popped it into the payment tin. I figured it was payment for the photo.

Taieri Mouth Cribs

Taieri Mouth Cribs 

I stand in front of two signs. One is a formal council sign with white lettering on a blue background that reads ‘Boat Harbour’. The second is less formal. It’s made out of a surfboard that’s stuck in the ground that has red and black lettering. It reads ‘Slow Down. Free range kids! Slow!’ As I look at the surfboard my eyes drift across the road to a crib close by. For a moment my mind skips between the words crib and batch. My thoughts linger on how the use of the word crib or batch depends on where in Aotearoa you’re from. My attention moves back to the crib, then the surfboard, then finally once more to the crib.  

The longer I look the more I notice various objects like; flagpoles, boats, flower pots, ornamental fish and a lifebuoy. My eye drifts over the whole scene and arrives back at the surfboard and a boat not far off. It all seems so very typical backyard Aotearoa

First Church In Dunedin

First Church in Dunedin 

I sit down on a shady piece of grass where the shadows of two trees meet. I’m wearing shorts, a t-shirt and jandals. On my head is a faded bucket hat and over my shoulder is a camera with a 10-22mm lens. Usually, I carry a backpack with other lenses and camera bodies, however today is different. Today I wanted to travel light. Having only one lens means I have less decisions to make. It means I become more focused on how I’m going to show the idea I have in my head. Some days it’s good to have more equipment and more options to shoot with, however today isn’t one of those days. 

The patch of grass where I now sit has been carefully chosen, it’s the spot where I have the view of the church that I want. It’s the spot that I find the most interesting, the spot that generates the most questions in my mind. Earlier, I walked around the grounds at the church at least three times to make sure I found the spot I wanted. Now, as I settle on the grass I look at the trees I’m sure I have. As the sun moves between the branches I look to a nearby park bench, then more trees. Beyond the trees is a flower bed that is filled with summer colours and past that a driveway. I turn to my right and observe a spacious grass lawn that has other church buildings sitting on the boundary line in the distance. In between all those, sits the old gothic church.

It’s not so much the church that I’m interested in, nor is it the trees, the park bench or grass but how all the objects interplay with each other. In this spot, I have questions. I have questions about the shapes, textures and spaces I see in front of me as I sit on this shady piece of grass. 

Summer Dusk At Second Beach

Stormwater Outlet at Second Beach – Buy 

I spent the evening exploring the beauty of Second Beach at St Clair. Along this stretch of beach, years of consistent wave movement have created great drifts of raggedly oval stones worn to a polished smoothness. They are nearly impossible to walk on since your feet sink with each step while at the same time having to navigate piles of driftwood that have washed up. The coast path above the beach is much easier and doesn’t require clambering up and down a bank to reach it. At any one time you’ll meet anyone and everyone from the young to old, those getting their daily fitness quota, surfers and people just enjoying a tranquil escape for 5 minutes. No matter which option you take, if it’s the beach or the path you’ll hear the sea, crashing into the shore creating a seemingly endless musical score of stones clattering on the water’s edge. It’s one of the most glorious places in Dunedin.

Kapiti Island Wildlife Sanctuary

Kapiti Island Reserve – Buy 

During the 1840s, the whaling trade/industry around parts of New Zealand had started to fade away. Kapiti Island was one of these locations. At this time, much of the land on the Island was cleared for farming and sheep, goats, pigs, deer, cats, and dogs were introduced. For the next forty to fifty years, the island was farmed until around 1900 when the government purchased most of the island and developed it into a predator-free, bird sanctuary.

Mangaweka & Cyclone Hale

The Rangitikei River – Buy

On my way through the North Island I had a look around the town of Mangaweka. I was hoping to see the DC-3 aircraft tearooms and cafe, however, to my disappointment it was no-longer in existence, having moved two years previously in 2021. For over 30 years, one of the North Island’s most famous landmarks was the elevated Douglas DC-3 aircraft installed in the middle of Mangaweka as a tearooms. Opening in 1984, it was a popular roadside stop on State Highway 1 in the central North Island until 2021 when the plane was moved and then put up for sale in 2023. 

So, with the absences of the DC-3 aircraft tearooms, I called in at the Mangarere/Rangitikei River rest stop as tropical cyclone Hale was moving down along the east coast of North Island

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre Buy 

Finding myself with no place to be, and with a bit of time to spare, I went for an amble around Christchurch. It had been a good five years since I’d visited the city centre and it was with interest that I strolled the streets around Cathedral Square. One of the new buildings I found (although hard to miss) was Te Pae. Te Pae, literally meaning “gathering place” in te reo Māori, is the new Christchurch Convention Centre.

Kapiti Island

Kapiti Island – Buy 

Accessible only by specific ferry companies, Kapiti Island is a wonderful place to spend some time. These days, the predator-free Island is managed by the Department of Conservation however back in the mid-1830s, there were up to five whaling stations on the island. At the time, European traders and whalers were populating the coastlines and so local iwi provided them with land, pigs, potatoes, dressed flax and women in return for guns, tobacco and alcohol.

The Cardrona Hotel

The Cardrona Hotel – Buy 

Dating back to 1865, the Cardrona Hotel is an iconic pub/hotel situated in the Cardrona Valley, that dates back to the Otago gold rush days. It had numerous owners of the years, however none more famous than proprietor James “Jimmy’ Patterson. Having purchased the hotel in 1926, Jimmy Patterson owned the establishment for 35 years until his death at the age of 91 in 1961. His attitude towards serving alcohol to patrons was legendary in the area. He preferred not to sell alcohol to women, and the amount you could drink depended on the direction you were heading. For those heading into Wanaka, he would allow two drinks while those heading over the Crown Range were limited to a single glass.

Kings Emporium & Vintage Clothing In Herbert

Kings Emporium Vintage Clothing – Buy 

Kings Emporium and Vintage Clothing is located on Otepopo Street in Herbert. That’s about 22 kilometres or 17 minutes (depending on your driving speed) from Oamaru. According to the shop’s Facebook page, the Emporium is currently closed while some house renovations happen. I can’t say I’ve ever been into the store, however I’ve always thought it would make interesting subject matter for a photo. 

The Head of Lake Wakatipu

The Head of Lake Wakatipu – Buy 

This is one of those fabulous locations and views of Lake Wakatipu where everyone stops for a photo. However, there’s a very good reason for that, and that’s because it is a simply wonderful spot. The lookout, which can be very exposed if you are travelling on a day when a weather front of wind and rain is passing overhead, provides a glorious vista of Lake Wakatipu in the Queenstown Lakes District. Looking up to the head of Lake Wakatipu you get an outstanding view of Big Geordie Peak, Major Peak, Minor Peak, Mount Earnslaw and Cosmos Peak. While, further round is the Routeburn Valley, Mount Bonpland and the Greenstone Valley.

The Dunstan

Dunstan House – Buy 

At one point in history, The Dunstan Hotel, or ‘The Dunstan’ as it was known locally was the most popular spot in Otago and possibly the entire country. At the height of the Otago Rush, miners from all over New Zealand and the world were flocking to the Otago region, as news of the ‘The Rush’ spread. The gold rush caused many small towns to grow rapidly, one of which was Cylde, known at the time as Dunstan. The Dunstan Hotel was originally built in 1863 and not only featured accommodation but dining, drawing and smoking rooms, as well as a theatre for Saturday night entertainment. It was also the stopping point for the famed Cobb & Co’s coaches that ran from Dunedin to ‘The Dunstan’ and journeyed further on to Arrowtown and Queenstown.

Glenorchy and Mt Bonpland

Mt Bonpland  – Buy 

The town of Glenorchy at the head of Lake Wakatipu is an amazing place. If you’re keen to get up early you’ll see some outstanding sunrises and in the evenings the sunsets are just as good. Add to that, in the warm summer months the dusks are long and the lake is splendid. It’s also a great access point for the Routeburn Track and the Paradise Valley.

Parliament House In Wellington

Parliament House in Wellington – Buy 

Here in New Zealand we’ve recently had an election. Well, it wasn’t really recent, it was held back in October. Saturday, 14th October to exact. Since then, it took another 40 days for a coalition agreement to be reached between three parties. It took nearly a month for all three party leaders to be in the same room, at the same time. Even then, they couldn’t agree who would be Deputy Prime Minister.

Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara

Boulder Beach, Ulva Island – Buy 

Ulva Island is one of only a few open, pest-free sanctuaries in New Zealand. Located in Patterson Inlet on Stewart Island, it has been pest-free since 1997 which has enabled native bird species to flourish.

The first visitors to Ulva Island were members of the Ngāi Tahu tribe who often visited the area as part of their food gathering trips. They also used to strip bark from Totara Trees for use in storing harvested muttonbirds. In fact, some sites where tōtara trees are stripped are dated to be nearly 200 years old.

Palmerston Sunrise

Palmerston Sunrise – Buy 

This is one of those images where I just happened to be in the right place, at the right time. I spied the glow from the sun as it appeared beyond the trees, at the same time creating wonderful beams of light shooting out in all directions. The only issue was the extremely heavy dew, only added to the recent heavy rain, meaning the grass wasn’t exactly stable to walk on.

Ross Creek Waterfall

Ross Creek Waterfall

Daily Photo

Ross Creek Waterfall Buy 

It feels a long time since I spent time going walkabout in the bush. I’m not sure why that is. Having no real photographic home, or location to stick to, I think at some point I simply arrived in town and started wandering the city streets from place to place and never stopped. So, the other day, feeling the need for a change in surroundings I headed into the bush.

The Arts Centre in Christchurch

The Arts Centre in Christchurch – Buy

These days a section of Hereford Street, Worcester Boulevard and Rolleston Avenue in Christchurch is known as the The Arts Centre. However, back in 1877 when the first building was opened it was known as Canterbury University College. After that, more buildings were added for both Christchurch Boys and Christchurch Girls High Schools until the campus grew so large that the high schools moved and the University took over the entire site. By the 1950’s, the University had grown so large that the University started to make plans to move to a large site. The first shift happened in 1957 when the Fine Arts department relocated. The Engineering department followed in 1959 and by 1975 the entire University had relocated. 

In 1978 the Arts Centre of Christchurch took over the ownership of the site which includes 22 buildings constructed in the Gothic Revival style.

KiriKiri Bay (Useless Bay)

Kirikiri Bay, Cape Palliser – Buy 

Sometime around the year 1827, French Explorer Dumont d’Urville named this location ‘Useless Bay.’ On account of the fact that at the time he was unable to go shore due to heavy seas. To some degree he was correct, as there is a long list of shipwrecks and stories of boats sinking after striking rocks along the rugged and dangerous coastline. These days, it’s better known as Kirikiri Bay and is right next to the Cape Palliser Lighthouse.