New Zealand quick trip home

[wilgk]

Hi all, I've been away a bit & having some family things happening.
I hope to be a regular here again as the year progresses.
My parents moved into an apartment in a Retirement village in June. I popped across to help them settle in, set up some things.
I booked all 3 of us on a wee trip from Rangiora where they are, over to the West Coast & then anther overnight to Mount Cook.
They had the hottest June in recorded history this year, and the alpine regions looked like summer conditions, not winter.
It has snowed now, but not then.
I want to work a bit more on a Mount Cook image before sharing it, but here are several of conduit a as we went along.

Cape Foulwind, near Westport





Ocean Road between Westport & Greymouth, one of the top scenic drives in the country.



Arthur's Pass, we came back west to east, apparently it is better to go east to west, not sure why.



Milky Way from Mt Cook village, it was pretty amazing, I've never tried this sort of photography before, but in that location in NZ you just need to look up, the night did have some low cloud, so I couldn't get the mountain or anything of interest in the foreground, but I would love to have another go at it sometime.



Lake Taupo, looking from the Church of the Good Shepherd



Thank you for looking & maybe commenting, as I look to getting back to doing more of the same here.

[Wavelength]

Except the first image, i liked all the images posted here; I am not much happy with the foreground in #1

[DickyOZ]

There is some stunning scenery 'across the ditch' Kay and you have captured it really well.

[Donald]

Superb scenic photography, Kay. O note Nandakumar's comment, but the first one appeals to me enormously. And as for 'Ocean Road between Westport & Greymouth', well as they say, it's all about the light. Gorgeous.

[John 2]

Lovely series Kay. NZ remains on our bucket list and these shots explain why. Ocean Road and Arthur's Pass reinforce the minds eye image I've always had. Lovely stuff.

[Shadowman]

Nice series.

[Geoff F]

Good images, Kay, but I think I might have second thoughts about the foreground of #2 which has a lot of very dark areas that tends to overpower the delicate sky.

Maybe, rather reluctantly, crop the bottom and lose those the rocks plus a little from the left as well to leave about half of the dark hedge (and go to a wider size ratio) which would give far more impact to the sky. I suspect that any attempt to brighten the dark area instead would just create poor muddy tones which wouldn't really work.

I don't really have a problem with the foreground of #1 but cropping tighter at the bottom and going wider would create a different sort of scene.

[wilgk]

Thank you Gentlemen,
Nandakumar, I understand, it is a different angle, I hoped the driftwood might be a lead in to the scene.
Thanks Richard.
Thank you Donald, it is a lovely place, your comments are very kind.
Thanks John, you really should go! If you can, but I'm sure people would tell me that with regard to England, Ireland, Scotland & Wales.
I might come your way one day, but I'll get though NY with Fasionista first
Thank you John
Thanks Geoff, I see what you mean, I am I think someone who probably has a tad underexpose lean compared to others.
Good advice & I'll have a play with the image.
We went to see the sunset on the west coast over the water, as my parents and us in Australia live on the East.
I'm glad I stayed that bit later & turned around, to see the colour changes over the land.

[Tronhard]

Hi Kay

As a fellow Kiwi I always love to see images of "home", even if I have another over here in Canada!

The images of the coast road, Arthurs Pass and Lake Tekapo's Good Shepherd church certainly bring back great memories - although the one of the braided rivers of Arthurs Pass have mixed ones: I almost drowned trying to cross one of those in flood when I was starting a tramp.

For myself I might have been tempted to try cropping both 1 and 2 at their bases, but really I just love to see NZ!

[JohnRostron]

Except the first image, i liked all the images posted here; I am not much happy with the foreground in #1

I liked them all. For the first, I found the driftwood an important part of the composition.

John

[bnnrcn]

A beautiful set Kay #3 is my fav and although it is nice as is I would crop some of the water in order to put the horizon off center.

[ST1]

Kay thank you for sharing this series, we visited both North and South Island in 2014 and we shall be returning early 2017. Your thread has made me reflect on our trip through Arthur's Pass. Like you we did the journey West to East, I remember stopping to make a similar image to your 4th image (but without the snow it was February in 2014) we may try it in the reverse next year. Wonderful set of images, well captured.


Best Regards
Peter

[wilgk]

Thank you Trev, John, Binnur & Peter for viewing & comments. I plan to make a book form this trip, so editing suggestions still very welcome.
I may have another visit before I get around to making the book, but that's ok.
Peter, if I can help in any way with Itinerary advice on the Sth Island, let me know.

As you will know already, the distance looks close on Google Maps, it takes a lot longer in real life to get from A to B.
The NZ AA guide/site has the most accurate estimates of travel time.

This trip was 2 short out & back from our base at Rangiora near ChCh.
Once you get to the West Coast, you have to go way down to Wanaka to get back, if you want to go to Mt Cook, which was too far for my folks.

I have another Itinerary that heads through the middle then north & across the top around Marlborough Sounds, which would be beautiful that time of year.

Sorry I've rambled on !

[IzzieK]

#1 I would have cropped a little down the bottom but my thought of a small crop was so minimal, it is almost negligible. #2 is an excellent colour gradation. Love that one! In #3, The mists made this shot good for me. Good composition.

Re #4, Arthur's Pass, the West Coast ascent is steeper and quicker. East to West is more advisable as you have the hour-long build-up driving towards the Alps across. As many had already said, looking towards the Alps is much better than leaving them behind you. Does that make sense? #5 looks lovely…I still have to have a go at a Milky Way…

Strange...where you live there is the Great Ocean Road, very scenic. In NZ too?

[wilgk]

Hi Izzie, thank you for your comments & suggestions.
Yes we do have the 'Great Ocean Road' right where I live now, both drives are winding roads close to the ocean, but they are different in many ways too.
I'm glad I've seen both now.