1 minute read
Astrophotographer RACHEL GILLESPIE
Rachel Gillespie, Astrophotographer and Adventure Guide in the Mackenzie
I grew up outside, with a love of horses, lakes and mountains. She says: ‘without nature evolving, everything falls apart; the eco systems we have here are incredibly valuable and important, both on land and in the sky’.
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Photographer, Rachel Gillespie
What is one of your favourite nature spots in the Mackenzie region?
I am based out of Twizel which is a great base and a really awesome place for holidays, being such a diverse landscape. My favourite spot is right out the back of nowhere, where there is no one else, the tussocks, the river and the mountains. I love the silence.
Twizel scenery
© Rachel Gillespie
Can you share one of the best places for stargazing lovers to explore the night sky?
The Mackenzie is incredibly fortunate to be a Dark Sky Reserve one of the darkest places in the World, namely the Aoraki Mackenzie Dark Sky Reserve. Lake Tekapō is probably the most well-known but there are many amazing spots close to Twizel, Lake Pūkaki and of course Aoraki Mt Cook. On my tours I have a few secret spots I take people to that are very dark.
Lakeside Lodge, Tekapō
© Rachel Gillespie
As a nature-lover and a Kiwi, what are you most of proud of?
I have travelled to many countries and lived overseas for five years. I came home in 2005 and reckon we live in the best place in the world, for the food we produce, the spectacular outdoors and the freedoms that we are so lucky to have. What I am most proud of is taking my children out into nature, teaching them about conservation. They tell people their happiest days are having those adventures; to me that is success in life.
What is your favourite New Zealand walk?
As a family our favourite walk is the Tasman Glacier Track at Aoraki Mt Cook. It’s our go-to place when friends and family visit. You see nature, birds, mountains, river, ice and the glacier moraine all in less than an hour. It also has incredible night skies on a clear night and is reasonably easy to get to, with spectacular results. Every time you take a photograph there, it is different.
