New Zealand: Two Weeks in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Points South

THE JOURNALS OF A TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER — SERIES —

NEW ZEALAND Two Weeks in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Points South

NEW Zealand Two Weeks in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Points South

THE JOURNALS OF A TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER SERIES

this page : The Sky Tower rises in the distance behind the blooms of Auckland’s Victoria Garden.

Michael C. Snell is a travel photographer

rightt :

books and websites worldwide. Michael says,

The problem with attending many conventions is that this is often the only view that you have of your location — a quick glimpse out of a window while grabbing a coffee before heading into a meeting.

Luckily, I did get several opportunities to get out and explore during the 2011 Annual Convention of the Society of American Travel Writers.

based in Lawrence, Kansas. His images have been published in numerous travel guides, magazines, “Travel photography is about capturing what is unique about a place through images of its people, architecture, landscape, food and other details that are telling of the culture.” He shoots on assignment and also licenses stock images through a variety of agencies and outlets.

Each book in the “Journals of a Travel Photogra-

pher” Series looks at one specific photo-gathering trip Michael has made. Some of these trips were of his own making, scheduled specifically to be at the right place at the right time for best light. In other cases, they were press trips arranged for groups of journalists—largely comprised of writers. That type of trip can be challenging to a photographer as they tend to be tightly scheduled with little time at any given location. The trips are intended as introductions or overviews to a place the journalist might not already be familiar with.

Similarly, these books are not intended to be

complete, in-depth studies of a place or culture.

Instead, they are a record of a brief journey—an opportunity for the rest of us to “ride along” and experience life as a professional photographer working on location.

To learn more about Michael, his photos, or other books in this series, visit his website at michaelcsnell.com.

In November of 2011, I was concluding a two-year term as the Freelance Council Chair of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). My final Board meeting was held in Auckland, New Zealand, immediately prior to the Convention, in Wellington. My term officially ended at a dinner hosted at Wellington’s amazing Te Papa museum.

Afterward I spent a few days exploring the South Island’s Otago Region, Southland and Stewart Island. Given the duties that were required of me, this was a particularly hectic trip, but New Zealand made it all worthwhile and I hope that you’ll see that inside these pages.

New Zealand is a photographer’s paradise. There is so much to explore with its iconic fjord and mountain regions.

If anyone wasn’t familiar with those landscapes before, they were after seeing the Lord of the Rings films.

I actually made a conscious decision to bypass those more well-known (and heavily photographed) areas and to, instead, explore the southeastern coast of the South Island. This was an area that I felt I might better be able to cover in the short time that I had in the country. It was a decision that I’ve never regretted as I found the region to be enchanting and the people so welcoming.

The rest will just have to wait for a return trip.

©2013 Michael C. Snell, all rights reserved.

Michael C. Snell Photography is a division of Shade of the Cottonwood, L.L.C., a creative services company based in Lawrence, KS.

MICHAELCSNELL.COM

NEW Zealand Two Weeks in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin and Points South

November 3-6, 2011:

AUCKLAND

left :

My view from Auckland’s SKYCITY Grand Hotel with a glimpse of Waitemata Harbour in the distance. The hotel is part of the SKYCITY entertainment complex located at the Sky Tower.

above : Given the limited time I would have between meetings while in Auckland, I traded a nap upon arrival for a long walk to explore the city and get my bearings. The iconic Sky Tower always pointed me safely back to the hotel.

High-end shopping districts and large urban green spaces like Albert Park (at right) were all easy walking distance from my hotel. These two views (above and right) are probably less than three blocks from each other.

next page , left :

Auckland sports some incredible street art like this mural located in St. Kevin’s Arcade on Karangahape Road. next page , right : Wellesley Street with Albert Park on the right and the Sky Tower in the distance.

Art and architecture often merge on Auckland’s streets.

Located just on the edge of Albert Park is the Auckland Art Gallery, home to over 15,000 works of art.

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Waiheke Island is just a short ferry ride from downtown Auckland. Also known as the “Island of Wine,” Waiheke boasts several vineyards—not to mention the Waiheke Island Brewery—and many fantastic dining opportunities.

November 7–11, 2011:

Wellington

With my Board Meeting in Auckland finished, I moved on to Wellington for the core SATW Convention. A quick walk upon arrival demonstrated just how hilly this Capitol city is.

above : Known as “The Beehive,� this unique building is the Executive Wing of the New Zealand Parliament Buildings. Parliament House is seen at right in the foreground.

The New Zealand Museum, Te Papa Tongarewa. The Maori name literally translates to “container of treasures.� Collections encompass the areas of art, history, Pacific, Maori, and natural environment.

A sculpture along Cable Street in downtown Wellington.

left :

It bears repeating: walking in Wellington reveals the hills that the city was built upon.

The Government Buildings Historic Reserve is said to be the second largest wooden structure in the world. Built in 1876, it now houses the Victoria University of Wellington’s Law School.

The view of downtown Wellington and Oriental Bay from the overlook on Mount Victoria.

As part of a half-day excursion, we visited some of Wellington’s landmarks including its famed cable car and the Hall of Memories at the National War Memorial.

Craft beer thrives in Wellington and I was lucky enough to get to sample some local varieties at the Malthouse, and experience a phenomenal food and beer pairing at St Johns Bar and Restaurant.

day trip to Greytown Wairarapa, new zealand

Eager to see more of New Zealand, I joined a day trip by train to the village of Greytown to get the flavor of a less urban environment.

These details from my short visit to Greytown show that the village is actually anything but grey. A popular weekend getaway, it’s full of color and whimsy at every turn.

One big advantage for North Americans who visit New Zealand in November is the fact that it is spring and flowers are blooming everywhere you look.

Back in Wellington in time for sunset over Oriental Bay with St Gerard’s Monastery on the hillside.

November 12–14, 2011:

Dunedin

With my convention in Wellington over, it was time to do some real exploring around the beautiful city of Dunedin and along the coast to Stewart Island, off the very southern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.

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One of Dunedin’s many highlights is its historic train station, built between 1903 and 1906 and designed by Sir George Alexander Troup, CMG.

First Church, another of Dunedin’s architectural gems, was designed

by Robert Lawson in 1862.

Lan Yuan, Dunedin’s Chinese Garden, officially opened to the public in 2008 and is one of only a handful of authentic Chinese gardens outside of China—the only one in New Zealand.

Dunedin’s Baldwin Street is said to be the world’s steepest residential street with a maximum slope of 35%.

Built between 1904 and 1907, Olveston was opened as a house museum in the late 1960s. Its surrounding gardens are also worthy of a visit.

A view across Dunedin toward Otago Harbour.

Home for this part of my trip would be the Hotel St. Clair whose location provided a perfect starting point for early morning beach walks along the St. Clair Esplanade.

Above is the view from my balcony.

coastal walks at St. Clair Dunedin, new zealand

left :

A stunning view of Otago Harbour along the Otago Peninsula from Highcliff Road.

above : A Maori Meeting House in Portobello on the Otago Peninsula.

larnach Castle otago, new zealand

Larnach Castle, built in 1871, is now open for tours and events.

The castle provides a glimpse of life as it was for a wealthy early resident of the Otago Peninsula.

Above, high tea is served in the ballroom.

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Larnach Castle and the incredible view from the rooftop.

It’s a tight squeeze on the way up, but well worth the effort.

At the far tip of the Otago Peninsula, a winding road leads to Taiaroa Head and the Royal Albatross Centre where visitors can view various birds like these Red-Billed Gulls.

The bird everyone hopes to see, of course, is the Royal Albatross.

Excursion boats take visitors offshore to have a better chance of glimpsing one of these enormous birds with wingspans of 10 feet and more.

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One last morning on the beach at St. Clair before moving on toward the Southlands and, eventually, Stewart Island.

Kaka Point and the Catlins otago region, new zealand

The beach at Kaka Point, New Zealand.

The Catlins, or Catlins Coast, is a scenic and sometimes rugged area along the South Island’s southeastern coastline. The region is not heavily populated but is home to several endangered bird species, including the Yellow-Eyed Penguin.

Nugget Point’s rocky coastline as seen from the Nugget Point Lighthouse.

left :

Purakaunui Falls in the Catlins of New Zealand’s South Island were once featured on a New Zealand postage stamp.

above : Sheep grazing on a grassy hillside in the Southlands.

yellow-eyed penguin south island, new zealand

A rare opportunity for a close encounter with a Yellow-Eyed Penguin suddenly presented itself while I was photographing the petrified trees at Curio Bay. With a population thought to number fewer than 4,000, it is considered one of the rarest penguin species.

stewart Island new zealand

I unfortunately never caught site of a Kiwi while in New Zealand (they’re generally nocturnal), but they can be found on Stewart Island, as indicated by the road signage.

I doubt Stella is the only one to feel this way about Stewart Island, located off the southern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.

The town of Oban on Stewart Island is home to most of the 400 people that permanently inhabit the island.

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A panoramic view from Stewart Island across Golden Bay with Iona Island in the left foreground and Ulva Island beyond it.

Ulva Island Sanctuary new zealand

Ulva Island provides an opportunity to see New Zealand as it once was.

Eradication programs keep the island rat-free to allow bird species to thrive that have difficulty in other, more inhabited, areas on the mainland.

top left :

A New Zealand Kaka is a member of the parrot family.

bottom right :

This small New Zealand Robin didn’t seem to possess any fear of humans nearby.

This anchor chain sculpture by Russell Beck at Stirling Point on New Zealand’s South Island symbolically links with a twin sculpture at Lee Bay on Stewart Island.

Distances to far-flung destinations around the world are indicated on this famous signpost at Stirling Point in Bluff, New Zealand.

The collections of the Southland Museum and Art Gallery in Invercargill include a breeding colony of Tuatara—lizard-like reptiles unique to New Zealand.

One Tuatara, a 110-year-old named Henry, has his own blog.

On last glimpse of spring at Queen’s Park before returning to a wintery November back in the northern hemisphere.

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The rocky coastline of Cosy Nook near Riverton on New Zealand’s South Island.

THE JOURNALS OF A TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER SERIES

technical notes :

The following is a list of the equipment I took with me on this trip and that produced all of the photos in this book. All images were RAW captures, processed in Lightroom 4. The book itself was designed in Adobe InDesign CS6 and printed using Blurb.com

M ICHAE LCSNE L L .C OM

Special thanks to the hosts of our SATW Annual Convention: New Zealand Tourism, Air New Zealand and Wellington Tourism. Thanks also to Wellington photographer Simon Woolf, all of our guides and everyone else who worked so hard to make this trip happen.

camera bodies :

Nikon D700 and Nikon D7000 Nikkor 17-35mm, 80-200mm and Tamron 18-270mm zooms.

Nikkor 60mm micro prime lenses. lenses :

To learn more about Michael C. Snell’s photography or to find out about other books in this series, visit michaelcsnell.com

IN NOVEMBER OF 2011, I was concluding a twoyear term as the Freelance Council Chair of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). My final Board meeting was held in Auckland, New Zealand, immediately prior to the organizations’ Annual Convention in Wellington. My term officially ended at a dinner hosted at Wellington’s amazing Te Papa museum. Afterward I spent a few days exploring the South Island’s Otago Region, Southland and Stewart Island. Given the duties that were required of me, this was a particularly hectic trip, but New Zealand made it all worthwhile and I hope that you’ll see that inside these pages.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael C. Snell is a travel photographer based in Lawrence, Kansas.

Shooting on assignment and for stock, his images have appeared worldwide in a variety of travel guides, magazines, websites, brochures and books. He is a photographer member of the Society of American Travel Writers.

ABOUT THE SERIES: In this series of books, Michael shares images he made during his photographic travels along with behind-the-scenes notes on their capture. The images are arranged more or less chronologically, recording the images that were made day by day and giving some small insight into what life can be like when you’re on the road, and working. It’s only glamorous some of the time.

©2013 Michael C. Snell, all rights reserved.

Michael C. Snell Photography is a division of Shade of the Cottonwood, L.L.C., a creative services company based in Lawrence, Kansas.

MICHAEL C SNELL PHOTOGRAPHY

assignment & stock travel images

WWW.MICHAELCSNELL.COM