The Old Dunstan Trail

In the old days this was the quickest way inland to the gold fields. Nowadays it is a popular route for 4WD enthusiasts. As an indication of how remote this road is the trail is often closed in the winter.

Big country

The hinterland of the south is Central Otago which is full of vast wide open spaces. To the casual observer it appears to be deserted and desolate with not even a single tree for miles and miles.

Welcome to Paradise Part 3

The view looking north from Mt Cargill is equally spectacular. On right is Port Chalmers and Taiaroa Head.

Welcome to Paradise Part 2

This slightly compressed view of Otago Harbour stretches from Port Chalmers on the left through to Dunedin city on the right.

Welcome to Paradise Part 1

Sometimes a single photo cannot convey adequately the grandeur of New Zealands landscapes. Fortunately in photography there is a away to overcome this limitation by creating ultra wide angle photos called panoramas.

Earlier in the year I started this blog with a view of Otago Harbour from Mt Cargill. I thought it appropriate to finish 2005 with a series of photos taken from the same spot. If you look carefully you will see this panorama gives a complete view of Otago Harbour from Taiaroa Head on the left through to Dunedin City on the right. Hint: 9 individual photos were "stitched" to create this panorama.

The Hinterland Awaits Our Gaze

Coastal Otago has been a major theme of this blog but there is another side to southern New Zealand that needs to be explored. In this photo we see the vast Central Otago hinterland. It is a land of extreme beauty.

A Place to Unwind

St Clair Beach on a winter morning

The Blue Road

Intense violet blue flowers line this country road near Wanaka in spring.

Wild Flowers in the Springtime

There are many road sides where wild flowers grow in the spring in amazing abundance. This photo was taken near Wanaka in Central Otago last year. The intense violet blue of these flowers is actually far more vivid than my camera could portray.