Some shots of Southland

Here are a few shots of my adopted region for the next few months, hopefully.

Bluff Harbour from Bluff Hill lookout. Looking roughly East.
Bluff is a small Port town at the Southern tip of the New Zealand mainland. Famous for it's oysters it also serves as a ferry terminal to Stewart Island. There is a very large Aluminium plant across the water on Tiwai Point. This has it's own jetty on which a large bulk carrier ship has docked on the left of the frame. Bauxite (Ore) comes from Queensland, Australia.

Due to the large amounts of electricity required to produce Aluminium a hydro electric power station was built a few hundred kms away near Lake Manapouri as a joint project.
Not far away is the sleepy hamlet of Omaui. Abalone shellfish or 'Paua' as the locals call it can be harvested here at low tide but there are strict quotas and size regulations. No more than 1o per person per day and all over 125mm long
Invercargill fashion.
The Oreti River.
Diffuse rainbow at Sandy Point (Opposite Omaui)

Inland Southern Cantebury \ Otago

Journey inland from Christchurch through the Southern Alps

Trusty Toyota - Aussie built Jap technology ... ready for the mountain passes
Lake Tekapo, possibly one of the most frequently photographed churches in NZ.


Sunrise from Buscot sheep station - they breed top quality Merino sheep for direct export to Italian suit makers. This farm won the top prize for Merino wool in NZ recently. It is also a backpackers but you wouldn't know it. Basically a very welcoming farmhouse.


I took an early walk up from the valley floor to the Benmore ranges at roughly 2000m. It was hard and my legs are still burning from the run down but it was worth it. From the top I had views of lake Pukaki, Mount Cook (tallest in NZ at 3754m) and Lake Ohau.

Mt Cook at mid left of frame.
The farm beneath - recet irrigation as increased production by 2500% and curbed the problem of wild rabbits and non native weeds taking over the landscape. Increased UV concentration has damaged the delicate native species and allowed more hardy weeds to flourish.
Now in Otago - Queenstown hill and the Coronet Peak ski fields in the distance.
The remarkables
Coronet Peak on right.
Queenstown beneath - lively town amongst rugged landscape.