New Zealand: Day 13
January 15, 2013
To my great dismay, the day began with pouring rain which continued until mid-afternoon. The skies remained dark and overcast even after the rain stopped. A drizzle picked up later in the afternoon. Temperatures were cooler: probably in the mid to upper 60s.
This is what our itinerary had to say for today's activities: "Travelling through Buller Gorge, a spectacular scenic drive, we visit Westport and the coast near Cape Foulwind. A moment to explore the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki before continuing to Greymouth. Visit Jade Boulder Gallery showcasing native jade (greenstone) mined in remote alpine valleys and crafted into jewelry." We did indeed pass through Buller Gorge, but with the weather conditions being as they were, the sights were shrouded in clouds and fog. We saw a melancholy monochromatic scene in shades of gray, with tints of dark green in the foreground. We could see the silhouettes of what we were missing, which made the trip all the more frustrating. It was almost as if the scenery and the weather joined together in taunting us.
The rain had stopped by the time we reached Cape Foulwind on the coast for a short stop. I did not see anything photogenic, so I didn't take any photographs. That is, until a couple of weka, kins of the kiwi, emerged from the ground cover and approached the bus. They were not intimidated by us at all; indeed, their attitude was more like one of curiosity and expectancy. Our driver confirmed that they were hoping for food. Incidentally, the location did not have a noticeably foul odor. Actually, Cape Foulwind got its name because it was at this location that strong winds blew Captain Cook's ship far away from shore.
Much more exciting, and the highlight of the day, were the Pancake Rocks at Punakaiki. Our timing was ideal because we had reached the site at high tide. The result was ocean spray shooting up through several blowholes at the site, as well as more spectacular scenes of waves crashing against the rocks.
I have included a few photos with this message. Silly me: I've been so focused on taking high resolution photographs with my Canon 60D, and having no way to upload those photos, I had completely forgotten that my iPad has a camera! The interface for Facebook is a bit different for tablet devices than it is for laptop and desktop systems, so it will be an experiment to see if I am able to include a photo with this status update. If I am successful, I will include a "photo of the day" with my updates from this point forward. The really good high resolution photographs will have to wait until my return.
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After seeing the Pancake Rocks, we continued down the coastal road towards Greymouth. This part of the trip reminded me greatly of California's Highway 1 between San Francisco and Big Sur. I readily admit that California has the more scenic coastal road, but the New Zealand trip was still quite beautiful. I made some efforts to take photographs from inside the moving bus, but the iPad versions didn't turn out well because reflections from inside the bus are caught in the picture. Perhaps the ones I took with my camera and the polarizing filter -- which helps eliminate these ghost images -- will be better.
I'll be spending some time this evening reviewing and culling my photographs. I use a technique called "bracketing" which entails taking three photographs of every scene; one is set at the exposure the camera light meter says is correct, another is slightly underexposed, and the third is slightly overexposed. The idea is that one of the three, like the experience of Goldilocks, will be just right.
We never made it to the Jade Boulder Gallery today, but I understand it is on the agenda for tomorrow morning before we leave Greymouth. Thankfully, the weather is supposed to improve tomorrow, because that is the day we are due to visit some of the South Island's alpine areas, with helicopter rides an option. If the weather is bad, then the helicopter rides will not be available, not to mention that it will detract from my ability to take the kinds of photos I want.
As the trip progresses, the contours of my return trip are starting to take form. The metaphor of this trip being a "wine tasting" of New Zealand becomes more and more apt. Some places have been seen and do not require a return visit. Other places demand longer visits so that I can make the kinds of photographs I want to take. Obviously I will rent a car (or maybe a camper van) so I will have more control over where I am able to stop. I noticed on today's trip that New Zealand did a better job of placing turnouts on the side of the road at scenic points so that drivers could pull over either to take photographs or just better appreciate the view.
Second, I will need to be much more flexible about how long I stay in one area. One thing photography has helped teach me is patience. I will wait and wait until everyone has moved outside of the frame of the picture I want to take (I don't like to have any people in my architectural or landscape photographs). I will wait until the lighting is just right for a photograph. Sometimes this requires more than one visit to a location. I've learned that the best light for photographs occurs in the early morning (within an hour of sunrise) or late afternoon (within two hours of sunset).
Therefore, when I return to New Zealand with an intensive photography trip in mind, I need to be prepared to stay in a location for several days until the weather is right. Thus far, the top sites for return visits are the Coromandel Peninsula, Abel Tasman National Park, and Buller Gorge. I have no doubt more will be added to this list as my journey through New Zealand moves forward.
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Last revised: August 26, 2015.
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