Wanaka Landscape Photography and the autumn colours

The autumn colours in the Wanaka landscape don't seem as vivid this year, and I've heard a story the local poplars may have a virus causing them to loose their leaves early. I hope not [does anyone know?], because this time of year is magic, especially if I get up early to be amongst it when the light of dawn touches the earth.

It's also duck shooting season, and this pair of Paradise ducks are wisely keeping well above the Clutha river mist, but none-the-less our presence on a cliff above their "beat" caused them stress, and they kept flying past us crying out, so I kept the photography to a minimum...


The mist slowly gets burnt off by the sun in this photo looking up the Clutha river towards Albert Town [almost now a suburb of what was once a sleepy Wanaka]. This shot illustrates my concern above re. a virus: most years the willows and the poplars are gold together. but not in this area, this year...


Although a bit "chocolate box" this scene appealed to me with the contrast of autumn colours against a landscape that's so unique to our Wanaka area, and New Zealand even...