Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Back to church for some photo work

Hope you all had a good Christmas, and we have New Year to savour next!

I've been busy here in a hobby and interpretation sense working on a few of the Central Otago landscape photos of last weekend's trip to the Serpentine Church on Rough Ridge to the east of Poolburn Dam.

This is my favourite currently - I like the Hobbit like feelings it stirs in me...
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A nearby rabbiter's hut...
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No skies were harmed during the making of this image...
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All the best for 2011 dear readers

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Monday, December 20, 2010

A long way to go to church

I'm not sure when I learnt of it, or when the desire set in, but I have wanted to visit the Serpentine Church for many years. It was the highest church [about 1030 metres] in New Zealand, and is situated in a snow tussock basin 90 mins. drive south of the Old Dunstan Rd. or between Poolburn Dam and Lake Onslow The road is only open for a few months of the year, and is only easily negotiable, with no harm to the environment, when it's dry.

A plan for a landscape photography expedition was hatched with my good friend Roger, and it deemed we approach via the Ida Valley and Poolburn Dam [thanks to advice from Gilbert of Clean Green Images], using my favourite route: The Old Dunstan Road.

Poolburn Dam is host to many Kiwi cribs and batches...
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Owner of one batch, Dick, shows off his day's work...
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We were enthralled by the weather...
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It was a stunning evening for 4wd travel and we stopped often to enjoy the landscape and make some images...
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The local farmer is obviously a skilled metal worker...
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One of many stops to take in the immensity of the landscape...
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There is no way you can hurry on this track though, and we barely made it to catch the best light we've seen for many years...
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Around midnight we finally finished the photo shoot, and here Roger examines the fruits of his labours now on his laptop...
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I slept a troubled sleep though: there was something about this place I found very odd, and on discussing it with Roger, he felt the same. We certainly noted, that unlike other historic gold mining sites in Central Otago, there is just no evidence of other buildings - just a church literally in the middle of no where!


Dawn saw us under different weather...
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From the the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust web site: "The church was built at the forlorn site of the Serpentine Goldmine. The Serpentine Union church opened in July 1873, the minister was late attending and by the time he arrived the miners gathered had already been down to the hotel for refreshments and had been drinking heavily. After the first hymn was sung the miners in their drunken state demanded an encore, the minister was not impressed, he cut short the service and said that he would never return there for another service. It was later sold to a couple of miners, and has recently been restored by the Department of Conservation"

http://www.nzsouth.co.nz/goldfields/dunstrai.html




With rain threatening we thought it wise to get up on the tops again, rather than grapple with extreme four wheel driving on a wet and slippery track...
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A rabbiter's hut - two bunks, probably constructed in the 1940s, and still in mint condition...
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On the roof again to get a photography perspective that shows the hut in the context of the immense landscape...
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Back at Poolburn, and on a better road in the wet, we had a nine to noon snooze to catch up, and awoke to yet more stunning weather events...
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And on down to the Ida Valley and refreshing rain...
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Thanks Roger and Mylee for yet another memorable adventure

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Merry Christmas dear readers

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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A mini holiday Dunedin

There is nothing like a break by the sea when you live inland, and Dunedin has always been one of my favourite cities weather aside.

I'm not normally fanatical about making sunset images, but the colour and this tree caught me here...
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Carey's Bay
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I've always known these as Ice Plants, and I'm probably wrong re. name, but the colour...
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Purakanui...
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The new Dunedin Stadium, that is causing quite a bit of controversy...
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For myself no visit to Dunedin is complete without a visit to the Dunedin Botanical Gardens...
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Roller derby enthusiast Polly-Anna agreed to a photo shoot while I was visiting the Sat. morning Farmer's Market, at the Dunedin Railway Station...
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The Dunedin Railway Station's architecture is something I always marvel at...#alttext#

Wikipedia has a good article on the Railway Station

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Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Honouring my son

Dougal will be 18 in a few days time, but what elicited this post was the recent prize giving at school - his last, and suddenly days later I find myself beginning yet another passage in life. This one including a young working man striving to succeed at uni. next year.

A young man capable of wearing many hats...
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Showing traits of curiosity at an early age [with a willingness to skate on thin ice occasionally]...
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Able to reflect on life...
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An achiever at any pet parade and elsewhere...
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Resolute traveller...
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...with an ability to merge with any situation...
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A man of mystery indeed...
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Consumate explorer [about to head into an historic gold mining shaft]...
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Fisherman [with his first big fish]...
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Showing patience while waiting high on the Pisa Range for his dad...
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On stage he's adored...
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Always agreeable no matter where I've taken him...
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Aware of the potential in all situations...
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Knows when to tread lightly on the earth...
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The ideal companion on one of our most remote mountains...
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Lover of good music...
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Sportsman...
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At the helm of 28 tons of expedition yacht Elwing...
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Snappy dresser [this started to show at about age 3 or earlier!]...
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Last day at school last Friday...
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Don't ask me where the years went so quickly, but I'd recommend being a parent any day. In my case one who has had to learn more than once I was in the presence of a soul wiser and older than my own.

We are after all, only care-givers and caretakers for a short while!



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