Fairy Tale Land

‘Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale of all’

– Hans Christian Andersen

Our New Zealand getaway was all about one of my very first photographic passions – landscape. We were spoiled by the weather throughout the whole trip – clear roads, clear skies, lots of pink and purple and orange clouds at sunrises and sunsets (I did hope too see snow falling but oh well, at least we did not have any disruptions due to closed roads). My tripod was out in the open, happy to finally be of service after a long landscape drought on my creative path.

If you find yourself in Queenstown make sure you make it to Glenorchy area too, a 50k drive along Lake Wakatipu, one of the most scenic drives we’ve ever experienced. Sometimes it can be a bit of a roller coaster, but is rather easy and comfortable for the majority of the way. Glenorchy feels so far away from everything, especially after getting lost on Queenstown’s busy streets. A bit of trivia: this little corner of the world was a set for the following movies: Lord of the Rings, X-Men, The Chronicles of Narnia and Vertical Limit. It does feel like you have stepped into a fairy tale when you stand there, surrounded by the snow-capped mountains and vast open space and silence.

Landscape photography in Queenstown is rather glamorous. You leave your hotel, stroll on a pathway along the lake shore to your chosen location for around five minutes, take a few long exposures, pack your tripod, and stroll back to town for a fancy dinner. My tripod had never been to so many nice eateries before!

And we made it to “The Tree” in Wanaka. This willow, rising out of the waters of lake Wanaka, might be the most photographed tree in New Zealand. Actually I think it really is the most photographed tree. And now I have a few images (quite a few as you can see!) of that lonely willow in my collection.

Ahh, the south of The South Island. We love your magic.