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by WJaekel on Sun Jun 25, 2023 4:49 pm
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For 2024, I'm considering my first visit to New Zealand for photography and already did a lot of search for the best locations and conditions, of course. Basically I would like to travel to both islands in the available period of 4-5 weeks including the time to get to/from NZ:. I'm thinking of renting a campervan, and maybe complement the private trip with a guided photo workshop . Of course, the Fjordland with Milford Sound is very high on my priority list but there are many other places to see, too. BTW, in this context, I was extremely shocked and sad to read about the vandalized Wanaka tree and I'm unsure if the motif is still worth the visit for photography.
I don't know if the vandals meanwhile have been spotted. But  it's obviously the new age of social media posers and culture of instagram we live in and those reports strengthen my decision to stay away from that stuff.

Anyway, there are a few aspects and questions I've been not able to decide yet and therefore would be very thankful for recommendations and opinions of experienced photogs who have been in NZ (or live there):

1) From what I've read, I don't intend to travel to NZ in the high season (around December) and neither in winter (July/August), because of the road conditions and restrictions etc.. Aside from those periods, the informations regarding the best time, e.g..concerning the weather, are pretty controversial. Some sources highly recommend November being the best time for "reliably dry weather,"  less wind (also less crowds, blooming lupins etc). To the contrary, some other portals predict a lot of rain showers to expect in spring with "days of rain common in most places". I'm aware that the situation can differ in various regions, of course and that there's never a guarantee. The situation may be even more unpredictable due to the climate change. However, it would be extremely disappointing to expect pouring rain for days with a high probability, e.g. at Milford Sound.
Alternatively to spring, many sources recommend autumn for the best time and it's interesting to see that most local phototours that are specialized for landcapes including the Fjordland, are scheduled for April/May. I don't know if that period primarily is chosen just because of the autumn foliage or the chances of better weather by then. I also cannot judge if the light conditions (lower sun ?) for photography at the "peak locations" are more preferable in autumn than in spring ?
So if I decide for travelling to NZ, the period probably comes down to November/early December or April/early May and therefore  I would very much appreciate the experiences and recommendations of the experts in this regard. Again, I know that I cannot "prebook" the weather but would like to chose the protentially best time - also with regard to the light condition. I likely will not come back to NZ given the costs and distance . 

2) As reported, the North Island had been hit by a devasting cyclone. I could not find more recent informations about the current situation, that's to say if there are still restrictions and changes, eg. affecting the geothermal areas (Rotorua etc) and other locations, specifically on the East of the North Island. Does anybody have insights or can provide further informations ? Of course, the situation can be different by next year. But for planning an optional route and itinerary, it would be helpful to consider the possible impacts of the cyclone.

3) My trip to NZ would be primarily focused on landcape photography. But birds and wildlife would be included, too, if  there's an opportunity.  However, I have  been thinking of leaving the big lenses (600mm or 200-400mm +Ext) at home for weight, and convience reasons, especially with regard to the 28h flight incl. stopovers and potential trouble at the multiple check ins.. I was considering just to bring the 100-400mm or RF 100-500mm. for longer reach but was surprised to read in a past thread here, that some photogs in fact voted for the 600mm. There's still plenty of time to decide but I would be interested in more opinions and experiences which lenses to bring for wildlife and birds.

Thank you very much for all recommendations  - with # 1 (best time to travel regarding weather and light) currently being the most important for me.


Wolfgang
 

by DavidSutton on Mon Jun 26, 2023 3:44 am
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I can't speak for the North Island but here in the south November/December can often be quite reasonable weather, but it's a bit of a gamble. Usually February to May is our best settled weather.
I the North, Tiritiri Matangi Island is great for bird photography. Rotorua for thermal landscapes (though it's expensive we think), and it's worth checking out the Mainline Steam Heritage Trust to see if they are running any trips. They are usually photo friendly and will drop passengers off at a suitable location and then reverse far back enough to build up a good head of steam as they pass. Also Castle Point for easy photos of gannets and just north of there for beach/sea.
The South Island is much larger and it's a good idea to spend more than half your time here.
Wanaka to Te Anau has many great landscape opportunities. Skippers Canyon is worth visiting. Don't try taking your campervan there, there are several photo friendly 4 wheel drive tour companies.When the autumn colour starts, anywhere from Twizel to Arrowtown to Queenstown is stunning. Late spring has all the wild lupins near Mt Cook, but given the choice I'd go for the autumn colour.
We really like Central Otago from Dunedin through Middlemarch to Naseby and Ranfuly to St Bathans. If you are in that part of NZ St Bathans is worth a visit.
Slope Point (for spooky trees) and Nugget Point are classics.
Unless you want to photograph small birds I wouldn't lug a 500mm lens around.
The boats that do bird photo trips out of Akaroa and Stewart island are pretty cool.
Keep an eye on the weather, especially if you are out in the mountains. A hot day can turn to snow in a few hours. Don't try the mountain passes if there's heavy rain forecast. Just up the road from us in the Lewis Pass one campervan company lost 3 vehicles in a day.
David
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by WJaekel on Mon Jun 26, 2023 10:36 am
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David, thank you very much for your post with lots of extremely helpful informations and recommendations :-) It looks like April/May actually is a better time for landscape photography in NZ with higher chances of preferable weather, maybe including the soft/warm autumnal light as a bonus. Perhaps that's the reason why most serious phototours - especially on the South Island - are scheduled in that period, too. I don't know yet if I would like to include such an organized tour or photo workshop, too, or just rely on a private trip for more flexibility and time. Anyway, I hope that I can arrange a trip for autumn to make the best of it with spring (November) just remaining the second choice. I accidentally came across the stunning galeries from Rach Stewart :
https://www.rachstewartphotography.com/ ... photograph. The photos were taken at different times of the year, though and certainly over a longer period since he is based in New Zealand, too. Nevertheless, the images are inspiring and I've seen beautiful photos from other photogs, too. That said, I'm no hiker or climber the more as my aging knee can prevent me from extended hiking tours. So there may be some limitations.
As for birds and wildlife, I tend to stick with my reasoning and your recommendation to leave the 600mm at home and just bring the RF 100-500mm which should offer enough reach for penguins, albatross, gannets, sea lions, whales etc. In fact, I don't know about the chances to see smaller NZ birds or Kiwis, Keas etc. unless you exclusively look for them on hikes in wooden or mountainous habitats or join special birding tours. But at this point my visit primarily would be focused on landscape photography as mentioned in my original post.
I certainly would like to visit the geothermal landscapes and other known areas in the North, too, but have yet to find out if there are still restrictions in consequence of the cylone by then and check out the local operators for trips as you recommend.

Many thanks again and best regards

Wolfgang
wjaekel-foto.de
 

by DavidSutton on Tue Jun 27, 2023 4:17 am
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Hi again Wolfgang.
I forgot to mention Wingspan, the national bird of prey centre near Rotorua. You can get very close to the birds safely.
As to kiwis, they are nocturnal. The only place I have seen them in the wild is on Stewart Island from dusk.
The Orokonui  Sanctuary just north of Dunedin has easy to photograph wild native birds in the native bush there. Because there are feeding stations they are not too shy around individuals. Fantails and bush robins you will see anywhere in the bush. They will come within a meter looking for insects, but as for the fantails, good luck trying to get a sharp image!
I hesitate to mention this, but for us the premier thermal site is White Island. It is an active volcano and dangerous. We did a tour some years ago and got amazing images. In 2019 sixteen visitors were killed in an eruption, so I don't know if tours are still going. Most of our party wore gas masks, but you can't photograph wearing one of those so we were given lollies to suck. The sulphur gasses are very hard on camera gear.
D
David Sutton
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by WJaekel on Tue Jun 27, 2023 7:09 pm
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Hi David, thank you very much for the additional informations. Yes, I've seen some photographs of White Island which obviously is a fascinating spot, indeed. I remember, that the death of the visitors had even been reported on the news here, too. And one German tourist died half a year after the eruption as a result. Obviously 22 people were killed after all. So I'm not sure I would take the risk of exploring the volcano up close in the face of these fatal accidents and its evident danger though the views probably are amazing. Anyway, from what I read, at least WIT operator is out of service. There are also reports that this location is permanently closed respectively was still off-limits for foot traffic as of January 2023. I don't know, maybe there are still offers of helicopter round flights, though, that could be a good compromise, time and itinerary permitting. Anyway, previous boat trips had been reported to be pretty bumpy and prone to seasickness.
I know about the impact of volcanic gasses on cameras and lenses since I've been to Iceland several times, e.g. for the Fimmvörðuháls eruption 2010; I was in the Mutnowski crater and at the edge of the still active Tolbachik crater in Kamchatka, too. There are some photos on my website. I cannot judge if Rotorua is worth a visit for photography - or if it's just an overpriced and crowded touristic bubble, though. But I came across some beautiful images of Champagne Pool and other colorful hot springs that reminded me of my visit to Yellowstone NP in the predigital age 30 years ago.

Thank you also for the helpful informations for photographing birds. The Wingspan Bird of Prey Center currently is under construction according to their Website. But visits still seem to be possible with some restrictions. I checked the site of  Orokonui Sanctuary, too. It's obviously a very nice place because of the natural enviroment and choice of tracks. So I consider to include one of those locations in the itinerary if possible. 
Thanks again for your input !

Wolfgang
www.wjaekel-foto.de
 

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