Redwoods Rotorua

On a cool winter's day a trip to the Redwoods is a real great way to lift the spirits and get some quality walking into the weekend exercise program.

Rob, Robyn Sarah and yours T' took on the challenge of the purple track which is about 12 k long and took us just over 2 hours. There is a nice climb to over 500m and then a wide variety of tracks through bush, pine forest and cleared areas (shown). At the start of the walk and at the finish you walk through the proud and pristine Redwood pines. Beautiful.

Shame that when we got back into the car Rob said I can smell dog s*it! To my horror the thought of this on the mats of the new car got my entire attention. As luck would have it the guilty material was on Rob's shoe and not yet ingrained into the nice new mat.

Now the walk is not your hard out tramp but well worth the drive from Tauranga. If you have the time the longer walk might be worth the effort. The link takes you to the web page of the Taupo tramping club where they talk about these walks.

http://www.taupotrampers.com/redwoodsRotorua.pdf

Snow Day

Kys sent me these shots of the kids down for a day at Taupo and the mountain.

This is the BIG kid

Virgin 777

Brisbane Airport (phone camera through glass)

What's Behind The Camera?

In my case it can be a very undisciplined individual. When I leave home with the camera anything can become my unsuspecting subject.I seldom if ever have an agenda I just keep exploring my surroundings and looking for angles and lighting that will make appealing and hopefully insightful pictures. I think what may separate photographers from others is not the equipment hanging around the neck but how he/she may see things. A different perspective, stunning or subdued lighting, a beautiful person, face or place. Also you look for potential for post picture manipulation to emphasise what has been envisaged when the shutter is released. It's been said that photography is a window to life. For me thats so true.
There is nothing I am not interested in when I am out and about. Revisiting places many times to catch subjects in a new light.
What's behind the camera? Well an old guy with a keen interest in life and all that comes with it. Bring it on........
One famous New York street photographer was once asked "are you frustrated when  you are changing film and miss a great photo?" he said something like  "there are no photos when I don't have film in my camera"
Now things have changed and one thing digital technology has given us is capacity. It is possible to take thousands of shots on one storage card. I simply love digital photography it's opened up opportunity for creativity (in some cases too much). However in the haze of current technology advancements and all the nice toys that are available if the $$ can be found one should not forget the one thing that photographers for generations have appreciated, light! Simply explained light, lighting angle, lighting balance, intensity are what make an average picture a good or even great image to be appreciated. The old masters knew and understood the value of light. I am still learning after 35 years of photography. Long may it continue.

Kite Flight

Fergusson Park Tauranga

Mount & Tauranga Sea and Other Places

Shark Attack. How Not To Be Eaten!

Glass

Cooks River Tempe Sydney

Cut Wood

My Shoes

A very scary lesson.

                                                                                                 Thanks for the link Phil

Around Sunrise

The bridge and competing cloud bank

 Fishing boats and Tauranga buildings in the background

 Devonport Towers and rainbow

 Trinity Wharf through bridge legs

MV Pacific Hope

Marine Reach Youth With A Mission
On her maiden voyage as a medical humanitarian aid ship. This was the welcome at Mount wharf Saturday.
The vessel will operate out of Tauranga and Port Vila Vanuatu.

Interesting mix of faces

Tauranga

Panorama. Click to scan a large image.

This is Tauranga in the early morning winer light

Sunrise & Sunset Lights

Early morning light on tinny

 Matua mudflats at sunset

More Wave Action

Main beach Mount Maunganui

Beach Walk

This candid shot, all heads down. 

Blow Wave

The sea. Endlessly interesting and captivating for me at least. I know it shows with my photography where water seems to be a central theme more often than not.

This was a dying storm swell coming in against a strong offshore breeze.

Thomas

Sydney City Highlight

Queen Victoria building. Such a cool place to just wander around

Grace 2007

Seems like years ago

Stand Up Paddle Surfing

I thought these boards were only used in the calm harbour but this guy (looks like an oldish digger) was hitting all the big waves at the Mount beach this weekend. Click for bigger image.

Te Kuia

Tauranga charter fishing boat Te Kuia coming back through a stormy entrance

Silver Surfer

Mt Maunganui beach. North rock in the background.

After Hours

Strand  reclamation Tauranga 

Mount Main Beach

Big surf yesterday

Beautiful Surprise

This beautiful work of art arrived in our mail box from Grace.

Precious...

Old Piles

Trinity Wharf Hotel

Tauranga harbour. A hotel with a great location. Harbour bridge in the background.

Tauranga Bridge

How Is This?

Beautiful and kind of crazy at the same time....

Under The Bridge

Early morning . We all went exploring under the Tauranga harbour bridge. Thomas (water lovin nut) was intrigued by the fish which I could not even see! Grace took us all on to a secret track we had found on some previous occasion.....