White Island
After traveling from Tauranga to Whakatane by bus, we boarded a small boat to travel to White Island.
White Island active marine volcano is located 50 km off of the coast of Whakatane, in the Bay of Plenty, and is a part of the Taupo Volcanic Zone. It is the largest volcanic structure in New Zealand.
Wairakei Thermal Valley
After returning to Tauranga for the night, we went south towards Taupo, stopping at Rotorua to photograph the geothermal hot springs and mud pools along the way.
Geothermal power
After spending the night in Taupo, we made an early morning visit to the Wairakei geothermal power station. Wairakei was the first wet-steam power station in the world.
Across the road and, after a short walk, we arrived alongside New Zealand's longest river, the Waikato. At Huka Falls, over 220,000 liters of water flow per second as the water is squeezed through a shallow ravine of volcanic rock.
We discovered valleys of beautiful ferns and a rainbow of colored rock during our hike through the Wairakei thermal valley.
The Rangipo Desert
Driving south, we had stunning views of the three active peaks: Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe, and Tongariro.
We stopped for a moment to enjoy the view of the Rangitikei river from a bridge on Ruahine road.
Drifting over Clareville
The next morning we were fortunate enough to have calm winds and were treated to a balloon ride over Clareville.
Driving up to Castle Point Lighthouse was remarkable. the Maori name for area is Rangiwhkaoma, which translates as " where the sky runs".
With limited time, we couldn't stop everywhere, so a few photographs had to be made of the landscape out of the car window.
Mount Bruce
The next morning we went to the Mount Bruce wildlife center to photograph the Kiwi bird. Here is an important fact; the Kiwi bird is nocturnal so we did what we could using the stuffed Kiwi on display.
Papawai Marae
We were fortunate to be invited to visit Papawai Marae where we learned about the Maori's rich culture as well as the political and social history of the Wairarapa and New Zealand. At its peak, it was the largest Marae in the country and the location of the Maori Parliament.
Greytown
Greytown is a charming and historical town in the South Wairarapa District that provided a centralized hub for many of our excursions. We were fortunate to drive by this barn in perfect weather to make photographs.
Martinborough Vinyards
We enjoyed the afternoon tasting wine at three wonderful vinyards including Colombo, Schubert, and Ata Rangi.
At the end of the day we drove through a refreshing storm and were then treated to a spectacular cloud break and rainbow.
Cape Palliser Road
Continuing south, we took Cape Palliser Road to explore the southernmost tip of the North Island.
We passed the Ngawihi fishing village with its bulldozers ready to bring fishing boats ashore.
We enjoyed the dramatic scenery along the way to the lighthouse at the southernmost tip of the North Island, watching fur seals bathing in the sunshine along the rocky coastline.
The pine forests, although a controversial subject, were beautiful to photograph as the sun disappeared behind the clouds.
We were fortunate to stay the night at the Wharekauhau Lodge; nestled in the foothills of the Rimutaka mountain range.
In the morning, we had time to explore Ocean Beach.
Wellington
Unfortunately, the trip had to come to an end. But I can't think of a better place to wrap up the adventure than in the beautiful, windy, city of Wellington. Thank you Geoff for being a wonderful tour guide, Paul for pushing me to make better images and take advantage of new technologies, and all of my new friends in New Zealand, it was a wonderful journey.
See more of my photographs on Behance and learn more about Photoshop and Lightroom on my blog!
Credits:
All Photographs Copyright 2015 - Julieanne Kost. All Rights Reserved.