Fog on the Otago Peninsula

When sea fog envelopes the Otago Peninsula you could be excused for staying at home with the camera as there is literally not much to see. However, on this particular morning I just made up my mind to embrace the conditions. I am a big lover of black and white photography and with the fog creating an isolating blanket over the landscape I thought it might work well in these conditions. So I switched my camera view to black and white and immediately it just felt right.

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Allans Beach Road by Hoopers Inlet. It was low tide so I could get a a more pleasing angle on the outcrop of trees.

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Hoopers Inlet.

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I was able to walk across the inlet to this boathouse ‘Waiwhare’ on Hoopers Inlet.

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Hoopers Inlet.

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An old tree on Hoppers Inlet road. I took portrait and landscape versions of this scene. Without the fog I would never have stopped here, definitely my favourite location of the morning.

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Pathway though the trees on Sandymount road.

Looking at these bleak, murky and moody images I feel and see the fog. The black and white images are somehow more filmic and less digital in appearance. All in all, a relaxing morning out.

Fallen Landmarks: The Otago Peninsula

I have a love/hate relationship with Portobello road on the Otago Peninsula. With all the roadworks currently going on it does make for a partly bumpy and drawn out trip. However, I feel like I am escaping the city driving on that road, it’s bloody marvellous. Improving Portobello road and its safety is a must, but those changes have come at a cost. First off, we have said goodbye to a good number of cabbage trees to help make way for the widening of the road. They are one of those plants that polarise people, I’ve always liked them, especially the one pictured below. Sadly, it has now been chopped down.

Cabbage Tree - Otago Peninsula

Not far from this tree was a lovely duo of boat houses. My favourite of the two still stands today (phew), but it’s companion is no longer there. Not as pretty as the survivor, but this boat house could often be seen flying a flag, It had gusto and character, and I’ll miss seeing it on my travels.

Boat House (no flag flying) - Otago Peninsula

Roadworks are not the only destructive force on the Otago Peninsula, so is mother nature. The green boat house on Hoopers inlet was used by many photographers as a foreground subject in an aurora image. Alas, a good storm knocked it off its piles. There are hopes it will be rebuilt, fingers crossed.

Green Boathouse - Hoopers Inlet

The last building I discovered missing happened over the past weekend. I was enjoying a bit of landscape photography on the Smith-Larnach track when I found this dear old building pictured below completely removed.

I was slightly gutted, I’m a big fan of derelict farm buildings, but I understand this old building was a OSH risk on a public walking track, so it probably had to go.

On a brighter note, at least I have a keepsake of a few snaps to remember these fallen landmarks. Someone once said to me the only constant we can rely on is change. Hopefully that change is for the good.