Astro photography

New Zealand South Island Road Trip 2025 – Lakes

| flynny101

From Aoraki we head down the valley to Lake Pukaki.

One of the larger freedom camps we’ve come across to date, we set the van up with tremendous views across the expansive lake.

The reflections off the snow capped mountains made great photos with a grand view of the sun set.

This also gives me an idea. I do a few calculations and check a few things and work out that in the wee hours of the morning the Milkyway should be splayed out horizontally above the mountains.

Now I just need to decide if I really want to interrupt my sleep to crawl out of a nice warm bed and stand in the cold….

Milky over the lake with a truck passing over the spillway.
Another hour and it might have presented as more of an arch over the mountains but it was 2:30am and -6ºC. I wasn’t hanging around.

Lake Pukaki was just one of the amazing lakes we drove past / stopped at / were amazed by.

This might sound naive but the size and amount of lakes caught me by surprise. I mean, I knew the rivers and creek systems were a lot higher flow but kinda just assumed they tumbled off the mountains and flowed into the ocean. Coming from the driest habitable continent on earth the shear amount of lakes contained by our little cousin across the ditch, and their size, blew me away.

Below is a random collection of photos of just some of the ones we stopped at for photos.

Anyhoo after the epic nightscape shoot we sleep in a little then head to Elephant Rocks.

New Zealand South Island road trip 2025 – Bruce bay

| flynny101

On a massive high from Franz Josef Glacier we take a tip from Maya and head for Bruce Bay to find a camp for the night.

Maya explained not only was it a great freedom camp but in local Maori legend, Bruce Bay was where the semi mythical Māui first landed in New Zealand.

To gain land Māui had to kill the two Taniwah that guarded the bay. The name of the headland at the western end of the bay, Heretaniwha means “to tie up the monster”).

Archaeological evidence points to human occupation back to the 14th century and mind boggling in modern times Maya’s family farm has been there from the start….

Anyhoo it was a great spot to finally catch a west coast sunset.

And with the sunset the clouds dispersed and I took the opportunity of dark sky and milky ways.

But we didn’t stay up too late as we wanted an early start the next day to explore the waterfalls of Haast Pass.

New Zealand South Island Road trip 2025- Hokitika Sunset point and glowworms

| flynny101

From Hokitika Gorge we slip back into town and head to Sunset point for diner in the van.

I’d never seen the sunset over the ocean before, Unfortunately the cloud cover closed in an all but blocked it out.

Not to be discouraged I thought I’d try my hand at some more arty farty photos at the memorial and art works.

Driving into town I’d spotted a sign post for glowworms.

I know we had just done the most amazing cave tour but I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I will never not be awestruck by glowworms.

Lucky Kylie shares my fascination with the little shiny slugs with their little glowy bums.

If a cave tour sounds a bit too strenuous or clautrophobic for you I have some good news.

The Hokitika Glowworm dell is literally (Literally babes) 50m off the main highway in a shady, fern filled gully. A concrete path leads you in.

Tip: either use a red light (even a bit of coloured cellophane or contact over your torch) or hold onto the hand rails turn your torch off and let your eyes adjust.

From here it was on to a highlight in a long list of highlights from this trip Franz Josef Glacier