Subscribe by email
Subscribe by RSS feed
Postcard from New Zealand – Milford Sound
December 12th, 2010
Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand, 2010
(Click the thumbnail to make it larger)
A quick postcard to say hello. I suspect this might be the last one as internet’s getting harder and harder to come by conventiently. I’m sitting in a rained-out Milford Sound after a fantastic evening on a boat. Can’t even tell you how amazing this place is. You know, tourists come and go by the boatload to places like this, but the natural beauty, especially here where they protect it fiercely, is undiminished. I’m always a little excited when I show up in places like this and the weather looks inclement. My way of knowing it’s time to get the rainjacket out, pull the cameras from the bag and grab a couple extra lens cloths. Saw dolphins and seals this evening as the wind and waves pushed our boat around. Fantastic. Blackflies (Sand flies to the Kiwis, I think?) are out of control, but a good wind makes them someone else’s problem.)
Tomorrow a little more of Fiordland, then further south as we push our way around this lovely island. Hope y’all are having a great weekend. Can’t believe it’s almost Christmas. Summer here now and winter – even a rainy Vancouver one – seems so far away.
I absolutely love that picture and how you depicted the sound! I haven’t quite seen a pic of it with that framing before! Enjoy your time! And have a few meat pies for mike eh?
and maybe some chocky fish and some hokey pokey icecream 
cheers!
it feels so lonely … so far away .. but at the same time, feel so serene and beautiful … lovely …
David, Sandflies can just drive insane… Like real NUTS mate !!.
I spent a lot of time trekking in this area, and this sandflies thing was just a nightmare.
I recommend the Bushman repelent with about 90%DDT !!
It just peels your skin of, it damages plastics, but that’s the only efficient stuff against flies…
Enjoy Milford
Julien
Beautiful, David! I heard that Milford sound is absolutely stunning. A place I hope to visit one day. Looking forward to more of your “postcards”.
This is very similiar to Norwegian fjords, and it gets me thinking how a photographer like you would interpret the landscape that is familiar to me. Would you see the same things I do, or would your interpretation be much different?
In a way this is a way of saying you should come to Norway soon.
Beautiful picture! Very Lord of the Rings…
Stay safe and flyfree.
If we cannot be there, this is the next best thing!
Stunning, and so inspiring.
It sure is the best weather for photography! Gorgeous pic! Hope your Christmas is even better than these days have been! Enjoy the beauty! :c)
Stunning composition! Love this!
Reminds me of our trip kayaking in Doubtful Sound (nearby) — gray skies and all. Absolutely breathtaking place. Very jealous!
Fantastic photograph, David. The toning is spot on. Looks like a view you might have seen from the deck of the Endurance…
This is one of the most dramatic and involving landscapes I’ve seen from you yet, David. I’ve said this in the past, but for being a people-shooter, you’ve got a great eye for landscapes.
I’m beginning to think there could be a difference between blokes who go straight into shooting landscapes and those who move into them after lengthy periods of time shooting other types, such as weddings or commercial or humanitarian and whatnot. It’s like there’s an entirely different way of seeing the landscape when there is all this other exciting experience backing up that photographer’s vision. Not saying that either is necessarily better than the other, but the images seem to show a difference…perhaps it’s in the telling of the story, methinks.
My two trips to New Zealand in the 80′s. Both on official government business were confined to the North Island. Primarily Auckland and Wellington with a side trip to Rotarua (sp?). Now your images are showing me what I missed. Ah well the North was pretty spectacular also.
My two trips to New Zealand in the 80′s, both on official government business, were confined to the North Island. Primarily Auckland and Wellington with side trips to Rotarua (sp?). Now your images are showing me what I missed. Ah well the North was pretty spectacular also.
Funny that Geir mentioned it but it looks very “Norway” to me too.
I’ve heard before from friends that one of the NZ islands has a very similar feel to it so I guess it must be this one.
Oh what I wouldn’t give to just jump in a sea kayak and explore such a cool place. The inclement weather would just make it all that more enjoyable! Glad you are enjoying your trip!
Milford Sound is tough to photograph; they get a lot of rain there. Make sure you stop by Moeraki Boulders on the way back to Christchurch. It’s best photographed at dawn. There is a small campground about 1km from the boulders, so you will have a short walk along the beach in the pre-dawn. Make sure to have dinner at Fluer’s Place at Shag Point the night before; it’s excellent.
Hope you see some river Dolpins. Have fun.
Great picture David. Having never been there, this is a great take on this place, and is quite different than others I have seen. And it makes me slightly more jealous than the previous pictures too hehe..
Milford Sound, yes!
Primordial.
I was entranced with it.
Been a few years now, would love to revisit.
Simply Stunning. Great job of capturing the mist from Milford sound. Milford Track is on my to do list! Have a woderful journey.
You are definitely getting to some wonderful spots. I think this would have to be my favourite photograph so far.
I really hope you have a trip round the Caitlins as part of your itinerary. So many people never make it there because it’s not on the main road, but the detour is TOTALLY worth it!
So excited to hear you are in NZ David. Your images are stunning as always!
Mate, why don’t you just pop on over here (Australia) on your way home, it’s just across the water a bit and there are more Kiwis living here then over there anyway
Any time you are heading our way (Qld) you’re welcome to spend a few nights with us on the Sunshine Coast. You just seem so close to us from there. Mate, great images,
thanks again for some much needed inspiration. Have a good one!
Oh, I like! Very much so. Keep safe.
Oh my, this is stunning. I vote wallpaper for sure! Lovely!
Not sure if it the natural light and fog or if you did some adjustments in Photoshop, but this is a truly stunning image.