It's hard to believe that a couple of weeks ago six keen photographers and myself were coming to the end of an amazing 15 days photographing on the South Island Expedition tour. 

I was joined by Joan from Australia, Bob from the US and Vicky, Steve, Paul and Nigel from the UK. We were anything but a typical tour group with the ages ranging from 34 to 63, and it was great to see that age is just a number when like-minded people get together. The weather was incredible and we captured an amazing array of beautiful images including perfect mirror reflections at Lake Matheson and rugged country scenes near Queenstown. Here are some kind comments we have received from the Expeditionists:
"I must thank you for a great two weeks, it was an amazing and unforgettable experience and brilliantly organised. Thank you also for your photography input, quite an insight into landscape and I know my images will be much improved in the future."
"I would like to thank you again for organising such an excellent tour. I really appreciate all your hard work before and during the tour. I had a wonderful, if slightly tiring, time. I saw a lot, I learnt a lot and I took a lot of photographs. What more could anyone want?"
"Thanks again for the trip, it was great not having to worry about organising anything and just concentrate on taking the photographs."
"Thankyou for such a wonderful 2 weeks. Your knowledge, your skills will go with us for years to come"

See our gallery for some tour photos. Wondering what happened on tour? Here is a slice of the fun we had:

Day one CHRISTCHURCH - PUNAKAIKI
We drove west from Christchurch on a calm, warm Sunday morning eagerly anticipating the two weeks of photography to come. The sky was a brilliant blue at our first stop - a rocky outcrop which stood out starkly against the vivid sky - and we got some striking images of this contrasty scene. We continued west over Arthur's Pass, where we stopped briefly to photograph the Otira Gorge, before taking the inland road to a little-known lakeside location. We then wound our way back out to the main highway and continued on to the West Coast, and north to Punakaiki. It was slightly overcast as we walked down to the Pancake Rocks, but as the sun sank golden shafts of light broke through the clouds providing a spectacular finish to our first day.

Day two PUNAKAIKI - FOX GLACIER
We went back to the Pancake Rocks for the sunrise before heading south to the glaciers. It was another clear day and we made stops along southern route before arriving at Franz Josef glacier. Taking a short walk to a lookout point gave us sweeping views from the valley up to the glacier and we were kept busy photographing here. We then continued south to Fox Glacier and took the walk around Lake Matheson for our sunset shoot. The mountains were covered in cloud so we weren't able to get the fabled photograph - yet!

Day three FOX GLACIER
We set off for Lake Matheson while it was still dark and were in good time for the sunrise - all set up in our positions waiting...waiting. There was some early cloud around, but that broke and we were able to capture stunning reflections of Aoraki/Mt Cook and Mt Tasman. Feeling pleased with ourselves we headed to a nearby cafe for breakfast, where some of us thought the bacon butties were the ideal way to celebrate a successful morning in the field! Later in the morning we took a guided hike on to Fox Glacier. Walking on the glacier is a unique experience and to be photographing as well made it a sensational trip.

Day four FOX GLACIER - QUEENSTOWN
The hardy among us were ready at 5:15am to go down to Lake Matheson again. There was not a cloud in the sky, the morning was absolutely calm and the perfect conditions were not wasted - many superb photographs were made! After breakfast we were on the road travelling south again. It was a bright, clear day and we stopped along the way to photograph our last West Coast scenes. The weather was just as calm as we crossed the Haast Pass and dropped down into Otago, and we managed to photograph mountain reflections at Lake Hawea, which was a bonus. We then drove through Wanaka, up and over the steep Crown Range road and carried on to Queenstown, where we set up on the shores of Lake Wakatipu for our evening shoot. A beautiful day from dawn until dusk and we bagged many gorgeous images.

Day five QUEENSTOWN
We drove up into the mountains for our morning shoot and after braving a chill wind were rewarded with images of the mountains lit by the day's first rays of light. After breakfast we had some free time to relax - some of us slept, some did their washing and one even went on the jetboat! We met up again for dinner and then drove along Lake Wakatipu to photograph in the late light. For some reason it has always been showery weather the last few times I have been at this location and this evening was no different. We photographed the scene as the light broke through the clouds and illuminated the mountains on the other side of the lake, before a light breeze picked up and brought rain directly over where we were standing. The best light had already gone so the rain was a good excuse to pack up for the day.

Day six QUEENSTOWN
Another calm, clear morning! We drove alongside Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy for our early morning shoot and enjoyed some great photography as the sun rose. After breakfast we continued on towards the mountains and spent the rest of the morning, and part of the afternoon, immersed in the pristine surrounds of the Mt Aspiring National Park. Reluctantly we returned to Queenstown to get ready for our evening shoot. After a quick dinner we drove up into the hills overlooking Queenstown and spent the last few hours of the day photographing the panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, as the sun slowly sank behind us.

Day seven QUEENSTOWN - MILFORD SOUND
After breakfast we were on the road again heading to Milford Sound. The road to Milford Sound is a highlight in itself and we made stops along the way to photograph the dramatic Fiordland landscapes. There was still a good covering of snow on the peaks which made the photography even better. We arrived in Milford Sound late in the afternoon and in the early evening went down to the foreshore for last light photography. It was another beautiful evening and we were practically the only ones there taking in the world-famous view of Mitre Peak (if you don't count the sandflies!). The great thing about photography is that the best times to be out are when most other people have gone back to their rooms or are dining - what a thrill it was to have the place to ourselves.

Day eight MILFORD SOUND - TE ANAU
Would you believe it was another calm, clear morning! The reflections of Mitre Peak were breath-taking and everybody captured images worthy of publication in National Geographic. After breakfast we took the boat journey through the fiord and the views were incredible - dizzying amounts of quality photography was enjoyed by all. Once back ashore we made our way back to Te Anau where we enjoyed a barbeque out in the sun. Some of us went down to the lakeshore for an evening shoot, while others were busy downloading and sorting their images after a big day out in the field.

Day nine DOUBTFUL SOUND
We drove to Lake Manapouri for our sunrise shoot and once again the weather was ideal. However, shortly after sunrise the calm lake was suddenly whipped up by a wind that came out of nowhere and within minutes waves were crashing on to the foreshore. I personally really liked that as it made it possible to capture interesting movement in the water. We then had the most expensive breakfast in New Zealand (you'll have to ask me about that) before boarding our boat for the Doubtful Sound day cruise. As we boated to the head of Lake Manapouri the strength of the wind made it almost impossible to take photographs from the top deck. Once we arrived at the other side it was calm and the wind didn't bother us again for the rest of the day. The bus ride from the head of the lake took us through lush rainforest, up and over Wilmot Pass and down to Deep Cove where we boarded another vessel. Our boat journey through the fiord was spectacular and along with the wonderful land and seascapes we got up close to photograph a fur seal colony. Magic!

Day ten TE ANAU - CATLINS
A relaxed sunrise shoot on the lakeshore this morning before we left the mountains behind and headed for the wide open spaces of the Catlins coastline. It felt more like summer as we drove along on this warm, sunny day. We stopped for lunch at the southernmost part of the South Island before driving a little further on where we photographed the ocean waves crashing against the rugged coastline. Further along the coast we went looking for Hookers sealions - we found some basking in the sun and carefully photographed them from a safe distance. I don't think they were in the mood to be chasing anybody, but you never can tell. We arrived at Kaka Point in the late afternoon and had a quick dinner before driving up to the Nugget Point lighthouse. The light was superb and the nuggets (the large rocks in the water below the lighthouse) turned golden in the last rays of light - very satisfactory end to another full day.

Day eleven CATLINS - DUNEDIN
We returned to the lighthouse for a dawn shoot and then started the drive up to Dunedin. We arrived there late morning and had some free time to look around the city before we met again in the afternoon to go to the Albatross colony on the Otago Peninsula. There was a good breeze so we were hoping to see some albatross on the wing. And we weren't disappointed with a number of birds coming in after a day at sea. The good thing is that most times an albatross will cruise around a bit before it goes up to land, so we had plenty of opportunities to photograph them as they cruised very close overhead. Wildlife photography is hard work, so after all of that we went back into the city and rewarded ourselves with a delicious dinner.

Day twelve DUNEDIN - AORAKI/MT COOK NATIONAL PARK
I'm a bit reluctant to say what time we left Dunedin this morning in case we scare you off...how does 4am sound? Well we are photographers after all so that's the joy of chasing the light! The good news is that we got to the Moeraki Boulders in time for sunrise and enjoyed a couple of hours exploring these unique subjects. We then continued north for breakfast in Oamaru, where we also photographed the beautiful whitestone buildings. Our road took us west towards the mountains again and we arrived at the Aoraki/Mt Cook village in the afternoon. After a rest and some dinner we took a short walk to a viewpoint of New Zealand's tallest mountain, but an annoying little bit of cloud obscured the summit so we returned to our rooms. Aoraki/Mt Cook was cloud-free giving us great views of the mountain and we captured some majestic last-light images.

Day thirteen AORAKI/MT COOK NATIONAL PARK
Today was an exact replica of the tour day we had here in April: After some early cloud the skies cleared and we spent the day at different locations photographing Aoraki/Mt Cook and the surrounding alps. It really was stunning weather: striking blue skies, not a breath of wind and clear views of the mountains. The day culminated in a shoot of Aoraki/Mt Cook painted in pastel hues by the last rays of light. What an amazing day we had at this majestic location!

Day fourteen AORAKI/MT COOK NATIONAL PARK - CHRISTCHURCH
The sky was clear this morning as we drove out to our sunrise location and there was a very satisfied feeling after the shoot as we had captured all the images we were after during our stay in this region. We packed up after breakfast and started the drive back up to Christchurch. It was a strange feeling coming back to civilisation again after such an incredible 15 days out in the wild. Our farewell dinner was very relaxed, delicious food, plenty of good-natured joking about our time together and some friendly rivalry over who got the best photographs...there was even a suggestion that we fuel the vehicle up and carry on for another 15 days!

Day fifteen DEPARTURE
After being up and out by 5:30am for most of the tour we all decided a sleep-in was the order of the day. After a late breakfast we took a leisurely drive around the city before we said our goodbyes. I thoroughly enjoyed taking this group photographing and I hope I get to take them up on the invitations to visit their turf one day.