Day 8 | Fiordland National Park

Fiordland National Park is a real jewel even if we are talking New Zealand. This is probably one on the most remote and unspoiled place in the world and it is such a great pleasure just to know this place is well protected. The best way to get around is undeniably by foot. To get there you will need some other forms of transportation of cores, but as soon as you are finally there, you better leave your car as soon as possible and get deep into untouched forest. Trust me, you’ll have much better chances to meet trolls and elves down there than anywhere else on the face of our planet.

Back to the photo... This perfect example of native fern was photographed from about four meters above. There was some sort of passway along the forest and in several places it was elevated well above the ground. So, this particular fern tree was about five to six meters height and was spreading beautifully emerald branches for... may be another five meters. Quite amazing, actually...

Day 7 / Auckland at Night

Lights of night city always had a strange impact on me. I’m almost hypnotised every time I see shambling reflection of a night city about the same way as when I look at fire ore unpredictable game of waves. Auckland at night is beautiful as much as any other city on our planet but unlike any other city it is easy accessible to take nice night photo. All I need to do, just get up take my camera ant drive across Auckland Harbour Bridge to find perfect spot. I wasn’t sure which photo to place there, vivid colour shot or just classy and simple black and white. The last variant obviously won.

Day 6 / Tiritiri Matangu Island, New Zealand

Tiritiri Matangi – small island in about one hour by ferry from Auckland. This island is home for one of the oldest lighthouses in New Zealand and for many years entire island was a dairy farm. Now that piece of land is protected from any human activity except ecotourism. You can get there by ferry which runs between mainland and island about three or four times a day. Once you there, you can enjoy beautiful nature which seems to start to recover after years or suppression. Bird’s population on the island constantly grows and many forms of vegetation start to find way back where they belong. It’s quite an enjoyable experience to be there. We spent entire day on the island, away from business of big city, and took tons of photos with us back where we came from.

Day 5 / Sydney, Underground Rail

To be honest Sydney urban rail system goes underground only in central city. And it is pretty busy place. But at five in the morning we were quite lucky to be there practically alone. Despite to be very fast and convenient way to travel around the city, Sydney Metro is very photogenic. I like dynamic lights and constantly changeable picture on trains and stations. I like to watch people there, even if there are very few of them. This fellow on the photo was probably as lost as we were, but his presence make entire scene “not sad and depressing”. And I was lucky to catch a bench on other side of the station. Thank you camera, we did well!..

Day 4 / Sydney Harbor Bridge at night

For same Sydney associates with harbour, for some with beautiful sky line, for most of people who has been there with unbelievably attractive Opera House. But for me Sydney always will be the city of the Bridge. This amazing structure makes the city. It is so incredibly huge and elegant at the same time you can’t believe it! Like any other masterpiece of human genius, Harbour Bridge is not getting older or boring with years passing by. Age only adds some kind of historic charm to it, makes it not only outstanding piece of engineering, but also some sort of axis which holds entire spin of Australian history. The Bridge is gorgeous regardless of the season or time of the day. If you’ll be in Sydney one day, go and see it and it will remain with you forever...

Day 3 / Muir Woods National Park, California, USA

Some time ago, something about two or three hundred years, enormous forest of huge trees covered entire western coast of America from as far as Alaska to the very southern parts of modern Mexico. Today Muir Woods is the only remaining island of great forest which miraculously survived. This is place of exceptional beauty and spiritual power. Some trees are old enough to remember the times when Christ was born. Californian red wood trees are tallest living things on our planet. National park Muir Woods is not particularly huge, but the man with camera can easily spend days at this extraordinary place. Unfortunately all I had was only one hour, but even that was enough to feel how special this place is.

Day 2 / Cook Strait

Southern Ocean is probably most hostile and unfriendly basin of water on our planet. Further south you go, more wind, rain waves and other nice stuff like that you can expect. Cook Strait is no exception. This narrow extent of water lies between North and South islands of New Zealand. Some people say it is possible to see blue sky and calm water down there. Let’s pretend we believe them. When we were about to cross Cook Strait in our way to South island this summer, I’ve found an interesting information in the net. Sometimes they cease ferries between Wellington and Picton, but only if waves are higher than 14 meters!.. That day ferry was on, but sea was rough enough to let us see the entire power of Southern ocean.