I have a chance to spend between 10 days and 2 weeks in New Zealand in late May. I can spend the time on either the north or south island (but maybe not both, don't know yet) and I am mainly interested in Large format landscapes. I would be taking an 8x10 camera with me. Any suggestions as to which island would be better and location suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks all.
By late May the South Island is gettig pretty cold with possibility of snow in the high country and icy roads at higher altitudes. However scenicly, I think the South Island is more interesting with less people. There is a lot of country to cover in two weeks if you are stopping to take photos frequently so you are probably better to concentrate on the South or the North but not both. It really depends on your weather tolerance. In the South, the Kaikoura coast, Nelson area, the West Coast, Central Otago and Fiordland area are really great if you want great outdoors/no people sorts of places. In the North island , the central plateau area (volcanic), west coast north of New Plymouth, Coromandel peninsula and northland are worth seeing.
Place your post at APUG, the owner of the site lives in NZ as well as a few of the members. I am sure they will be glad to give you some pointers as to the best places to shoot LF.
South Island, the Southern Alps, Wanaka and Fiordland, no contest.
shameless plug for some of my own NZ pics (old Olympus stuff):
http://www.enable.org/~gallery/subpages/cordery/cordery.html
I'll add another voice for the southern island. I'd love to have another trip there as the entire place was absolutely gorgeous.
Steven
I'd definitely say South Island - there is some of the most beautiful and varied landscape on the planet - take a lot of film!
The South Island's been done to death. I was really fond of the Ruahines and Tararua ranges. Beautiful, windswept; almost untramped. A couple of the huts I stayed in didn't have an entry in the log books for 15 years. Some of the most ghostly forest scenery I've ever seen was on the North Island.
May is wet and windy wherever you go, but it's certainly breathtaking. Stay off the high ridges, and you'll be alright. I did the Southern Crossing in mid May, and was almost blown of the tops on several occaisions. I recall kissing the treeline when I got down to it. I was scared to death.
If you can dig up a copy of Craig Potton's "Moment and Memory", it would certainly provide a great of inspiration. Also the DoC is a marvel; check them out.
Have fun! You'll never want to come back!
South Island - Arthur's Pass, Haast Pass, Glaciers (Franz Josef, Fox), Lake Pukaki/Mt Cook, Lake Manipouri, Fjiordland (if you don't mind shooting from the deck of a boat).
North Island - Takapuna/Rangitoto (in Auckland), 90 Mile Beach, Coromandel Peninsula, all points north of Auckland (Kaury forests, 90 Mile Beach, and the very top of North Isl - forget name).
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