Taupo

We planned to stay in Taupo for one night. In hindsight we would have spent a week there - it is the most beautiful town and our accommodation was situated right on Lake Taupo - it was perfect! I decided to take most of the afternoon off from the camera and went with Mum to the waters edge for a swim in the lake. The water was freezing but the bizarre thing is that the Lake is on a geothermal area. I dug my feet into the gritty sand when I first stepped in and nearly scalded my toes from the heat. We ended up laying on the sand partially covered in water and they only way I can describe it is like laying on a warm beach with cold water surrounding your body. It was insane! I did manage a few shots over the lake as the sun set. Beautiful. We will be coming back to Taupo - possibly in winter - its a definate. The clouds lifted and we were able to see Mount Ruapehu the following day. We could see the snow on the mountain top but had to be content with a distant view because it was a long trip to Auckland that day. I love the way the plants are creating a natural frame around the mountain in this shot.

Paradise Valley Springs

Another "must see" while in Rotorua is one of their wildlife parks. We chose Paradise Valley Springs and it was gorgeous. It was another wet day but it kind of made the rainforest even more beautiful. Being a nature lover I was enamoured by the gardens and all the animals. The redwood, the tree fern, silver ferns, everything. The major feature of the park is that a major trout spawning stream for Lake Rotorua runs right through the park - Ngongatoha Stream. Apparently nearly 20,000 trout spawn in the stream each year. The water is crystal clear and you can feed the trout and other animals throughout the park. There is also a lion park, farm walk with goats, sheep, horses, etc. The kids couldn't wait for this part where you can pet the lion cubs. I did the same thing when I was a little bit older than Phoebe is now at this very park - only without the cage. The cub I pet was a lot smaller than this one who was 10 months old. The keeper was in the enclosure with us and told us that both of the cubs were 1kg in weight when they were born and at 10 months weighed 80kg. They were huge - just look at that paw! I love the image of Ben's hand over the lion's paw.

busselton

These are the last of the Busselton shots. The clouds were just beautiful the morning we were leaving and seemed so surreal. However, the ocean had a real turquoise look to it which made me think we were in the Maldves. I think I managed to capture the beach and clouds just as they were in these shots. This is a shot of our chalet (not the red one! the one with the car in front of it) and the surrounding peppermint trees. The park is covered with them and it creates a real sense of serenity. Some edited shots of the jetty that I took on race day. And lastly, thank the lord for iPods! They kept the kids quiet for hours while watching Summer Heights High for the drive home. And yes, that is Phoebe at 12 years of age with her latte.

macro, my love

This afternoon was the perfect time to try out my new macro lens. For any tech geeks out there its a 100mm 2.8f. The sky was completely covered in a thin cloud and I could really open her up and try some nature shots. There is something slightly intangible about nature shots. Its as though there is more depth to the subject than what you see in the picture and you can often see something in a completely different way. With the macro it is even more amplified. So here are some shots of plants in my garden. Its hard to pick a favourite but i think the parsley seeds or the magnolia might be in top place. I love the imperfection of this magnolia. The petals are brown and just about to fall off and but it still has a beauty to it. Its a contrast to the usual prettiness magnolias have.