Dunedin 191111
More photos on "Starting over again"
Dunedin 211011
Finally I returned to Dunedin, my home in New Zealand. The town was in full swing due to the Rugby World Cup, a celebrated event by most kiwis. I am not much of a rugby enthusiast, but the only game that I saw in live had lots of incentives...the Naked Blacks played against the Naked Potatoes ( represented by Irish and Italian players). As you can see it was kind of funny, and even though it wasn't an official game, there was a big crowd gathered over there.
Oamaru 250911
Oamaru is a coastal town that I already liked when I was there for the first time 4 months ago. The Victorian limestone buildings and the Steampunk community that recreates the S-XIX lifestyle make Oamaru a very charming place. Additionally, if you visit the quay at dusk, you will be able to see how fearless blue penguins come back ashore to their rest areas by crossing the harbour road carefully.
Melbourne 280811
Bells beach 250811
The Great Ocean Road is one of the main attractions of the state of Victoria. It is a drive of 250 km passing through some of the best surfing beaches of the southeast of Australia. In this area, currents are very strong and certain points are full of stories of shipwrecks and sunken ships. However, the scenery is fabulous and among other boulders you can sightsee the famous 12 Apostles.
Sydney 200811
Byron bay 160811
Byron Bay is a must do for surf and beach lovers. At about 100km away from Nimbin, this places preserves the hippie spirit of the area and it is a good place to spot whales (Humpback whales), which can be observed from the coast if you get up early in the morning.
Nimbin 150811
Australian aborigines are one of the oldest cultures that exist nowadays. They came to Australia from the Pacific Islands around 40,000 years ago, and stayed in isolation from the rest of the civilization until the end of eighteenth century, when the first English settlers arrived. Transmission of some diseases from the Europeans became fatal for aborigines and the settlers started practising all kinds of atrocities on the natives to occupy their land. These days, the role of aborigines in Australian society is still a serious problem. The bloodthirsty racist past and the fact that aboriginal people do not fit into the occidental lifestsyle too well makes their integration very difficult... if it turns out that they need to be integrated somewhere.
Nimbin 150811
I would say that Nimbin is like the Australian Amsterdam. In 1973, university students, hippies and people seeking an alternative lifestyle gathered in this village to celebrate the Aquarius Festival. And afterwards, you can imagine the rest of the story...Some participants decided to stay and live alternatively in communities, establishing the culture of cannabis at the same time. Inspite of the fact that the sale and consumption of weed is illegal in the state of NSW, this place seems to evade all attempts made by police to eradicate the drug trade. The last action taken by the law was to place cameras in the streets, so now sales are made within the village museum.
Australia Zoo
More photos on "Queensland III"
Maryborough 120811
Maryborough is a small town located south of Hervey Bay, which seems to have been trapped in the 50s. Besides being picturesque, the most notable fact is that the author of Mary Poppins, PL Travers, was born here. Therefore the main tourist attraction is being photographed with the statue of Mary Poppins, and if you are lucky enough to be named Maria, it is said that they gift you a present if you show up at the i-site.
Fraser island 110811
More photos on "Queensland II"
Herve bay 100811
Flying foxes are one of the other animals that I was suprised to find here. It is quite easy to see them as they often gather near urban centers. It is really amazing to walk through one of their colonies formed by hundreds of specimens hanging upside down from the tree branches. The busiest time in the colony is at dusk( when they get ready to feed) and at dawn (when they come back to rest). In some áreas, they are considered as a problem because they are particularly noisy and some are carriers of the Australian bat lyssavirus (a type of rabies virus fatal for humans and transmitted by their bite). But despite of all that and the fact that flying foxes are not interested in human flesh, they play a crucial role in the dispersion of seeds and pollination in the forests.
Outback (Clermont-Alpha) 080811
The Outback is one of the most dry and arid places in the whole world. It covers the central part of the continent and is as bleak as beautiful. In the past many explorers died trying to cross it, and even these days to venture outside the state highways is an experience that can end tragically. We only reached the beginning of it ( we did'nt make it to see the endless extensions of red sand), but it was quite an adventure anyway!
Whitsundays 070811
More photos on "Queensland I"
Townsville-Airlie beach 050811
In the north of the country, specially in Queensland, sugar cane is the main crop. To save power they use a hazardous method: controlled burning. So they set the fields on fire to burn the parts of the plant that they don't need and afterwards they harvest the sugar.
Magnetic island 050811
Saltarí del fang 030811
One of the most pleasant surprises was to find some mudskippers. I have been explaining them to the public in Cosmocaixa Museum for almost the last two years but I never imagined I would see them in the Australian mangroves. Mudskippers show us one of the steps of how the first vertebrates might have come out of the sea to conquer the land. Their muscular fins allowed them to drag themselves from pond to pond in low tide conditions by getting some water in their mouth cheeks to hold their breath.
Lago Eacham 020811
Tropical Australia is a part of the country that I previously didn't know anything about. It is located on the North-east part of Australia and houses one of the oldest rainforests in the world. At first glance, it may seem an idyllic place but beaches are filled with all sorts of deadly creatures: crocodiles, stingers and sharks. Therefore, the only way to have a safe swim is on the salt water artificial lagoons across most of the promenades.
Waipara 260711
Waipara 220711
Viticulture industry is booming in New Zealand. There are 3 areas dedicated to grow grapes, and even though most of the wine is not exported to Europe; the UK, USA and Australian markets are a very profitable option. Therefore, Kiwi wines are more expensive than the Australian wines (must be remembered that Australia produces as much as twice of New Zealand's amount of wine). So it is relatively easy to find a backpacker job in Waipara Valley, one of the wine regions. I was there during the winter season, the time when grapevines get pruned and trimed for the next harvest. It is important to go fast, as you get paid per plant, but Kiwis have found a way to have fun as well: the National Competition of Pruning.
Dead possums 040611
Possums come from Australia and were introduced in New Zealand several years ago. Because they have no natural predators here, they have became a pest, as they compete with many endemic specie of birds for the same resources. In attempt to exterminate them, Kiwis have found the perfect solution: they hunt them and sell their fur, as it is considered a very warm fabric.
Banks peninsula 010611
More photos on "Picton-Akaroa"
Mount cook 210511
The Southern Alps is a big mountain range that crosses vertically to the west part of the South island, causing the air coming from theTasman sea to collide against the huge walls, thereby dropping all its moisture on the West Coast. The highest peak is Mount Cook (3754m), and it is a really spectacular experience to pass through the immense plains dug up by the glaciers hundreds of years ago, as well as to notice the impressive height of the mountains around.
Fox glacier 260311
More photos on "Fiordland & West coast"
Manapouri power station (West arm) 230311
In 1963 the construction of Manapouri power station began in order to provide electricity to metall-melting factory in Bluff. It was an epic endeavour for several reasons: the site where it is located (between Lake Manapouri and Doubtful Sound) is only accessible by boat. Moroever, this is not a power station like the others. In this case, it is located in a cave dug into the fiord's hard granite, 200m underneath Lake Manaporui. Two 10km long tunnels channel water from the lake to the sea in which after a 25m drop, the water passes thorough the turbines. As you can imagine, it is a costly and dangerous masterpiece of engineering. The pictures show one of the blast that workers used to make to open the tunnels, but looks like they put too much dynamite...also it is quite interesting to drive through the tunnels leading to the station, since this is the only place in New Zealand where you drive on the right side of the road (the american company in charge of the project wanted to feel like home).
Lake Gunn 240311
Fiordland is located on South-west of the South Island, and they are quite spectacular. It is amazing to watch mountains covered by lush forest immersed in the ocean. Additionally as it is a very wet place, the mountain slopes drain excess rainwater in the form of waterfalls. Even so, what I found most interesting was the kind of forest that grows here. It is called beech forest and forms a very dense mass of vegetation with impossible trunk shapes, all covered by a carpet of moss that could be used as a mattress. Of course, it is mainly composed by nothing more than a few species of beechs, but their appearance is quite different from the group of beech forests in the Northern hemisphere. The explanation is easy: when Pangea broke into continents, all southern hemisphere beech forests started evolving in a different way compared to the ones on the Northern hemisphere.
Stewart island 210311
More photos on "Steward island"
Ulva island 210311
Steward Island is the largest of a small cluster of islands located below the South Island. It is very peaceful place mainly inhabited by fishermen. Most of the island has no roads, so it's a good place go tramping, since the big network of tracks across the island can keep you busy for several hours up to 10 days. Moreover, it is a excellent spot for seabirdwacthing too, and if you go to Ulva Island (bird sanctuary) you will be able to meet the weka, a flightless bird that like many other birds in that area are not afraid of people, due to the predator-free environment.
Curio bay (fossilised forest) 190311
More photos on "The Catlins"
Nugget point 190311
Deep, relentless forces
buckle the layered land
Hiding bays and beaches between
long, low folds of mountains
With rugged rocky headlands
butting into the sea
Waipapa point 200311
Before start work, I decided to take a road trip for a week, taking advantatge of the last summer days. So testing the fitness of my car driving aproximately 1500 km in 8 days, I went down to the southern tip of the island and then I went up to Blenheim, passing through Fiordland and part of the West Coast. Fortunately, the weather was on my side and the car didn't break down. One of the incentives of the trip was to sleep in places as remote as the one in the picture... yes mum, I slept in the car instead of going to a hostel, but it's what poor travellers do. Anyway you always can find a DOC campsite where one can spend the night; a really cheap and handy option for people travelling in vans or campervans.
Delgirl
At Arden st house I had the chance of meeting so many people. Among them I would like to mention Joyce's girlfriend who has a very nice band of folk music. Erin and her two colleagues mix Kiwi music with country music and to be honest, it is wonderful to see them playing. The videoclip is not one of their best songs, but if you have a minute don't miss to check out their Myspace. The name of the band is Delgirl.
Port Chalmers 120311
ardeen st 030311
During my stay in Dunedin (almost a month and a half), I have been wwoofing ( working for accomodation and food) at Arden Street accommodaiton, a bed & breakfast run by the eccentric Joyce. She was travelling the world in her youth, during which she got pregnant with Louis, her now 18 year old son. So now she has a small and modest business that works well enough by the constant coming and going of wwoofers. This means that every night at dinner time, when guests and wwwoofers meet to eat, you can sit on the table with people from all around the world and end up participating in some real interesting conversations.
dunedin 200211
More photos on "Dunedin, the place to be"
dunedin 190211
Dunedin is the city that I would choose to live in New Zealand. From my point of view, it is the ideal city. It has its own character because of the Scottish settlers (called the Edinburgh of New Zeland), seen throughout churches and buildings, and a quite busy cultural life mainly focused on music activities. The University of Otago has an important role bringing a refreshing but convulsive student activity. However, the most attractive feature is its location, based on the Otago Peninsula, in a spectacular environment full of wildlife: penguins. albatross and sea lions among others. But if you still not convinced, you shouldn't leave the city without visiting Baldwin st, the steepest street in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records.
Moeraki boulders (Oamuru) 070211
More photos on "Otago"
Roxburgh 280111
One of the best things of New Zealand, specially for a photographer, are the sunsets and sunrises. I think they could be considered as a show, and they are, indeed. Due to the dynamic weather, which lets you enjoy all the seasons in just one day, the diversity in shapes and the light shades of clouds are infinite.
Christchurch 190111
This is the iconic Christchurch Cathedral a month ago. Unfortunately now it is completely destroyed as is 80% of the city after the last earthquake on Tuesday. That wasn't the first one, just at beginning of September a strong earthquake (7.1) shook the city causing damages to buildings and infrastructures. So with the second one (6.3), all structures that were previously weakened just fell down causing quite a lot of deaths. Actually, it is a very critical situation here: the city doesn't have electricity nor water, so the government is starting to relocate citizens. Another less dramatic consequence happened on the Abel Tasman glacier, a point near to the epicenter. A hiker just 5 km away from the spot could hear and felt the detachment of at least 33 tons of block of ice from the glacier. As it landed it provoked a big shake in the region.
Sperm whale 160111
dusky dolphin
Kaikoura is well known over New Zealand as the place for eating crayfish and swimming with dolphins. I did both, but I absolutely prefer the second one. Dolphins feed offshore at night returning close to the coast at dawn, so 7 am is the best time to have a bath and interact with the most curious of the dolphins. It is an amazing feeling that cannot be put into words, you have to live it and experience it. Otherwise you can have a look at few pictures taken by my cheap underwater camera, that got stuck after some shots. Dolphins common in Kaikoura are the Dusky dolphins, that about 160cm in length. Very beautiful.
Kaikoura 130111
Kaikoura is a marine life's paradise. Kaikoura Peninsula goes deep into the sea and ends 80 km away from Hikurangi canyon, which reaches depths of nearly 4000m. This huge descent triggers the ascent of lots of nutriens thanks to action of winds and tides. So all kind of marine life comes here to feed: dolphins, seals, albatross, petrels, and whales. Occasionally you can see killer whales, but the most common big cetaceans are sperm whales. Funny name given by the first ones to study this animal when they found a big bag of oil (spermacetti) on the whale's brain. Obviously, they thought that was sperm, but this theory finished when they found out that female whales had it as well. In fact this oil acts as a sounding board to capture ultrasonic waves.
Pancake rocks (Punakaiki) 120111
Pupu springs (Takaka) 110111
Most of people who I met over the trip told me that south island was the most beautiful place in New Zeland. And I reckon so now that I have seen it with my own eyes. The landscape is impressive and the variety, incredible: high mountain ranges, endless rugged beaches, far-off fiords... Additionaly you also can find the most clearest water in the world (or so they say). That water flows from Pupu springs and allows you to see as far as 60m deep.
Wellington 301210
A little story. We were eating some curly chips in a very original bar, a place with walls filled of paintings and posters, cute lights all around and disguised waitress wearing wigs. So I decided to take a picture of the warm and unusual ambience, I grabed my camera, I started looking around through my visor untill I stopped on the man besides our table and then I shot. Unexpectedly, the man realized of it, and after a while he decided to take a picture of me with his cellphone as well. As we say in Spanish: eye for eye and tooth for tooth.
tuatara (Zelandia) 301210
Titahi bay 281210
Cape palliser 251210
This is New Zealand's largest seal colony found in the North island. It is located about 100 km from Wellington, and even though I couldn't find where seals with their puppies gathered, I could observe a group of 5 of them just basking away from the overcrowed colony. They seem pretty peaceful and clumpsy, but you should never position yourself between them and the sea, as they could feel harassed and bite you.
Mt Taranaki 151210
Wherever you go in New Zealand, you always will be able to find a toilet in good condition, and the most important: with toilet paper. It's just unbelievable! On the picture you can see the toilets located at beginning of the ascending track to Mount Taranaki summit (2500m). That mountain represented Mount Fuji in the movie “Last samurai”, and to be honest, it kind of looks pretty similar to me.
Three sisters 131210
Each beach is completely different to the others and you always can find some surprising aspect of them. In this case, the most darker sand I have ever seen.