Hidden gems in the heart of Cambridge: Lake Te Koutu {landscape photography}

I can still vividly recall the first time we went to the lake. I'd asked my brother to take some family photos of us when our youngest was just a little tacker and it was a pretty perfect spot to sit under the shade of a willow tree on a summer's day and record our family - well how we were at that exact moment in time. We were definitely younger and maybe more carefree than we are now, instead now we are wiser with more life experiences. Would I want to go back and relive the past five years all over again - who knows? There were definitely some wonderful moments in there that I would happily live through again. And yet I feel very at peace with where we are now so then again maybe not.

Last summer, when thoughts of moving to Cambridge were in our mind but still not quite decided we took a walk around Lake Te Koutu on a stunning and warm summers day.

On that day I marvelled at the lovely lake reflections and the tranquility of the spot  - despite being set right in the heart of Cambridge town. It's deceptively peaceful - you would never know the main highway of NZ is a mere couple of hundred metres away.

Little did I know that if I hit fast forward to just nine months later I would be standing here again in solitude on a cool September morning, now living as a Cambridge resident and exploring this hidden gem which lends itself to landscape photography quite nicely.

It was a wonderful feeling watching the world awaken on a dawn that was new.

This early in spring, before the trees have fully recovered from the harsh winter, the blossoms stand out in vivid contrast.

And do you want to know the best part of coming to take photos here at the lake? It is only about five minutes from home - so it's a very easy spot to roll out of bed to go out and discover on any promising looking morning.

I know without any doubt that it's a spot I will find myself coming to again and again, wanting to  capture its beauty in all the changing seasons.