Wellington waterfront photography, and the sunrise from Mt Victoria

The long Queens Birthday weekend in Wellington delivered a forecast that was for fine and still weather three days running (which is pretty rare for the first official weekend of winter let alone any time!) so I wasn't about to waste it.

The previous two days I'd also been up at 6am to take some shots, the first day at Seatoun Pier and the next morning at Island Bay so on the third day I thought I might try out the waterfront.

Thankfully it had warmed up a few degrees from the previous two days where I'd nearly lost all feeling in my fingers, so standing out in the 6-7 degree chill felt positively tropical by comparison.

Wellington is famous for its wind. And there's not many days of the year where the wind drops enough to grace us with a harbour that could so easily pass for a mirror. Which is why this particular morning was just so special.

Still enough for all the bright lights along Oriental Parade to be reflected as golden candle flames.

Clear enough for the odd, bright star to still be visible as a twinkle in the sky.



I found myself with itchy feet though. I didn't want to be stuck in one spot wasting other points of view and so found myself back in the car moving further around the parade to pause and take an even wider view of the city.

It was at this moment that the possibility of catching the sunrise on Mt Victoria suddenly captured my imagination. The great thing about living in such a compact city is that it's literally only a 5 minute drive from the photo above at sea level to the photo below on the summit.

To begin with I took up a vantage point at the main lookout overlooking the city accompanied by at least a dozen enthusiastic teenagers who had obviously gotten up early especially to see the sunrise and an enthusiastic photographer capturing some time lapse shots with his shutter clicking away continuously every minute or so. But I still thought the vantage point lacked something, so after a few minutes (and with time not really on my side as the sun wasn't far off rising) I made a snap decision to move to the other lookout nearer the harbour and tower.



I was the only one there and I couldn't quite believe that I had this amazing spot all to myself as it had much better views, largely uninhibited by any trees.

And as it turned out there was just enough cloud cover on this morning to turn just another sunrise into something else. I managed to catch an early morning Jetstar flight coming into land over the harbour while watching the sun's rays get steadily brighter.



I was given a vision of Heaven for these few short minutes.

I've lived in Wellington for twelve years this month, and yet I have to admit I'd never seen the sunrise from here before. Because our house looks out towards these hills, we get a pretty good sunrise show most mornings, so I'd never really thought too much about going anywhere else.

But with these memories safely tucked away in my heart it won't be the last time I come here, now that I know what could be on offer. I'm now dreaming of a morning where I can bring the boys up here and watch the miracle of the new day together. Now that will be special.

24/52: Football fever and full-on fun

A portrait of my children once a week every week in 2014

This week it's all about football fever. Growing up in this house you boys are destined to be football lovers whether you really wanted to be or not. Grandma and Grandad kindly sent over these cool scarves and caps so you can cheer on England alongside your passionate football-loving daddy.

You look utterly delicious here in your onesies having some down time, so engrossed in watching Walking with Dinosaurs before sitting down to Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni for dinner on Sunday night after what was a very full and fun weekend. Full of both playing football and watching football world cup games, bike riding at Avalon Park, a trip across the road in pyjamas to watch the honey moon rise over the city, and whooping your way down the hydro-slides at H20 extreme water park. Truly the best kind of weekend there is.

An Island Bay dawn {long exposure photography}

Another morning, another dawn. Another opportunity for long exposure photography at an iconic Wellington spot, Island Bay.

And though I hardly thought it possible, it was even COLDER on this morning than the previous morning had been at Seatoun Pier. The temperature gauge sat firmly at 2 degrees as I drove the fifteen minutes from home in the deepest inky black. Today I'd come prepared with thicker socks but I knew it was still going to hurt my poor fingers standing out in the cold for up to 2 hours....brrrr!

I also somewhat mis-timed my arrival as unlike the day before there was no haze of city lights to brighten the southern sky so it was still pitch black and too early for any kind of shot at all. So I immediately jumped back into the car and enjoyed the warmth of the heater for an extra ten minutes, and then had to really give myself a pep talk to leave it again. 

With the sky soon to lighten I left behind the comfort of the car and made haste to set up for the dawn that was on its way.

As much as I had enjoyed the amazing opportunities that Seatoun Pier had presented, I had in mind a different set of shots for this day. One of the tricks of the trade I've seen photographers employ to try and get the maximum effect of silky water shots is to take long exposure shots where waves are moving around the rocks on shore. 

10 seconds, f/10.0, ISO 200

I knew this would be the place for it, and I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the tide could turn from a foaming, moving mass into silken smoke with just a few tweaks of the camera settings.

 

10 seconds, f/4.0, ISO 200

I can't say I've ever noticed the intricate detail and colour of the red rocks like I did on this day.

 

 

5 seconds, f/22.0, ISO 200

The dusky hues of the water only enhancing the coppery, rusty rocks.

While offshore, the island danced quietly with the dawn just out of reach.

Caressing the sky and teasing it to reveal still more colour.

1/50 seconds, f/4.0, ISO 100

It felt like a moment created purely for me and the seagulls, and possibly the boats patiently bobbing away in the bay.

And as the light brightened, I found myself drawn to the vista from the other side of the bay.

Watching the sun warming one side of the island long before its rays ever reached shore.

 

And as the day spread her cloak far and wide, I sighed.

1/125 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 160

In thankfulness at what had just been.

It turns out all I have to do is make myself available and wait for the dawn to deliver.

And it will.

23/52: Why monsters are so lucky and a morepork in a tree

A portrait of my children once a week, every week in 2014

Mylo: this is what you unexpectedly came out with from the back seat of the car one morning last week. Dad was so tickled he had to text it to me straight away.

"Monsters are very very very very lucky. Because they get to eat whatever they want because they don't have mums and dads"

I would love to know what was going on inside your head at that moment and why that gem just suddenly popped out. Perhaps you were thinking about the fact that we have to be a bit tough on you at times at the dinner table to try and encourage you to eat chicken or other chewy meat!

 Because of course one must eat all around the outside of the Squiggletop first........

Noah: it was all your idea to take a family walk to Lone Pine, a pine tree on a hill that we can see in the distance from our house. You chose this walk because you were so keen to show me and Mylo the track that you and Dad have been mountain biking a few times now and you kept up a constant chatter all the way to Lone Pine, and onto the Park Bench and the 'Pump Tracks' - where you have to pump your arms as you go over mini speed bumps to make the most of your suspension.

Even the mist rolling in couldn't dampen your enthusiasm for the outdoors

Then on the way back we accidentally startled a kereru out of his tree and realised that right beside him and not battering an eyelid (literally) was a morepork. In broad daylight. We were SO thrilled to see this amazing NZ native owl up close that we stayed and watched him for a good ten minutes or so. And he was as interested in us as we were in him. You also amazed me by recognising a stitchbird's call and spotting him in a tree as well as spying a fantail flitting around us. You are becoming quite the little twitcher, my son, and I love it.

Almond Butter Cookie Recipe {gluten free, dairy free}

C is for cookie and cookie is for meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

You would honestly never know that this recipe is both gluten and dairy free. These cookies are chewy deliciousness in every single mouthful and a hit with everyone who tries them! You can make these with chocolate chips in but they are just as yummy without, as the crunchiness of the walnuts adds great texture to the mixture.

Makes about 24 cookies.

1/2 cup walnuts
1 egg
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almond butter (or any nut butter)
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chocolate chips or chunks (optional)

1. Pulse the walnuts in the food processor until the biggest bits you have are the size of a chocolate chip. Remove and pour into a mixing bowl.

2. Add the egg, coconut oil, sugar and almond butter to the bowl and mix well to combine.

3. Add the ground almond, sea salt and baking soda and mix well to combine.

4. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least half an hour (longer if you can) and preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

5. Remove the dough from the fridge and roll into a tablespoonful size ball and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.

6. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until golden on top.

7. Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

For more tasty recipes, go here.

Things I'm Loving: welcoming the dawn at Seatoun Pier with long exposure photography

It was a big effort getting out of bed at 6am on a crisp 3 degree morning on a chance and possibility. The chance to practice my night photography with long exposure shots in a Wellington location that I hoped would do my efforts justice.

It was a whim I was willing to indulge. So in spite of the stinking head cold I'd been fighting all week, I donned 47 layers of clothing, puffer jacket, warm hat and mittens and hit the road at 6.10am.

I'd seen the long range forecast and knew that the forecast for all three days of the long weekend was for fine, frosty weather and no wind. That's unheard of in these parts.

To start with it was just me and the pier. Until I had to share it with some fishermen who were very dedicated to the cause (or crazy like me) being out this early in the freezing cold.

The curve of the bay made for wonderful reflections of street lights in water.

Call me slow to the party but this is really the first time I'd tried out long exposures with this light (or lack of). I think somewhere along the way I'd convinced myself that either my equipment wasn't up to scratch (not true) or I didn't have it in me. Either way I hoped I was wrong.

Setting up a long exposure shot isn't just about pointing and shooting so it does take a little more effort. And shooting in manual mode is something I'm only just now getting the hang of which makes me a bit of a slow learner I know since I've actually had a DSLR for 3 years now (ahem!). Better late than never I suppose.

As well as setting up all the long exposure shots, I had to quickly tweak some dials to catch the first ferry of the day chug her way out of the harbour leaving a trail of smoke billowing behind her as she went.

The pier proved itself more than worthy a photo subject during the time I was there.

After an hour with stiff and frozen finger tips that no amount of blowing or rubbing would fix, I was more than ready to call it a day.

But just at that moment the sun rose.

And I couldn't bring myself to leave.

Not yet anyway.

My fingers would just have to hold on for a while longer.

They managed to tweak a few dials and set up a few more shots which I think were worth the extra wait.

I wholeheartedly believe that no matter what is happening in your life, there is always something you can be thankful for..no matter how simple it is. 

Here's how you can join in this week:

Link up below with your blog post telling us what you're loving, and grab the Things I'm Loving button below for your post too. Don't forget to share the love by visiting all the other lovelies who have joined in - the linky is open till same time next week!


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The Three {A book review}

Picture the scene. Four airliners crash simultaneously around the globe leaving just three child survivors. The crashes are unexplainable, and aside from one recorded message left by a passenger who survives long enough to cause worldwide pandemonium with her message, there are few clues as to how or why.

What happens next is the plot of the book, as it follows chapter by chapter different first person accounts of those most deeply affected by the crashes around the world - relatives, friends and some downright kooky characters who are either hell-bent on linking the events to Revelation events from the Bible and trying to use the situation to affect a mass uprising, or those who are now convinced at the existence of something other than human plotting to take over the world. And the fact that the book 'From Crash to Conspiracy' is written within the book itself adds another layer of complexity as you try and objectively work out along with the rest of the world what you really believe.

This book will take you on a journey. You will feel compelled to come up with your own explanations, to rationalise and suppose what might have happened. You will feel anger and frustration with those who act out of limited knowledge to try and effect radical change on humanity and not for the better. You will come to fear that the world we live in (the book is set in 2014) could so easily morph into the nightmare that The Three portrays with such little warning.

You will wonder at the possibilities. The uncanny and unexplainable changes that happen in the lives of those closest to The Three. These three children who, are undoubtedly changed by their experience, change others. There are unexplained miracles, and while you want to believe the best, somehow you know there is more to it.

And then, when you think you have it all figured out, you’ll still be shocked by the twist and turns in the final chapters. 

I thought the timing of this book being published was quite uncanny as the world still waits and hopes to find out the final fate of flight MH-370. And will we ever really know? As each day passes, the likelihood that there will be a simple explanation that everyone will accept grows dimmer. We have all drawn our own conclusions about what happened and that may be all we ever have to go on.

Let’s face it. Life isn’t always tidy and it doesn’t come in a nice, neat little package. It would be boring if it did. There are always questions without answers and I don’t think it does us any harm to have to draw our own conclusions from time to time whether it's in life or literature.

This is a book that will leave you with questions. Think back to that epic TV programme LOST which we loved to hate but couldn't quite make ourselves stop watching. We just wanted answers, but every time we thought we had an answer another question popped up. So if you like a nice, tidy ending to your stories, you might feel a little undone when you get to the last pages.

The Three is quite simply a rollercoaster that will leave you gasping for breath as it pulls you in a different direction around every corner, and yet you'll still be wishing for more by the time you reach the end of the ride.

The Three by Sarah Lotz published by Hachette NZ is available from 27 May 2014
RRP $37.99.

Thanks to Hachette NZ for the review copy. 

Disclaimer:  I was given a copy of The Three in exchange for my review.  I am not being compensated in any other way.

22/52: Rainbow looms and precious conversations

Project 52: a portrait of my children once a week every week in 2014

Noah: This week you taught us all to create a loom bracelet on our fingers. I love that I can learn from you and it's not all one-way traffic. You and your little brother have been creating up a storm ever since! I love that something so simple can teach you concentration, co-ordination, pattern sequencing and fine motor skills and yet you just think you're having fun!

Mylo: for a not even 5 year old you have some pretty good racing skills easily beating the whole family on the new Mario Kart 8 game that we got on the weekend. And this exchange that took place the other night was so precious and I will treasure it always.

Mylo: When did God get made?

Me: He didn't get made hun. He's been alive forever and ever. Always. And he created everything else.

Mylo: Is God sad that he doesn't have a birthday because he never got born?

Me: I don't think so beautiful. He gets to celebrate and enjoy everyone on Earth when they have their own birthdays.

Mylo: Will the Coca Cola ever run out in Heaven?

Me: (laughing) I don't think so. What made you think of Coca Cola?

Mylo: It's my favourite drink.

Me: But there might not even be any Coca Cola in Heaven Mylo. There might be the yummiest most amazing drink you can ever imagine, that's way, way better than Coca Cola. Something to look forward to hey.

Mylo: Are there going to be enough houses for us all in Heaven?

Me: Yes my sweet. That one I can say for sure because in the bible it says 'There are many rooms in my Father's house'. And Jesus will make sure there is enough room for us all to live with Him.