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An overview of all my photos. Brief descriptions of Albums with links to contained galleries
The West Coast region of the South Island, New Zealand is bounded in the east by the great peaks of the Southern Alps and in the west by the often stormy Tasman Sea. Between is a long, narrow strip of hinterland with a myriad of lakes, rivers, forests and open country.
Images of the rivers, valleys and mountains of the West Coast and western Southern Alps
Arising in its high mountains and lush forests and fed by a high annual rainfall the West Coast has numerous swift-flowing rivers and streams along with some very beautiful lakes and lagoons.
In a land of high mountains, lush forests and a high annual rainfall it is no surprise that waterfalls and swift-flowing streams are plentiful and often spectacular.
The West Coast region of the South Island, New Zealand is bounded in the east by the great peaks of the Southern Alps and in the west by the often stormy Tasman Sea. Between is a long, narrow strip (600 km or 375 miles) of hinterland with a myriad of lakes, rivers, forests and open country. This gallery features its forests.
The West Coast region of the South Island, New Zealand is bounded in the east by the great peaks of the Southern Alps and in the west by the often stormy Tasman Sea. Between is a long, narrow strip (600 km or 375 miles) of hinterland with a myriad of lakes, rivers, forests and open country. This gallery features the sea and the coastline.
A selection of photos of the flora and fauna found on the West Coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Some are found throughout New Zealand while many are unique to here.
In the absence of land animals in New Zealand birds have filled every niche that in other countries would be filled by animals. The variety of birds is immense and they dominate in every area from the sea to the mountains. Some of the birds are found only on the West Coast or only in the South Island. While most of the birds shown here are native species some introduced birds that have acclimatised to the wild may also be included.
In New Zealand birds are dominant and the only native land mammals are bats. Around our coasts there are some marine mammals including seals, dolphins and whales. My contact with marine mammals is somewhat limited so my photo gallery consist mostly of the NZ Fur Seal which can often be seen on our beaches and the Hector’s Dolphins which swim offshore, sometimes venturing into river mouths in pursuit of fish.
New Zealand has many interesting insects, the majority found only in this country. Insects are important as they provide food for other creatures including lizards, fish, bats, birds, and other insects. Insects pollinate plants; quite a number of plants are pollinated by night-flying insects which is why New Zealand has a large number of white-flowered plants, being more easily found in the dark.
The West Coast has a diverse range of plants. Some are widespread, being found in other places around New Zealand, Australasia or the Pacific while some are endemic to the West Coast or parts of the Southern Alps. The range of habitats in which plants are found is huge, ranging from high in the mountains and alpine screes, alpine and subalpine herblands, forests, open scrublands, swamplands, coastal cliffs and beaches.
The west side of the South Island is New Zealand’s wettest region.The changing weather often brings beautiful and spectacular effects such as rainbows, sunsets, sunrises, and interesting cloud effects.
"The Coast" as it is often called is famed for its sunsets and there are popular viewing points where people go to photograph them but just about anywhere can be lit up by a blaze of colour as the sun goes down. Sunrises can be equally spectacular but are not so common.
For a while I had my rainbow photos in with the sunsets and sunrises but as I added other different things like fogbows and fire rainbows I decided to put them in a separate galley in which I could include other weather phenomena such as fog and cloud patterns. So here we have a gallery of rainbows (we get a lot on the Coast) and other things.
The Barber is a notorious katabatic wind that brings cold air from the mountains, down the Grey Valley where it picks up damp fog and blows it out to the town of Greymouth. It is known as the Barber because the bitterly cold wind it is said to be sharp enough to shave the hair off your head.
The West Coast is a high rainfall area which means that it rains a lot of the time. The beauty of the Coast comes from that rain - in the numerous lakes and rivers, snow-clad mountains, etc. There is also much beauty to be found in the rain - misty waterfalls, sun breaking through the clouds, a rainbow at the end of the day.
The West Coast has few extremes of temperature. Summers are relatively mild and in winter severely cold days are rare. Snow falls on the mountains but rarely near the coast. Winter brings many clear days with views of the snow-clad Southern Alps. Fine weather brings frosts, an opportunity for photography in the form of frosted foliage, ice patterns in water and icicles in waterfalls.
Galleries in this album focus on people and the various situations in which they may be found along with the human impact on the environment.
This page is a celebration of people - people being people, people doing things. I don't do a lot of people photography but when I do I want somewhere to display them. Most of the photos in this gallery are older but I'll add newer ones as I get them. There are more photos in the Activities gallery where people are shown engaged in recreational pursuits such as fishing, hunting, surfing and in sports, arts, etc.
The West Coast with its diverse geography provides many opportunities for recreational activities in the mountains, the rivers, the lakes and the coastal areas. It should be no surprise therefore that West Coasters are involved in a host of recreational pursuits such as mountaineering, tramping, mountain biking, boating, fishing, hunting, etc. Sporting activities such as rugby, league, netball, hockey, etc are also popular.
Outside of the vast area of forests, rivers and lakes the rural environment is one that generally shows some human influence. Farming, as an example, may be in fairly natural setting such as a river valley but there may be evidence of human modification such as fences, farm buildings and farmed animals. In many cases the natural environment and the human environment can overlap.
The urban environment focuses on human habitation in the main towns of the West Coast. Photos can include dwellings, industrial complexes, roads and transportation systems.
Photos relating to vehicles or transport systems such as by road, rail or air. Could include sea transport if not related to the Port of Greymouth which as its own gallery
Boats coming in and out of the Port of Greymouth. The port is based in the Blaketown Lagoon. Boats come in and out from the Tasman Sea and must negotiate the mouth of the Grey River. In stormy conditions the passage can be quite hazardous.
Boats in and out of the Grey River at Greymouth, New Zealand. Greymouth is a river port and fishing is an important industry. The Grey River can be hazardous when in flood and the entrance to the river over the bar from the Tasman Sea can be fraught with danger when the sea is stormy. Photos from 2022.
Boats that venture back and forth in the Tasman Sea from the Grey River and the river port at Greymouth, New Zealand. The river and the sea can be serene and beautiful on one day but wild and unforgiving on the next.
Boats in and out of the Grey River at Greymouth, New Zealand. Greymouth is a river port and fishing is an important industry. The Grey River can be hazardous when in flood and the entrance to the river over the bar from the Tasman Sea can be fraught with danger when the sea is stormy.
Boats coming in and out of the Port of Greymouth. The port is based in the Blaketown Lagoon. Boats come in and out from the Tasman Sea and must negotiate the mouth of the Grey River. In stormy conditions the passage can be quite hazardous.
OTHER GALLERIES
A section of my photography which includes those taken for dramatic or artistic effect, those which have been digitally manipulated to create an effect and some which have been composed with a particular effect in mind.
