By Robert M. Teague
New Zealand is often thought of as simply a land of high mountains and misty fiords, often forgotten is that it's also an island nation. Being an island nation, New Zealand has many miles of coastline, and beaches. Perhaps, the most fascinating beach is on the South Island, home to a geologic treasure known as Moeraki Boulders. Moeraki Boulders is located 40km (25 miles) south of the coastal fishing town of Oamaru, 300km south (180 miles) of Christchurch, on SH1.
According to an ancient Maori legend, the boulders are gourds washed from the great voyaging canoe Arai Te Uru when it was wrecked at nearby Shag Point (Matakaea) some 1000 years ago, while searching for the precious stone of Te Wai Pounamu.
The more mundane explanation is that the boulders are septarian concretions that formed about 65 million years ago, and were raised from the seabed 15 million years ago. Crystallization of calcium and carbonates around charged particles in muddy undersea sediments gradually formed the boulders in a process taking as long as four million years.
The boulders each weigh several tons, measuring up to 10 feet (3 meters) in diameter. The boulders have a hollow interior.
Photo Experience
Moeraki Boulder's location on the south-east facing shore of the South Island makes this an ideal location for morning photography, with the boulders and nearby landforms bathed in a warm side light; by late afternoon the area can be in deep shadows.
Sunrise
Without a doubt, sunrise is the most dramatic time of day for photography, and this is especially true of Moeraki Boulders. The light from the rising sun reflects off the boulders, the tidepools and wet sand, while providing side lighting for nearby Shag Point. The best time to visit is when the surf will be breaking among the boulders. Plan to arrive at least 20 minutes before sunrise if possible; you will need time before sunrise to locate where the surf is breaking and to determine where the run will rise on the horizon. Note, you may have to walk in from the public campground, a 20 minute walk along the beach in the dark.
Unlike a lot of sunrise photography sessions, the primary subject here is the boulders, not the sun. This means that a split neutral density filter will be necessary to keep the boulders from falling into deep shadows and losing detail. Look for a pleasing arrangement of boulders, an S-curve arrangement will lead the eye into the picture, while leaving room in the picture for foreground and background elements.
As with any landscape photograph, it is the small details of the scene that make a photograph successful. Pay close attention to the advancing and receding waves. Using a slow shutter speed, time your shutter release for just after the incoming wave begins to recede; the sand will still be slightly wet and the rising sun may reflect off the wet sand, which can be used to add an element of texture to the photograph. Additionally, the movement of the water, with its silky smooth appearance, adds an element of time.
In the image above, a fine grained transparency film (Fuji Velvia) allowed a shutter speed slow enough to capture the movement of the surf; I waited until the water was retreating before tripping the shutter. A 2 stop (.6) neutral density filter kept the contrast range of the subject within acceptable levels. Details: Toyo 45AII field camera, Schneider 80mm f4.5Super-Symmar XL lens on Fuji Velvia 50.
Macro
The surface of the boulders are lined with long vein-like lines, giving the surface of the boulder a turtle like appearance. Zero in on these lines and where they intersect; this will accentuate the texture of the boulder, imparting a sense of "touch" to the viewer. Several boulders, as a result of the actions of the incoming surf, have broken apart. This provides a perfect opportunity to photograph the crystalline appearance of the boulders interior surface.
Explore along the cliff face
Just a quick look at the cliff face behind the rocks reveals that the process of building new boulders continues!! Don't put away the camera after shooting the boulders. Zoom in, for detailed images of new boulders in the cliff face. Early morning, with its side-lighting is best; the cliff face is pretty much uniform in color, although with lots of texture.
Nearby Locations
While you are in the Moeraki Boulders area, there are a number of nearby locations that I highly recommend. These are:
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Dunedin. Dunedin is one of the best preserved Victorian and Edwardian cities in the Southern Hemisphere. For the bird photographer, a visit to the Royal Albatross Colony at Taiaroa Head, on the tip of the Otago Peninsula, is not to be missed. The Royal Albatross Colony is the only mainland breeding colony for any albatross species found in the southern hemisphere. The birds can be viewed fairly close from the Richdale Observatory on the ground of the Royal Albatross Colony. The Colony is located about 50 a minute drive from central Dunedin.
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Oamaru. This lovely community is well known for its neo-classical buildings, hewn from locally quarried white Oamaru Stone, dating back to the 1860's. The nearby harbor is recognized as a site of national significance by the New Zealand Historic Places Trust. Oamaru is also home to the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony, home to the Blue Penguin - Blue penguins are the smallest of the world's 17 species of penguin. Standing just 25cm high and weighing 1kg, they can only be found on the coast of New Zealand and in Southern Australia.
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SH85 from Palmerston to Ranfurly. State Highway 85, known locally as the "Pigroot", heads inland from Palmerston to the vineyards of Central Otago. The road is fairly winding, rising through a number of passes, which can have snow at certain times of the year. This is a good road for doing sweeping landscape photography; take your time and enjoy the scenery along the way. Be sure to take note of the art deco buildings when driving through Ranfurly (population approximately 1060).
If you are in the Moeraki Boulders area in the late afternoon, the nearby village of Moeraki boasts one of the finest restaurants along the coast. Fleurs Place, which sits right on the waterfront at the old jetty, boasts outstanding food and drinks; the service, fast and friendly.
