A Slippery Slope

New Zealand Night, Milky Way Over Tasman Lake
Sony a7R V
Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM
ISO 4000
f/1.8
20 seconds

I’ve visited New Zealand each (non-Covid) winter since 2017. And every year, from the day I return my wife has to endure weeks of my raving about how beautiful (and clean, and friendly, and quiet, and pretty much perfect) New Zealand is. So this year we decided to add 10 days to my New Zealand stay, and Sonya flew down to meet me after the workshop so we could tour the South Island together.

Such an abrupt transition from fulltime photographer mode to vacation mode is not without its pitfalls. Years of personal experience, photo workshop observations, conversations with other photographers, and simply viewing the work of photographers who have attempted to combine vacation with serious photography, has convinced me that attempting to capture great images while maintaining domestic bliss on a vacation a perilous tightrope that rarely makes anyone happy (I’m sure there are exceptions, but you get the point). Which is why I now decide before every trip whether it will be a photography trip, or a vacation. Never both.

So, true to plan, as soon as Sonya arrived in New Zealand, I ceased being a photographer. This decision to transition from a New Zealand photography trip to a New Zealand vacation was as much for me as it was for Sonya. I love being in photography mode when I visit beautiful places by myself or with other serious photographers, but I enjoy vacation mode with Sonya and/or family just as much. Setting aside my camera frees me to relax, enjoy our time together, and appreciate the sights without stress about the clock, the light, or the next destination.

Sonya’s introduction to New Zealand came in Queenstown, probably the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen. In our two days there, we strolled the town centre (New Zealand-ese for downtown), enjoying the shops, excellent food, and beautiful sights. On our first morning we made the beautiful drive along Lake Wakatipu to Glenorchy, then continued into the Lord of the Rings forests of Paradise. The next day we enjoyed a leisurely morning in town before hitting the road, stopping to visit the iconic Wanaka tree and enjoy lunch at my favorite Wanaka cafe, before heading over the (snow-covered!) Lindis Pass to Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park.

Gloriously un-bound by schedule, we spent extra time in Wanaka, and didn’t make it to our hotel in Twizel (near Aoraki) until shortly before sunset. This was a little later than I’d imagined we’d be, which thwarted my plan to enjoy a (camera-free) sunset at Tasman Lake. But there was still enough light that I thought it would be worthwhile to drive along Lake Pukaki for some views of Mt. Cook and the surrounding peaks in the colorful twilight. As we drove and marveled at evening’s sparkling clear air, up popped an idea that, try as I might, I couldn’t completely shake. My mental gymnastics went something like:

1. Tonight’s clear sky would be a perfect opportunity for Sonya to see the New Zealand night sky.
2. The Tasman Lake overlook is my favorite view in New Zealand, and also my favorite place in New Zealand to view the Milky Way.
3. Maybe we could just continue into the park after dark and let Sonya check off both boxes—Tasman Lake and night sky!
4. But, if I’m going to do that, why not just bring my camera and tripod and take a few pictures while we’re at it?
5. Hmmm… (queue slippery slope alarm bells)

Before continuing, I want to make clear that this “vacation or photography” mandate is mine alone—Sonya has always been totally fine with me mixing the two when the right opportunity presents itself, and it’s never been a source of tension. Despite that, I knew if I wasn’t careful, adding photography goals to a vacation could make to easier to rationalize future exceptions, a slippery slope I was reluctant to tread—not just for this trip, but for all ensuing vacations.

But the Milky Way over Tasman Lake was too tempting to resist. And of course when I suggested the idea to Sonya, she was all for it.

That’s when a little practical reality set in. During last week’s workshop, I took some of the group to the Tasman Lake overlook, while my workshop partner Don Smith took the others to a spot that didn’t require scaling 336 stairs. To say those stairs were unexpectedly treacherous this year would be an understatement. On all previous visits we’ve just been able to ascend the stairs normally—anyone with the strength and stamina to do it had no problem. But this year, most of the trail was coated with ice, which only seemed to get worse as we climbed.

Stepping carefully, we all made it to the top without any problem. Coming down was another story. By the time we finished our beautiful sunset shoot and waited for the twilight glow above the peaks to fade, it was dark enough to require headlamps. But descending icy stairs is an entirely different endeavor than climbing them. Carefully considering each step, we all made it down without incident, but it took us nearly an hour to traverse .4 miles.

For the hike up with Sonya, I’d hoped the ice would be gone (since I’d never experienced it there before this year), but just in case, I’d also be armed with the pair of Yactrax (kind of a poor man’s crampons) I’d (foolishly) left behind on the prior week’s visit. Sonya would wear the Yaktrax, while I’d be armed with the lessons of last week’s experience.

We quickly learned that ice was in fact not gone, and going up we each took a (minor) spill. Near the top, I could tell Sonya was having second thoughts and we considered bailing, but by then we were so close we just decided to power through. About 25 stairs later we summited.

Words (and pictures) can’t express how glorious this view is any time. Add snow draping the peaks, icebergs floating on the lake, a bowl of stars overhead, absolute silence, and it feels downright spiritual. We just stood and gaped for a few minutes while our eyes adjusted, watching the Milky Way intensify. The sky was dark enough to reveal the Milky Way stretching from horizon to horizon, from the brilliant galactic center before us, to the faint outer band at our backs. When I pointed out the Southern Cross directly overhead, and both Magellanic Clouds, Sonya commented that the stars seem much closer here than she’s ever seen them.

When I said pictures can’t do this view justice, I mean it. This image is 14mm, full frame and uncropped, and it only covers about 1/3 of the lake and surrounding peaks. I chose this composition because of the rare (for this Northern Hemisphere guy) opportunity to capture the Small Magellanic Cloud. We stayed for about 30 minute, driven down by frigid cold and intense hunger.

We made it back to the car, without incident, in a blistering 30 minutes, shattering the icy descent record set by last week’s workshop group. And I’m happy to say that the Tasman hike wasn’t the only slippery slope I successfully navigated. Once down the hill, I instantly returned to fulltime vacation mode, taking the sights as they come and letting the pace define itself as the trip continues. (But the rest of that night wasn’t without its bumps—I’ll share that story soon.)

The Aoraki/Cook experience, and the next morning in nearby Tekapo, marked the end of my zone of familiarity for the next few days. From there we explored Christchurch (which I haven’t been to since long before the earthquakes) and Dunedin. Today we returned to Te Anau—familiar territory (for me)—where we cruised Doubtful Sound. Tomorrow we’ll visit Mirror Lakes and Milford Sound. Then it’s back to Christchurch where the Shotover Jets and Skyline Gondola await. (I’m pretty sure we’ll need to purchase another suitcase for all the NZ stuff we’ve bought.)

Join Don and me for next year’s New Zealand adventure

Night Sky Around the World

Click any image to scroll through the gallery LARGE 

Dark Night, Milky Way and Tasman Lake, New Zealand

Autumn Moonset, Oxbow Bend, Grand Teton NP

Moonlight Reflection, El Capitan and the Three Brothers, Yosemite

Lunar Kiss, Crescent Moon With Half Dome and Sentinel Dome, Yosemite

Sky Light,The Milky Way and City Lights, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand

Milky Way and SpaceX Falcon 9, Wotan’s Throne, Grand Canyon

Neon Night, Aurora and Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

Milky Way Reflection, Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand

Early Morning Moonset, Zabriskie Point, Death Valley

Stairway to Heaven, Milky Way Over the Puna Coast, Hawaii

Green Curtain, Kirkjufell Aurora, Iceland

New Zealand Night, Milky Way Over Tasman Lake

Moonlight Cathedral, Valley View, Yosemite

Looking Up, Milky Way and Mauna Kea Gemini Observatory, Hawaii

Night Fire, Milky Way Above Kilauea Caldera, Hawaii

Northern Lights, Kirkjufell, Iceland

Bristlecone Night, Milky Way from the White Mountains, California

Starry Night, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand

Dark Night, Milky Way Above the Colorado River, Grand Canyon

Northern Lights and Big Dipper, Vik, Iceland

Milky Way and Small Magellanic Cloud, Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand

Star Trails, Desert View, Grand Canyon

Milky Way and the Southern Alps, Mt. Cook / Aoraki National Park, New Zealand

Twilight Moon, Zabriskie Point, Death Valley

Dawn Moonset, Mt. Williamson and the Alabama Hills, California

Nature’s Light Show, Aurora Over Dyrhólaey Coast, Iceland

Red Moonrise, Sentinel Rock, Yosemite

Celestial Ribbon, Colorado River, Grand Canyon

Moonrise, Sierra Foothills, California

Wings of Angels, Aurora Above Dyrhólaey, Iceland

Moonlight Magic, El Capitan, Yosemite

Milky Way Reflection, Colorado River, Grand Canyon

Moonrise, West and East Mitten, Monument Valley

Northern Lights Reflection, Aurora and Glacier Lagoon, Iceland

Big Moon, Valley View, Yosemite

Moongazing, Face Rock, Bandon, Oregon

Glow, Milky Way Above Kilauea, Hawaii

Celestial Reflection, Milky Way Over the Colorado River, Grand Canyon

Swoosh, Northern Lights Over Kirkjufell, Iceland