Category: Wellington

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Days Bay Wharf Wellington

A scenic pier with crowds of people on it and a striking red tree in the foreground.

Catching the East by West ferry across the Wellington Harbour is a wonderful day out, especially in summer. It takes around half an hour to go from Queens Wharf in the central business district to Days Bay. The ferry had set off back to the city when I captured this photograph of the Days Bay wharf. But you still see plenty of tourists and locals on the wharf enjoying the sun or fishing. In the foreground is a Pōhutukawa tree in full bloom. Known as the New Zealand Christmas tree it is a coastal evergreen tree with bright red flowers that bloom around Christmas. This was taken on boxing day just a few weeks ago.

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Celebrity Edge cruise ship in Wellington

A large blue and white cruise ship floats on the water, surrounded by green hills dotted with dozens of homes up and down the hill behind.

Sailing out of central Wellington on a Bluebridge ferry I saw this huge cruise ship moored up along Aotea Quay. This Celebrity X Cruise ship is massive. 15 decks, 1377 crew, 2918 capacity and 306 metres in length. But it was the background the captured my attention more than the ship itself. This is Wadestown, a northern suburb of Wellington. It was actually the cities first suburb so features many large 100+ year old homes. By using a long zoom lens the houses almost appear on top of each other on the hill side. This is the norther side of Te Ahumairangi Hill (Tinakori Hill).

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June Jackson mural Wellington

A large painting of an older woman on the side of a big metal shed on a dock, set against a peaceful waterfront scene.

Sailing out of Glasgow Wharf, you get a great view of central Wellington. This was one of the first views that caught my eye from the Bluebridge Cook Strait Ferry. I regularly walk the Commonwealth Walkway, more commonly referred to as the waterfront. Passing the light blue building which is home to the Crab Shack seafood restaurant. I had seen the Whaea June Te Raumange Jackson mural many times but never from this angle. June Jackson was a well known and much loved community worker and public servant. She died in 2022 and this mural was painted a year later by artist Graham Hoete (Mr G). The brown tones of the mural contrast well with the blue colours of the ferry and building behind. Speaking of the ferry. This is Ika Rere, New Zealand’s first electric ferry.

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Castlepoint in a storm

Monochrome photograph depicting dramatic waves crashing onto a tranquil beach, showcasing nature's force. In the background is a rocky cliff with a tall white lighthouse on top.

Cloudy and stormy days are often days where my camera stays in its bag. This means missing shots like this. After a clear and starry night sky over the lighthouse the clouds came in. The next day was very windy. Castlepoint is on the rugged east coast on the Wellington Region of New Zealand. The wind was blowing the waves and sand towards the camera. I felt that a black and white processing added to the drama of the scene. With how exposed the lighthouse is on Castle Rock it can be very dangerous to be up on the rocks in a storm. Thankfully I couldn’t see anyone up there. It’s a popular beach for horse racing and kite surfing too. Obviously not in conditions like this though.