Glaciers and Fiords
(October 2023)

Over many years I’d gotten to know Josh via his beautiful photography on Instagram and his popular Youtube videos, but with him being from the USA, I wondered whether I’d ever get to meet him in person.

And so it was both random and remarkable when we first bumped into each other at the Lake Marian carpark in the depths of Fiordland. Josh was co-leading a group of clients around the South Island, and I was doing the same with @purephotoadventures.nz.

Fast forward a few more years and I was both honoured and excited to be invited by Josh to co-lead a trip around some iconic spots in the South Island. Honed and perfected over his many years spent in New Zealand, Josh runs incredible itineraries with a tonne of bucket-list inclusions. And the glorious restaurants and food! I would’ve come back from this tour at least a few kilograms heavier.

The trip started and ended in New Zealand’s adventure capital, Queenstown, and ran for a total of 11 days. There were 10 of us in total – Josh and myself, of course – along with eight excited photographers, largely from the USA.

After introductions over dinner (pizza!), things soon got pretty interesting – a late season storm brought snow right into the heart of Queenstown. The next morning, after freezing our fingers off capturing some scenes on the Lake Wakatipu foreshore (and a hearty buffet breakfast to warm ourselves back up), we were on the road to Aoraki-Mt Cook National Park.

The fresh snow on New Zealand’s highest peaks looked an absolute dream. We photographed the mountains from the valley floors (Tasman and Hooker valleys being particular highlights), and we also photographed them from the air on chartered helicopters. We even got the opportunity to land high on the Tasman Glacier and trudge around in the fresh powdery snow – what an experience!

Southwards we then went, to Lake Wānaka and the infamous little tree in a lake, getting to shoot it under both sunset and sunrise conditions. Somer other local gems were also on the cards, along with a wine-tasting session at Rippon Vineyard with its outstanding views across the lake.

Over the hill and back to Queenstown we then went. A visit to Moke Lake and Glenorchy yielded some great images, and if that wasn’t enough, we also took to the air again: this time a charter flight over the extensive wilderness of Fiordland National Park.

Having seen Fiordland from the air it was time to experience it on the ground. We spent a couple of nights staying in luxury accommodation in Milford Sound, using it as a springboard to visit local gems, including Mitre Peak and Marian Cascades. We also headed out on the water, spending a couple of hours cruising around the fiord and capturing the dramatic scenery along with local wildlife (we were super lucky to see several Takiwa / Fiordland Crested Penguins).

Then, it was time for the grand finale: an overnight boat cruise in Doubtful Sound / Patea. Getting there isn’t straightforward, but it certainly helps reinforce the pure sense of remoteness and isolation once you get there. Boundless photography opportunities awaited, along with fun times on kayaks and tender boats, and delicious buffet food.

Then, unfortunately the tour had to come to an end; we made our way back to Queenstown and said our goodbyes. The stoke levels had been off the charts for the entire trip, with many saying they’d definitely be back again.

Enjoy these images and video.