Time, at times, can be a curious concept. 

When I’m surrounded by shadow in the deep valleys of Fiordland, time has no weight. 

Sure, I’m well aware of the passing of time. (As nature photographers know all too well, waiting for ferns to freeze in the wind can be a Herculean test of patience.) But when I’m hiking around moss-covered trees or wading through ice-blue rivers, the amount of time has no bearing. 

Out there, when I’m engaged in exploration and photography, the elapsed time doesn’t register. It’s not until after the morning hike and I’ve put the camera away, that I then realise that it’s mid-afternoon. To my mum, who joined me on this trip and waited untold hours with me: Thank you. 

I’ve been fortunate to have visited Fiordland a few times in my life. Why do I return time and again? In those enchanted valleys, I experience what I can best describe as unfiltered freedom. 

Perhaps that’s due to the lack of leeches and snakes. (Pushing through the undergrowth and knowing you’re not going to be bitten? Yeah, that’s reason enough to return.)

An equally significant factor? There’s no facade or pretence out there. Now I’m an open person at the best of times. Yet in our urban lives, there are roles we all choose to perform to varying degrees. We might dress sharply for colleagues. Or we might accommodate dissenting views from extended family.

Out there, I can leave the cabin with muddy clothes and be at complete ease with my unkempt appearance. Out there, when I’m transfixed by sudden snow flurries or battered by sheets of rain, there is no performance. 

In Fiordland, nature is the one putting on the performance. I’m merely experiencing it. I stay grounded in the present moment, noticing pleasing patterns and contrasting colours. I then point my camera to highlight those scenes in the best light possible.

It’s a land beyond time. Here’s a look at the photos I took.

Fiordland

Mount Aspiring National Park

After hiking in Fiordland for a week, we then explored Mount Aspiring National Park for a few days. Here are a couple of photos from my time there too.