Lake Wahapo is a small glacial lake within Westland Tai Poutini National Park, about 20 minutes north of the town of Franz Josef Glacier. Whilst its original geography dates back some 12,000 years to the last Ice Age, more recently the characteristics of the lake have been changed dramatically by the natural diversion and avulsion of the Waitangitāhuna river, which, after a severe flood in 1967, now flows into Lake Wahapo, bringing with it large volumes of alluvial sediment which will eventually fill the lake.
This image was made at the head of the lake shortly after sunrise. Here, the remnants of a dense forest of ancient kahikatea trees line the shore, reflecting in the dark, peaty water. Kahikateas are endemic to New Zealand and are the tallest tree species found in the country.
It is easy to miss this compact scene when driving past on the highway. During the daytime, it does not usually offer the photographer a particularly compelling picture. Still, in the right conditions – low hanging mist over the lake shallows, the rising sun providing backlighting to the trees and the flaxes which carpet the shore between the trees, and still water producing the reflections – it can take on a truly ‘other worldly’ mood: dark, mysterious, and foreboding are words which come to mind.
Using a telephoto lens for this shot allowed me to get in really close on the trees, emphasising the striking textures of the bark, the subtle sunlight on the flax leaves, and compressing the dark background to highlight the more distant trees in mist. It’s not every day that this scene presents itself, but when it does, it is quite unique.
