When I travelled to New Zealand earlier this year, I set a goal. To capture something new from the area around Wanaka. This short article tells that story.

When it comes to photography, Wanaka is synonymous with two things: the Wanaka Tree and the view from the Roy's Peak lookout. Both are spectacular but they have become cliche and overcrowded thanks to social media. Fortunately, there is so much more to be found close by and one can even be found hiding in plain sight.

Twenty minutes drive from Wanaka is the Rocky Mountain hiking loop. The roughly seven kilometer long trail takes three hours to hike and can be described as a relatively moderate climb. The track itself is very scenic and winds past Diamond Lake and a number of pleasant views looking back towards Wanaka and on into Mount Aspiring National Park. Some scrambling is required to get to the top but once you are there you are rewarded with 360 views of the surrounding valley. At the top, you can see Roy's Peninsula and out onto Lake Wanaka. To the south lies Wanaka and Mount Alpha and to the west is Mount Aspiring National Park.

The climb up Rocky Mountain started at 5am. It was a chilly June morning and the climb took roughly 90 minutes to the summit. The weather didn't play nice and low-lying clouds kept the lighting conditions quite dull. The sun did manage to break through on a few occasions to produce a little bit of golden light but it didn't stay around for long.

The summit of Rocky Mountain is best described as a small dome and it was quite difficult to compose a foreground. I tried to use some of the surrounding trails and patches in the snow but nothing really stood out and worked well. If the weather had been a little bit better, I think I would have found it easier. Despite this, the views out on Lake Wanaka and surrounding peaks were spectacular. It was a rewarding hike and one I would recommend to others looking for a new perspective on Wanaka.

Mount Alpha is the secret hiding in plain sight. It is the much taller but lesser known cousin to Roy's Peak. Located 10 minutes outside Wanaka on the road to Mount Aspiring National Park, Mount Alpha is accessible via the same track as Roy's Peak. Be warned, it is a brutal three hour plus climb to the radio tower just below Mount Alpha. If you do make it to the top, the views are absolutely stunning.

Photographers and influencers love Roy's Peak because the outlook forms a beautiful leading line, cutting between Gledhu Bay to the east and Lake Wanaka to the west. If you choose to climb a bit higher, those same leading lines continue all the way to the peak. So do yourself a favor and continue the climb a bit further beyond the famous outlook.

I have completed both morning and afternoon climbs up to Mount Alpha. All have been during winter. Mornings tend to produce low lying cloud settling in and sometimes blanketing the valley below. Afternoons produce mist and high cloud over the mountains.

For the climb, I generally pack one medium format camera body with a single wide-angle lens, neutral density filters and polarizers and a sturdy, light weight tripod. With this, I pack water, a bit of food and at least two flashlights (one always being a headlamp). Don't make the mistake of skimping on the warm clothing. You will sweat all the way to the top, but once you arrive the temperature drops significantly. In winter, I have recorded temperatures well below freezing on the summit.

Once on the summit, plan to stay beyond the golden hour (if climbing in the morning) or after the blue hour (if climbing in the afternoon). The clouds, coupled with the colors of the rising or setting sun are most spectacular the few minutes before and after sunrise and sunset. When it comes to composing your images, try different perspectives, image ratios and mix between single frames and focus stacks. Try to find your foreground and build layers into the composition. It is always windy at the summit, so also remember to use a fast shutter speed to freeze the tussock grass and vegetation.

Mount Alpha is spectacular. Six climbs and counting and I can't get enough. With each passing year, it is getting harder, but I will always try and make it back. I recommend you do the same.

Isthmus Peak is a lesser known gem that can found 20-25 minutes outside of Wanaka on the road leading to the West Coast. Cutting between Lake Hawea and Lake Wanaka, Isthmus Peak offers spectacular views from the summit if you are prepared to embrace an arduous, two and a half hour climb 1,200 meters up the mountain.

I chose a clear winter afternoon to climb Isthmus Peak. Like the many climbs up to Mount Alpha, I chose a light pack out of a single medium format camera and lens, neutral density filters and polarizers, water and snacks. My initial thought was that Isthmus Peak would be an easier climb than Mount Alpha. I couldn't have been more wrong. You walk and walk and walk some more. Just when you think you are reaching the top, a false summit gives way to another set of switchbacks. When you do eventually reach the top, the reward is certainly worth the effort. You get 360-degree views in all directions and mountains stretching into the distance. You are also end up at eye level with many of the scenic flights operating throughout the Wanaka and Makarora Valley.

Like Mount Alpha, switch between different image ratios and frame your images so you have a foreground and middle ground between your most distant subject. Also position yourself so the sun and lighting works to your advantage. I found that the winter sun produces the most beautiful side lighting against the golden tussock grass covering the summit late in the afternoon. Once the sun sets, you get the beautiful blue and pink hues of the blue hour. On a clear day, everything also settles into a serene, crisp calm just before the light disappears.

Isthmus Peak was by far the hardest hike of my trip, but it was the most rewarding. Walking out under lights in the dark, I certainly felt a sense of accomplishment.

Of the three locations, which would I recommend the most? Isthmus Peak was the standout, Rocky Mountain was the pleasant surprise and Mount Alpha was the safe favorite. All three prove that if you cast the net a little wider, there is something to be found.

Cheers,

Russell