A visit to New Zealand...

[dhachey]

Jeff, first off, thanks for the LR4 tutorial videos.  I thought I knew LR, but didn't realize how little I really knew until I started watching your tutorial. Very well done.

Let me repay the favor with some advice on NZ.  By all means find a competent guide, don't do it on your own.  Jackie Ranken in Queenstown is one, but there are others.  They know the best spots, the best times and can suggest alternatives when the weather turns foul.  By all means hire a helicopter (doors off!), but do not opt for the packaged helitours, they stuff too many passengers in to make shooting feasible.  Same suggestion for an airplane (single engine, 2/4 seat, doors off).  Flights will be expensive, but worth it.  I just did this in Namibia and got some spectacular images of the Skeleton Coast.  You must do Queenstown and Milford Sound, I suggest an overnight cruise.  Doubtful Sound wasn't all that interesting to me. I didn't hike the glaciers due to weather, but saw them by air.  I could fill a book on this topic, so if you have questions, let me know.

[Josh-H]

+1 for chartered helicopter with the doors off if your pocket can stomach the hit. I have done this a few times over the alps in New Zealand and its spectacular. The pilots are some of the worlds best and can put the chopper literally feet from the ice. Around $1500 NZD per hour to charter with the doors off. If you can find another shooter to share the cost its defiantly worth it. Rug up though... its awfully cold with the doors off over the alps.  Here was the temp last time I went up.

Thats -19 celsius with the doors off - Brrr.....but a helluva lot of fun.

The small town of Fox Glacier is a great place to charter from. I have always used 'Mountain Choppers' as their pilots are phenomenal.

I would also recommend a guide. NZ is one of those locations that has many 'secret' spots that the average visitor will never find on a single visit.

[drcommercialization]

Jeff,

I have been fortunate to have done 4 landscape photography trips to New Zealand, 2 of those trips for 6 weeks each.  Some of my favorites:

1. Routeburn Great Walk, which traverses Fiordland and Mt. Aspiring National Parks.  A 3-day hut-to-hut backcountry hike. This is one of the most scenic tracks, mile for mile, that I have ever taken.  If you do not have 3 days, you can do the start and the finish of the trail as day hikes.  Key Summit is a short climb from the Fiordland trailhead and offers a spectacular vista.
2. Hump Ridge Track (a private track but reasonably priced).  At the southernmost end of the island.  Also a 3-day hut-to-hut hike, but you can do a portion of the first day's hike that takes you past a very wild and rugged beach. 
3. Abel Tasman Great Walk.  North end of the island.  You can do a 4-day beach hike, or a 1-day ocean kayak trip, or anything in between.
4. Nelson Lakes National Park.  Do a long day-hike to Angelus hut and back, as well as photos around the shore of Lake Rotoiti.  3000' up and down. 

I have photos of these New Zealand destinations and more at http://www.sublimelightlp.com/f365913020
Enjoy your trip.

Regards,

J Dupuie
www.sublimelightlp.com