Overnight Experiences Queenstown

Join Ken Wright & Glen Howey to experience some of New Zealand’s iconic landscapes and build a stunning portfolio of the deep southern landscapes. Based in the lower South Island, you will get to shoot a diverse range of landscapes including; rugged mountains, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and rolling farmland.
On this tour, you will start out in Queenstown using 4WD to access some more remote locations and capture the area's hidden gems. The tour then explores the Catlins Coast, which is full of surprises including fossilised forests and outstanding coastal scenery. We will capture the iconic Nugget Point Lighthouse for sunrise, and explore the coastline across to Waipapa Point Lighthouse along with all the spectacular waterfalls along the way. The Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park is also known for its amazing wildlife and hopefully we will see sea lions hauling themselves out on the wild beaches along the coastline. The final leg of the tour is through Te Anau and into Milford. The untouched wilderness of Fiordland and Milford Sound, is a trip like no other. Milford is famed as one of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. Amassed with waterfalls cascading directly into the sea from mountains coated with Jurassic rainforest, there is never a time - rain, snow or shine - where the area doesn’t look at its pristine best.

HIGHLIGHTS
Milford Sound Cruise
Fiordland Helicopter Flight
Nugget Point Lighthouse
Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park
Remote locations

QUEENSTOWN - QUEENSTOWN
Queenstown
Catlins
Te Anau
Milford ITINERARY
Day 1 - Queenstown
Today starts at 2pm with Hotel with an introductory session to the tour and then head to a local restaurant for an early dinner. The will then head on a 4wd trip into Skippers Canyon to capture the rugged mountain valleys finishing with the day here with sunset.
Day 2 - Queenstown
We will shoot sunrise this morning over Lake Wakatipu right outside our lakeside hotel. This afternoon will see us heading out on another 4WD trip to Glenorchy and Paradise. Travelling to explore a remote mountain valley before returning to Glenorchy for sunset over the jetty.

Day 3 - Queenstown - Catlins
This morning we will depart early for the stunning Catlins Coast, famous for its amazing wildlife and lush rainforests. We will spend the afternoon exploring some of the stunning beaches around the Catlins Coastline finishing with a Coastal sunset at Kaka Point.
Day 4 - Catlins
This morning we will capture the iconic Nugget Point Lighthouse in the early morning light. We will spend the day exploring the Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park, taking a waterfall road trip to the sensational Purakaunui Falls and then onto McLean falls, two of Otago's most famous falls. Sunset this evening will be down on the stunning beach.
Day 5 - Catlins - Te Anau
After sunrise at Kaka Point we explore the coastline to Waipapa Point Lighthouse and the world-famous twisted Macrocarpa tree hedge. Then departing the Catlins, we head towards Te Anau. Arriving here to finish the day walking the tranquil shores of Lake Te Anau, the South Island’s largest lake, at the start of the Kepler Track. This evening we photograph the sunset over an iconic Jetty on the lake, with a vast array of mountains beyond.
Day 6 - Te Anau - Milford Sound
This morning you have the opportunity to take to the air with your photography with a breathtaking helicopter flight. Soar above some of the world's most incredible wilderness landscapes and mountains, landing atop it all to photograph the morning light filtering through Fiordland. After breakfast we will take the Milford Highway up the Eglinton Valley. Winding through the mountains; past dark, brooding lakes and mossy beech forests, we arrive at Milford Sound to board our overnight boat and take to the water to capture the amazing landscapes from an alternative perspective.
Day 7 - Milford Sound - Queenstown
After waking up on the boat for sunrise, we will disembark and then spend the day exploring some more locations along the Milford road that we missed on the way in, before heading back to Queenstown in time for late afternoon flights and to end our tour.

PRICE INCLUDES
7 days of tuition with Ken Wright & Glen Howey
6 nights of hotel accommodation (twin-share, single upgrade available)
Overnight Milford Sound Cruise
6 breakfasts, 1 Dinner
Queenstown 4WD Trips
Transport during the tour
DOC (National Park) concession fees
Copy of our Pocket Guide Photography
Native tree planting to Carbon Offset your tour
Donation to our Conservation Fund

EXPERIENCE
This tour starts in Central Otago with our Maniototo Masterclass Workshop which is designed as an ideal programme to expand your skills as a landscape photographer. You will learn to shoot a diverse range of subject matter including rugged mountains, lakes, rivers and rolling farmland and explore this remote location in 4WD vehicles.
For the next part of the tour we will drive inland to Wanaka. We will have 2 days full of capturing this stunning location and its photogenic colours, all against the backdrop of snowy mountains. Here we will explore Wanaka and Queenstown in 4WDs to access some more remote locations.
From Queenstown we will venture into the untouched wilderness of the Catlins Coast, which is full of surprises including fossilised forests, outstanding coastal scenery and amazing wildlife. Here we will capture the iconic Nugget Point Lighthouse. The final leg of the tour is through Te Anau and into Milford. The untouched wilderness of Milford Sound is famed as one of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. There is never a time - rain, snow or shine - where the area doesn’t look at its pristine best.

HIGHLIGHTS
Maniototo Masterclass Workshop
Explore some of the forgotten areas of the Maniototo and Central Otago
Milford Sound Cruise
Nugget Point Lighthouse
Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park

QUEENSTOWN - QUEENSTOWN
Central Otago
Wanaka & Queenstown
Milford Sound
Catlins


ITINERARY

Day 1 – Queenstown - Central Otago
We will pick you up early from your Queenstown accommodation and drive through to Wedderburn. After assembling in our unique conference barn, we will run through an introductory programme of advanced camera setup for landscape photography and tutorials on composition for landscape shooting. Later in the afternoon, we will explore more of the beautiful Central Otago Landscapes and set up for our first sunset at the base of Hawkdun Ranges.
Day 2 - Central Otago
The day begins with an early sunrise shoot at the iconic Wedderburn Railway Station before heading back to the Wedderburn hotel for breakfast. The rest of the day will be taken up alternating between locations in the area, including the historic Hayes Engineering Works and Homestead. Sunset this evening sees us venturing further afield to explore the beautiful Poolburn area.
Day 3 - Central Otago
This morning we capture sunrise across the Maniototo landscape. After breakfast, we spend the morning in the hotel conference room to offer some group critique of the photographs from the last 2 days and an in-depth post-production session covering the processing of landscape photographs. This afternoon we head to majestic St Bathans to explore this unique landscape and then capture sunset across Blue Lake.
Day 4 - Central Otago - Wanaka
This morning we aim for another sunrise shoot to capture some of the first morning light. We will then help you process your two best images from the workshop and produce a finished 16x22" fine art print of them to take home. This afternoon we make our way to Wanaka finishing the day with sunset across the lake.

Day 5 – Wanaka
A pre-dawn start sees us heading out in 4WD to the Nevis Valley for sunrise. We will then spend the rest of the morning exploring the Nevis and capturing the best of the light in this remote valley. This afternoon we will explore some of the stunning scenes around Alexandra before heading back to Wanaka.
Day 6 – Wanaka - Queenstown
This morning's sunrise will be at the famous Wanaka tree, capturing the early morning light against the backdrop of surrounding mountains. Departing from Wanaka mid morning to capture the quaint Arrowtown. This evening we will head on a 4WD trip into Skippers Canyon to capture the rugged mountain valleys finishing with the day here with sunset.

Day 7 - Queenstown
We will shoot sunrise this morning over Lake Wakatipu right outside our lakeside hotel. This afternoon will see us heading out on another 4WD trip to Glenorchy and Paradise. Travelling to explore a remote mountain valley before returning to Glenorchy for sunset over the jetty.

Day 8 - Queenstown - Catlins
This morning we will depart early for the stunning Catlins Coast, famous for its amazing wildlife and lush rainforests. We will spend the afternoon exploring some of the stunning beaches around the Catlins Coastline finishing with a Coastal sunset at Kaka Point.
Day 9 - Catlins
This morning we will capture the iconic Nugget Point Lighthouse in the early morning light. We will spend the day exploring the Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park, taking a waterfall road trip to the sensational Purakaunui Falls and then onto McLean falls, two of Otago's most famous falls. Sunset this evening will be down on the stunning beach.
Day 10 - Catlins - Te Anau
After sunrise at Kaka Point we explore the coastline to Waipapa Point Lighthouse and the world-famous twisted Macrocarpa tree hedge. Then departing the Catlins, we head towards Te Anau. Arriving here to finish the day walking the tranquil shores of Lake Te Anau, the South Island’s largest lake, at the start of the Kepler Track. This evening we photograph the sunset over an iconic Jetty on the lake, with a vast array of mountains beyond.
Day 11 - Te Anau - Milford Sound
This morning you have the opportunity to take to the air with your photography with a breathtaking helicopter flight. Soar above some of the world's most incredible wilderness landscapes and mountains, landing atop it all to photograph the morning light filtering through Fiordland. After breakfast we will take the Milford Highway up the Eglinton Valley. Winding through the mountains; past dark, brooding lakes and mossy beech forests, we arrive at Milford Sound to board our overnight boat and take to the water to capture the amazing landscapes from an alternative perspective.
Day 12 - Milford Sound - Queenstown
After waking up on the boat for sunrise, we will disembark and then spend the day exploring some more locations along the Milford road that we missed on the way in, before heading back to Queenstown in time for late afternoon flights and to end our tour.


PRICE INCLUDES
12 days photography tuition with Glen Howey & Ken Wright
11 nights hotel accommodation (twin-share, single upgrade available) in mostly 4✩
11 breakfasts, 1 packed dinner, 1 boat dinner
4WD trips in Central Otago
4WD trips in Wanaka
4WD trips in Queenstown
Milford Sound Overnight Cruise
Two 16x22" Fine-Art Prints
Transport during the tour
DOC (National Park) concession fees
Copy of our Pocket Guide to Landscape & Wildlife Photography and E-books
Donation to our Conservation Fund
Native tree planting to Carbon Offset your tour

EXPERIENCE

Join Ken Wright & Joel Staveley, on a 13-day photography tour showcasing some of the South Island’s most iconic landscape, including Milford Sound and the Moeraki Boulders, along with some of the country's exceptional coastal wildlife. Timing is planned to make the most of New Zealand’s most settled season in autumn. The whole tour will feature the stunning golden colours of the southern landscapes.
Starting in Queenstown, we head North to Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park to photograph some of the amazing alpine scenery around New Zealand’s highest peak. The tour then takes us South, where we explore the Otago Peninsula, known as New Zealand’s wildlife capital. We photograph southern Royal Albatross and stay at Larnach Castle. We finish our week by travelling through the Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park, with opportunities to photograph the area’s waterfalls, rainforest, penguins and sea lions.
On our last leg of the tour we travel to the untouched wilderness of Fiordland and on to Milford and Doubtful Sounds. The most northerly part of Fiordland’s many sounds, Milford, is famed as one of the world’s most spectacular landscapes. Doubtful Sound is far more remote and scenic than the well-known Milford Sound, offering a true wilderness experience. We will stay 2-nights here on a boat to capture the landscapes from a different perspective on the tranquil fords.

HIGHLIGHTS
2x nights cruise on Doubtful Sound
Photograph penguins, albatross & sea lions
Boat trip on the Otago Peninsula
Stay at Larnach Castle
QUEENSTOWN - QUEENSTOWN
The Catlins Coast
Aoraki/ Mt Cook
Moeraki Boulders
Otago Peninsula
Milford & Doubtful Sound
ITINERARY Day 0 - Queenstown

Arrive in Queenstown and make your way to the hotel - this nights accommodation is included in the tour.
Day 1 – Queenstown - Milford
After departing from Queenstown, we take the Milford Highway up the Eglinton Valley. Winding through the mountains; past dark, brooding lakes and mossy beech forests, perched at impossibly steep slopes, we arrive at Milford Sound. Milford Sound is one of the country's most iconic locations, granite peaks soar more than a mile above the dark waters of the fjord. Huge waterfalls tumble down into the sea giving the area a scale and grandeur that has to be seen to be believed. We will end the day shooting sunset over a vista of Fiordland’s dramatic peaks.
Day 2 – Milford Sound - Te Anau
After shooting sunrise over Mitre Peak we will spend the day exploring some more locations along the Milford road that we missed on the way in, before heading back to Te Anau to spend a night. We walk the tranquil shores of Lake Te Anau, the South Island’s largest lake, on an easy path at the start of the Kepler Track. This evening we photograph the sunset over the lake, with a vast array of mountains beyond.
Day 3 – Te Anau - Doubtful Sound
This morning there will be an option for sunrise over Lake Te Anau, or to join an one and a half hour-long flight by helicopter (optional extra) into Fiordland National Park. This extra offers sublime aerial photography opportunities of the mountains in the early morning light. After sunrise, we transfer to Pearl Harbour in Manapouri, to cruise across picturesque Lake Manapouri to West Arm before travelling through the dense rainforest across Wilmot Pass. Once at Deep Cove we board our boat for our time at the beautiful Doubtful Sound.

Day 4 – Doubtful Sound
Today will be spent cruising the Sound with excellent photo opportunities of waterfalls, rainforest and mountains as we head into a truly untouched part of the Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area.
Day 5 – Doubtful Sounds - Queenstown
Waking up on the boat sheltered in the wilderness of Doubtful Sound, we cruise through some of the fiord’s most stunning scenery. No matter what the weather, Fiordland is always spectacular. After arriving back to Pearl Harbour, we travel back to Queenstown.
Day 6 – Queenstown/Glenorchy
This morning we drive to Glenorchy, capturing en route the beauty of tranquil Lake Wakatipu with its surrounding snow-capped mountains. The day finishes by photographing the sunset over lake Wakatipu.
Day 7 – Queenstown - Aoraki/Mt Cook
Departing Queenstown, we head inland to the iconic Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park. After assembling at the Hermitage Hotel, our home for the next two nights, we will head out to explore locations in the park and have an evening shoot in the Tasman Valley.
Day 8 – Aoraki/Mt Cook
This morning we will have the chance to do some aerial photography (see optional extras below), taking a flight over Aoraki/Mt Cook and landing on the Tasman glacier to capture high alpine views across the Southern Alps. The rest of the day will be taken up by visiting locations in the Tasman and Hooker valleys, including alpine lakes, sweeping river vistas, and views of New Zealand’s highest peaks. All the locations we visit are within easy walks along well-graded tracks on the valley floors.
Day 9 – Aoraki/Mt Cook - Otago Peninsula
The day begins with a sunrise shoot capturing the alpine glow on the summit of Aoraki/Mt Cook acoss a stunning glacier lake before heading back to the hotel for breakfast. We then leave Aoraki/Mt Cook and drive south towards the historic town of Oamaru, having the opportunity to photograph the whitestone buildings of this heritage town, before to the famed Moeraki Boulders which are curiously round rocks known as ‘concretions’ set into a scenic beachscape. The day ends at Larnach Castle, one of New Zealand’s most stately buildings, dinner tonight, in the castle’s grand dining room, will be a culinary highlight of the tour.
Day 10 – Otago Peninsula
This morning we capture a stunning panoramic vista across the peninsula from a high vantage point on private land. We then spend the day exploring the Otago Peninsula; home to penguins, albatross and sea lions, is often called the wildlife capital of New Zealand. This afternoon will see us heading out to a private beach to photograph Yellow-eyed penguins as they return from a day out at sea.
Day 11 – Otago Peninsula - The Catlins
This morning we capture some impressive coastal landscapes and then take a boat charter around the world's only mainland breeding colony of Northern Royal Albatross. We will photograph these majestic birds and other bird species from the sea. We then head towards the Catlins. The Catlins is also known for its amazing wildlife and if we are lucky we might see sea lions hauling themselves out on the wild beaches along the coastline. Today will finish with a sunset over a beautiful beach looking out over the Southern Ocean.
Day 12 – The Catlins
This morning we take in the sunrise at the spectacular coastline of Nugget Point, where a lighthouse, wind-ruffled native shrubs, and off-shore islands make a photogenic scene. From here we travel inland to explore the waterfalls of the Catlins Coastal Rainforest Park, these may not be high, but have a subtle beauty all of their own.
Day 13 – The Catlins - Queenstown
For our last day of the tour, we head north back to Queenstown. En route, we will visit the South Island’s most southerly point, Waipapa and its well-known lighthouse and the world famous twisted Macrocarpa tree hedge. In the afternoon we travel back to Queenstown.

PRICE INCLUDES
13-days photography guiding & tuition by Ken Wright & Joel Staveley
13 nights hotel accommodation (twin-share, single upgrade available) in mostly 4✩
Luxury accommodation at Milford Sound Lodge, Larnach Castle and Mt Cook
2 night cruise on Doubtful Sound
13 breakfasts
Boat trip on Lake Manapouri
Boat charter on the Otago Peninsula
Private Yellow-eyed Penguin trip
3x Three course dinners (Larnach Castle and Doubtful Sound)
Two 16x22" Fine-Art Prints
Transport during the tour
DOC (National Park) concession fees
Copy of our Pocket Guide to Landscape & Wildlife Photography and E-books
Donation to our Conservation Fund
Native tree planting to Carbon Offset your tour