Romance in the Ahuriri

A couple weeks ago I received a message from Verona asking if I might be available for a wedding/elopement photoshoot while her and Aaron were touring the South Island of New Zealand, visiting from Malaysia for their honeymoon. I had a couple dates available, however the weather forecast during their 10 day trip was not looking the greatest. Classic Kiwi spring time fun for you! So we had to improvise and I did a bit of research to see what areas of the South would be offering the best backdrops and weather for our photo session. Turns out one of the best back country spots was turning it on for us and just during the perfect time of their trip.

They were staying at Mt. Cook and about to make their way through the Lindis Pass onto Queenstown. The Ahuriri Conservation Park is hands down one of the best back country adventure spots for locals and not super well known by tourists apparently. I was able to take Verona & Aaron on a little adventure mission around Omarama and the surrounding sights such as the Ahuriri Bridge Campsite where the lupins are just starting to bloom near the mouth of the Ahuriri River and the majestic Paritea (Clay Cliffs) which looked like such a fairy tale with Verona's beautiful gown and Aaron's smart suit and tie combo. From there, we ventured on the 4WD track through the Ahuriri Conservation Park toward Ben Avon Lake with the Ahuriri Valley as our lush backdrop.

The day before was a complete torrential downpour and only cleared in this area as I arrived to camp the evening before up the valley, just at the river's edge. It was a crisp evening for sure and when I woke up there was frost all over my vehicle. Up at Mt. Cook, they said they had snow the day before and I reckon it really added an awesome element to the photos having the impressive white capped mountains in the background.

It was an excellent adventure and we had so much fun on this photoshoot. I look forward to visiting Singapore and having these two show me the sights and sounds of their hometown.

Enjoy the photos! If you are looking to go on an adventure and get some amazing photos to boot, get in touch! Come on an adventure with me, I'll show you some of the best that the South Island has to offer <3