The Mountains Behind Molesworth, New Zealand
Fujifilm GFX100S II, 500mm Fujinon lens, f5.6 @ 1/90 second, ISO 800

I'm writing this newsletter/blog from Middlehurst - the remote sheep station in New Zealand's high country, up the top of the South Island. Like much of Australia, the weather here has been changeable, one might say a little crazy. Huge rains the week before washed away parts of the single road up to Middlehurst and we had to wait a day before the roads were patched up enough to get through. Then, when our photographers were flying in, the weather was so bad the plane couldn't land on the farm's airstrip, so we had to drive them up the hill from Blenheim.

But who cares! With challenging weather conditions there are also plenty of opportunities and we've made the most of the rain and cloud. Tonight there is mist through the valley and who knows what the morrow may bring - but it will be fun.

This is our tenth year. Tony Hewitt and I have been hosting a photography program along with the Macdonald family up here and I confess I look forward to it every year. Great location, great food, great photography - what's not to like? We have been told we undersell the experience - I wish I was a better salesperson! 

Before each workshop, Tony and I like to spend a day or so preparing for the week ahead and checking the locations - especially with the road conditions as they have been this year. On a drive south of Middlehurst we found some wonderful ranges and mountain shapes - an example is reproduced here.

The difference?

Colour balance. Or perhaps more correctly, white balance as this was the tool I used to interpret the colour. To think the first time I visited the Awatere Valley I struggled to find great photos, despite how beautiful it looks. Now I find there are simply photographs everywhere, you just have to slow down and look around. I'm quite happy with this one!

We are taking bookings for Middlehurst 2026 and we currently have 5 people penciled in already, with a maximum of 8 per program. If you'd like to be penciled in for 2026, let Kim know and we'll email you once details have been confirmed. It will be 15-21 June 2026. And if you would like to look at the program, you can see the 2025 brochure for details here. It will be very similar.