Waipu - the Scotland of New Zealand

Earlier this week, Joe and I took a short drive to the small town of Waipu for some culture, coffee, and caves! Waipu has all of these things, and is a New Zealand town that prides itself on its Scottish heritage.

The 55 minute drive to Waipu was made slightly longer as we were forced to stop in awe of the ever changing landscape. Rolling green hills, sea, and mountains could all be seen in one view, and it was so spectacular that we had to stop at the side of the road and snap a picture.

View from the highway

In the 1850s, five shiploads of scottish clans from the highlands arrived in Waipu, led by Rev Norman McLeod - and keeping up with scottish tradition, the town now hosts the annual highlands games every New Years Day.

As hungry travellers, we stopped for lunch at "Logan Maclean", a cafe on the main street serving sandwiches, pastries, and of course a full scottish breakfast aptly named "The Full Kilt". Unfortunately missing black pudding, but was an enjoyable meal nonetheless.

Opposite the cafe is the Waipu Museum; documenting the history of the town and the story of its Scottish migrants. 

The caves first sanction

So, thats pretty much the whole town if we're not including the small supermarket and dairy. But much of this towns adventure and intrigue lies just outside, in the Waipu caves. These were our main reason for the trip, as they came as a recommendation from a colleague as a free and lesser known alternative to the widely popular (but expensive to visit) Waitomo caves south of Auckland.

Crawl under here to continue? Yes/No

The Waipu caves consist of three main sanctions, glowworms being present in their thousands mostly in the third. This is something neither Joe or I have experienced before - not caves, nor glowworms - so it was completely thrilling to see. Walking in the caves is completely unguided, unlike some other caves in the country, and these three main sanctions are relatively easy to navigate on your own (with the help of a torch and some good footwear) though it does become pitch black and you WILL need to walk in water at least at ankle depth. Stalagmites and stalagtites fill the caves interiors, and they also harbour many fossils and ancient reptile remains. Past the 3 main sanctions, much MUCH more of the cave can be explored by crawling under a very low ceiling, emerging into chest-high water, with space opening up on the other side. Having my camera with me at the time, I wasn't prepared to go so far in such deep water, but we will definitely be going back there to venture on further at a later date (and with better torches).

The caves first sanction

Around the caves are very pleasant walking tracks through woods and fields, with giant boulders, hills and ditches to make you feel like you're right on set in a Lord of the Rings film. After visiting the caves, we checked out the Piroa Falls on our way back to Warkworth. There was such pleasant sunshine on this day, that really made the falls look even more spectacular after last week's rain. From the carpark, its a short walk down to the bottom of the falls, where we were greeted by a family enjoying a swim in the pools beneath. The water must have been a little cold, as it is now autumn, but they looked like they were having fun sliding down the rocks in their rubber rings.

Piroa Falls

Gimli (the new van) brought us back to warkworth, wet and muddy from exploring the Waipu caves, but pleased to have explored such a wonderful region.

Backpacking and photography

I always thought backpackers were those spiritual people with blonde dreadlocks who travel country to country with a backpack full of flip flops and colourful patterned dresses. But actually, I've come to realise that by taking the decision to travel for a long period of time with just my backpack, I indeed became a backpacker. And if there's one thing I've realised, it's that the two things backpackers lack are space and money - arguably the two things you need to be a photographer.

Lac des miroirs, Hardelot, France

I've always had an interest in photography, and travelling to the stunning landscapes of Australia gave me the perfect opportunity to get a few nice shots. But wait, I've only got my backpack, I guess I'm going to have to leave the camera gear at home... no! This is my kit:

Taken on a potato

Panasonic GX7 (Mirrorless compact system camera)
Panasonic 14-42mm lens
Panasonic 45-175mm powerzoom lens
11mm + 16mm macro extension tubes
46mm UV filter
46mm circular polarising filter
GoPro Hero
GoPro floating bobber (£2 on ebay)
GoPro chest harness
Plenty of memory cards

It all fit in hand luggage, stuffed into my laptop bag.

When listed, it sounds like a lot, but to summarise: 1 small but awesome CSC (mirrorless compact system camera - uses interchangeable lenses like a DSLR but is a lot smaller) with 2 small lenses, and an action camera that technically belongs to my partner, but still extremely important for my trip (just wait until the shark cage diving videos!)

But Beth, I spent all my money on flights, accommodation and booze so I can't afford that, can I?
Anyone who knows me knows that I don't really like to spend a lot of money. The Panasonic gear I managed to get a good deal on, but now that it's not the current camera in the market, you can find it second hand for cheap as chips, as well as the lenses. The GoPro was my birthday present to my partner, who I decided didn't need the luxury of added wifi and a back LCD screen as in the more expensive GoPro Hero 4, so was bought for a little under £100. Sure, if you have the money, it's great to go for a more expensive camera that might get you a better picture. But you'd also have to fork out for extra insurance on it, as we know that we backpackers are well known for our carelessless for breaking things, losing things, and being a great target for greedy theives.














Don't I need a huge DSLR with battery grip, flashgun and 10ft long lens?
How dare you insult my GX7! Only joking. DSLRs have their perks, but when looking at the budget range, a smaller body CSC or enthusiast compact camera can not only take a brilliant photo, but will fit in your bag easily and discreetly. Other great CSC options are the Fuji X-T10, Sony A6000 or Olympus OM-D E-M10 II. Here's the difference in size of my camera compared to a similarly priced and specced DSLR.

Knowing that my little camera will take just as good a photo as this, I would much prefer to use the extra space in my bag for my favourite pair of shoes.

Now Beth, don't tell me I can get every shot with just 2 lenses. I need at least a million!
The 2 lenses I own cover wide angle to telephoto. Of course there are times I wish I had longer reach, a brighter aperture or an extremely wide angle but then I get over it because I remember I'm here to enjoy myself and not to try compete with David Bailey's kit bag. How do I get the whole landscape in my photo without a wide angle lens? The built-in panaroma mode on my camera does the trick just fine.

Valetta, Malta. ISO 200, Panoramic mode

Toowoomba, Queensland Australia. ISO 200, Panoramic mode

I also love to shoot macro, and so purchased some fantastic little macro extension tubes on ebay for just £20. Of course having a dedicated macro lens will get you a better shot, but I was surprised at how well these things work, allowing you to get in a lot closer on the subject, giving beatifully blurred backgrounds. The ones I purchased (made by Fotga) support autofocus, however when shooting macro I find it a lot easier to manual focus for optimum precision.

Duh Beth, you forgot about a tripod. How can I take steady pictures without a tripod?
Days before my trip, I actually acquired a Joby Gorillapod - which are really cool mini tripods with bendable legs for gripping onto poles, branches or anything else. If you're going to take a tripod travelling, this is the perfect one. However, I decided I needed the extra space in my bag rather than take the tripod with me, and as much as I'd love to have it sometimes, I realised that my need for a tripod when on the move is unlikely. Mostly I shoot during the day in good light when a fast enough shutter speed can be used. Even night shots can be done well without a tripod. If manual settings aren't your strong point, many cameras like mine have a really effective night scenery or night portrait mode which are not only good at night, they are useful in any darker environments where you may struggle to get a steady picture. If long exposures are your thing, then you're going to have to get creative (use a rock, a bench, or a kangeroos head to steady the camera)

Malta at night, taken handheld using night scenery mode ISO 3200, F3.5, 14mm, shutter speed 1/15

I'd love to know what other people use when they are travelling! Leave a comment or post some pictures of your favourite travel shots.