My travels along the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand proved to be quite different than those on the east coast. Rugged mountains run along the coast and create disparate climates from the west and the east. The mountains collect most of the rains as they move eastward. Lush greenery abounds. I was surprised that the foliage is so thick along the coast that it is hard at times to even see the ocean!

Nat Coalson and I stayed the previous night in Fox Glacier and got up early for a sunrise shoot at Lake Matheson but skipped on that since the skies were perfectly clear. As we drove northward we came upon Lake Mapourika in the Westland National Park. Thick fog was just lifting off the still water. The scene was very serene with this dock reaching out into the bay. Nat and I worked the area well and continued on our travels northward. This is my favorite shot of my morning. Little did I know until I Googled this lake that this is a rather iconic shot from here!