My recent trip to New Zealand

[steppenwolf]

I returned from a month's trip to New Zealand last week and thought I'd share a tiny selection of the images that I took while I was over there.

Although the trip was supposed to coincide with the end of the New Zealand summer, we really didn't have the best weather and only had THREE clear nights while were there - I feel better about UK skies already!

Although this was not an astronomy trip, I did take an EQ1 mount with me and took two images of the southern skies, the 'galaxy' shot is the Large Megellanic Cloud and other sky shot is the southern Milky Way with the Southern Cross just creeping into the image at the far left - both were multiple 30 second exposures taken with a 50mm focal length prime lens and a Canon 450D.

One astronomy related trip I did make was to visit the Mount John Observatory at Lake Tekapo and as you'll see, I took you folks with me for the ride. Included is a photograph of Lake Tekapo taken from the observatory.

The wide shot is Lake Wakatipu near the town of Queenstown which was our base for the holiday.

A beautiful country - such a shame about the weather!

[Dunkster]

Looks beautiful down there, steppenwolf! Nice shots of the scenery looking up and across. Last but one pic looks a bit like "Helm's Deep"

[ronin]

A beautiful country - such a shame about the weather!

That is why the translated Maori name for NZ is: Land of the long white cloud.

The name has a subtle hint in it for what to expect.:D:D

[jonathan]

I'm intrigued as to how you got those shots with the EQ1, as I have that plus a 50mm lens on a Canon 1000D.

[steppenwolf]

I'm intrigued as to how you got those shots with the EQ1, as I have that plus a 50mm lens on a Canon 1000D.

My EQ1 is motorised in the RA Axis so it tracks at sidereal rate (give or take!). I have also installed a red dot finder (RDF) so that I can achieve a passable polar alignment (not that it helped me in the southern hemisphere!!!).

I simply got the best polar alignment I could, using a compass, a spirit level and reliance on the latitude scale and used the DEC axis and a rotating (side to side) mounting on the DEC axis to allow me to point the camera in any direction I chose.

Exposures longer than 30 secs. resulted in more star trailing than I would have liked so that was my limit but I took about 20 exposures and stacked them.

[Ags]

Very nice - I like the LMC in particular. You can see why some argue it is a disrupted barred spiral.

What is the nebula in the souther cross pic? Was the DSLR modded?

[661-pete]

Very nice pics Steve - it took me a while to pick out Crux (not something I've seen very often) since Beta is just off-frame, but once you've got it it's obvious. A pity you didn't include the Coal Sack in that image, but there's plenty going on in your widefields.

Very nice - I like the LMC in particular. You can see why some argue it is a disrupted barred spiral.

What is the nebula in the souther cross pic? Was the DSLR modded?

I presume you mean the bright bit of nebulosity to right of centre. It's the famous Eta Carinae nebula NGC 3372. Never seen it myself...

[steppenwolf]

Was the DSLR modded?

No, absolutely stock.

[sanmatt]

Thanks for sharing those Very lovely pics

[nobbytate]

Went there christmas 2003 and could count the number of clear nights on one hand but a beautiful country. Spent two months touring both islands in a camper van.

It did seem strange seeing orion upside down

[steppenwolf]

It did seem strange seeing orion upside down

I suffered the same shock - it made navigation a very trying experience!

[661-pete]

I suffered the same shock - it made navigation a very trying experience!

Yes I have found it puzzling even seeing it upside down in people's images. I suppose constellations with a familiar shape, like Leo and Sagittarius, would all look confusing.

A pity you didn't include the Coal Sack in that image

Oops! I meant the Jewel Box of course (NGC 4755) which is just outside the frame! The Coal Sack, part of it anyway, is bright and clear (dark and clear, to be accurate) to the lower-left edge of your widefield.

Sorry if my post baffled anyone...

[southernman]

Sorry the weather wasn't the best for your stay. I myself have hardly had a chance to do much observing over the last month ( I live in Christchurch). I trust you got to see some of what we have down here in the southern hemisphere and enjoyed the daytime scenery.

[Sam]

If you think that weather was bad Steve you should have stuck around for what we have got over the last couple of days!

[steppenwolf]

Hi Sam and Southernman - be assured that I had the holiday of a lifetime in your beautiful country and I have over 700 photographs of the wonderful scenery whch is actually what we went for. Milford Sound was the most expensive excursion I have ever done but it was worth every dollar and I'd do it again for the mountain flight alone, let alone the beauty of the sound itself!

On the way back we took the slow route up the west coast and spent an evening and morning in Christchurch which was a very sobering experience - until you see first hand the destruction of an earthquake on a habited region, you have no concept of the hardship to the locals that this must cause, our hearts went out to those affected by this.

Anyone who has the opportunity to visit this country should grab it with both hands.

[manofscience]

Some nice shots - would love to go there someday!

[southernman]

Thanks for your kind words about Christchurch Steve. I hope you had the chance to view what was left of our inner city area. Funny to think that we still have a high probability of getting hit by another major shake , better not dwell on that!

[Coco]

Looks like you had a terrific time despite the sky