I Explore The Hidden Beauties Of New Zealands South Island

Hi all. I’m Rach Stewart. A surfer, lover of beaches, mountains, nature and of course photography.

My journey into Instagram, long exposure and landscape photography began when I started taking iphone snaps along the beach at sunset in my home town by the sea in New Zealand … I started uploading them to Instagram, and soon began to really fall in love with capturing all these moments that meant something to me. Long exposure photography was something I had always admired, and landscapes are what I love, so I set my sights on focussing on those. Fast forward 2 years and I am deep into the photography game. When I realized that I was starting to gain exposure and more followers on social media, I set out to make the most of every opportunity I had to take photos, better my art, continue my passion. Along the way I have had some great opportunities, met some amazing people, and been inspired to carry on with the journey. I’m thankful for all those good things that have happened to me.

But best of all, I have had the chance to really adventure and get out there and explore my own country. The South Island has been a huge part of my photography over the past year and a half, and I still have so much more I want to see. Having travelled other countries through my 20’s and not really exploring my own backyard, I was more determined than ever to get to know it better.

I have been on some truly incredible missions around this country be it hiking, driving, walking, flying .. the scenes rein supreme every time! There is so much more to see and know ..  I can’t wait to see where the future takes me and what hidden gems I might be able to find.

More info: Instagram | Facebook | xtra.co.nz

#1 Incredible Skies At Sunrise At Tasman Glacier Lake, Mount Cook National Park

#2 That One Time At The Wanaka Tree

#3 When Big Waterfalls Make You Feel Teeny Tiny

#4 Reflective Moments At Sealy Tarns With Mount Sefton And Mount Cook, Nz

#5 The Incredible View From The Summit Of Roys Peak At Sunset

#6 Just One Of The Mountains You Are Faced With When Driving To Tasman Glacier (mount Blackburn), Mount Cook National Park

#7 That Famous Insta Lookout, Roys Peak, Wanaka

#8 The Road To Mount Cook, Mount Cook National Park

#9 After The Clouds Half Way Up Roys Peak, Wanaka

#10 The Tasman Glacier Terminal Lake In The Midst Of Winter, Mount Cook National Park, Nz

#11 Front On View Of Lake Lochnagar From Above

#12 Te Hoho Rock (sail Rock) Has To Be One Of The Coolest Ancient Sea Stacks Around

#13 Exploring Southern Alp Glaciers

#14 Mount Cook Comin At Ya

#15 Mount Sefton Reflecting In The Sealy Tarns, Mount Cook National Park

#16 Watching In Wonder At Lake Tarawera, Rotorua

#17 Mount Taranaki Mood

#18 Arriving Early Up To The Sealy Tarns After 1810 Stairs And A Hard Slog After No Sleep. The Stars Were Still Out, Mount Cook Was Reflecting And The Sun Was Getting Ready To Start The New Day

#19 First Light On The Lighthouse. Nugget Point, The Catlins

#20 A Cheeky Kea, Nz’s Alpine Parrot

#21 Stormy Days At The Wanaka Tree

#22 Early Mornings At Mountain Glacial Lakes, And Maybe A Little Warning Sign From The Planet

#23 Milford Moments

#24 Mount Aspiring At Sunset As Viewed From Mount Roy, Wanaka

#25 Twilight At Lake Matheson

#26 Coromandel Sunrises Are Always Good For Your Soul

#27 Sunrise Over The Sealy Tarns Looking Over The Tasman Valley, 1250m Up On The Sealy Range, Mount Cook National Park

#28 Early Mornin Mirrors High Up With Mighty Mount Cook

#29 Early Mornin Frostyness At Moke Lake

#30 Sunrise At My Fave North Island Lake. Mount Tarawera In The Distance Wearing A Hat Just Like Me

#31 First Light In Narnia

#32 This Is The View From The Sealy Tarns Looking Down Over The Braided Rivers That Feed Into Lake Pukaki, Mt Cook National Park

#33 High Up On Mt Brown. The Tasman Valley Is My Favourite Part Of Mt Cook Nat Park

#34 The Waikato Know How To Waterfall

#35 Stay Close To Nature, It Will Never Fail You

#36 Good For Your Soul Early Mornings On Coromandel

#37 Twilight At Lake Matheson

#38 Hands Up Who Has Driven The Road To Milford Sound?

#39 I Had Been Up Roys Peak In Summer, But In Winter With The Snow. It Truly Felt Magic

#40 Incredible Views Over Mueller Glacier Lake, Hooker Valley, Hooker Lake And Mount Cook

#41 Early Mornings Lookouts Above Lake Wanaka

#42 First Light Doubles On Two Of Nz’s Famous Mountains , Tasman And Mount Cook

#43 New Zealand Roads

#44 Misty Roads To Milford Sound

#45 Springtime In Glenorchy

#46 Those Spring Sunrises In Queenstown

#47 One Of Those Moments When Nature Left Me Speechless

#48 No Dreamer Is Small And No Dream Too Big

#49 This Is The Coromandel Coast As Viewed From The Coastal Walk That Runs From Stony To Fletcher Bay

#50 Exploring The Sealy Tarns, High Up In Mount Cook National Park

#51 Mountain Doubles In Queenstown

#52 The Long And Winding Road

#53 Lake Pukaki