Offroad Exploring / Bendigo Range

Mt Moka, NZ

The C word has undoubtedly had a dampening effect of the wedding scene here in New Zealand — and being my quietest season in my 13 years as a photographer, I've been taking advantage of some of the extra time I've had available.

For those of you that know me, you'll know I've got a soft spot for off-roading in my beloved Subaru. Not the typical vehicle you'll see in these remote places, but it can certainly get to them. Recently we went on an outing with fellow photographer Sean Craig in his weapon of a G-Wagen.

On the morning among our recent 30ºc+ days, we woke to a blanket of snow all over the mountains. We collected the essentials and departed towards Thomson Gorge track and up into the steep, rocky ascent of Mt Moka, climbing to nearly 1600m. Even though it was summer, we battled incredibly strong winds and temps marginally above 0ºc.

Unfortunately there was no snow on the top of the Bendigo Range itself, but there was plenty of mud, always good fun providing your window is up! An epic trip if you have half a day to set aside, rewarded with stunning views all around.