The Beautiful Bay of Plenty (Te Moana-a-Toi) was named by Captain James Cook in 1769 after he noticed the abundant food supplies, compared to other bays. Its abundance of natural thermal features, majestic waterfalls and dynamic coastline make it a gift to a budding landscape photographer. We aim to guide you to these locations and help you create a hero shot to be proud off.

On this tour, you will learn how to shoot long exposure waterfalls and awe-inspiring coastal landscapes. You will benefit from expert photographic know-how from one of our professional landscape photographers and be guided into any one of a selection of locations for a unique photography experience tailored especially for you.

This private tour is priced at $5500 for 1 person, or $2900 per person for 2 - 8 people.

ITINERARY

Day 1 

Your tour will start when you are picked up from your accommodation or a pre-arranged location (Tauranga or Rotorua). We will commence with a short briefing and give you options of an itinerary for your personalised tour.

Or with an early start, we will head to Moturiki Island and shoot sunrise across Shark Ally towards Motuotau Island, Our main beach is unique in its angle and allows us to shoot sunrise and sunset all from the same location. After Breakfast and a short tuition session we will head inland to shoot two different Waterfall locations. McLaren Falls is a spectacular rock formation where two rivers converge and spill into one, from here we will head towards the hills and a walk through the forest to Kaiate falls, where water spills down a ravine in a series of cascades ending in a large single fall. After dinner we will look to shoot sunset from Pilots Bay.

Day 2

We head to Rotorua, we have reached the land of volcanoes, a hub for geothermal activity in New Zealand with hot springs, waterfalls, bubbling pools of mud and impressive hues from acids boiling beneath the earth - a mysterious photographers dream. If we are lucky we will be able to capture a hidden Hot Water Waterfall which is often missed by many. Time to catch our breath and lunch near Ohinimutu on the shores of lake Rotorua. Late afternoon you will be able to stroll through the Redwoods and take in the canopy walkway. After Dinner we will end our day with a long exposure session at one of the many jetties along Lake Tarawera.

Day 3

Today we can travel further afield deep into the forest to experience the Bays’ most majestic waterfall at 65m tall in full flood, Tarawera Falls is simply breathtaking, time permitting we have the option to go above the cliff line and photograph cascade falls a feature missed by most.

Before we return to our base we can stop at one one of the many beaches along the way.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Stunning coastal landscapes

• Lush Native forests

• 3-day customised tour

INCLUDES

• 2 nights accommodation 4*

• 2 cooked breakfasts

• Tauranga/Rotorua pickup/dropoff

• DOC concession fees

• Printed notes
• Free copy of our “Pocket Guide Landscape and Wildlife Photography”