Harbour Street, Oamaru, is a quite place at night, the silence only broken by the chatter of the little penguins that live under the buildings.

If you walk these streets after midnight, be aware you are being watched. Ghosts inhabit these streets, denizens of a long lost past walk in the space between worlds.

On the old railway bridge you may catch a glimpse of the Drowned Bride, a sad young figure who, after being spurned by her lover, cast herself into the sea. She lingers now at this vantage point, vainly waiting to catch a glipse of the man she loves.

Holmes Wharf, a digitally painted art piece shows the lights at night stretching along the length of Holmes Wharf heading towards the Breakwater

The end of Holmes Wharf at night is an eerie place. Crashing waves, birds calling coming home to roost, penguins and the occasional rabbit about your feet.

A slow exposure stitched panoramic image, beautiful colours that will give warmth and depth to any room.

Oamaru Breakwater and Holmes Wharf, slow exposure, 25th May 2009.

A curious place to be at night with all the penguins, rabbits and seabirds hustling around you, getting ready to settle down.

Oamaru's first post office was built in 1864 to a design by William Mason and William Clayton. The building now houses the Waitaki District Council. More information about this beautiful building can be found on Wikipedia 

Looking west inland from the Kakanui River Mouth.

This panoramic shows the Waitaki Valley from above Kurow township. A path leads to this point from the road below. At the top you will see this image on a sign that shows all the mountain names in the distance.

Below we can see the A2O bike trail, used by over 60,000 visitors a year.

Check out a tour at Virtual Waitaki, showing this location and many others along the valley, or click on the box below to explore.

Oamaru has a unique landscape that produces the most amazing clouds many times throughout the year.

Here the Anglican Church of St Lukes cuts a black silhouette against the early evening sky.

The Lindis Pass is a stunning route to take on a trip around the South Island of New Zealand. A true spot for "4 Seasons in One Day", even in summer touches of snow can appear when a cold front moves through.

The Lindis Pass is a stunning route to take on a trip around the South Island of New Zealand. A true spot for "4 Seasons in One Day", even in summer touches of snow can appear when a cold front moves through.

Panoramic image with red filter applied to darken the skies.

A break in heavy fog lights up a wave from a distant sunrise at the Oamru Breakwater, Oamaru Harbour.

Captured at 1/1600th of a second the water appears to shatter like glass against the stone.

A break in heavy fog lights up a wave from a distant sunrise at the Oamaru Breakwater, Oamaru Harbour.

Captured at 1/1600th of a second the water appears to shatter like glass against the stone.

Lupins close to Tekapo, digitally painted by Derek Golding.
17th December 2012

Behind the hustle and bustle of Harbour Street, storm clouds gather above the railway yard.

Moraki boulders lie on the beach close to the small village of Moraki, on the Waitaki coast.

As the sea erodes the cliff, the boulder slowly emerge until the erosion causes them to fall to the beach below.

A major tourist attraction for the region, the boulders attract visitors from across the world.

The boulders are concretions ,  a hard, compact mass of matter formed by the precipitation of mineral cement within the spaces between particles. Occasionally, concretions contain a fossil, either as its nucleus or as a component that was incorporated during its growth but concretions are not fossils themselves. 

A study of shadow and light, the Arts Centre, Christchurch New Zealand.

Moraki boulders lie on the beach close to the small village of Moraki, on the Waitaki coast.

These strange objects were once thought to be the eggs of giant creatures lost in time. This belief was quickly denounced by the scientific community......but we know better!

A Digital artwork showing the beautiful Oamaru Harbour at sunset, the boats still lit by the setting sun.

Shortly before sunset, the sun dips below the nor-wester arch to light up the motionless boats in Oamaru Harbour.

The little town of Oamaru, the town that could! A digital painting by Derek Golding

Oamaru a beautiful little town on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. Home to GoldingArts and the location of many of Derek's phtotographs and artworks.

Oamaru is well worth a visit by any photographer or artist for the stunning views.

Oamaru panoramic silhouette, a digital painting by Derek Golding. Several variations exist for this image; check our gallery for more.

Stand at the end of Holmes Wharf as the sun sets and watch the sea mist drift into the little town of Oamaru.

Waitaki skies are some of the most beautiful in the world, the Oamaru skyline is seen here cutting deep into the twilight sky.

Digital artwork showing the amazing layers the slight mist and dusk created.

Penny Farthings abound in Oamaru. One of the highlights of the year is the Penny Farthing race held during the Victorian Heritage Celebrations in November of each year.

Be sure to have a photograph taken outside the Whitestone Civic Trust building on the Ordinary cycle (Penny Farthing) outside the front door when you visit! 

Penny Farthings abound in Oamaru. One of the highlights of the year is the Penny Farthing race held during the Victorian Heritage Celebrations in November of each year.

Be sure to have a photograph taken outside the Whitestone Civic Trust building on the Ordinary cycle (Penny Farthing) outside the front door when you visit! 

Brighton Pier, early morning slow exposure.

21st April 2009