Below Benmore Dam, Waitaki, willow trees grow. A digital painting by Derek Golding.

Benmore Dam is the largest dam within the Waitaki power scheme, located in the New Zealand's South Island. There are eight other power stations in the Waitaki Power Scheme.

The dam is the largest earth-filled water-retaining structure in New Zealand. Its core is low permeability clay material, supported by two massive shoulders of river gravel. Lake Benmore has a volume of 1.25 billion cubic metres, about 1.5 times as much water as Wellington Harbour. The dam's spillway can cope with 3,400 cubic metres of water per second, about 10 times the mean river flow.

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.

A Shipweck close to the coast of Oamaru in the late 1800's caused the loss of all lives, or so it was believed. For weeks after tales of a strange creature with huge teeth and a scream that struck the heart of the bravest man were whispered around the town. On stormy nights, the scream can still be heard.

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.

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.

In 2008 Derek archived the entire collection of Stained Glass in Christchurch Cathedral. Powerful lenses were used to capture every detail of the windows. A cherry picker was used to gain access to a perfect viewpoint for the Rose window - eye level with the center. Over 300 10mp images were stitched together to create the final complete Rose Window.

Sadly, the Rose Window of Christchurch Cathedral was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake.

The Rose Window photograph was used in the creation of the Cardboard Transitional Cathedral designed by Shigeru Ban.

In 2008 Derek archived the entire collection of Stained Glass in Christchurch Cathedral. Powerful lenses were used to capture every detail of the windows. A cherry picker was used to gain access to a perfect viewpoint for the Rose window - eye level with the center. Over 300 10mp images were stitched together to create the final complete Rose Window.

Sadly, the Rose Window of Christchurch Cathedral was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake.

The Rose Window photograph was used in the creation of the Cardboard Transitional Cathedral designed by Shigeru Ban.

Here we have detail from the Rose window showing the beautiful stained glass.

The ANZ Bank was built in 1912. Located on High Street, Christchurch it sustained substantial damage in the Earthquakes and was demolished in 2011.

Behind Jacksons Pub in Otira a dark path winds up into the native forest.

after a half hours walk you come to a glade filled with the sound of water. A beautiful waterfall cascades down from the mountain side into a dark pool. A rock appears to block the entrance to a cave behind the pool keeping us out.... or keeping something in?

The building was officially opened on October 7, 1907 and remains largely in its original condition, having been restored in 2009. The refurbishment won the Public Architecture category of the 2010 Southern Architecture Awards and the 2011 NZIA Heritage award for Heritage Conservation. More information here.