New Zealand: up and down at Tunnel Beach
Three years ago today we visited Tunnel Beach about five miles southwest of Dunedin.
I took the first picture from the edge of a cliff looking down at some bull kelp in the surf below.
Doesn’t it remind you of the long, flowing hair in a Botticelli painting?
The next two photographs, taken from the beach, show natural designs on the walls of a cul-de-sac.
And here’s the view looking back up at the adjacent sculpted rocks:
Living in Texas, I can’t help but be reminded of a pair of outsized cowboy boots.
© 2020 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Those sculpted rocks are gorgeous and you picked just the right angle for a nice composition. I saw them as boots also…or toes.
Steve Gingold
February 26, 2020 at 5:45 AM
I had a great time there, what with all those colors and textures. I think a neutral sky would’ve been better in the last picture so as not to have any clouds drawing attention away from the shapes of the rock, but we take what we can get.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 8:00 AM
I’ve seen the boots at Northstar Mall. They are impressive, and it’s remarkable how much the rocks resemble them. The La Quinta in Amarillo has large boots at their entrance, too, but they’re much smaller, and not quite so impressive.
The first photo did bring flowing hair to mind, although my association wasn’t so pleasant. My favorite of the group is the second. It doesn’t remind me of anything in particular, but the combination of textures and colors is especially pleasing.
shoreacres
February 26, 2020 at 7:19 AM
I took several versions of that second picture, both horizontal and vertical, at narrow angles and wider ones. Seeing them the other day for the first time in a few years, I liked them; however, to avoid redundancy I felt I couldn’t show more than one at a time. The shape in the center reminded me of a hair follicle, and now also a gland. Call it rock anatomy.
Years ago in Austin I went to a presentation by the guy who made the giant cowboy boots. In searching for him now, I found he died only two months ago:
https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/arts/2019-12-27/in-memoriam-bob-daddy-o-wade/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Wade_(artist)
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 8:24 AM
I see a cow’s hoof, also a Texan image.
MichaelStephenWills
February 26, 2020 at 7:19 AM
I also saw it as the hooves of an animal.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 8:25 AM
Neat abstracts and I see those boots!
circadianreflections
February 26, 2020 at 7:34 AM
Ah, so you saw the abstracts, and the Texas footwear to boot.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 8:36 AM
I did. I liked the abstract with all the green the best.
circadianreflections
February 26, 2020 at 8:47 AM
I took several versions of the picture with all that green. It was hard to decide which one to include here (to avoid redundancy, I wouldn’t show more than one).
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 8:55 AM
Hopefully, over time the others will make the post.
circadianreflections
February 26, 2020 at 9:11 AM
Perhaps if I do another anniversary post on a future February 26th.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 9:16 AM
😀
circadianreflections
February 26, 2020 at 9:17 AM
I saw flowing hair too, in the first image, and loved the colors and textures of the next two images. That last shot is my split personality in footwear – one of an outdoor Muck boot, and the other the rear view of a sensible dress boot heel.
Littlesundog
February 26, 2020 at 7:37 AM
You’re the second person to validate the flowing hair but the only person to have split your vote on the imaginary footwear in the last picture. Two for the price of one, so to speak.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 8:40 AM
I’m all about footwear! Ha ha!
Littlesundog
February 29, 2020 at 9:05 AM
You’re not at all wary of footwear, nor weary of it either.
Steve Schwartzman
February 29, 2020 at 9:17 AM
A pair of cowboy boots, that was also my first thought when I looked at the last photo. Fantastic images!
Peter Klopp
February 26, 2020 at 8:03 AM
Thanks, Peter. It was the kind of place where I couldn’t not come away with worthy images.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 8:40 AM
I saw the flowing hair, too. Brilliant.
Michael Scandling
February 26, 2020 at 10:17 AM
And the good thing is I didn’t fall off the cliff while getting that shot.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 11:14 AM
Ruins one’s whole day.
Michael Scandling
February 26, 2020 at 11:16 AM
I prefer taking pictures of ruins to being one myself.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 2:53 PM
I think that’s an excellent preference. I would go so far as to make it a personal policy.
Michael Scandling
February 26, 2020 at 2:57 PM
Yes, the first shot looked to me like a swimmer, coming up out of the water. My 2nd thought was noodles, and Botticelli is also a brand of pasta. I love the giant boots, too!
Robert Parker
February 26, 2020 at 10:57 AM
I didn’t know about Botticelli pasta sauce. I’d be willing to eat a lot of it if it would make me into a painter as good as its namesake. I hope someday you’ll get to see these wave- and wind-carved boots of stone in person, and an easier jaunt would be to the giant fabricated ones in San Antonio.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 3:01 PM
That would be a fun trip, a kitsch tour, seeing all the giant roadside attractions, like the baseball bat in Louisville, etc. There’s quite a few giant chairs, ears of corn, balls of twine, etc. (But I’d rather visit New Zealand!)
Robert Parker
February 26, 2020 at 3:37 PM
I’d highly recommend New Zealand over American kitsch. I’ll bet there are non-stop flights from Chicago to Auckland.
Steve Schwartzman
February 26, 2020 at 3:43 PM
You are slamming these amazing photos out of the ballpark! Excellent – all of them. The previous post with the kelp was interesting – and the gull helped put the size in perspective…
Playamart - Zeebra Designs
February 26, 2020 at 9:05 PM
I’m happy to have done “grand slam” photography for you in a land better known for cricket and rugby, and also known as one of the most scenic places anywhere.
Steve Schwartzman
February 27, 2020 at 5:07 AM
The Dunedin area is such a magical part of the country–one could spend months there and not tire at all of opportunities for new adventure.
krikitarts
February 27, 2020 at 2:12 PM
Although we spent only two nights in Dunedin, we found plenty to look at along the coast. Of course I could say that about many of the other places we briefly visited.
Steve Schwartzman
February 27, 2020 at 2:22 PM
All photos show great shades and textures, Steve. It is a little-known secret that Botticelli loved to travel to New Zealand to get his inspiration for his paintings. 😊
tanjabrittonwriter
March 1, 2020 at 10:03 PM
Now why didn’t they tell me that in the art appreciation course I took in college? I see that Botticelli was born in around 1445 and died in 1510, so he would’ve known about the existence of the Americas but not of New Zealand. Abel Tasman, the first European explorer known to have reached New Zealand, did so in 1642.
Steve Schwartzman
March 2, 2020 at 6:34 AM
Another little known fact is that Botticelli knew about time travel!
tanjabrittonwriter
March 2, 2020 at 7:55 PM
I’m learning so much from you.
Steve Schwartzman
March 2, 2020 at 8:49 PM
You are welcome. 🙂
tanjabrittonwriter
March 2, 2020 at 9:47 PM
I can stand on the edge of a cliff and photograph Bullwhip kelp near here, but the strands are way, way wider. It’s not so hairlike. That’s one spectacular image, Steve, I love it. A beautiful series taken altogether.
bluebrightly
March 9, 2020 at 1:39 PM
The cliff must have been high enough to make this kelp seem narrower to you than it was. As you saw in the other post, New Zealand’s bull kelp is pretty wide.
Steve Schwartzman
March 9, 2020 at 2:34 PM