Photographing the Epic Beauty of New Zealand’s South Island

New Zealand’s South Island is known for its picturesque landscapes, breathtaking high peak alps, and ever-changing weather. It is a world heritage for its untouched wilderness, clear night skies, and adventure tourism. After traveling through the North Island, it was time for me to jump south.

These images are highlights of a two month’s journey through the South Island of New Zealand. I traveled from the north region all the way to the austral region at Stirling Point, the closest coast to the South Pole.

Living in my van, I was able to drive coast to coast without haste, absorbing New Zealand’s incantation one scene at a time. From incredible saturated colored sunsets, misty mountain regions, crystal clear mirror lakes and rocky coasts, to rugged glacial valleys, lush forests with never-ending waterfalls, towering alpine peaks, the so-called “Spiritual Center of the World” and the amazing spectacle of the Aurora Australis.

The south island feels like a never-ending rollercoaster of masterpieces waiting to be captured by our camera lenses.

All the images were taken with a Fujifilm XT-2, Fujinon 18mm, 35mm, 50-230mm, and a Rokinon 12mm lenses. They were edited and processed on Adobe Lightroom and Adobe Photoshop.

About the author: Jesse Echevarria is a photographer from Puerto Rico who is now based in New Zealand. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of Echevarria’s work on his Instagram and Behance.