I’m showcasing the west Milky Way arch over Aoraki Mt Cook, one of the most challenging astro-landscape shots undertaken in NZ.
The west arch can only be taken from the Tasman Valley during winter or early spring. I undertook a solo adventure into the valley and up into the high mountains under winter conditions to capture this image.
This is my dream shot as it incorporates mountaineering, Astro photography, and the ultimate challenge of capturing the west Milky Way arch over Aoraki Mt Cook. The route compassed traversing around frozen hillside cliffs, travelling up ridge lines, scree slopes, and snow slopes with axes and crampons. Having a unique skill set of mountaineering and astrophotography, I was able to capture the full arch over Aoraki, possibly the first of its kind without the use of a helicopter.
