Taranaki At Dawn

I've been wanting to get some photos of Taranaki towering over the mist filled valleys for Otoraoa Rd for a while but the weather hasn't been too favourable until it suddenly cleared this week with a few fine cold clear mornings. Ideal for thick mist to settle in the river valleys and for the mountain to stand out clearly with a full covering of snow.

I had to do a morning site visit to McKee production station on Thursday so set off a couple of hours early hoping that I would get the right conditions.  It was a stunningly beautiful morning with Taranaki standing out clearly against the night sky and the temperature sinking to 2degC as I headed up Otoraoa Rd. Soon I was driving through thick fog and had to crawl along due to the limited visibillity. I turned onto Foreman Rd, which rises up onto the ridge line, and climbed out of the fog to be pesented with the most wonderful views of the thick mist lying in the valleys with the snow clad slopes of Taranaki glowing on the horizon. I spent an hour in the cold taking photos and waiting for the sun to come up before eventually heading off to the McKee production station and a days work.

Taranaki and the Pouakais standing out spectacularly above the mist filled valleys.

Close up of Taranaki rising above the mist. Taken approx 40 minutes before sun rise.

The lights to the left in this shot is the  Mckee production station.

THe first light from the morning sun touching the summit. Much of the mist had cleared by the time the sun came up.