Personal Journey and Adventures of Nina

As I approach my upcoming New Zealand trip, I find myself reminiscing about our last little adventure.  Our travels led us from Cambridge on the North Island, South West to New Plymouth by way of Lake Taupo. The imposing Mount Taranaki  volcano and the quaintness of the seaside buildings, reminded us immediately of Oregon, USA .  It was like having Mt Hood and Cannon Beach all in one place. Of course, just add the super friendly New Zealander's and you have the perfect little get away. The State Hotel , an absolutely gorgeous quaint boutique hotel on Devon Street right in the heart of New Plymouth was our home for the next two nights. The Common Sitting room in The State Hotel, Devon Street, New Plymouth Hallway to our room, State Hotel The entrance to The State Hotel and our bedroom .  We found the perfect little Vegan/Vegetarian restaurant for dinner, Loving Hut , just down the street from the hotel. The food was not only fabulous but extremely

Well, this glorious Spring used to be a well kept local secret. Not any more. A walkway has been built, a viewing deck and bathrooms installed.  Even the roads to the Spring are being upgraded as we speak to cope with the influx of tourist traffic heading here. I hope people are respectful so that it will remain a sacred and beautiful place for a long time to come. The water is so clear my feet look as though they are floating in mid air! The walkway makes it an easy hike Such a peaceful place. I could sit here and meditate for hours. There is something wonderfully spiritual about it. After a very short walk, you are rewarded with a lovely waterfall. This little section is no longer on the walkway and gets muddy and slippery so bring appropriate shoes. Especially if you want to climb rocks and hang from trees to take photos like I did! Look for Rose Milligan's poem engraved on plaques placed on 4 large boulders on your way out from the trail. It i

A traditional telephone booth is now a Book Exchange After miles and miles of rolling deep green hills dotted with sheep and cattle, we arrive in  Cambridge . Much to our surprise and delight, it was not at all what we expected to find 135 kilometres (83.9 miles) from Auckland.   Cambridge is a quaint mix of colonial traditional and hipster all set amongst well maintained lush gardens and flagstone pavements.  And as we were to discover,  Cambridge  is not only home to dairy farmers and horse breeders but also elite athletes. National sport organisations like cycling, rowing, and triathlon are based here.  Enjoying the Autumn Sunshine at Cafe Rouge paddock cafe grow their own herbs.. Town Clock St Andrews Anglican Church Maungatautari Road Heading out of downtown Cambridge toward Sakura ( Health Spa & Retreat ), the tree lined streets surround Lake Karapiro. There is the purpose built Te Awa 8km walk/cycle way, (w

Zen... Blankets will keep you warm during meditation Sensitive Instruction Nestled in hills of Cambridge, New Zealand, Gwen and Lloyd have created a quiet haven perfect for reflection, relaxation, recovery or meditation. Whilst in the final stages of preparation for the official launch of their retreat and bed & breakfast website, you can keep up to date on their Facebook page, here . These images are from the Yoga room, stay tuned for further posts which will include the rest of the property and local attractions such as Hobbiton and Blue Springs. Namaste... Nina Beilby is a professional photographer based in Chatswood, Sydney, Australia. You can see more of her work at  www.ninabeilby.com.au .  Social Media:   Facebook  |   Twitter    |   LinkedIn   |   Instagram Thanks for visiting!

We didn't have long for this shoot.  Jo was to fly out the next morning for Auckland where she was to represent Australia in the ITU World Championship Triathlon .   In addition to being a world class athlete, Jo is also  the mother of four young children. So as well as packing up her bike, gear and suits, we had to juggle swim practice, squads and dinner preparations.  No remote beach or mountainous location for us. We shot by by the pool during swim practice with my daughter on the Speedlite and softbox modifier and Jo's daughter on the reflector. My challenges included shooting into the full sun. I was worried the Speedlite and reflector couldn't handle the blazing Australian sun but they were perfect and I ended up using it as a lovely back and rim light. I had to drop out the background because cars and buses kept passing or parking behind Jo but this also served to highlight her so I was happy. And lastly, we were shooting mid squad training so I had t