Duffers Saddle is the highest point on the Nevis Road in the striking Nevis Valley. The exact height of Duffers Saddle is often up for debate, but if the sign on the road is to be believed, the saddle reaches 1,300 metres (4,265 ft), making it the highest pass on a public road in New Zealand.
The Nevis Valley itself is a striking display of geological diversity. Its terrain changes dramatically as you traverse the valley. At lower elevations, Nevis Valley is farmland and scrub, but the higher you go, the landscape transforms into a barren, moonscape-like environment featuring huge boulders dotted across the hillside. The valley is most notable for its striking schist rock tors and tussock grass, with the Nevis River carving its way through the valley floor. The Nevis Road is a popular high country track for 4WD enthusiasts who love the challenge of this 70-km trek between Bannockburn and Garston with its many river crossings and gold mining relics.
This incredible sight is set against a backdrop of majestic mountain ranges. To the west lie the back of The Remarkables and its distinctive jagged peaks, and the saddle itself is flanked by the Carrick Range to the north and the Old Woman Range to the south.
As always, early morning conditions are ideal for photographing unique landscapes like this and the best way to capture the variation in terrain and colour hues. I entered the Nevis Valley as the sun appeared above the mountain ranges and captured my first great result. A layer of clouds perfectly softened the morning sunlight, which meant I could avoid too much lens flare. It created a beautiful effect on the speargrass, which seemed to glow in the early hours of the day.
Sunrise at Duffers Saddle
There is no question this is a striking landscape, and I am not the only one who appreciates its beauty. Duffers Saddle is a popular location for commercial photography and filmmaking.
The commercial playground
I have been behind the camera for several commercial photoshoots in the Nevis Valley. A few years ago, we shot an ad campaign for the Mercedes ML for the Asian market, and we were back again a few years later for the Porsche Macan. The synergy between these beautiful vehicles and the striking landscape delivers an impressive result.
Multiple cameras at work.
One of the many results of the Mercedes ML Campaign.
And action. This time the Porsche Macan Turbo—not quite the finished image as the driver is missing if you look closely
But today’s journey is not about shining chrome and roaring engines, it is about the more quiet pursuit of a natural landscape. As the day progressed, the sun rose higher in the sky and conditions shifted—it was too bright for photography. Instead, I launched the drone and my faithful eye in the sky captured sweeping views of the Nevis—check the Romer Gallery Instagram page for the final result.
Shortly after landing the drone, the clouds began to build and move faster across the sky. To capture motion, it is normally necessary to use a dark neutral density filter (grey filter) to increase the capture time.
However, the PhaseOne system has a very clever option called Automated Frame Averaging—crucial for a day like today. Once you have the correct exposure set, the AFA allows you to set the camera back to a certain time – in this case, 3 minutes – and the system takes this exposure constantly for the programmed time. It then merges all the individual shots into one final result. It is very similar to shooting with an ND filter, but without losing quality, as the light gets literally “unfiltered” through your lens to the sensor. Using this setting, I can photograph the dynamic motion of fast-moving clouds—without sacrificing quality.
“Correct” exposure with 1/200sec, f 11
The same settings as above are used with PhaseOne’s Automated Frame Averaging for 3 minutes.
As the clouds increased so did the wind. Quickly, conditions changed to a very strong southerly, and the temperature dropped to 2 degrees. So much for New Zealand spring conditions, it felt more like an Arctic mission! Luckily, I am used to the unpredictable nature of New Zealand’s weather and had all of the necessary warm-weather gear ready to go in the car.
The changing conditions created a very dramatic afternoon.
Towards the end of the day and just before the sun disappeared, the clouds started to decrease. The winds were still making it challenging for me, but I persevered and was able to capture the perfect sunset shot on Duffers Saddle.
It’s nearly summer in NZ, but full winter gear was required.
View back to the Nevis.
Sun setting behind the Hector Mountains with The Remarkables in the middle.
Duffers Saddle is a favourite of mine. Many people pass through the Nevis Valley but not many stop to appreciate this unique landscape. It is a window into Central Otago’s untamed beauty and gold mining history. It is no wonder so many photographers and filmmakers have been drawn to its allure.
