It's sometimes easy to imagine NZ only offers opportunities to take stunning pictures of nature.  We don't have the history of many other countries with ancient monuments, medieval Cathedrals or the like.  That doesn't mean opportunities don't exist. You just have to be a bit more alert to them.

The following photos are the relics of New Zealand's past.  I've tended to use a black-and-white approach.

The first two pics are of the Copper-mine chimney on Kawau Island.

"The Ruin"

The RuinThe remains of the Coppermine Engine House (built 1854) on Kawau Island.

"To the Ruin"

To the RuinSONY DSC

The next pic is from the Denniston Mine on the West Coast of NZ.

"Abandoned"

Mountain MineOn the edge of the Denniston Plateau.

This coal mine used to have a settlement of workers on the top, and nearly all transport up and down the mountain was done via a steeply graded rail track. People and supplies were brought up, coal went down. It was closed in 1969.

I really liked this one. You're looking out towards the Tasman sea, which gives a sense of the dramatic incline of the cable system. The harshness of the environment is also apparent.

All shots were taken with a Sony a700.

Original photos are in the "Natural Goodness" and "Colour-free" albums