Te Uku Wind Farm

So what do you do when your client cancels your shoot at the very last minute... apart from gnash your teeth and jump up and down a bit? Why you go on a 350km round trip to see a wind farm of course! It all made perfect sense as the sun beat down on me and I scratched my head. Did I mention it was 1 oclock in the afternoon that this master plan occurred to me?

On my last few trips south from Auckland I had noticed some wind turbines sitting high on a ridge right on the horizon. So a quick bit of googling (is that even a word?) found that what I had seen was the Te Uku wind farm. Turns out it was only finished in 2011 and has the tallest turbines in the country, 130m high with 49m blades that can do up to 17 revolutions a minute! Imagine that, I'm surprised the hills don't take off! My wife is giving me the 'you are such a nerd look' for remembering all those useless facts, hey it's a boy thing!

It turns out opinions are quite divided on wind farms, but I think they are rather beautiful to look at, not to mention being a great renewable energy resource. And yes I would be quite happy to have them in my back yard, although i'm not sure where I would put my daughters trampoline! Since Te Uku is in an area that I don't often visit, it made it perfect for my plan. I have a client who I often shoot scenic road shots for and 'the road less travelled' usually provides the best photo opportunities as well as location diversity.

So down to the Waikato I drove, scouting out suitable locations along the way. Took a break in Raglan for a cuppa and to wait for the light to come right. As most Kiwis will tell you, the beaches around Raglan are pretty stunning in their own right and definitely subject matter for another trip. Unfortunately on this occasion there was a ripping onshore wind that was sand blasting everything in it's path. Great for exfoliating but absolutely not good for camera gear!

Heading back along SH23 to Te Uku around 7ish, I tried out a few of the vantage points I had seen and did my usual dodging cars dance. I can't resist a shot from low down in the middle of the road, but wouldn't recommend the health benefits of this! In the end I found I couldn't get as close to the wind farm as I would have liked, but did manage to get some images I was happy with at the end of the day. Mission accomplished. Finally rolled into my garage a little before midnight and the thought did cross my mind that next time I might just leave a little earlier... maybe!