![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/5700eca5-84e2-4e79-9a9e-bb9cf76f61f4_rw_3840.jpg?h=eafddffb27b675470c09e8670ca81422)
Starting out, Helen and Sam heading for the Minga
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/ee44ae79-c293-43ef-8790-379be3e4efa5_rw_3840.jpg?h=ff1171e02886030df209d384a28bf2c1)
Arthur's Pass is beautiful
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/8ac582bb-d9c6-44c6-8eb2-5941217a9f4e_rw_1920.jpg?h=ec9151066ab1c71a65411df6ea8e45b6)
Mt Cook Lilly
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/19fa161d-36b0-47d4-a620-11c4405ad06b_rw_3840.jpg?h=d0d0ca05a9606aaeaa635f9a8b302730)
Look how far we've come
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/daeecb50-f318-4f0c-bc05-1eb94a1cfe88_rw_1920.jpg?h=0d4727a07bb181e740e2300251eade29)
Always a cheeky kea
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/69ea678c-d250-425f-897e-a6111ce5bb63_rw_3840.jpg?h=776ca06d3ddb9175e9f5e1b60e17dd9d)
Heading towards Mt Oates, crossing the outlet of Lake Mavis
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/4b6dbb04-98b8-4610-be87-4cff6b6d07fc_rw_3840.jpg?h=45f15559b2a15f496f17a2aa8c8b1eba)
Lake Mavis
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/31cdeeb3-7a1a-4490-91b1-e2437fcd1f02_rw_3840.jpg?h=f0ede5b00c9d586af82ddd7e9536ca14)
Nice light in the slightly more sheltered valley off the back of the ridge
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/f3a63775-ea54-4ac9-b360-6762bb079620_rw_3840.jpg?h=b16166c76bb108ceefd0486668143b8e)
Helen absolutely stoked about going back down the mountain and out the Deception
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/addc19df-6ce8-418a-bce3-7d7995c2a1cc_rw_3840.jpg?h=a9d17e348abffc924e035fb4e59b94a6)
Brightly coloured team stands out well on the Arthur's Pass scree, the descent was a lot quicker
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/8b499c47-a59d-4a39-8504-436907dc5416_rw_1920.jpg?h=d91666c08a9bc017842f57fef6da824d)
Waterfall jumping heading down the Minga
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/2187016f-6c4e-4e2d-b616-b5d41c89b56e_rw_3840.jpg?h=9fe869a2d1256b68b1980e47047455c0)
Nick sticks the landing
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/f570ffc1-028e-415f-87d8-132a9e0d914f_rw_3840.jpg?h=53f2b703c2fb0ece22b150f994bdc25b)
Was stoked to find this Blue Duck, and finding him still enough to getting this running water shot
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/69ef0a59-2aeb-407a-a81d-203fd28d91bd_rw_1920.jpg?h=bb7db620dadb9231e360341a9ef1486d)
In fact it turns out that he sadly had a broken leg, so I nearly tripped over to him when I came out onto this creek bed as he couldn't really get away.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/d3545605-21b8-405a-aacd-a7046220a992_rw_1920.jpg?h=0f52046af12a2c54f0fb0c54540128a6)
Was beautiful having such a close encounter with him, but not sure he'd feel the same way. We decided we'd probably do more damage to him by trying to take him out. Which with the weather closing in and uncertainty around whether he could feed himself or not was a pretty tough decision. We reported him to DoC but with river flooding the next day there wasn't a lot they could do, other than advise their staff to keep an eye out for him when next heading up the valley.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/6301615e-92fa-4ced-abf2-693608a2082f_rw_1920.jpg?h=36ae0940cae46fae5da0e063aab7840e)
It's probably cheating taking close up photos of a Blue Duck when he's so still. The challenge is still the perfect moving water, swimming blue duck shot.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/a0cb73edb43d1329e44146c1f57c542d/ef186102-4cbc-492c-a5b3-8e9b9042898c_rw_3840.jpg?h=b10c24c34859429453abbba7f3f709e3)
I like this tree.