Moeraki Boulders, Moeraki, South Island, New Zealand

Moeraki is a sandy beach in the South Island with no rocks other than these large circular orbs.  To catch the boulders at the most mystical time, I had to get to the beach by 4:30am. When I arrived, the tide was much higher than it had been the evening before when I had gone to take a quick look at the boulders at dusk, so I left my shoes high up on the rocks and ran in and out of the crashing waves, failing miserably in my attempt to keep myself and my tripod dry. 

What a morning! Although incredibly photogenic, those boulders are not easy to photograph in high tide. It gave me new found respect for wilderness photographers who spend most of their time dodging waves, wading rivers, and shielding themselves from the rain, snow and other random elements of nature, without ruining their equipment and getting completely sick! The boulders are an extraordinary phenomenon of nature, known geologically as Septarian Concretions. Since seeing them in Moeraki, I learned that there are actually some similar boulders near my home in California.

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