Snapper revels in Twizel’s colours
A photographer new to Twizel believes it to be one of the best places in New Zealand to see autumn’s changing colours.
So it’s fitting that a festival to celebrate the town’s ‘‘massive boom of colour’’ was held in the town at the weekend.
The annual Twizel Autumn Festival ran for the second time on Saturday with events taking place at Market Square, the Twizel River and Ruataniwha Lagoon.
The event included a market, bike rides, photography tutorials and entertainment, Twizel Promotion and Development Association event coordinator Debra Hunter said
Green Moon Collective photographer Daniel Mooney ran the photography tutorials, one in the morning and one late in the afternoon.
Mooney, originally of Scotland, said he had been based in New Zealand for about two and a half years, and in Twizel for a few months.
‘‘It’s been really great just seeing the seasons change from summer to autumn. There’s been a massive boom of colour lately,’’ he said.
‘‘You’ve got one of the best places in the country to view autumn changing colours, with the trees and the grass and snow. ‘‘It’s really nice being up here.’’ Mooney ran his students through camera basics and said they all had quite a good day.
‘‘We had a pretty good turn out.’’
Hunter said it was hard to gauge exactly how many people attended the various events throughout the day, as they weren’t all based in one location, but that it was well attended.
‘‘I think because they day was so nice, with the sun out. Lots of people came and had a look around.’’
Hunter believed more than 400 people attended which was a few more than last year.
She attributed the increase to people knowing about the event, and school holidays.
‘‘The first time round, you never know, people don’t really know about it. So of course, second year, more advertising and people knew from last year.’’
A photography tutorial was held at 6.30am at the inaugural festival, but was switched to a later time this year to encourage more people along, she said.
About a dozen people took part in the bike rides as well.
‘‘It was really nice ride for them up and down the Twizel River,’’ Hunter said.
She said some of the stall holders at the market had such a good day, they were keen for the event to be run quarterly.
Hunter said the event will definitely go ahead next year.