Te Mata Peak
This gallery presents the iconic landscapes surrounding Te Mata Peak, one of Hawke’s Bay’s most recognisable and beloved landmarks. Perched high above the Tukituki Valley, the peak offers sweeping views of undulating hills, layered ridgelines, and distant coastlines shaped by light and weather. From sunrises breaking through fog to golden hills under shifting skies, these photographs capture the dynamic moods and striking forms that define the area. Whether bathed in morning mist or lit by warm afternoon sun, Te Mata Peak reveals a timeless, sculptural beauty that continues to inspire.
A selection of these images is available as fine art prints.
There is a reason people walk or drive up here before dawn. From the summit of Te Mata Peak, the Tukituki Valley spreads out below in a way that is difficult to prepare for, even when you know it is coming. On the mornings when fog fills the valley and the ridgelines hold above it, the view becomes something else. I have made this image more times than I can count, and I am still not sure if I have captured all the different moods.
The instinct on a summit is always to face north-east, toward the view everyone came to see. But some of my favourite images from Te Mata Peak were made by turning around. Facing away from the famous view is where the less expected photographs live, and they are often the ones that surprise me most when I look back through the files.
Te Mata Peak, on Your Wall
Te Mata Peak is fifteen minutes from my front door, and I have been photographing it for years. The fog, the light, the valley below at first light: these are the conditions I know best and return to most often. A selection of images from this collection is available as archival fine art prints, made to be lived with rather than scrolled past. If one of these mornings has stayed with you, it can stay with you properly.
Continue the Journey
Want to keep exploring?
Many of the images in this collection were taken from Te Mata Peak, but focus exclusively on elements in the valley below.