Kaikoura Skies: A natural fireworks show!

During my 2009 visit to the South Island of New Zealand I had the great pleasure to spend time in the fishing town of Kaikoura on the northeast coast. Kaikoura is a very unique place in the world as it has vistas of the ocean and snow capped mountains from the shore. During my short visit there I was able to see sperm whales, huge "crayfish" (what we in the United States call spiny lobsters), fur seals, and some of the most amazing dawn & dusk skies I've ever seen!

As part of the Skywatch Friday and Scenic Sunday memes, I'm sharing two of my favorites image from Kaikoura.

The first image is a dawn image looking out toward the Pacific Ocean from the rocky beach.

Kaikoura Dawn

The second image comes from the same beach and is a shot that I had missed the previous morning so I set up to get it at just the right moment as the sun burst above the horizon and between the craggy rocks.

Starburst

Click in either image to see it in the original gallery