Thursday, July 23, 2015

Wind-Swept Trees In New Zealand


Slope Point is the most southern point of New Zealand’s South Island. The region is consistently lashed with fierce and cold southwesterly winds that blow up from Antarctica. The wind here is so intense and relentless, that the trees are twisted, warped and forever bent along the direction the wind blows. Slope Point is predominantly used for sheep farming, and aside from a few sheep, no humans or other animals live on this part of the island. There are a few derelict shacks built under the protection of the windswept trees, but even those are abandoned.

The spectacularly steep cliffs drops down to the sea below. The views are truly amazing over the rocky coastline and surrounding cliffs. There is a small signpost that shows the distance to the Equator and the South Pole, and a small solar-powered lighthouse stands on the farmland.