Advento photography

06/06/2026

I've just published my coverage of the 34th Annual Tuatapere Lions Hay Drive and Hay & Baleage Competition on the Waiau Journal page.

A great community event supported by local farmers, volunteers, sponsors and businesses, raising funds for important local causes.

Full story and photo gallery available on the Waiau Journal page.

21/05/2026

In loving memory of Helen McKay.

Helen’s memorial service was held at the Waiau Town & Country Club in Tuatapere on 16 May 2026, where family and friends gathered to celebrate her life, share memories, and honour the love she gave to those around her.

Helen was part of the wider Tuatapere community, and we know not everyone was able to attend on the day. This video has been made available so family, friends, and members of the community can watch and remember her.

This memorial video was created as a gift for the McKay family, with love and respect.

Filmed and produced by Mike Goodwin / Advento Photography
Service led by John Munro

In loving memory of Helen McKay.This memorial service was held at...

10/05/2026

Saturday’s rugby action at Tuatapere Domain saw Waiau Star Rugby Club take on Te Anau in the battle for the Inaugural Blackmount Hill Shield.

A great game to photograph, with plenty of hard hits, strong runs, and proper local rugby moments.

All photos are now up in my client gallery, and images are available to purchase for just $2 each.

Gallery:
https://gallery.adventophotography.co.nz/waiaustarrugbyvsteanau/

27/04/2026

Tuatapere ANZAC Service & Parade
View the full gallery here:
https://gallery.adventophotography.co.nz/tuatapereanzacserviceandparade/

A selection of photos from the Tuatapere ANZAC Service and Parade is now available.

It was a privilege to photograph the community coming together to remember, reflect, and pay respect to those who served.

I’ve included a small selection of watermarked images here, with the full 116-photo gallery available online.

Photos can be purchased and downloaded from the gallery for just $2 each.

25/04/2026

ANZAC Dawn Service – Orawia Cenotaph

A selection of photos from the ANZAC Dawn Service at the Orawia Cenotaph is now available.

Photos can be purchased and downloaded from the gallery for just $2 each.

View the full gallery here:
https://gallery.adventophotography.co.nz/orawiadawnservicecenotaph/

22/04/2026

More from Saturday’s Division 2 rugby clash at Tuatapere Domain.

I’ve now finished editing 400 photos from the match between Kings Rural Waiau Star and Wakatipu Wanderers, and they’re all up in my client gallery now.

It was a hard-fought local battle with plenty of strong runs, big tackles, and great moments across the field, with the final score:
Kings Rural Waiau Star 31 - 42 Wakatipu Wanderers

I’m adding another 6 images to this post as a small extra preview, but the full gallery is now online for anyone wanting to have a proper look through the day’s action.

Photos are available to purchase for just $2 each from the gallery.
https://gallery.adventophotography.co.nz/waiaustarrugbyclub/

18/04/2026

Great to be out at Tuapapere Domain this afternoon capturing Waiau Star Rugby Club taking on the Wakatipu Wanderers.

I really enjoyed being there and photographing the action, the physical battles, and the moments that make local rugby what it is. Here’s a first selection of 25 photos from the game.

I’ll definitely be back to cover more Waiau Star Rugby Club games in the future, so keep an eye on the Advento Photography page for more rugby coverage as the season goes on.

I’ll be posting more photos from today’s match in the next couple of days, so stay tuned.

Photos are available to purchase for just $2 each from the gallery.
https://gallery.adventophotography.co.nz/waiaustarrugbyclub/

12/04/2026

A few of the little characters from my walk through Lillians Loop.

Fantails are great fun to photograph when they decide to stop bouncing around like they’ve had too much coffee.

12/04/2026

Forest details from a walk through Lillians Loop.

These little fungi were glowing in the morning light, hidden among moss, bark, and old timber. Easy to walk past, but worth slowing down for.

01/04/2026

I finally managed to get these two to sit still for five minutes instead of carrying on like tiny caffeinated acrobats.

These are Welcome Swallows, one of the little birds you often see around houses, sheds, paddocks, and wires all over Southland. They feed on flying insects, so they’re actually pretty handy to have around, even if they do make photographers work for it.

I reckon they look like an old married couple here - one keeping watch, the other silently judging everyone.

Do you see Welcome Swallows where you live?

If you like local birdlife, little Southland moments, and the odd photo that took more patience than it should have, give the page a follow, drop a comment, and share it with someone who’d enjoy it.