Sunrise at St Clair Beach, Dunedin

One of my favorite things about living directly on the east coast of New Zealand is the incredible sunrises I get to experience almost every day. The summer days are long, and the sun appears bright and early (5am early). One of my favorite things to do is go out by myself and experience the sunrise in different locations across Dunedin. With a variety of beach locations (Tunnel Beach and Sandfly Bay are some of my favorites), the Moeraki Boulders an hour and a half north,  and Nugget Point an hour and a half south, I’ve got my work cut out for me photographing these early mornings.

Derik and I are a one car family, so I typically have to wait until the weekends, when Derik isn’t working, if I want to see the sunrise from a different location besides my back porch or backyard beach. A few weekends ago I took a road trip over to St. Clair beach (at 5:00am) for the sunrise show.

St. Clair is most famously known for its surf culture, salt water pool, and thriving beachside cafes and restaurants. If you’re ever in the Dunedin area, definitely be sure to head over for a day of fun!

Let it be known that I’m actually not that much of a morning person. If I could sleep in until 10:00am I definitely would! I think that’s why I enjoy getting out and watching the sunrise so much. It’s a mixture of personal success (aka getting out of bed at an ungodly hour), and being the only one on the beach!

Are you a morning person?