The Volcanic Central Plateau of New Zealand is about 100km as the birds fly from Havelock North, or about 3 hours’ drive from my home. Having studied geology as a minor subject at university, I am always fascinated by the uplifting and potentially destructive power of the volcanoes and calderas that are scattered from Mt Ruapehu in the south, through Taupo, Rotorua and out to White Island to the north-east.

I travel to the Central Plateau most winters to ski at 2 of the 3 ski-fields located on the slopes on Mt Ruapehu. Turoa ski field on the south-western slopes probably gets the most snow but Whakapapa ski field on the north-eastern slopes has the best scenery. I love the view from the top of the Knoll-Ridge T-Bar looking north across “The Pinnacles” (an outcrop of rock pillars) and on to Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Tongariro in the distance. Seeing this in winter and again in summer provides an amazing contrast, with multi-coloured volcanic rock from deep browns, burnt reds to sulphuric yellows exposed after the snow has gone. But to me the snow adds character and mood to the landscape and provides mauves, purples to aqua shades of colour across the day and it’s this I love to paint.

The Tongariro Crossing is one of New Zealand's best one day walks and I recommend it to anyone who has the fitness and the correct gear to do it. I've made this walk a number of times and have walked to the top of Mt Ngauruhoe three times, but the additional 2.5 hour climb to the summit from the saddle and then the 20 minute ‘moon-jump’ decent down the scree-slope is well worth it (mind the rocks falling from people above you!). The emerald lakes and blue lake are nice to look at due to their amazing colour from the elements leaching from the volcanic rocks, but I again prefer the winter tramp with thermals, crampons and ice-axe (on a good day). I have painted the vista looking south across Blue Lake back to Red Crater, Mt Ngauruhoe and Mt Ruapehu in the distance, and I will continue to paint this landscape with different moods.