Creating Thunderous Giants Gate — A Memory Worthy of Your Wall

If you’ve ever been to the deep south of Aotearoa New Zealand, you’ll know — it’s a place that feels ancient.

The air is heavier, the rain somehow purer, and the silence between the mountain peaks sighs its own rhythm.

That’s where Thunderous Giants Gate was born — wall art inspired by one of most dramatic scenes I've witnessed, and a piece of wild New Zealand that can now live on your wall.

It Begins on the Water

Like many great Fiordland journeys, it starts with a boat ride. Leaving Te Anau Downs, the mist curls low over the lake as the world softens into grey-green tones. There’s a quiet excitement onboard — everyone knows that at the end of this ride lies the legendary Milford Track.

For me, it’s always been more than a walk.
It’s a slow immersion into another world.

The Walk Into the Wild

The Clinton River Valley welcomes you like a wet green cathedral — ancient beech trees dripping with moss, rain whispering through the canopy, and the river rushing past beneath the ferns. Each step takes you further away from everything familiar.

The track winds through rainforest and river flats, climbing gradually until that last steep grunt upward where the air cools and the clouds roll in. On a wet Fiordland day (which is most days), the Omanui – McKinnon Pass becomes a mystical place — shrouded in cloud, the path slick underfoot, tiny waterfalls shimmering on every surface.

It’s wild. It’s wet. It’s wonderful.

The Descent to Giant’s Gate

From the pass, the trail descends steeply down through the Arthur Valley, past the famous and delicate MacKay Falls.

Then, hearing the roar of unseen water, you finally reach it — Giant’s Gate Falls.

The moment stops you.

Water thunders down from a deep slot in the cliffs above, fed by streams unseen, tumbling past Terror Peak and Devil’s Armchair, before crashing into the honey-coloured rocks below and running away to the valley floor. The sound fills every space — not just in the air, but inside you too.

It’s impossible not to feel small here.
And that’s the magic of it.

Capturing the Thunder

When I created Thunderous Giants Gate, I wanted more than a pretty landscape — I wanted to capture that feeling. The sheer power, the echo of the falls ringing in your ears, the deep greens and surprising honey golds that only Fiordland can offer.

This photograph is a memory — of misty rain on your face, the thunder of the falls, and the quiet awe of standing before something timeless.

It’s a piece of wild Aotearoa, ready to live again on your wall.

Why It Belongs in Your Home

Thunderous Giants Gate isn’t just wall art — it’s a reminder of the places that make us feelalive.

Every time you look at it, you’ll hear the echo of the falls, smell the damp air, and remember what it feels like to stand deep in the heart of Fiordland.

Bring the wilderness into your home.
Share your love of wild New Zealand with the people you love.

Discover it as part of our Milford Track Collection — a celebration of Fiordland’s most breath taking moments.