Chris Pegman on a quad bike, the only way - apart from walking - of getting around Pitcairn Island. Photo / Chris Pegman
Chris Pegman on a quad bike, the only way - apart from walking - of getting around Pitcairn Island. Photo / Chris Pegman
A Kerikeri man's passion for capturing the night sky has taken him to one of the most remote inhabited places on Earth.
Chris Pegman, who works as an osteopath by day and photographs the sky by night, travelled to Pitcairn courtesy of the island's tourism organisation to help publicise its new status as one of just 10 dark-sky sanctuaries on the planet.
His images will be used in brochures, travel publications and even a set of postage stamps.
Longboat is still the only way on and off Pitcairn Island, one of the world's most remote inhabited islands. Photo / Chris Pegman
Pegman said the chance to go to Pitcairn, in the centre of the Pacific 2200km southeast of Tahiti, was a result of good luck and persistence.
"It takes a lot of hard work to get this lucky. I've pursued a passion for photography and tried to position myself in the way of such a lucky break."
Pegman's first break was an exhibition at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in 2017.
Among those who saw the show was Kerikeri GP Ian Lawson, who moved to Pitcairn the following year for a stint as the island's doctor.
A supply ship on its way to collect Chris Pegman after 11 days on Pitcairn. Photo / Chris Pegman
When a discussion arose on Pitcairn about the need to find an astrophotographer to promote the island's dark-sky status, Lawson said he knew just the person.
Pegman thought the invitation from Pitcairn Tourism was a hoax when it first arrived in his inbox.
He eventually replied, discovered it was genuine, and a few months later was on a flight to Tahiti. From there he had to fly another 1800km to the Gambier (or Mangareva) Islands at the southeastern edge of French Polynesia, then take a series of small boats to get to a supply ship for the two-day voyage to Pitcairn. The final part of the journey was a transfer by longboat to the island itself.
The wild St Paul's Pool, one of the natural attractions on Pitcairn Island. Photo / Chris Pegman
Pegman described the island as "gnarly" and "tortuously steep" with sheer drops on either side of every path. Islanders walked or used quad bikes to get anywhere.
The total population, most of whom are descended from Bounty mutineers and their Tahitian wives, is around 40.
''The people are tough and independent, as you'd expect, but there's also a gentleness, perhaps due to a lack of city life,'' he said.
Pegman saw that toughness demonstrated when another ship came in during a storm with 80km/h winds and 8m swells. The islanders still went out in open longboats to collect supplies.
A view of the rugged Pitcairn coast. Photo / Chris Pegman
During his stay he met the entire population at two all-island dinners, gave 15 osteopathy consultations, and caught up with Pitcairn's two resident Northlanders, Lawson and his wife Kay-Anna Lawson, a former Kerikeri constable who is now the island's entire police force.
"They seem to be thoroughly enjoying the experience," Pegman said.
It was, however, an anxious wait for Pegman, who needed clear skies to capture the images he wanted. It rained for the first 10 nights before finally clearing on the 11th.
By then he had spent days preparing and scouting out locations so he was able to get the photos he needed in just one night. He also took a series of landscape panoramas by day.
