The ghostly beauty of a Rotorua sunrise

St Faith's Church at Ohinemutu. Drone picture by Stephen Parker.

Over the last six months Rotorua Daily Post photographer Stephen Parker has been getting up early to capture the region's beauty at sunrise.

Sunrise at Lake Rotoehu. Low clouds make for a stunning shot of the landscape. Drone photograph by Stephen Parker.

So far he's scored great shots of Lake Rotoehu, Te Karaka Bay and St Faith's Church at Ohinemutu as the sun rose during a pristine morning.

Another image shows children from a local kapa haka group practising at Te Takinga marae beside Lake Rotoiti for the regional championships at dusk.

Peaceful start to day at Te Karaka Bay, Lake Rotoiti. Drone photograph by Stephen Parker.

Mr Parker said he had been flying drones for two years but in the last six months had upgraded to a bigger one which took far better photos.

He said he needed to be careful when the drone was up as it could not go over private property, and flying too high or low risked the equipment and potential accidents.

Children play at Te Takinga marae beside Lake Rotoiti while members of Kataore practice for the regional Kapa Haka championships. Drone photograph by Stephen Parker.

"There's only a narrow window to get pictures at dawn or dusk, there's only a few minutes to get the shot you want."

Sunrise at Lake Rotokakahi. Drone photograph by Stephen Parker

Rotorua, he said, was a great place to fly due to the thermal mist and natural surroundings.