I awoke early, a short while before sunrise, and sauntered outside to the balcony to take in the fresh sea air. We were visiting New Zealand and in a couple of hours would be taking the ferry to the South Island. In the meantime, we’d slept overnight in the Island Bay Lighthouse (literally, a former lighthouse) in Wellington, and I got up to see what the world was up to.

As you know, fishermen are often morning people (or are forced to be), so it wasn’t surprising to spy a trawler getting underway past Taputeranga Island and out into the open ocean, hopeful for a big catch. I’d previously been wishing I had a cup of coffee in my hand, and now I had a second, for a camera in the other. Thankfully we’d been getting nighttime shots the prior evening so the gear was easily (and crucially—quietly) available, as some in our household are very much night owls.

Despite the cloudless sky, there was just enough warmth on the horizon to cast the bay in a lovely purple hue. Seeing the boat get underway made me momentarily wonder if the fish I’d enjoyed for dinner the night before might’ve been caught by this crew. 

It offered a moment of gratitude for all those who fulfill roles invisible to us, yet crucial to our well-being.

Find this and more from New Zealand.