A selection of photos I've taken at various times in the Rangipo Desert, a small frigid sub-desert in the lee of central North Island's 3 big volcanoes - Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro.

The vegetation is mostly tussocky grasses, and small-leaved low shrubs including Hebe subalpina, a Carmichaelia, various podocarpaceous conifers, and mat plants like Raoulia.

The desert is particularly photogenic at sunrise and sunset.