Cold comfort at Treble Cone

The sunrise over Lake Wanaka which greeted Tom Akass and Jo Cobbett after their night in an igloo on Treble Cone skifield.

Being adventurous provides some "pretty cool" photo opportunities, Wanaka man Tom Akass says.

A snowboard instructor at Treble Cone and keen photographer, he captured some stunning images while camping overnight in an igloo at the summit of the skifield with fellow staff member Jo Cobbett last week.

Mr Akass discovered the alpine accommodation - built by someone with a "good head for heights" - a few weeks earlier.

"It was perched on a very, very small area of rock sticking out over the back cliffs of the summit. Ever since I saw it I wanted to go sleep in it."

Tom Akass (right) and friend Jo Cobbett were well wrapped up for their igloo stay. Photos by Tom Akass/www.tomakass.com

Mr Akass had not gone to the summit in search of a photograph, but said "just having a good sense of adventure means you usually end up in some pretty cool situations and the good photos come from that.

"That particular part of the Treble Cone summit has always been pretty inspiring for me. I love going on adventures, plus to get to spend the night there was pretty cool. It also meant I got a bit extra of a lie-in ... and got to cook up some bacon while watching the other staff driving to work in the distance."

Mr Akass grew up in the Highlands of Scotland and has been back and forth to Wanaka since 2008, in between studying photography at Edinburgh Napier University.

His family moved to Wanaka in 2007 and, since he has now graduated, he plans to stay in New Zealand permanently.