What better way to start the first day back to school than waking up to rain on the roof and a cool sullen looking day. It has been a very full few weeks filled with motion and noise.. and now here I sit in front of my computer listening to the rain as I try to decide what order to start picking through the piles I have sitting on my desk as well as in front of the washing machine. Time to clear, time to sort... time to tackle the year ahead. May as well start with catching up the latest news and sharing a bit of colour. 😉
The weather this school holidays did not lend itself well to climbing in the mountains. I spent a bit of family time in our caravan visiting a few places which we haven not been before. Timing could not have been better for our visit to Cashmere Bay along the edge of Lake Brunner. The scene could have been a sound stage.. warm wind, shades of clear blue in the sky above and the water below.. complimented with a low population of sandfies!
We read in the news there were solar flares forecasts to be passing through New Zealand skies. I was excited to think what potential there was to see the colourful lights reflected back across the lake.
The wind dropped to lower than a breeze as the sun set.. I sat at the water edge until the sky was nearly black.. disappointment growing. I decided to call it a night and head back to the caravan. Just as well I had one last look up.
The aurora had arrived.
What I saw was not what I had been watching for. There was only a hint of colour in the darkness, and in places a few light striations streaking up in the sky. Taking a photo of what I was looking at made it clear that my camera lens was able to see the aurora better than my eyes. I decided to walk up to the boat ramp to have a clear view of the lake and sky with the hills behind.
Needless to say I took many photos as the colours seemed to be changing. I was taking timed exposures while pointing the camera into darkness. Very relieved it was only small patches of cloud rolling across the colourful light show.
By the time I started making my way back to where we were camped for the night my eyes were better trained to see the light change. I sat down on a rock for one more photo capturing the stars peaking through the colours and clouds.
