Here in Tapanui, West Otago, New Zealand. Strange light all around us, very surreal. This is what we woke up to this morning on the first day of the new year. Sharing a couple of photos that Nigel took this morning. I also took photos but haven’t got them off my camera yet. Nigel dubbed it “Australia Day again”. These strange effects are due to the bushfires burning in Australia – their smoke has headed our way. We don’t enjoy the effect I might add, it feels apocalyptic and dark, and very weird. When we look outside or go outside, there’s this light golden glow over everything – really strange.
Photos taken by Nigel.
The Blue Mountains, Tapanui, West Otago, New Zealand. Smoke haze and strange sky colour courtesy of the Australian bushfires. Taken from our property. Click on photo to enlarge.
The walnut tree on our property has featured in other posts I’ve done – tree maintenance, winter snow photographs. Here though, it’s the colour of the big sky behind it that’s of interest. Click on photo to enlarge.
Text by Liz, photos by Nigel; Exploring Colour (2019)
Exploring Colour 
I’ve been hearing about the fires in Australia . How sad – and eerie – that they are having this effect on you!
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fyi I’ve published a post with a few selected items about the Aussie situation last night: https://exploringcolour.wordpress.com/2020/01/03/australiaburns/
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Thank you for sharing this. Such a tragedy.
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The light does appear otherworldly, Liz, and not in a good way. What a horrible way to end the old year and begin the new. Neither Australia nor the rest of the world need the additional pollution and carbon dioxide production these horrendous fires produces. I hope they can be stopped.
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Exactly. They can’t control them either, they’ll burn until it rains and it’s anybody’s guess when that’ll happen but no time soon.
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😪
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Same 😦
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Truly an awful sight knowing what it indicates for your neighboring Australia. In previous years here in the North American continent, there have been forest fires in the west that have sent smoke eastward. Not at all a pleasant phenomenon. Eventually the smoke clears but the destruction and death and injury never really does.
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The scale of what’s happening in Australia doesn’t bear thinking about. Getting this reminder on New Years Day wasn’t the most celebratory way to start the new year/decade. I’m relieved today is just a normal overcast day!
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I see that several theories exist about the meaning of the name Tapanui:
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/keyword/tapanui.
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It’s a very weird and threatening sky – entirely in keeping with what’s happening in Australia – very sad.
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What a way to see in the New Year with ongoing devastating bushfires over there … awful!
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That is quite scary, Liz. The effects will have yet unforeseen and far reaching consequences, I’m afraid.
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It’s so huge what’s happening in Australia and it is scary.
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An unsettling start to the New Year and an uncertain decade ahead. Lets hope the wake up call to climate action leads to real change soon.
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This is what we have seen in California as well. It changes one’s worldview. Drastically.
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It’s tragic.
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In some towns along the NSW Coast the sky was black at 3 pm. It’s a catastrophe that doesn’t seem to have any end.
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*agree.
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I ageee. It’s sad and unsettling to wake to this weird light at the start of 2020.
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Very smoky now against the Blue Mountains, Tapanui. Also very dark grey to the south – Nigel tells me it’s raining in Invercargill. Impressively dark-looking looking south – think I might get out there and take a photo of the RSA NZ flag against the dark sky.
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It is apocalyptic, Liz.
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Sadly yes. Take care Tracy.
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