The storm is over - the winds have settled and the sea is calm. Last night, high cloud had not yet cleared. And another drama unfolded.
Golden light as the sun sets behind the hills of the south coast, seen from Princess Bay and looking towards Island Bay in the distance. Sunbeams like this are called crepuscular rays because they are typically seen at dawn or dusk (crepusculum is Latin for twilight) when the contrast between dark and light is most obvious. I knew, when I saw the blanket of high cloud, that there would be more colour in the sky as the sun set further. And there was...
A wider view, looking towards the South Island. The silhouette of Taputeranga is in the middle distance, the South Island glimpsed in the distant haze. A much more delightful drama than the storms.