Lights on at 4pm

/ Su Leslie

… and then the sky turned yellow. Parnell pool and Waitemata Harbour, around 2.30pm. image: Su Leslie 2020

The sky is Auckland has been vaguely hazy for days now, but around two this afternoon, it began to turn bush-fire yellow.

Smoke from the blazes consuming so much of Australia has reached us.

Parnell, Auckland. Image: Su Leslie 2020

St Stephen’s, Parnell. Image: Su Leslie 2020

View from my office, 5pm. Image: Su Leslie 2020

It’s really hard not to go all apocalyptic right now. And I’m over 2000km of ocean away from the nearest bush fires.

86 thoughts on “Lights on at 4pm”

  12. What a nightmare for the whole world. Your images are beautiful, but the horror behind them is haunting. How far are you from where these fires are in Australia that the smoke has made its way all the way to New Zealand?

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  20. This is terrifyingly beautiful and incredibly scary. We do take great note of the horrifying fires and are helpless in realising that there is nothing here we can do to help those poor, poor people who are losing everything AND their nature of such beauty and riches. I’m quite heartbroken to see this development. Sending big hugs and soothing thoughts to all of you.

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      • At least they are a long way from the Middle East mess. Like Anabel I grew up during the Cold War and then the IRA and the AIDS crisis so when I think about it life has always hung in the balance. I’m a realist, I don’t worry about things I cannot do anything about. Being married to an alcoholic (not the current OH I hasten to add) made me realise that really you just have to take care of yourself and what you can. Your son is young, he’s grown up in a relatively safe country, I can see why things seem overwhelming to him. Maybe there are things he can do to make him feel he is making a difference?

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        • Thanks Jude. I’m not sure anywhere is a long way from the mess these days, but I know what you mean.
          I’m not great at blocking out the big stuff I can’t change (perhaps the control freak in me just won’t admit there are things I can’t change), but like the rest of our generation, I’ve “been here before” with global crises.
          I have tried talking to him about that, and about doing small things — not very successfully. He’s definitely the “instant fix” generation.

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          • He’ll work it out. You’re there as support, that’s all we can do when our children become adults. They have to learn for themselves now. And perhaps he’s a lot like you?

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  25. The fires in Australia are so much worse than anything in Canada or in the US . EVER! I understand that 500 million animals are thought to have perished. This is apocalyptic in its scope and devastation. I hope that there will be an end somehow. One Australian blogger said that she hoped that when the fallout reached NZ your Prime Minister would sue the Australian government and that might get them to do something. Desperation! I now believe that Australia is the canary in the mine. But I still have some hope. HOPE!

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    • I have been wondering if we might have a case against the Australian government. I’d prefer for the money it would cost be spent on recovery and putting new economic and social structures in place, but if litigation would help — bring it on.

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  27. I haven’t been feeling OK since the fires began, and since they escalated our news are filled with the disaster. I can only agree with the others here – apocalyptic, fear, feeling sick and helpless. And how must not you feel, and poor Australia. Everything is a mess and people in charge don’t seem to be able to act.
    All I can do is send my heart ♥

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    • Thank you. I think the scary thing for us is that we aren’t very close, and yet the smoke reached us and has moved beyond. As far as Chile apparently, though it was a few days ago I heard that.

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