Solar eclipse (Nov 2012) | SixPlacesdownunder

On November 13 of this year, there was a total eclipse of the sun in the southern hemisphere. If you had been in southern New Zealand on that day, you would have seen this.

If you had looked in another direction, you might have seen this

Alas, the sun was nowhere to be seen, even the small piece that was not eclipsed. But if you had been here our first week in the beginning of September, looking off the coast towards Stewart Island (and beyond to Antarctica) you would have witnessed a subtle difference

As we traveled the island, we were on a mission. Not to hunt for the mythical nocturnal kiwi bird, but rather to find the sun. We search north and south, searching

Invercargill is known as the City of Water and Light. The water presumably comes from the 44 inches of rain per year. That would be 8 more inches that Portland, Oregon, but 14 inches less than Juneau, Alaska. Where the light reference comes from, I am not sure. Supposedly it comes from the Aurora Australis. But if my experience with the solar eclipse is any indication, I am dubious about seeing the Southern Lights. Just to the west of us, in Fiordland (some of the above pictures), 20 feet (yes, feet) of rain falls per year.

But it is not just rain here, it is wind. We are on the edge of the Roaring 40s and the Furious 50s. As noted in the map, there is little landmass to reduce the wind

Basically there is nothing between here and Patagonia. Blow baby blow. I have seen the most horizontal rain in my life here. Here is a photo (that I did not take).

But from time to time, the island seems to tease us. A little light seems to shine through

These photos are close to Invercargill in the alluvial plain surrounding us. But south of us near the coast, the sun will peak out from time to time. For a few minutes.

To the north, in the mountains the light can be beautiful….when it is not raining (a challenge to those who would like to hike; a story for another day)