If you look just below the eye of the storm and then a little to the left you will see a small green circle which marks the city of Whangarei where I have resided since 1974. I have lived through some big storms since the 1970's here in the north - but this one is the biggest yet. We haven't seen a revolving storm that is half the size of Australia - ever.
As I type this every rain drop from a torrential sky is bloated to swimming pool size and the howling wind is blowing dogs off chains. We have been enduring this for two days now.
Worst of all - tomorrows sailing at the Onerahi Yacht Club will no doubt be cancelled because of the storm force winds. (Speaking existentially, this is hard stuff to endure for a skipper with a new OK Dinghy who wears socks festooned with pictures of boats and who wants to strut his sailing stuff ).
The Australians have a whimsical song, the first line of which is: "Tie me kangaroo down sport, tie me kangaroo down ............."
In Northland we have a serious song, one that goes like this: Tie me F---ing house down Bro, tie me F---ing house down .............
Today the Met office forecast is that the worst is yet to come - a tsunami of water from the sky and 60 - 70 knot winds - yikes!!
