Ian Tippett, a retired farmer from Opio, Southland, estimated the biggest piece sent flying across the Wanaka-Cardrona highway weighed about 500kg.
It was about 10m long and narrowly missed a car driven by Shanan Pullar, of Wanaka.
Mr Pullar was returning to Wanaka from Queenstown with his family and, while small pieces hit his car, the biggest piece flew across in front of it.
Mr Tippett said yesterday Mr Pullar and his family were ''very, very lucky''.
''It is just very lucky there was no damage to property or life.''
Mr Tippett and son Gavin were clearing up pieces of wood spread for dozens of metres around the lightning-struck Douglas fir, thought to be about 100 years old.
''We're just cleaning up God's mess - God's mess or the devil's mess, I'm not sure which,'' Mr Tippett said.
He would not be felling the tree until he had heavy machinery in place.
He was concerned that once the damaged tree came down, larch trees in the same row would become more exposed to the wind.
The lightning split the tree from top to bottom and set it on fire.
Mr Tippett said he called the Wanaka Volunteer Fire Brigade to put it out.
Mr Tippett said since the lightning strike, there had been a steady stream of people stopping to take photos of his damaged tree.
