Hi   ..

A few pics  of the terrible disaster in Qld

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/01/australian_flooding.html


Let's hope that the pollies don't start their usual games with this!!!!

See if it works this time.

Cheers.
Sheba.
 
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/01/australian_flooding.html

great pictures of devastion and heartbreak .... you have to feel for all the people and animals caught up in something so natural but frighting at the same time .....

For GNs who feel so inclined donations to the flood appeal can be made at http://www.qld.gov.au/floods/donate.html

I think this a good example of having good communications when traveling so we can get out of the wet area before the real trouble start , this situation is not new it just it has been so dry for a long time some have forgot you don't travel to North Queensland in the wet season , the local have enough to do without looking after Grey nomads , but in saying that I don't think I have heard of any Grey Nomads being in trouble so maybe we are good at stay alert .

I spent 3 wet seasons in Cairns, and before that 11 in the Kimberleys. Flooding is expected, but flooding of this proportion is historically rare. Things were already wet up in northern Qld, and then they had a cyclone which had a lot of water in it. I left at a good time, but I do feel very sorry for all those people who will have to rebuild their lives and their homes in some cases. It's devastating and there's nothing anyone can do about it but wait until the water is gone. It will take more than a mop and bucket to clean this mess up. The insurance companies and the state government must be shaking in their boots. The impact on the state's economy on all levels is unprecedented. Apart from donating cash there's nothing anyone can do until it dries up.

Very scary photos - having spent time in most of the affected places brings it all home. The photo of Fairbairn Dam is amazing - I think the amount of water in that dam is more than Sydney Harbour - so imagine that coming through your town. I live in SE Qld, and was away over Christmas, but our town had floods, (Boonah) - Teviot Brook and Oakey Creek (among others) overflowed - paddocks looked like lakes, houses and people were stranded on islands, and a couple of people I know had to spend 7 hours in their car on the Cunningham Highway, because there was no way they could get through floodwater. It is raining again today, and because the ground is so saturated the water is pooling again - lets hope it stops soon - though they are predicting three more days of rain. The road up the Toowoomba range was closed due to flooding again today, and I believe Cunninghams Gap is still on "stop and go", due to landslip.