It's been awhile since I have done an update so that means something memorable has happened recently. We have had a storm, not just any old storm but one of those ones that gets your attention and will remain with you for years to come.

It started last week (Tuesday) when we were notified that a cyclone was forming up north and would wonder down here over the following days, but not to worry because when it hits land it will become just another big low and we will get some rain.

All good so far, we needed rain badly and Ron had been doing his version of a rain dance for weeks so something had to give lol. Wednesday true to form the cyclone (Oswald) formed and hit the coast and started its slow trip south for the summer.

Wednesday the sky darkened and it started. 100ml overnight





Fantastic, no watering required so ok you can turn it down now the pools full, the tanks are overflowing and dam it there are branches coming down making a mess of the yard.

Thursday, looks like yesterday only the wind is stronger, the rain is heavier and god dam there are more and more branches flying around. Enough already, the pool is really overflowing now, the orchids are going to get fungus and Deb (Nursery) will blame me for tooooo much watering.




Hang on that's a tree outside my bedroom and it's napping !!!!! OMG it's gone over hmmmmmmmmm

150ml today and counting - 250 in total

Friday, still raining, very humid and everything in the house is now damp, oh great here comes the mold and we were doing so well this year. Fans going, towels on floors, furniture in from the deck, cant go anywhere as trees are now falling all over the place, starting to get worried - a news update, the roads are closed there is no way in or out of Agnes, we are cut off. Still raining, still windy, getting very scary.

Saturday morning, hang on that's a very large bloodwood gum in our driveway.





It was still upright when I went to bed, dam not only are the roads under water, but I cant even get the car out to go into town - still raining. It's about this time when Ron decides that it's all over and moved on south of us.

Wrong

my new view, smashed garden, still raining, blowing even harder and then came Saturday night.

Now just so you don't think we are wimps, we don't mind a good storm, lots of Thor and Zeus fighting it out in the heavens, but we do call it quits when things started to get seriously smashed about down here.

Saturday night 12.30am woke to the sound of screaming gales, things crashing, the CRACK, THUD for another tree splitting and collapsing in the yard. At 2am I turned on the aircon in my room to try and muffle the sounds of the gale only to lay in bed watching branches sailing past my windows. My room is 15 ft off the ground. Something is VERY wrong here. Sunday morning the pics tell the story.



Smashed

Bloodwood Avenue South, well what's left of it.

But all things come to an end and so after 1020ml (3 feet) of rain, gales up to 140kph the sun came back out and off we went to start the task of cleaning up.

The management of Sunrise have risen to the occasion and withing 2 days the roads are clear, the debris is stacked awaiting pick up on Friday and most people are back cleaning up their own patch of paradise. During all this to the best of my knowledge no one was injured, no homes damaged, we were very very lucky.

Bundy, Gladstone, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and further south have not been so lucky.

PS It is now Tuesday and the roads are still blocked, the supermarkets are running out of food but everyone is pitching in to help - after all that's what communities do.

Amazing pic of the storm arriving at Bundaberg. Pic from the ABC emergency site.