Tuesday, January 11, 2011

I can't believe I'm here on holidays when at home they're having to endure a watery Armageddon. All through the last week more and more of the state was declared a disaster. Now it's hit closer to home. Yesterday Toowoomba was hit by a wall of water. Toowoomba is only an hour and a half drive from Brisbane and is on top of a mountain range. People have been washed away. Homes and cars have been washed away and the disaster is now heading towards Brisbane.

Back in 1974 we had a huge flood. To prevent a subsequent flood the government built a huge dam west of the city. That dam is now at 190% and they're having to release the equivalent of the Sydney Harbour into the Brisbane River every day. Combine that with king tides and Thursday is looking grim. My house should be okay but one of my sisters may have issues. She's moved in with my Mum. And here I am miles away on holiday feeling a little helpless.

Yesterday Iven and I headed out to Port Arthur. Port Arthur is the remains of one of the country's harshest penal colonies. The worst of the worst came here. Funnily enough I saw a family name in the list of 'guests' of His Majesty. It was a fascinating day. In 1996 it was the site of Australia's worst shooting massacre. I found the Memorial Garden very moving.

On the way back to Hobart we stopped in at some natural attractions - Tasman's Arch, the Tesselated Pavement and the Blowhole.

Today's itinerary included a walk at Mt Wellington, about half an hour drve from Hobart. It was a challenging hike over a lot of boulders in the rain. We were supposed to find a natural feature called the Organ Pipes but the terrain was so rugged that we spent the whole hike watching our feet and totally missed them.

Next stop was Sorell's Fruit Farm. Pay just $12 and you get to fill a pretty big punnet with whatever fruit you want to pick. Strawberries, loganberries, youngberries, berries-that-I've-never-heard-of-but-taste-delicious, nectarines, apricots and cherries. Oh those cherries! Yum! I'm now over the Cadbury chocolate disappointment. But I was wondering if you can eat too much fruit. I think Iven and I aye almost as much as we brought away with us.

The last stop was Richmond. It's the site of Australia's oldest bridge which is still in use. It was a beautiful village. Lots of interesting shops and lovely buildings. If you like history, Tasmania is well worth a visit.

12 comments:

  1. Char, I was thinking of you because our news has been showing all the terrible floods and also about the big dam in Brisbane...I hope you and your family are safe and that your homes are spared. Keeping my thoughts with all of you!

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  2. Can't be easy or relaxing being on holiday while all this is going on at home. My cousin has been holidaying in South Africa, returning to Brisbane today. Thinking of you all.

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  3. Hope your family and friends are safe. I've been reading about the floods thinking that Australia had more than enough of disasters lately, horrific fires not that long ago and now this.
    Tasmania sounds wonderful. I would love to visit it one day.

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  4. I hope everything is okay at home!

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  5. I've been thinking of you and knowing Brisbane wasn't all that far away from the floods. I hope all your loved ones are ok and that your fellow Aussies recover quickly.

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  6. I am sorry for your Contry, I watch on tv what happens there, best wishes and stay safe.

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  7. I've heard something about raging torrents that washed away cars and houses in Australia. More than 200,000 people affected!
    I hope Brisbane is okay! Take care!

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  8. It sounds like you are having a wonderful time. One of my teaching colleagues just got back from two weeks in Australia to see her grandchildren. I didn't get a chance to ask her how it was where she was. Stay safe.

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  9. Hey chick! I stumbled across your blog while I was googling the Hobart Marathon...I loved it! Great writing and it was fun reading about your holiday. Chat soon. Shaz.

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  10. I keep hearing more (bad) news about Brisbane. You and your family are in my thoughts. I hope everyone (and the home) are safe!!!

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  11. Have been thinking about you after seeing the footage on the news here of the most horrendous devastation. It's just so awful. I hope your family and friends stay safe. It must feel very odd to be on holiday with all that going on.

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  12. Hope you can enjoy your time away while all the flooding is going on. I would love to visit Tasmania. Stay safe and best wishes to everyone there.

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