Monday, February 9, 2009

The weekend that was,...

Well I didn't have a good weekend at all. The temperature reached 46 in Geelong, I have no idea when we reached the max. temp or if it was measured correctly, but I can tell you the soles of my feet were burning inside my runners, it was just so hot. I have been in some remote outback towns in Oz, in the middle of summer and I have never been known the heat to be so bad. The winds were amazingly strong, we thought if we had to evacuate, the little car would be blown from the road. There was a tense couple of hours waiting for the news the fires had breached the town, I live on the last street bordering the city and as far as the eye can see are sunburnt fields. The area is a new release of land so both houses bordering ours are partial new builds, just wooden frames. If the fires were near, our place was a gonner. Luckily, the fires didn't come anywhere near us. The sky was ashy, but we were safe. The last major, devistating fires were the 'ash wednesday' fires, they came much closer to us back in 1983. I can remember those fires; everyone was pale and quiet, talking in whispers. I was only a tiny kiddie then, what I remember the most was the errie feeling, and the adults looking scared. The death toll is more than double ash wednesday, 104 people and counting, they just couldn't get out fast enough. It's a sad, sad time in Victoria right now.






3 comments:

Kellee February 9, 2009 at 11:33 AM  

I had no idea the fires were so close to you. Every time I listened to the news, I was just listening out for Geelong the whole time. Fortunately the word was never mentioned.

I started crying in the car this morning. Last night when I went to bed, the death toll was 85...when I got in the car, I heard them say 180 & just sat there in tears listening to the news...then a minute later they said 108, I was so relieved, although I know 108 is nothing to be relieved about...

Sarah February 9, 2009 at 12:38 PM  

yeah. I think of the little kiddies and lose it. It's not right, they had no warning. The SES was so on to it and they just couldn't keep up. And the parents, watching their kids die.

There are no words strong enough.

katieleigh March 14, 2009 at 12:55 AM  

the fires have been devestating haven't they? but it shows as a country that even in the toughest financial climate, we still give all we can.

it will be rebuilt and life will begin again

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About This Blog

I travel. I travel a lot really. I want to see and experience it all. Everything I do and most thoughts I have is geared towards my next trip. I live in Geelong, a nice little town on the fringe of the surf coast in Victoria, Australia and I make the daily commute to Melbourne for work. All my of my bestest, most loved friends live interstate and overseas, so this blog is just another way of interacting and making this world feel smaller and ultimately closer to my mates.

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