Day 308: Calming down.

 A few days after Yasi, and whilst the weather seems to be going haywire elsewhere things seem to be calming down a little here.  There are still periodically down pours, but at least there are breaks in the weather now.  The path on the Nard is still sand/tree bound but that just makes for interesting walking, or if you are into running a wee bit harder.  Good to see the important things have been propped up again, like the croc sign. Now wouldn’t that be rotten luck if you survived the storm only to become a victim of a snappy handbag.    So things are happening in the north on the way to recovery.  At least at ground zero the Army and SES are in full swing helping with the clean up.  It is also great to know the towns have been closed to non essential personal, to help keep the ‘gorkers’ away so everyone can just get on with it.  Here is too a speedy recovery.

Day 307: Long road to recovery.

 Yasi has not only bought total devastation to people by loss of homes; it has also stripped away their livelihoods’ as well.  With the roads opening a bit more we ventured down to Josephine Falls.  Not a chance of visiting there for a while it looks like an A-bomb has gone through it, and we are talking only 40 minute drive from Cairns.  The rainforest is totally stripped.  Along the way sugar cane lays on its side, and banana plantations are shattered.  It must be so heartbreaking for these farmers.  They were only getting back on their feet from Cyclone Larry.  In the background the mountains are bare of vegetation, and it really is hard to image how long it is going to take for it to start growing back.  With all this rain hopefully in a year or two it will start to regenerate as only the rainforest knows how and the animals will start coming back to their playground.  In the meantime, support the farmers and buy Aussie banana’s they are in for a rough ride; although it won’t be so rough if we give them all a helping hand, every little bit counts.  

Day 306: No Excuses.

  The roads are a bit easier to travel around today.  Some traffic lights still remain out heading into town, which makes it a little interesting at the bigger intersections, but surprisingly everybody is being very patient; go figure.  Heading into another day without power but that is the least of our worries.  I finally managed to make it to town to the Esplanade where the storm surge has extended the beach over the footpath.  Making walking there interesting or you could look at it, as really working the thigh and glut muscles.  I know one trainer is going to be relishing in the new conditions until it is cleaned up.  There are a lot of trees down, this one included over the bike/walk track, just back from the main path of the Nard.  I was thinking that maybe I could start training for staple chase racing or Crusty Demons peddle power and jump over, what do you think?  Life is getting back to some normality here with a lot of people walking down the Nard and riding their bikes.  We may have a few obstacles’ in our way at the moment but doesn’t look like anybody is making excuses not to do something.  Maybe I should take a leaf out of their books!

The winds....

Don't profess to being the movie maker but took this for you.  On the front porch of my friends home 7pm at night 5 hours before Cyclone Yasi hit the coast.  

Day 305: Aftermath.

 What happens after a big cyclone like Yasi crosses the coast at midnight?  With the help of some wonderful friends you get through the night; and bunker in bathroom.  Then in the morning you thank your lucky stars that one you are in one piece and the bonus is the house still standing around you.    Who cares about power; lucky enough my girlfriend still had power the whole way through so we kept updated via TV media.  The thing that makes your heart sink is when you see the devastation Yasi has caused just 2 hours south of here.  Yes some of us may have no power for a few days.  But people there, 1 in 3 has no home, and reality sinks in.  There are those that wonder around straight after a cyclone but it really isn’t wise.  It just makes jobs for the emergency workers that bit harder.  Got the go ahead later today to head home later this afternoon and whilst a bit of debris around, still had a roof, just no power.  So that is nothing to complain about.  My thoughts are with those people in Tully, Tully Heads, Cardwell, Mission Beach and El Arish, and hope that you use that Aussie spirit to get back up again, with the help of those around you.  It is a tad hard to get around the city at the moment and didn’t feel like tackling the roads with power lines down and debris everywhere, so took the safe option, this is our street the day after Yasi.

Day 304: D Day - Cyclone Yasi.

 Today Cyclone Yasi is due to cross the coast some time tonight.  It is forecasted to be one of the biggest Cyclone’s to hit the Queensland coast since 1918.  We woke up to the news it had changed from Cat 4 to Cat 5, the top in the range – awesome.  Oh and the bonus the eye at this stage is heading straight from Cairns.  So stomach is a wee bit knotted at the moment; although still have a sense of humour.  What can you do, we live here, we prepare for these events, but when it comes to the crunch you still get a wee bit nervous.  Although later tonight when they compared it to Cyclone Tracey that wiped Darwin out in 1974 to Yasi, being a lot bigger.  Didn’t leave us with a warm fuzzy feeling, all we can hope that people stay safe and well.  Material possessions can be replaced but family members can’t.  This picture was taken at 7pm at night and can tell you weren’t heading out anymore after that, winds howling.

Break in Transmission while Cyclone Yasi pays a visit....

Sorry haven't posted for a few days but we had Cyclone Yasi Cat 5 monster heading directly for us.  So there was just a little break in transmission but now after a couple of days thankfully we have power and still a house with a roof - Yahoo! Will post latest A Year Through the Lens. We've been very very lucky in the wake of Yasi with only loss of power . Our thoughts are with people of Tully, Tully Heads, Mission Beach, El Arish and Cardwell just two hours south of here. May life get on track sooner rather than later xoxoxo :)

Day 303: Still have sense of humour.

 Today’s picture is not going down as the one of the series.  I will be the first to admit that.  However, with a Category 4 Cyclone Yasi knocking on our back door and due to hit tomorrow, I just wanted to share that we still have a sense of humour, even if our insides are knots of stress balls.  This was taken at the local shop, windows taped and ready to go for the main event.   This is the biggest storm front the East Coast of Australia has seen, how comforting is that?  The eye of the cyclone on tonight forecast map is aimed right over the centre of Cairns.  Our local weather man’s opening statement tonight, and I kid you not was; “Say your prays because we are about to get nailed.”  In all my time living here I haven’t seen the build up anything like this one.  Let’s just hope we keep our sense of humour, my friends’ say those prays and we all stay safe.  Stay tuned…camera is charged.