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Published: January 11th 2011
We are currently at Changi airport, awaiting our onward flight to Mumbai (and hopefully our travel rep at 1.55am!!!), having just landed from Brisbane airport.
Driving on the motorway yesterday was truly scary, with many cars just stopping due to the ferocity of the downpours ... and there was something of a siege mentality about the people I met in Brisbane when I went in to drop the camper off.
As you will no doubt have seen in the news, the floods in Brisbane last night and today were far worse than those predicted with considerable loss of life, mass evacuations and much damage to infrastructure and property. Whilst we were waiting to depart it became apparent that the staff in the airport were not the usually cheerful Qantas staff but were obviously pre-occupied with thoughts of their homes and families. One of the last of the ground staff I spoke to, at immigration, told me that the motorway was now shut north and south of the airport and that he could see the airport being closed later that day. The footage on the news of people and cars being swept away in Toowomba is terrifying ...
Diana and I consider ourselves really lucky to have dodged the floods at every stage ... firstly, up at Rockhampton and Bundaberg, then on the Sunshine Coast and now at Brisbane. If our itinerary or our timing had been different by just a day or two then it would all have been very different. We have been amazed by the fortitude of the people and the real sense of community that exists in Queensland - some poor souls have had their homes flooded five times in two months! We really hope that the weather turns and soon, not so that tourists can enjoy the sun but that the people actually living there don't have to endure any more misery.
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Steve Tribe
non-member comment
Phew
Glad you are all safe, we were getting worried. Shame you haven't seen Oz at its best but at least you're safe and have the excuse to visit again. It was clearly a good move to move into the comfort and safety of Novotel. Best wishes for the Indian leg of your odyssey. We fly out to NZ on 26th Jan - I'll send a change of address to your school e-mail. Take care Steve