Floods and Flights

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The conception of my travel plans to conclude my Australia time was beginning. I was searching for budget flights, doing some research on possible future destinations and just trying to figure out what I actually wanted to see before the voyage home and into the real world again (budget dependant). While I was busy with this, the rain clouds were busy above Queensland. The news of floods in the north, then flood warnings for Brisbane. Within only what seemed like 24 hours the warnings gave way to a evacuated city centre in Brisbane and flooding around the Brisbane area. The water was to peak at 4 am Thursday morning at 5.75 meters.

The city streets would display sandbagged shop fronts, shopowners moving supplies and stock. The streets ghostlike, quiet and eerie. The water rose flooding some of the streets of the CBD, areas nearby of Southbank (where I work) nearby areas of Milton and Rosalie. The water did not peak at the feared 5.75 meters but peaked around 4.42 meters. Leaving parts of the city underwater, the Brisbane River a swollen muddy mess leaving people homeless and turning parts of town into a ghost town.

As this was going on, I was living inside the bubble of being a backpacker. The hostel, located on a hill, suffered no power loss and even kept the cafe and bar open. While the people of Brisbane dealt with the worst flooding the city has seen since 1974, Phil and I were scrambling to get flights adjusted so we could depart Brisbane as soon as possible. After the weeks of what seemed like endless rain, I was restless and in need of a change.

There is a moment I fondly remember of my Brisbane time. Laying in bed in the small, plain room, staring at the dirty ceiling fan spinning against the off-white ceiling, the rains falling outside. My sanity was leaving me quickly. I couldn't sit still. It made me think of one of opening scenes of Apocalypse Now with Martin Sheen in the little plain room, the ceiling fan spinning as he gets crazier. The choppers in the air, “The End” playing by The Doors in the background. In fact there were choppers in the air (maybe not at the exact moment) and I could have turned on some Doors music and broken a mirror to boot.

I received a text one morning from my friend Karis, who just returned to her hometown near Perth, that said it was 40 degrees and sunny and that maybe I should come bloody visit. It was a casual invitation but somehow it seemed like a great idea. Later that day I bounced around different websites until I had purchased a few flights. So I was now going to Perth in Western Australia, but in a few weeks time. When the Brisbane river rose so did my desire to get out of this town. On Thursday I was changing my flight to Friday evening. Phil was off on a bus to Sydney Thursday night and we had some good chats about that Brisbane just wasn't fun anymore. I found the rains had dampened my spirits in Brisbane. The days of constant rain and lack of employment ( my job was very weather dependant) left me irritable. Sometimes you just got to know when to roll the credits. My time in Brisbane was complete.

I felt guilty fleeing a city that many people lost there homes and posessions. The city was in cleanup and recovery mode and I was in the air on a flight to Perth. I still find it hard to believe that on Saturday morning I awoke to 30 degree dry heat and had my morning coffee in a beautiful garden, while back in Queensland people were cleaning up the mess or still dealing with the high waters and their losses. My heart goes out to those affected and I wish the best to everyone and the difficult road ahead of rebuilding, grieving and just getting their lives back together.

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Comments

[cabochick]

I thought this joke said it all...
During a flood in a small town, a young girl was perched on top of a house with a little boy. As they sat watching articles float by in the water, they noticed an old sweat-stained hat go past. Suddenly, the hat turned and came back, then turned around and went downstream. After it had gone some distance, again it turned and came back. They watched as it did this a number of times. "Do you see that hat?" said the girl in amazement. "First it goes downstream, then turns around and comes back, then it goes back downstream and then it comes back again." "Oh, it isn't that amazing, it's only my Dad," replied the boy. "This morning my Mum said that come hell or high water, he had to mow the lawn today."