Friday, February 4, 2011

Harsh weather, harsh news

It was 860k between Clare Valley and our destination of Warnambool, home of Craig and Kirsty our dear friends from Victoria.  We arrived a little weary, but still ready to share a glass of wine and a lot of laughs.  Katie hit it off instantly with Niahm and Declan, and was very happy to play with TOYS.  It was nice to see her be a little girl for a while rather than needing to act the mini-teen with her siblings.  Craig and Kirsty's home is beautiful, on a hill-top with a river view, and the ocean only a 10 minute drive away - far enough to be sheltered from the winds yet perfect to spend an afternoon at the shore.

As the cyclone Yasi ripped through Northern Queensland, we were again struck by the harsh nature of this climate.  Much of the coast has been devastated, and the rain is again flooding the state.  Now as much as 3/4 of Queensland has been declared a Disaster Zone in the last month or so.  And more flooding to come, as the cyclone causes flooding downstream on all the rivers as they  flow to Victoria and South Australia.   If we do get to Queensland, what will be left to see?

Add to the disasters, we now have news of the violence in Cairo, Egypt and are concerned for the safety of our friends we have met only six weeks ago.  We hope that they and their loved ones are all safe, and we are concerned for their future.  I'm afraid there will not be many tourists to support their economy for quite some time.  Hopefully their troubles will be righted quickly.  There are many good people in Egypt who deserve a better life.

No comments:

Post a Comment