Australia Safety Check!
- Thread starter Batrawi
- Start date
Monkey Man
Charitable Hack
Thanks mate. ❤
Had some chilly days down here in Melbourne, so things have quietened down considerably for the time being.
Had some chilly days down here in Melbourne, so things have quietened down considerably for the time being.
markleake
Relapsed Sale Addict
Thanks Batrawi. It's very kind that you are thinking of us and wondering about our safety. 
It's not suburban areas affected, no. It's the rural and bushland areas. In Australia, a lot of people like to live and take holidays out in these areas, because it is so beautiful. This is why so many people are impacted. The fires have coverered such vast areas and burned so many towns and houses down. And this is to say nothing of the loss of irreplacable rainforest ecology, the native wildlife, and farm animals.
It's truely horrifying stuff, very scary. We are just at the start of our normal bushfire season. Thankfully they think the rest of our summer may not be so hot and dry. Fingers crosssed. It's been much cooler in Melbourne the last few days.
Edit: Removed my donation suggestion, instead see my post below. The Facebook donation option is probably easier for non-Aussies to donate to.
It's not suburban areas affected, no. It's the rural and bushland areas. In Australia, a lot of people like to live and take holidays out in these areas, because it is so beautiful. This is why so many people are impacted. The fires have coverered such vast areas and burned so many towns and houses down. And this is to say nothing of the loss of irreplacable rainforest ecology, the native wildlife, and farm animals.
It's truely horrifying stuff, very scary. We are just at the start of our normal bushfire season. Thankfully they think the rest of our summer may not be so hot and dry. Fingers crosssed. It's been much cooler in Melbourne the last few days.
Edit: Removed my donation suggestion, instead see my post below. The Facebook donation option is probably easier for non-Aussies to donate to.
Last edited:
Potentially 3 more months to go. The drought coupled with forest fuel loads coupled with erratic weather coupled with federal climate change skepticism is not painting a rosy picture. This will be the new normal. Personally I feel that mitigation is too late. We will just have to adapt i.e. Better forest management, anticipation of worsening weather events, new building codes, better policy etc.
One member of the fire brigade was killed when his 12 ton fire truck was flipped by a mini tornado created solely by the fire storm. Here’s a recent link with some good visuals:
www.bbc.com
One member of the fire brigade was killed when his 12 ton fire truck was flipped by a mini tornado created solely by the fire storm. Here’s a recent link with some good visuals:
Australia fires: A visual guide to the bushfire crisis
How Australia has been battling bushfires during a devastating fire season.
www.bbc.com
markleake
Relapsed Sale Addict
Ok, I found a good news page that lists many ways to donate, if so inclined:
www.news.com.au
The Facebook one under the National heading is the big one that all the celebs have been putting into, so that may be the best/easiest one.
Bushfire relief: How you can help those in need
Countless stories of devastation are emerging around Australia as the country burns.
www.news.com.au
The Facebook one under the National heading is the big one that all the celebs have been putting into, so that may be the best/easiest one.
OP
OP
Batrawi
Senior Member
Yea such a beautiful country with all its fascinating natural fortunes. I remember it's one of the main reason I wanted to become a zoologist back in my early ages
(and still hoped to become one.. but heh that's life and am just a banker in Egypt) So definitely has a special place in everyone's mind and heart who simply loves nature and it's heart aching to see it going through this hard time. Peace to the country, its people and its beautiful nature✌
(and still hoped to become one.. but heh that's life and am just a banker in Egypt) So definitely has a special place in everyone's mind and heart who simply loves nature and it's heart aching to see it going through this hard time. Peace to the country, its people and its beautiful nature✌
Morning Coffee
Active Member
When you first posted this thread, I could hear thunder and see lighting in the distance, coming from a westerly direction, over the blue mountains.
I am typing now because it has just started pissing down in my part of Sydney, its been a while. I hope this rain travels down to the south coast where it is needed.
I love the smell that comes with rain.
I am typing now because it has just started pissing down in my part of Sydney, its been a while. I hope this rain travels down to the south coast where it is needed.
I love the smell that comes with rain.
Alex W
Senior Member
Hi Batrawi,
Thanks very much for your kind wishes - these bushfires have been so devastating on such a massive scale. I live in the bush about 1.5hrs northwest of Sydney, and a large fire swept through the area in early December. I'd spent a lot of time preparing the property in the weeks before (the whole area was shrouded in thick smoke for a month) but because I only had tank water, and no phone or power, I left the house before the fire arrived. The flames were just over the next hill and the road was closed behind me - this was the last view I had:
Here’s a shot from out the back of my neighbour’s place later that evening (it looked the same at my place apparently):
I came back the next day to find the bush burned all around, but luckily the heroic local firefighters (all volunteers!) were able to save the house, although sadly other houses on the same road were lost. I spent the next week putting out spot fires and burning logs, which are still smouldering weeks later in the 45C temperatures. I’m so endlessly grateful for the work of the volunteers, and can only imagine how exhausted they must be after fighting hundreds of fires for months now without a break. I hope we’re able to get them all the support they need now and into the future, both logistically and emotionally, because this is far from over…
People have been asking about the progress of the woodwinds library, and I’m happy to say that I’m back to working at full speed now, and only take time off to put out food and water for any wild animals that survived - you can see a wombat and a wallaby here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mt9287yfxafn2mz/PICT1514.AVI?dl=0
Thanks again for your thoughtful post.
Best,
Alex
Thanks very much for your kind wishes - these bushfires have been so devastating on such a massive scale. I live in the bush about 1.5hrs northwest of Sydney, and a large fire swept through the area in early December. I'd spent a lot of time preparing the property in the weeks before (the whole area was shrouded in thick smoke for a month) but because I only had tank water, and no phone or power, I left the house before the fire arrived. The flames were just over the next hill and the road was closed behind me - this was the last view I had:
Here’s a shot from out the back of my neighbour’s place later that evening (it looked the same at my place apparently):
I came back the next day to find the bush burned all around, but luckily the heroic local firefighters (all volunteers!) were able to save the house, although sadly other houses on the same road were lost. I spent the next week putting out spot fires and burning logs, which are still smouldering weeks later in the 45C temperatures. I’m so endlessly grateful for the work of the volunteers, and can only imagine how exhausted they must be after fighting hundreds of fires for months now without a break. I hope we’re able to get them all the support they need now and into the future, both logistically and emotionally, because this is far from over…
People have been asking about the progress of the woodwinds library, and I’m happy to say that I’m back to working at full speed now, and only take time off to put out food and water for any wild animals that survived - you can see a wombat and a wallaby here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/mt9287yfxafn2mz/PICT1514.AVI?dl=0
Thanks again for your thoughtful post.
Best,
Alex
I am happy to wait many years to see what CSW is all about, if this is the reason for the delay.
OP
OP
Batrawi
Senior Member
Great to hear you're safe Alex, even though I'm sorry for the scary difficult moments you, your neighbours and all volunteers must have gone through.
But afterall, even better than making some of the best libraries in the industry, is to know that you're also putting great efforts volunteering with whatever it takes to save and support your surroundings, from putting out fires, to even providing food & water to wild animals.✌❤
But afterall, even better than making some of the best libraries in the industry, is to know that you're also putting great efforts volunteering with whatever it takes to save and support your surroundings, from putting out fires, to even providing food & water to wild animals.✌❤
