Victoria is still battling bushfires, the death toll climbs each day with fears that it may exceed 300; the homes lost over 1,830. It has become surreal - the magnitude of lives lost overwhelming. But as usual Aussie dig deep and the Red Cross alone has over $71 million in donations.
I donate some money, a quilting group I belong to is collecting fabrics etc so I donate some from my stash - but it just doesn't seem real. How can so many people have perished so needlessly? Many years ago I worked for the Bush Fire Council and each year in winter areas of bushland were systematically burnt to prevent wildfires. Over the years this has been scaled back till it is almost non existent. There were lots of factors not just the greenies (of which I am one but I knew first hand of the usefulness of prescribed burning) and so the bush grew thick and wild.
But no -one could have escaped the rage and strength of the firestorms that Victorian became. Whatever was in its path was eaten, no mercy spared, no quarter given - people, homes, our wonderful wildlife and the bush itself. All that was left was powered ash and burnt out shells of lives forcefully taken.
This time next year the trees will have regenerated and the scrub will have covered the scars on the land but what will cover the scars burnt into our hearts?
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Queensland, meanwhile, is trying to cope with floods with two major highways cut; lives have been lost there, including a small child thought to have been taken by a crocodile.
Here in New South Wales we have gone from temperatures exceeding 44 (over 111F) to 18 (64) in the space of a few days. As well we have had two shark attacks in as many days, fortunately the people have survived but one, a navy diver has already lost a hand and may lose his leg and the other may lose also his hand. One happened in Sydney Harbour and the other at Bondi Beach.
Meanwhile I sit and listen to the rain.
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