My Island Home
When last I wrote, we had bedded Inelsamo down in Yasmine Hammamet, Tunisia, for the European winter and I had jetted back to the land of Oz to sort out my Pandora.
Well since then, I have managed to get back on the track health wise; enjoy a precious four weeks in Brisbane with my exhausted partner in crime, Craig; nudge him back onto a plane to Kazakhstan for just one more 28 day rotation; and then spend sometime with family and friends in Brisbane, Toowoomba and on the Sunshine Coast.
For a range of reasons, these last nine weeks have been somewhat of a rollercoaster. I have experienced pretty much the whole gambit of human emotions from tragedy and grief, all the way to excitement and happiness. And from that, as always, I have come away having learnt something about myself, others and the world around me.
Of particular note, and something that cannot be avoided, is the impact of Australia's drought and fires. The evidence of this devastation is almost everywhere I look and even in unexpected places. Spending most of my time these days on a 'home' surrounded by water, it's easy to forget what utter devastation looks like but this last few weeks have certainly brought it back with heartbreaking clarity. Only last week, I drove through the Hampton/Pechey area of southern Queensland and the panorama was apocalyptic. The fires were extraordinarily hot, destroying everything in their path. It would have been terrifying. What is left is just a black wasteland. And without rain soon, the black stumps won't regenerate. So now, it's just heartbreaking. I have also spent several days worrying for two of my siblings and my brother-in-law who have all been right in amongst the worst of these fires in Queensland. I don't think I have so anxiously kept vigil on the news feeds and warnings from Queensland Emergency Services. Hourly I was reading "leave now" bulletins and one even stated in clear terms "survival is not possible".
Then we have this life changing drought. I have listened to family and friends on the land who sadly tell me about reducing their live stock down to the bare minimum and hand feeding throughout the day what small numbers of cattle, horses and sheep etc they have left. No winter crops or summer crops to speak of. Many of the towns and cities I have known throughout my life are now on severe water restrictions or are having to truck water in just to survive. Some are on water restrictions so extreme that many of you reading this could not even begin to imagine. Rivers have stopped flowing. So many people who have made their livelihoods from the land in some way are just 'walking away' with no hope of selling livestock or land.
All of this and summer hadn't even started in Oz when I began writing. I think in late October we were already having temperatures in Brisbane up in the mid 30s C. The forecast this week in some places is for high 30s to 40s! Sure, we have always had high summer temperatures in various places, but in October-November??
Visitors to my Island Home can still come and enjoy our magnificent beaches and fabulous holiday spots and probably won't even notice what is going on over the mountains, in the bush or in the outback. At best you might think your evening meal is expensive or that the cost of produce is a bit high, but those costs represent so much more here. I wish there was an easy fix...well I guess there is...rain. But my rain dances haven't worked and long range forecasts don't bode well. So for now, it's about enjoying the small things and precious moments with all eyes looking up at the skies!
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