THE initial horror of the havoc wreaked by the Victorian bushfires was starting to subside a little ... but not for long.
Weather forecasters warned of high winds last night and fire rescue teams were bracing themselves for a night of battle with the fires that continue to rage throughout the state.
A few days ago, temperatures in the late-20s coupled with strong winds were not something the rescue services round here really wanted to expect. New fires are still breaking out all over Victoria but fortunately, we've seen the grand total of ... none.
We've woken up this morning to not our usual view. We can't see the sea for smoke haze and the stench is choking. I dread to think how the crews were getting on with their containment lines while we all lay asleep in bed last night.
Not one to rest on my laurels, I'm keeping "bushfire alert" planted firmly in my mind. For the sake of the children, it will be kept in the darkest and deepest region but it's there all the same.
Today, temperatures are expected to hit 38 and then later tonight, we're looking at getting more high winds. The combination of the two is shocking. Any other natural disaster I've ever known are over within days, sometimes hours. The devastation caused by them is mindblowing and imcomprehendable but this disaster is going on and on an on.
In local towns and villages, we've come across wheelie bins outside shops that request donations to help bushfire victims get back on their feet. I was surprised to see these cash-filled collection points still in situ at the end of the day. Not one piece of chain or lock or security device had been put in place for its protection. Just the goodwill and kind spirits of those around is enough to deter any would-be thieves of any wrong doing.
The whole state and even country has united in this national and international ongoing trauma and it's one I, and fellow Australians, will remember for a long, long time.
Thursday, 26 February 2009
Wednesday, 18 February 2009
Learning curve
TODAY, my thongs are killing me.
No, I haven't overdone it on a hot wash and am suffering from a case of severe undie shrinkage. It's my ... as you call them back there ... flip flops.
For two weeks, I've flippety flopped my way through airports, shopping centres, chemists, used car forecourts, beaches and even places of interest. The thing that's getting to me most just now is where to get something a little more substantial for my ageing trotters.
"Back home" I knew exactly where to pick up any provisions, whether it be a loaf of bread or a new purse, a postage stamp or the latest CD.
Here, I don't know my Target from my Coles and every store is a new one.
I plucked up the courage last week to take off with the car keys and head down the road to the supermarket for some shopping. An hour later, I was back. With ice cream melted and tinnies all warm, I had to confess to the family that I'd spent just five minutes in the store. The rest of the time was spent trying to negotiate my way along highways and freeways in a vain attempt to get back to base.
My map reading skills are pretty basic and my built-in sat nav system is a non-starter so the sooner I'm left behind my own wheels to get on with it, the better.
All the roads look the same and I'm having huge problems finding my way around. I sit there like the Queen being chauffered from pillar to post and it often comes to blows when the map on my knee is looked at with blank eyes. I'm proud of the fact that I DO know my right from my left but when it comes to cartography, I aint the best.
One thing HAS been proved to me in the last week though ... that men CAN multi-task like their female counterparts. Although it's not exactly washing up while making lunch while taking a phone call and checking on the children, my husband can drive and map read simultaneously while I just look up at him from the passenger seat, all doe-eyed and helpless.
He's the best!
No, I haven't overdone it on a hot wash and am suffering from a case of severe undie shrinkage. It's my ... as you call them back there ... flip flops.
For two weeks, I've flippety flopped my way through airports, shopping centres, chemists, used car forecourts, beaches and even places of interest. The thing that's getting to me most just now is where to get something a little more substantial for my ageing trotters.
"Back home" I knew exactly where to pick up any provisions, whether it be a loaf of bread or a new purse, a postage stamp or the latest CD.
Here, I don't know my Target from my Coles and every store is a new one.
I plucked up the courage last week to take off with the car keys and head down the road to the supermarket for some shopping. An hour later, I was back. With ice cream melted and tinnies all warm, I had to confess to the family that I'd spent just five minutes in the store. The rest of the time was spent trying to negotiate my way along highways and freeways in a vain attempt to get back to base.
My map reading skills are pretty basic and my built-in sat nav system is a non-starter so the sooner I'm left behind my own wheels to get on with it, the better.
All the roads look the same and I'm having huge problems finding my way around. I sit there like the Queen being chauffered from pillar to post and it often comes to blows when the map on my knee is looked at with blank eyes. I'm proud of the fact that I DO know my right from my left but when it comes to cartography, I aint the best.
One thing HAS been proved to me in the last week though ... that men CAN multi-task like their female counterparts. Although it's not exactly washing up while making lunch while taking a phone call and checking on the children, my husband can drive and map read simultaneously while I just look up at him from the passenger seat, all doe-eyed and helpless.
He's the best!
Aussie-fied
I AM now a fully fledged Australian citizen. And for three reasons ... I've "grabbed pizza for tea" on the beach, am the daily wearer of flip flops and I've taken the plunge and had the plug changed on my hair straighteners. Now, that latter point alone shows REAL committment to my new country.
No more hunting round the suitcases for one of the travel adapters. I can now plug in and go like the rest of my Antipodean counterparts.
Although the hairstyle I'm currently sporting maybe a little shortlived. The combining results of a sea breeze and the bright sunshine are wreaking havoc on my once sleek locks. No longer does my barnet lie all tamed and straight. These days it's stuffed under a baseball cap and only gets attended to every two days.
I'm adapting well to my new surroundings. We've been in the country just two weeks and are making steady progress. It's a long process putting down roots but we're getting ours slowly.
What is unsettling still are the state's bushfires.
A smoke haze surrounds Victoria's suburbs, blown over from the countryside breakouts. I've had countless texts from the UK mocking me of my time of arrival in the country and our Aussie friends tell us we couldn't have arrived at a worse time. But I don't think we could have timed it better.
The states' coming together has opened my eyes as to how giving these people are. In the face of adversity, they extend the hand of friendship to those who need it most - those whose houses have burnt to the ground before their very eyes and only by the grace of God are alive to tell the international tale.
A whole heap of cash has been raised already to help these families get back on their feet. All the big companies are playing their part by donating a share of their profits and even community groups are pulling together with their "Sausage Sizzlers" to bring in the coinage.
It's going to be a lengthy task but these people will pull through this terrible time. That's what they do best... look after eachother with a "naaa worries" attitude and a continuous smile on their face. Love it.
No more hunting round the suitcases for one of the travel adapters. I can now plug in and go like the rest of my Antipodean counterparts.
Although the hairstyle I'm currently sporting maybe a little shortlived. The combining results of a sea breeze and the bright sunshine are wreaking havoc on my once sleek locks. No longer does my barnet lie all tamed and straight. These days it's stuffed under a baseball cap and only gets attended to every two days.
I'm adapting well to my new surroundings. We've been in the country just two weeks and are making steady progress. It's a long process putting down roots but we're getting ours slowly.
What is unsettling still are the state's bushfires.
A smoke haze surrounds Victoria's suburbs, blown over from the countryside breakouts. I've had countless texts from the UK mocking me of my time of arrival in the country and our Aussie friends tell us we couldn't have arrived at a worse time. But I don't think we could have timed it better.
The states' coming together has opened my eyes as to how giving these people are. In the face of adversity, they extend the hand of friendship to those who need it most - those whose houses have burnt to the ground before their very eyes and only by the grace of God are alive to tell the international tale.
A whole heap of cash has been raised already to help these families get back on their feet. All the big companies are playing their part by donating a share of their profits and even community groups are pulling together with their "Sausage Sizzlers" to bring in the coinage.
It's going to be a lengthy task but these people will pull through this terrible time. That's what they do best... look after eachother with a "naaa worries" attitude and a continuous smile on their face. Love it.
Thursday, 12 February 2009
A whiter shade of pale
I'M trying so hard to fit into my new surroundings. Although something is holding me back.
I'm desperate to transform my whiter than white limbs into those that resemble something a little more Aussie-like.
Although I think a decade at the gym and daily classes of Slimming World may help me achieve my goal more than a little sunshine.
That said, most of the natives are as pale skinned as I so I don't feel totally out of it but it's true that we feel better with a bit of colour. I'm waiting patiently to move out of Blotchville at Pink City and am enjoying my times sitting in the shade without any need to follow my usual British form and head straight for the rays. I have all the time in the world to colour up like the rest of them.
As with everything, my tan will progress as equally as our life re-building programme. We were invited to our first authentic Aussie barby last night and I feel as if I've been here all my life. In fact, I feel a little guilty that I'm out here rolling out the good times while my kith and kin 'back home' are in constant touch saying how much I'm missed.
We have just moved from our bush fire 'high alert' cabin site at Warrandyte and are at a beach house overlooking the sea at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula. The boys have gone out shopping for provisions and buckets and spades while I concentrate on getting some sort of routine in order ... and that starts with the laundry.
9am on a February morning and I'm hanging out the washing to dry in the shade of a lemon tree. The grass underfoot is crisp. But not with the white stuff that usually crunches under my size 7s on a February morning ... more the parched outside floor covering they call 'grass' out here.
I haven't seen a lush bit of greenery for ages, apart from the fake stuff that adorns the frontage of the showhomes we've been visiting ... and yes, it does feature on my 'Miss List.'
Never thought I'd see the day I'd be admitting to missing anything horticultural. The nearest thing I ever came to anything under this domain was when I was at my Evening Leader workstation subbing the press releases from Northop's college.
So, a week in and things are good. Still featuring prominently on my shopping list is a job, new driver's licence and stamps for postcards, not necessarily in order of importance, but it's a list all the same.
I'm still on my honeymoon period and waiting for any grief and sadness to set in. Without doubt it will, and hopefully, when it comes I'll be mentally prepared.
If my anticipated mobile phone bill is anything to go by though, it's that that will make me cry more than anything else!
I'm desperate to transform my whiter than white limbs into those that resemble something a little more Aussie-like.
Although I think a decade at the gym and daily classes of Slimming World may help me achieve my goal more than a little sunshine.
That said, most of the natives are as pale skinned as I so I don't feel totally out of it but it's true that we feel better with a bit of colour. I'm waiting patiently to move out of Blotchville at Pink City and am enjoying my times sitting in the shade without any need to follow my usual British form and head straight for the rays. I have all the time in the world to colour up like the rest of them.
As with everything, my tan will progress as equally as our life re-building programme. We were invited to our first authentic Aussie barby last night and I feel as if I've been here all my life. In fact, I feel a little guilty that I'm out here rolling out the good times while my kith and kin 'back home' are in constant touch saying how much I'm missed.
We have just moved from our bush fire 'high alert' cabin site at Warrandyte and are at a beach house overlooking the sea at Dromana on the Mornington Peninsula. The boys have gone out shopping for provisions and buckets and spades while I concentrate on getting some sort of routine in order ... and that starts with the laundry.
9am on a February morning and I'm hanging out the washing to dry in the shade of a lemon tree. The grass underfoot is crisp. But not with the white stuff that usually crunches under my size 7s on a February morning ... more the parched outside floor covering they call 'grass' out here.
I haven't seen a lush bit of greenery for ages, apart from the fake stuff that adorns the frontage of the showhomes we've been visiting ... and yes, it does feature on my 'Miss List.'
Never thought I'd see the day I'd be admitting to missing anything horticultural. The nearest thing I ever came to anything under this domain was when I was at my Evening Leader workstation subbing the press releases from Northop's college.
So, a week in and things are good. Still featuring prominently on my shopping list is a job, new driver's licence and stamps for postcards, not necessarily in order of importance, but it's a list all the same.
I'm still on my honeymoon period and waiting for any grief and sadness to set in. Without doubt it will, and hopefully, when it comes I'll be mentally prepared.
If my anticipated mobile phone bill is anything to go by though, it's that that will make me cry more than anything else!
Sunday, 8 February 2009
Getting out and about
I'VE never spent $8,000 so quick in all my life.
High on today's agenda was buying a car. Without wheels, we've been restricted on where we can go, when we can go there and even what we can go for. Now, all our transport problems have been solved after spending an afternoon in the heat that beat down on us and our pocketful of cash.
At a used car saleroom similar to that of Lou Grant's in Neighbours with it's tacky bunting and comedian salesmen, we found our motor. An impulse buy maybe but it was indeed a case of scouring the oversized yard and getting our priorities right.
Husband wanted all the boring things like low mileage and cruise control. Being the lady of the house, I was more interested in the colour and its air con capabilities.
This heat though is shortlived. Tomorrow, it's going to rocket from today's meagre 32 degrees to a whopping 46.
Victoria has been put on bushfire alert after the devastation caused by last week's Gippsland fires. Water bombing sky cranes and firefighting aircraft from New South Wales have been drafted in to assist and an evacuation standby has been issued. Fire resources will be stretched to the limit and there has even been additional recruitment from overseas.
Melbournians have been asked to consider their energy usage, looking at reducing electricity and air conditioning. As new residents to this amazing country, we will be taking on board the advice given to us by the authorities.
I'm just glad we can put on the air con in the car .... see, who needs low mileage and cruise control??
High on today's agenda was buying a car. Without wheels, we've been restricted on where we can go, when we can go there and even what we can go for. Now, all our transport problems have been solved after spending an afternoon in the heat that beat down on us and our pocketful of cash.
At a used car saleroom similar to that of Lou Grant's in Neighbours with it's tacky bunting and comedian salesmen, we found our motor. An impulse buy maybe but it was indeed a case of scouring the oversized yard and getting our priorities right.
Husband wanted all the boring things like low mileage and cruise control. Being the lady of the house, I was more interested in the colour and its air con capabilities.
This heat though is shortlived. Tomorrow, it's going to rocket from today's meagre 32 degrees to a whopping 46.
Victoria has been put on bushfire alert after the devastation caused by last week's Gippsland fires. Water bombing sky cranes and firefighting aircraft from New South Wales have been drafted in to assist and an evacuation standby has been issued. Fire resources will be stretched to the limit and there has even been additional recruitment from overseas.
Melbournians have been asked to consider their energy usage, looking at reducing electricity and air conditioning. As new residents to this amazing country, we will be taking on board the advice given to us by the authorities.
I'm just glad we can put on the air con in the car .... see, who needs low mileage and cruise control??
G'day mates!
OUR departure date came and went without incident. Apart from sub-zero temperatures and a few millimetres of snow threatening airport closure, we boarded our flight to Singapore, on time and in - surprisingly - good spirits.
The week leading upto our leaving day was ... how can I say ... interesting. It was like attending my own wake with visitors calling, all sombre and solemn-faced, hardly managing to make any eye contact or hug resistance.
They brought cards, gifts and well wishes, interspersed with choked words convincing us we WERE doing the right thing and that all would be well. The final weekend in Wales was, however, more like Chinese torture with our nearest and dearest.
My heart strings have never been pulled in so many directions and my ribs ached from sessions of sobs, tears and palpitations. Drama Queen maybe but true nonetheless.
The flight was a blaaarrrrdy long one. But in all fairness, there's plenty of entertainment. Whether it's the inflight movies, the battle with the geriatric in front who insists on reclining into your personal airspace or just the people watching that comes with air travel, there really is something for everyone long haul.
I spent most of the last five or six hours of the flight observing my fellow travellers. In the distance, I clocked a middle aged guy, all tracksuited up and ready to rock 'n' roll. He spent most of the flight in the aisle limbering up with his absurd routine of healthy air travelling. After countless squats, and thrusts, and stretches, and neck cracks, he would settle down for yet another meal and glass of Chardonnay.
After travelling for 24 hours, we touched down, all green faced and stomach churned. I suppose this had something to do with the sleep deprivation and time travel.
We left Manchester at 9.15am and after a few hours, lunch was served. After the last doll's-house-type food package had been tackled and the empties had been cleared, a gaze out the window shocked me.... Straight after lunch and it was dark.
Another dollop of flying was taken on and after a three hour stop at Singapore Airport, we got back on the winged beast for the final leg of the journey. Flying over Perth, I was jealous of those migrating to this part of Australia. For them, their feat of endurance would be over. For us heading to Melbourne, it was a further four hours in the clouds. If the ground hadn't been so hot when we landed, I would've kissed it.
After just a few days, the temperature has been fantastic - averaging daily at around 30. Tomorrow, however, offers a different story. Temperatures are forecast to soar to a whopping 43 then dropping to something like 24 the day after. Residents have been put on high alert for potential bush fires and fire rescue teams are pensive over the imminent 24-hr heatwave.
So after a few days in the land Down Under, I have had a little time to reflect on my situation. I have left behind a great many friends and a close knit family that I know were sad to see the back of me. The thought of re-building such a strong social network now fills me with dread as I enter this country as Melbourne's new girl ... craving to fit in and integrate with the locals.
Social adjustment is of paramount importance to me now and as I sit on the verandah of my Warrandyte Road holiday home with a glass of Australian white, I take stock of the things that matter.
I will contact "home" regularly and will never forget those who mean the most to me. The relationships I have forged over the years mean more to me than anything else and they are too strong to diminish.
But life IS too short for regrets and this is something we have always had to do...
The week leading upto our leaving day was ... how can I say ... interesting. It was like attending my own wake with visitors calling, all sombre and solemn-faced, hardly managing to make any eye contact or hug resistance.
They brought cards, gifts and well wishes, interspersed with choked words convincing us we WERE doing the right thing and that all would be well. The final weekend in Wales was, however, more like Chinese torture with our nearest and dearest.
My heart strings have never been pulled in so many directions and my ribs ached from sessions of sobs, tears and palpitations. Drama Queen maybe but true nonetheless.
The flight was a blaaarrrrdy long one. But in all fairness, there's plenty of entertainment. Whether it's the inflight movies, the battle with the geriatric in front who insists on reclining into your personal airspace or just the people watching that comes with air travel, there really is something for everyone long haul.
I spent most of the last five or six hours of the flight observing my fellow travellers. In the distance, I clocked a middle aged guy, all tracksuited up and ready to rock 'n' roll. He spent most of the flight in the aisle limbering up with his absurd routine of healthy air travelling. After countless squats, and thrusts, and stretches, and neck cracks, he would settle down for yet another meal and glass of Chardonnay.
After travelling for 24 hours, we touched down, all green faced and stomach churned. I suppose this had something to do with the sleep deprivation and time travel.
We left Manchester at 9.15am and after a few hours, lunch was served. After the last doll's-house-type food package had been tackled and the empties had been cleared, a gaze out the window shocked me.... Straight after lunch and it was dark.
Another dollop of flying was taken on and after a three hour stop at Singapore Airport, we got back on the winged beast for the final leg of the journey. Flying over Perth, I was jealous of those migrating to this part of Australia. For them, their feat of endurance would be over. For us heading to Melbourne, it was a further four hours in the clouds. If the ground hadn't been so hot when we landed, I would've kissed it.
After just a few days, the temperature has been fantastic - averaging daily at around 30. Tomorrow, however, offers a different story. Temperatures are forecast to soar to a whopping 43 then dropping to something like 24 the day after. Residents have been put on high alert for potential bush fires and fire rescue teams are pensive over the imminent 24-hr heatwave.
So after a few days in the land Down Under, I have had a little time to reflect on my situation. I have left behind a great many friends and a close knit family that I know were sad to see the back of me. The thought of re-building such a strong social network now fills me with dread as I enter this country as Melbourne's new girl ... craving to fit in and integrate with the locals.
Social adjustment is of paramount importance to me now and as I sit on the verandah of my Warrandyte Road holiday home with a glass of Australian white, I take stock of the things that matter.
I will contact "home" regularly and will never forget those who mean the most to me. The relationships I have forged over the years mean more to me than anything else and they are too strong to diminish.
But life IS too short for regrets and this is something we have always had to do...
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