Artists Blog

15 inches of rain.

King tide at 10am.

98% humidity

Anyone for a holiday in Cairns????

This was at the bottom of my driveway at 6.15 this morning:

Make a mental note of the silver blue car across the street for later…

My submerged front lawn looking up the street. Spy a white car in the distance on the left?

Damp Volvo. Those people are standing on the bridge, our only access in and out of our street. We were cut off. How exciting.

Up my end of the street. That’s our submerged footbridge over the “wee creek” of Dead Man’s Gully.

Rapids even. This was making a fair bit of noise, especially as logs sailed past, whacking into things. But it was Deep Creek behind the house that was really roaring.

Once the waters had subsided it was time for the Silver Blue car to go off and dry out……..

Thanks everyone for your kind thoughts and well wishes. Compared to some areas of Cairns, where actual boats were required to get through the streets, we got off lightly.

The adventures continue!

As I paid for my groceries this afternoon, I asked the checkout chick if all the newspapers had sold out.

“Yes” she said rather excitedly “because of the cyclone.”

“WHAT!?!” I squealed.

A rather nasty low in the Gulf could develop into a cyclone by Sunday, and it’s headed our way.

Calmness was replaced by quiet panic when I got home. There was some cyclone preparedness kit that we were sent when we moved into our home a year ago. Where is it?? I wondered as I search through all the filing. It mentioned batteries, radio, fill the bath with water (we don’t have a bath so that’s useless info) and put important papers in plastic. There was also something about huddling in your toilet or bathroom for safety. I’m not liking cyclones already.

Image courtesy of the Bureau of Meteorology (click to see current cyclone path)

They’ve even named this one before it’s been born - it will be “Charlotte”, if it ever eventuates.

In some weird psychic co-incidence, I received a letter from my home insurer advising me of a tsunami excess in the event of a claim. (apparently we have to head for higher ground due to our beach proximity). Just wonderful news.

On a far brighter note, I’m sharing my mango cocktail memories of a week ago. You could make this at home yourself - just muddle some mango pulp with some GOOD vodka, pour over ice in a tall glass and then fill with fresh mango juice. Umbrella optional - just devine.

If you look very closely at the bent over palm in the background, you may just see a little monkey….

Here’s a clearer shot below.

When there’s no-one looking, I’m going to attempt shimmying up that tree also!

I’m back!

After a looong down time with a fault on the telephone line AND a dodgy modem, all seems well with my internet connection again. Fingers crossed, just in case!

Christmas and welcoming in 2009 in the Tropics was lovely. And very warm. I hope all of you who celebrated in the depths of northern winter had just as gorgeous a time.

I’ve lots to catch up on, and look forward to seeing how everyone is getting on with beginnings of this fresh new year (and the maintenance-or-not, of resolutions!)

Here’s my New Year’s Day hangout, Clifton Beach.

Nice to look at, but be wary of the Irukandji stingers, who breed around Double Island (in the background). They float in to shore whenever there is a north easterly blowing. Get stung by one of these thumb nail sized jelly fish and it’s a stay in hospital with the morphine turned waaaay up.

That’s the Life Savers on their dingy doing net drags to see if the Irukandji and deadly Box Jellyfish are hanging aorund the beach. Even though they do these drags several times a day, you can never be certain of what’s in the water. Lots of sting victims already this year.

Still, it’s nice to hang out under the palms, especailly with a mango cocktail, but that’s another post…….