I Wasn't expecting this!

I really wasn't expecting to be confronted by this sight again so soon - only 2 years since the last time the Kholo Bridge was flooded! This is the way I drive home (viewed from my 'home' side of the river!!) I went to Sydney for the weekend (will post about that later!) On Sunday I'd heard the news about ex-tropical cyclone Oswald (who chooses these names?!!) wreaking havoc down the Queensland coast. And I emailed my neighbour who confirmed that the bridge would inevitably be closed by the time I got home on Sunday night.

But I really wasn't prepared for the unbelievably scarey drive home I had. For starters - below is the Mount Crosby weir with one-lane bridge over the top. Which I for some unknown reason decided to drive over, in the pitch dark of Sunday night. (It wasn't in that state when I drove over it, obviously - must have happened later that night!)

Having successfully navigated that, I then headed up to the Lake Manchester Road - the back road to get home. And it was completely terrifying! (Before I go any further - there are no rivers crossing this road, only tiny little creeks. I knew there was virtually no chance of me getting 'swept away' or anything!) So it all started when I came round a corner and down a little slope, when all of a sudden I was in water with a whole wave of water washing up over the front windscreen - completely obscuring any vision! And all I could think to myself was - don't stop, don't take your foot off the accelerator. Don't allow any chance for the engine to stall! That was actually the worst of it - that wall of water! I still had to go through several places where big pools of water were completely covering the road, quite deeply. And there were trees down all along the way - luckily only covering half or two-thirds of the road.

And this was all at around 8pm at night - absolutely pitch dark, no traffic lights or anything out there! However, I did get home safely! And even better - this time around the electricity was still on, unlike 2 years ago when I lost power for 5 days ...

And now, 2-3 days later, those bridges are still the same, but I have managed to get in to work for the last couple of days on the back road. Most of those huge pools of water had completely disappeared the next morning. so it's not too difficult to drive ...

Another Kholo adventure!!!

Happy 2013 to everyone!

I know it's been a while since I posted (my sister in London keeps telling me this!!) For no particular reason - I just haven't felt like it for a while. But now, at the end of the Christmas holidays (back to work tomorrow, sigh!) I guess it's time to pick up the metaphoric pen and paper again ... :)

Had a lovely Christmas, despite it being the first one I haven't spent with my mother for  many many years. I didn't know how it would go, but ... spent Christmas Eve with my aunt and cousins here in Brisbane. And then on Christmas Day I drove down to Mullumbimby (northern NSW) to spend the day/night with friends who were housesitting there. And really it was the best thing I could have done! No family ties or anything - just good friends, good food and good company! I spent the night there and the next day before I drove home we all visited some other friends who live on the coast near there ... it was lovely!

Since then I've been going to the movies with friends - saw Les Miserables (not my choice, but I have to say the end was incredibly stirring!) and the Hobbit (loved it and can't wait for the next part). Went to the sales and bought some clothes. And just generally hung around, reading and relaxing ... I managed to do some yoga most days - even if only sun salutes some days! Was glad to see from their website that class starts again this Saturday.

Oh, and I spent a lovely weekend down in Ocean Shores (northern NSW again) in early December with my friend Victor. It was just great ...

And now it's 2013 ... New plans for the future are evolving. I'm going to be taking steps to enable this during the year. It feels great to have a plan and be working towards it. Hopefully it will only be a month or so before I can start working 4 days a week - I am so looking forward to that!!

And I'm also planning an overseas trip for later this year. It's all very vague at the moment but I definitely intend to go to London/Europe. Will have to start making firmer plans on that in the next month or two (which will include a yoga workshop somewhere!)

Yes, it should really be a great year ... I haven't really bothered with New Year's resolutions this time round. It feels like my whole life is a new resolution - and that's big enough for me!!