It seems to be that those words above are said frequently here in Brisbane at the moment. It is our wettest Christmas for many years, and with a cyclone in the far north on Christmas Day the subsequent relentless rain has flooded much of the state.
Here in Brisbane city there has been some flooding - in low lying areas that generally flood when there is heavy rain and high tides. It has been a miserable Christmas for some. Not only were planned outdoor events washed out, but many folk, especially those to the north and west of the city are experiencing flooding. Homes, property, cars, crops - all ruined by the huge downpours and with more rain forecast, there is no end in sight.
For us, it has been a minor inconvenience. The house here is on the side of a hill - and the likelihood of it being washed down the hill is remote, but we have considered the possibility. It is hard to believe that there is so much constant rain.
It has dampened our spirits a little, but we've managed to work around it. We did not go to our daughter-in-laws 40th Birthday last night. Having had a terrifying car trip three nights earlier when the rain was so heavy on the motorway that visibility was low, and water across the road saw us almost airborne at times. The news reports list all the many towns around the state where homes have been flooded. How awful for them all.
So what to do? My friend visiting from Western Australia is certainly not inclined to remain indoors all the time, but it is challenging to choose a dry spot. Yesterday we went into the city - the sales are on, and both of us are disinclined to spend at the moment, though I confess I did buy a half-price pretty top, and a simple black singlet top. We wandered around the shops and then headed for the riverside area.
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| View from the Riverside Centre |
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| Story Bridge Brisbane |
We had lunch at Coffee Club, and then walked along the river to the City Cat terminal. We noticed the river was full of debris - clearly washed down the river from upstream but causing quite a lot of concern for the water traffic. City Cats are still plying the river, though last week the debris caused so much concern that they stopped especially at night.
We sat inside the City Cat right up to the Apollo Terminal. Just before arriving at that terminal we looked at the darkening sky and braced for more rain. And it came! The video above will show you how heavy it was as we approached the Story Bridge. We went on to South Bank, and though it was raining hard we alighted there and with umbrellas braced against the wind and rain, made our way via the Nepalese pagoda, to the relative safety of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
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| Pacific Dawn at Dockside, Brisbane |
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| The storm is approaching |
From there it was all undercover to the bus stop, and a short walk in the rain to the car. Home safely again.
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