I’m really glad everyone I know is OK – after the scenes Nell sent me this morning of storm damage in her region…
Streets quickly turned into rivers, tossing cars all over the place.
The tanker PashaBulka, carrying some 400,000 tonnes of fuel oil, arrived on Nobby’s Head beach and was pounded by waves all weekend. There were fears she would break up, causing what would no doubt have been Australia’s worst environmental disaster. As it is, they just have to work out a way to get her back to sea – and I don’t think a tow-truck will do it!
And speaking of tow-trucks, they had to call in a mighty big crane when Cremorne Wharf in Sydney Harbour drowned itself in a moment of weakness! Apparently the high tide during the storm was a kicker and sank the wharf, which is after all only concrete really. The sad thing is that this is the wharf where you alight for Taronga Zoo – and it will be out of action for a while it seems, although they did manage to rescue it.
I don’t think I’m going to complain about soggy British long weekends for a while! Although in all honesty I would prefer a big old Aussie storm to the UK’s constant drizzle. Though I would rather spend a weekend being drizzled on than hiding under the bed with no power, phone or tea (!) and waiting for something to fall on you. But I think this was a storm that Sydneysiders and New South Welshmen won’t forget for a while…
But the absolute best bit, the bit that makes the mind just boggle, is that none of this water fell in catchment areas for the reservoirs and dams that supply NSW’s water – so there’s still a drought and hosepipe bans.
What would we do without Mr Murphy and his depressing bloody ‘laws’?
Adrift 
