The birds are shellshocked but we are fine.

Well it’s been a hairy night, but we have not sustained any damage. The wind is still howling through the tree tops and we are still getting a few heavy showers passing across. We have been outside tidying up, well Peter mostly.

Clean up Pete with is big muscles and fancy see through poncho.

 The radio this morning said that 203,000 homes in Queensland are without power and some of them will have to wait for some time to be reconnected. Telstra also has had major problems up north and the 000 numbers are not working, there are no phones, no internet connections etc in much of the northern areas of the state. So quite a few people are without outside communications.

 

  

Debri on the driveway. It doesn't look too bad in this picture.

 

Parts of Bundaberg, Brisbane, Maryborough and Gympie are underwater or going under. In fact all the towns from Cairns down have been affected in some way. Here on the Gold Coast, the rivers are up and areas of the hinterland have had up to 400 mls of rain in the last 24 to 36 hours. That is around 12 to 16 inches of rain. That’s a lot of water and it all has to go somewhere.

  

Debri under the trees by the carport.

 As for us we have got off surprisingly lightly. A large amount of small twigs and bark has been peeled off the gum trees and is now adorning the lawns and driveway. A few smaller branches have come off and one is reclining at the bottom of the pool. The pool is surprisingly clean, often the wind will deposit all sorts of leaves and stuff there.

The poor birds are sitting the trees looking very sad for themselves, very bedraggled and the tamer ones we feed daily are sitting there demanding some breakfast.

The television has just said that some windows have been broken by waves in a restaurant in Burleigh. It must be pretty wild down by the beach.