Emerald

Wednesday, 11 January 2011

We left the Mackay Highlands yesterday and pulled up in Emerald in the early afternoon.

Here the weary travellers found a reasonably priced motel room for the night, recently refurbished and very clean. When we turned on the TV (what luxury!) to watch the news, it hit us why there was a fresh lick of paint on the walls, all new furniture and appliances: Emerald, like so many other towns in Queensland, had also been hit by the big floods a year ago.

Listening yet again to the memorable and very emotional speech Anna Bligh (Queensland's Premier) held a year ago to the day brought it all back...

"As we weep for what we have lost, and as we grieve for family and friends and we confront the challenge that is before us, I want us to remember who we are.
We are Queenslanders. We're the people that they breed tough, north of the border."

Today it was hot and sunny in Emerald, 41ºC in the shade, those storm clouds brewing in the distance and the few drops of rain they would bring over night a far cry from the torrential downpours that resulted in the worst flooding in Queensland's history during December 2010 and January 2011.

Boh boh!
Anja