Queensland Floods 2011

Pictures not taken by me

Over the last two weeks, we have look on as the beautiful state of Queensland has been flooded. Ross and I when to visit our son Kris last year, he has live in Queensland for the last five years. To see places we had been to like, The Botanic Gardens, and manmade beach, under water was so very sad.

Some like Kris have been so lucky, Kris and his mate live in a house right on the river, there side of the road was saved, and the other side was flooded, the same thing happen to friends of ours over there, the water did cross the road and there house was left dry, but those who live across the road where not so lucky.

On T.V, we have seen so many who have lost everything, their homes and everything in them, just think what it would be like to look around your home and not see pictures of your kids or people you love any more, and to see the home that you have live in all your married life cover in mud, and think of the smell, that would be in the house from not only the mud, but from the rotting food as well.

We have also seen people step forward and put their life at risk to save others, going in to flood water to pull people out not just in boat, but with just ropes tied around them. These people put the life of others before their own.

We have heard story people who where trap in the flood waters, putting other peoples life before them self, like the one of the thirteen year old boy who told rescuers who swam out to get his Mother, brother and him, to take his younger brother first, sadly this young man and his Mother where wash off the car and lost their life.

We have also seen the rescue of many animals, cats, dogs, horse, and yes wild live too, from the very big to the very small.

And at time like this, some of the scum come out in the form of looters ; these people are some of the lowest of the low, for they prey on people when they can’t not do anything to stop them, to take from people who have already lost so much, is just unthinkable, how these people can live with themself, is beyond me.

So many have come to help with the clean up, stranger helping strangers in the time of need, some have given, food, cloths, and things that will be need for people to get back on their feet and so they can get on with life again, other like me are too far away, so we send money. Help has not only come from those who live in this country but from around the world too and that is truly a wonderful thing, that people so far away, have open there heart to us, in our time of need.

We have seen many images of what has been happening, but the one that has stay with me, was of the family of three in the little white car being wash down the river, with all the bites of tree and rubbish all round them, we first saw them in the car, then the three of them on the roof, then just two of them, the Mother and her son were rescued, but the Father was lost.

The world has seen us as a country do many things over the years, in the last two weeks; they have seen what we as Aussie call the “Aussie Spirit” at work and it has made me so very proud to be an Aussie.

S.M. Mac Arthur ©