Hi just thought I would like to send this as I am really hoping that all on this forum have been spared from the fires in Victoria and from the floods in Queensland. If anyone has been involved I hope all are safe. And will be thinking of everyone who has maybe got family that they are concerned about. I will be praying for all.
Sorry this is sopy but It is devastating and to think someone has lit the fires which has a lready taken so many innocent lifes is even worse. Anyways hope all are ok.

Yeah, I've been hoping you are all ok, it looks horrendous from what I've seen on the TV. Sil, TJ, are you away from it????
It's north of Mel, but I didn't recognize the town name...
Hoping it's south of you?

Spoke / e-mail contacted the Victorian country based committee this evening. All are safe and cooler. In Melbourne yesterday was 47 degrees, today 22 degrees.

I also hope everyone is safe.

Hi all,
We are OK and TJ is fine spoke to her today. The main areas are closer to Melbourne in the beautiful Mountain Ash areas of the Great Divide and the closer to us is Bendigo which suffered fires within 2km of the GPO.
It was the most horrendous day we have ever seen, the wind was horrendous all day and you just knew there was disaster to follow with it, but who could imagine the results. I think of those poor people who the night before, like us, heard reports on how bad it was going to be and the next day were dead. And the fires aren't out yet.
We were extremely lucky, we spent a lot of time the night before and in the morning checking that all animals had good water supplies and feed and by about 2pm we hibernated inside listening to the wind and waiting to hear the crash as trees around us succumbed, except for one branch all was OK. Oh so lucky, the power didn't go off until after midnight and were able to huddle under the air conditioner as the temperature under the verandah went to over 45 (last time I was game enough to look), fortunately could only smell smoke not see it.
I hope everyone is safe from the floods, if only we could share the water around life would be so much better for everyone.

My sister-in-law (who's looking after my MIL) has come very close with the fires in Churchill/Hazelwood. They were in direct line at one stage, fire changed direction fortunately but their property is covered in ash. The work car was left outside and they said it looks like its covered in volcanic ash. They were on ember alert Sat and Sat night. Evacuated my MIL to Traralgon during Sat and brought her back Sat night as the immediate threat had lifted even though they were still on alert. Hard to watch from so far away. We were very glad to hear from them Sat afternoon.

How're you coping up North Jackie???

I feel so sorry for everyone affected by the fires & floods, when the blood bank comes to the bridge I'm going to donate blood, heard on the radio it was in short supply. Does anyone know if there's some thing set up to look after peoples pet's .

poor jackie is sick of the rain but she is not flooded in she lives on top of the range i think i keep telling her to send some of the rain down this way but she is being greedy and not shareing lol, it has been nice weather here up until today, today was hot and very still and i think it is just going to heat up over the next couple of days. i am very glad that our members are all ok down in Vic i was getting very worried last night when i heard the news

Spoke today to Jeff Kelm, son of our patron Frank Kelm - who farms at Horsham. A fire started to the west of Horsham and then skirted around south of the town and along the lake that Frank & Gwen used to live near. All was looking safe for them until the change came through and the wind swung around to a southerly and sent it straight up and over the hill to them. They were able to save their house and sheds but their paddocks were burnt out. About 3 houses in the area were lost and their neighbours house had weather boards melted. All that and they were still cheerful as they knew things could be so much worse. Fortunately Frank & Gwen now live in the town so weren't at any risk.
They now have to work hard to stabilise their topsoil so it doesn't blow away with wind in the future.

Wouldn't it be nice if we could send his flood of rain down to Victoria....

Thanks for the update, Was getting really worried. I hope it doesn't get to you guys...
There is a horrible irony with awful fires at one end of the country and floods at the other end.

A land of drought and flooding plains. It is ironic, I keep listening to the news and hearing of the deaths and my heart breaks and then you hear about the lucky ones and how they escaped. One woman was rescued from her well, been in their for 4 days. I hope everyone keeps safe.

I am so glad to hear of some mirracles like the one of the women in her well and was rescued that is such an excellent story. But to all the ones who have got family lost and have lost everything I can only imagine how that would feel and hope we are never in that situation. And now to see on TV all the communities hudling together and supporting each other in this terrible time and all the money is marvelous and I think maybe the government should maybe be matching all of what is donated by the already struggling with finances. I know they say they are doing all they can but gee they can give 8 billion dollars to over seas but have only donated a small ammount of that to the victims of this disaster. I find it very interesting. Sorry this topic shouldnt be about politics but It does anger me. Anyway my heart goes out to all who are still looking for loved ones who have been trapped in different towns becuase they cant go anywhere and hope things get a lot better

Every ones gone really quiet on here , please be o'k everyone , they say feast or famine seems to be all happening at once ..thoughts are with all , just makes me feel ill and so sad as the stories are getting out , I'm not religious but my prayers are with all , it seems life will never be the same , you can rebuild towns , but the lost lives will never be replaced of both man and animal

The animals have been looked after by the animal shelter in Cold Stream and the RSPCA has stepped in. A local pet store in my area ran a drive to gather supplies and they went to the fires on Tuesday.

Now the photos are starting to be printed in the Sun it is really starting to hit home that these where real people, with real families.

A guy I was good friends with in high school lost his life along with his girlfriend and her brother. We don't live anywhere near the fires but he was up there house sitting for his dad. Sometimes when your time is up it is really up!!!



I hope your feet dry out soon Jackie, if you could just send the rain down here it would be great. I think it could rain for 40 days and 40 nights down here and the dams would only just be full!!!

The local vet clinic is collecting money & supplies for the Victorian RSPCA, went in & donated money on Tuesday, I'd put our name down for emergency shelter for dogs or horses but we're a bit far away. I'm not religious either but I'm praying for everyone & animal to be safe.

Heard the temps will be up again over the weekend. Hope the weather forecasters have got it wrong. The pictures and the stories are just overwhelming. But its wonderful how communities and people are working together. Such a hard thing to cope with for some people not only the loss of loved ones, but their house, their neighbour's house, their whole community. How do you rebuild your life from that?

Was horrified tonight to see a friend of ours on the news...once I heard his name I was in shock and didn't hear what they said about him but was pleased to see him there alive and gather they lost some sheds but the house was safe. I didn't realise they were so close to the area. He is already a very unwell man and it makes you think about the poor people who already had issues in their lives challenging them and then this comes along.