Attached Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060320/ap_on_re_au_an/australia_cyclone

Hope all our Aussie friends are ok :(

Message edited on: 03/19/2006 23:10

That's about 2500KM or 1500 miles away. Only a slight bit of misty "rain" where I live. However up there it will be a mess. It's a bit like Florida and the wettest place in Australia. Richard (Sydney)

Attached Link: ABC Coverage of Cyclone Larry

Innisfail has been flattened, they're saying power probably won't be back for a week or so. The cyclone itself went over pretty quickly, but there is still a risk of flooding and other problems (wildlife all over the place and hungry). The link above is the ABC's coverage of the cyclone (some images available). Mahray (About 1500km south)

yeah, bad news for those in Cairn or port moresby, but I reckon our friends and relatives in the south (e.g. NSW) will be safe.

Sure hope everyone is ok looks like it was a bad one. Sandy

the cyclone was STRONGER than the one that hit New Orleans but overall less physical damage because of the laws making everyone build cyclone strengthened houses and that there is less population there anyway..

Why does everyone think that everywhere in Australia is either Sydney or Ayres Rock?

Down here in Melbourne it's lovely weather, for what it's worth (we're currently hosting the Commonwealth Games, so the news has been going between cyclone damage and athletics, kind of a strange juxaposition).

bonni

Message edited on: 03/23/2006 05:47

Why does everyone think that everywhere in Australia is either Sydney or Ayres Rock? Agreed Bonnie - had emails from the US this week asking if we were safe - Don't people ever look at a map? I have even had people show surprise that we have 3 time zones - they just don't realize the size of Australia.

*"Why does everyone think that everywhere in Australia is either Sydney or Ayres Rock?

Down here in Melbourne it's lovely weather, for what it's worth.."*

Lol, I'm guilty, Bonni I almost emailed you to ask how things were when I realized about where you were. :)

At the time of my post, the news said 'Sydney'...little did I know it was changed to CAIRNS...:| And just a fyi...I 'did' say 'all' our Aussie friends...meaning 'no matter where in Australia' it hit...I will look at a map next time....

Don't people ever look at a map?

Americans, particularly, aren't really taught much about world geography. I say that as an American (Aussie now, of course).

jumpstartme2, I was just teasing. It's a common joke in Australia that all we have here is Sydney Harbour and Ayres Rock. I should have included a smiley face because it was meant good-naturedly. :-)

I will note that the price of banans has gone SKY HIGH in the past week or so. We're enjoying the ones we've got at the house because it'll be a long time before they're affordable again. :(

bonni

Message edited on: 03/25/2006 00:27

Heya Bonnie, I knew you were...my waspish remark was aimed a bit lower ;P

Actually one could be easily mislead as I recall watching "Point Break" a few times and always get a giggle at the fact the the end scene has the bad guy searching for the "Big Wave" and he goes to Bell's Beach during a Cyclone. Now a Cyclone that far south - I'd like to see that!

as far as sydney-siders go, they reckon if it's anywhere past the blue mountains then it may as well be a foreign country! :+P Perth in Western Australia is the most isolated capital city in the world too btw. As well as holding the record for most land areaper head of popluation - we like to spread out. :+P The biggest laugh I ever had was some Danish people asked me where thye could go to see things when they visited Sydney. On their list was Monkey Mia (west coast) for the dolphins, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Great Barrier Reef - all of whivh are separated by 100's and 100's of miles. They were most disappointed when I told them it might take them 4 - 5 weeks to drive around in their rental and see all that theu wanted! Considering that you can cross the whole of Denmark in about 5 hours...!

My in-laws lived in England for a couple of years while my MIL taught school there. They were very amused that the English would look very shocked and amazed when they said they were going to drive to this place or that on the weekend. The replies were things like, "Oh, but that's an HOUR's drive, at least!" or things of that sort. :-) When told about how the family spent seven MONTHS driving around and seeing Australia (in a caravan, pulled by a Holden station wagon, no less), the English were utterly incapable of really grasping the distances involved... ;-) bonni

"My in-laws lived in England for a couple of years while my MIL taught school there. They were very amused that the English would look very shocked and amazed when they said they were going to drive to this place or that on the weekend. The replies were things like, "Oh, but that's an HOUR's drive, at least!" or things of that sort. :-)"

What is that saying? In Britain a hundred miles is a long way, in America a hundred years is a long time. Or something like that. :) It's almost an hours drive to take the kids to their Karate classes 3 or 4 evenings a week for us. And a good hour or more drive to do any real shopping is nothing.