I awaken at 5.30am Queensland time - again. How come when I am at home I struggle to wake up at 6.45am Melbourne time, but when activated my brain kicks in at the same time every morning without an alarm? My hotel rooms smells damp. No wonder: we had over 40mm of rain locally only … Continue reading Queensand floods – day nineteen

Back from Queensland late Saturday night, I spend a lazy Sunday out for brunch, then at a family 21st birthday celebration with some good friends. It's a long relaxing day surrounded by good food and good conversation, and although everybody is interested in the Queensland situation, I feel myself physically and mentally relaxing. Monday at work … Continue reading days off

The day starts at just after 6am. Our evacuation centre manager calls to say the Federal Police are crawling all over the place as the Governor-General may pay a visit today. The public sees maybe thirty seconds of footage of a dignitary's visit on TV, and perhaps doesn't even notice it has happened, but on the ground this … Continue reading the emerald city 3

Up at 5 o'clock in the morning: I didn't mean to, but the sun shone in and woke me. An hour of work to get ahead of the posse, then showered, packed, in a cab to the airport to catch a couple of teleconferences before boarding. By half past ten I feel as if I … Continue reading the emerald city 2