h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ivan, thank you so much for the update. That rain must have been such a welcome relief. It has rather disappeared from the news of late.

My thoughts are never far away from Melbourne, and other parts of Australia that seem to have been having a particularly tough time lately.

It must have been very difficult to look at the destruction of so much greenery, and evidence of so much human loss.



Websailor

Yes, it was quite hard to deal with, to be honest. I know that district - not very well, but well enough to remember what it was like.

As for the rain... I went for a short walk in it, without umbrella, just because I could.

Aww... A little girl stopped outside our house this afternoon. Her mum was trying to get her to move along, when the girl started crying;

'Mummy, my ubllella's getting wet!'

It's terrible when that happens. I prefer to keep mine nice and dry so it doesn't drip everywhere.

It must have been a shock. I don't think she's used one before

At last - all the fires are under control. Not extinguished, just under control. Five weeks on and they're still burning...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/14/2516265.htm?section=justin

And here's a new danger. Landslides.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/15/2516634.htm

Holy moly

Good grief - well that confirms the old saying that 'it never rains but it pours'.

Websailor

The road into Kinglake has been reopened to non-residents today. The residents aren't entirely sure that this is a good idea. I'm inclined to see their point. But never mind looters, there will also be gloaters and nosey creeps aplenty. Human nature, I suppose.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/17/2518484.htm

Oh for crying out loud, now there's an earthquake. What next??

No injuries reported, which is something, I suppose.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/18/2519904.htm

Godzilla?

You're wearing your tinfoil hat, aren't you? Must be an alien conspiracy, or something the Pope has called.

Or..?

You're right - it's probably the Pope to blame. What a nasty creature he is.

Is there anything else that Victoria can have thrown at it do you think? Thank goodness no-one was hurt. I have experienced a couple of earthquakes here, and one tipped our four seater sofa up and tipped me off - no mean feat I can assure you! It worried me for ages that there might be invisible damage to the house.

Websailor

Well, there are a few things that haven't happened yet, but I'm not going to mention them for purely superstitious reasons. I'm touching wood as I type.

Meanwhile, there's another arsonist out there. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/18/2519294.htm

I can't use the words here that come to mind so will have to do. And I don't think I want to know about the other things that could happen. Least said soonest mended

Websailor

Me, I was thinking in' - but then, I'm terribly uncouth sometimes.

Websailor

Right. The final toll is 210.

The other 37 missing must have been accounted for elsewhere, or been double-counted, or something.

Marysville has been reopened to residents now, but not to the general public.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/20/2522281.htm

Ivan, thanks for the update. That was a mammoth task, but it is good that it is over. It mut be hard for them to go back though. Asbestos is a bit of a worry though.

Websailor