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Queensland changed forever 12 months ago

Written by
January 9, 2012
Be Smart
4 Comments

This time last year the day started much like any other day. Our holidays were over. My husband was returning to work. I resumed the school holiday/work-from-home juggle.

Situation uber-normal.

We hadn’t had a beautiful fortnight of sunny, beach-going days (like we just have had). The rain had poured down since the first of the Christmas ham had been carved.

We had quietly congratulated ourselves for not spending money on our usual annual holiday (at another Queensland or northern NSW beach). Money that would have been wasted on an “indoors” holiday.

A stupid thought really. Considering.

Considering that before the end of this day 12 months ago, Queensland would never again be the same.

When that wall of water hit Toowoomba, it set off a chain of disasters, unfolding in the ensuing days like giant water-fuelled dominos all the way around the state.

Whole communities were wiped out.

Extraordinary stories of survival surfaced. Only to be shattered by stories of tragedy.

But then came the stories of triumph.

The stories of sheer guts, of sheer Australian and Queensland spirit.

Complete strangers helped other strangers, working together to lift possessions to higher ground, returning days later to help wash away the inches of mud now covering those same houses.

For me, the days and weeks following were filled to overflowing with emotion. I hugged my family tight. Each night.

And I’ve never been more proud to call myself a Queenslander.

Where were you 12 months ago? Were you affected by the floods? Have you re-built?

Photo: The Courier Mail
  • Sarah

    Please change your image that man is still missing – please remember in the images chosen to reflect on events that they epitomize the very worst day for the loved ones left behind. Please be respectful and choose a generic image.

    • http://www.stylingyou.com.au Nikki Parkinson

      Hi Sarah, I’m SO sorry. I would never have included this image if I thought that any of those pictured had not been found. I had thought they had so it was a mistake on my part.

  • http://www.facebook.com/finch.vicky vickyfinch

    Its hard to believe that it was 12 months ago… Mr 5 says every time it pours “Mummy we are going to get flooded again”

    There are so many images I didn’t see on the news or ‘net 12 months ago. I was without power for 4 days, and phone for a week – not long, compared to a lot of others, but long enough for me to have some understanding of what people were experiencing. Thankfully, being high up on a hill, no water made it into my home. Myself, 3 kids, and my soul sister and her two kids were stuck. She had come for a weekend visit and end up staying a week!

    Someone I know drove in with their 4×4, brought eskies and ice, and took us grocery shopping. Once the water receded, he navigated my little corolla down the drive, where it was left, and for two weeks after we walked up and down the 1km driveway to go anywhere in the car. Made grocery shopping an interesting adventure.

    It certainly marked the beginning of a very interesting year.

    • http://www.stylingyou.com.au Nikki Parkinson

      Oh Vicky … wow. We take so much for granted every day don’t we? Thanks for sharing your story x