Floods

 I disappeared from blogdom for a short while this week, I had put my hand up to assist with flood relief in the Northern Rivers region of Northern NSW.

I left home in rain that caused flooding in Sydney and was to meet some other volunteers at the airport but they inexplicably didn't arrive. I wondered if they would appear at the other end but on landing received a text to say they missed the flight. I eventually found out that their train to the airport was delayed by flooding on the tracks.

I arrived in Ballina to blue skies and tropical humidity. First stop was the recovery hub in Lismore. Recovery hubs are quickly set up in disaster regions attempt to be a one stop shop of government agencies, insurance companies, legal aid, charities, and sometimes mental health services.

Lismore hub is up the hill from an evacuation centre, in the art building of Southern Cross University. It was a bit grim: hot, humid, concrete floors and of course, devastated people.

I wasn't able to help much on that first day as I was waiting on access to a range of secure sites but a local volunteer introduced me to the basics of the work. Renai was a salt of the earth type woman with a huge heart for her community.

Volunteers from a range of places were accommodated at a caravan park in Byron Bay, which allowed us to access hubs in Lismore, Mullumbimby, Casino and Kyogle.

The days were rewarding but long so I didn't want to impose on my car pooling colleagues while I took photos. I might have ten photos all up. This cabin was home for the week.