Towoomba floods

I spent 10 days in Towoomba visiting my cousin Maureen just before Christmas. It was a shopping stop for me as well as a goodwill visit to see Maureen who was not coming home to Popondetta for Christmas. Back in Port Moresby and watching the deluge and heavy rains on TV, I struggled to get her on the phone and email as the reception kept breaking. I even tried the Helpline being advertised on Channel 9. Eventually a text came through from her saying "situation is totally scary. I'm still indoors , at least for this week." A couple of days later she and a fellow PNGn had to go out in search of food. She said later, "just came back from Coles. Shelves are empty. Have to go elsewhere to check for food."  And later with much relief: "picked up noodles, rice and tinned fish. No milk. No frozen food. One loaf of bread only."   But there are so many people who are worse off than Maureen who have lost their homes and livelihood. Their resilience, I'm sure will instinctively drive them to rebuild. 

Think Positive for the New Year

Walking through freshly cut lawn deep up to my ankle, delighting in the tingling sensation of the soft prickly grass wondering what the new year will bring, I came across this bottle tree located in the heart of Towoomba Park in Queensland. I thought, what an awesome tree - with a supple, generous waistline strong enough to withstand the forces of nature! My cousin Maureen and I had just been to see a new display at the Cobb & Co Museum where a collection of butterflies including from PNG were on show. Maureen is a PhD student at the university in Towoomba completing her studies on the 'effects of climate change on endangered species'. One such species is the  birdwing butterfly; the largest in the world is found in my province, Oro.Only a couple of days after I left Towoomba, the rains and the floods began with nearby town Chinchilla going under. What I did experience though while I was in Towoomba, was a storm with hails as big as golf balls. I hope and pray that the devastating floods in Queensland will subside soon and normalcy will return. 

ORO'S GIRUA RIVER IS PASSABLE

I went to Popondetta last weekend after an hour's delay on Airlines PNG and was relieved to find that the Girua Bridge (propped up by Containers) had been knocked sideways but otherwise could be crossed.

Just imagine for a minute that you have a stack of high standing  empty boxes on a table and then somehow you accidentally touch it with an abrupt brush of your elbow...then down they go, tumbling like dominoes. That's what happened when Girua river flooded and the torrents hit the Containers. The result was that the vulnerable bridge collapsed to the side making it impassable for vehicles.

When there is no rain and the river is normal or low, the wet crossing is quite drivable except for the rocks. There is work going on with graders attempting to smooth the path. Minister for Public Service/Government Relations, Mr Peter O'Neill flew over the province to see the damage caused by recent heavy rains & floods  and committed K2 million for relief work. Whether that has been made available for the grading work that I saw is unclear.

I was pleased that the vehicle that picked me from the airport took me over the Girua wet crossing to Popondetta. The good news also is that the big trucks transporting supplies & much-needed fuel from Oro Bay are still going through. So Popondetta shops and other outlets look set to be stocked for Christmas. The Christmas holiday travellers will certainly be moving freely - good weather permitting.

The one thing that I always find about Popondetta is the pace of the people. Come rain, floods or shine, they go about their usual business of harvesting, taking their produce to the markets and making their living from their abundant subsistence farming. It is not unusual for them to take the time to stop and catch up on gossip about the politics, economics or the lack thereof. For me, this is a nice escapade from Port Moresby's CBD where I work, to the reality of the world my family lives in. It is definitely a home, a solace where love and warmth reigns despite all odds.

MAN-MADE DISASTERS ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE

The force of Mother Nature cannot be controlled, and in a lot of cases, nor can it be predicted. Often, the devastation and the misery it causes cannot be fathomed. But as strong-willed as we are, and for the sake of preservation, we pick up the pieces, rebuild and move on with our lives. We find strength from the help that is rallied around us. Most importantly, somewhere inside us all, comes a strength that is beyond our comprehension yet, is so powerful. This is the resilient force that takes us out of degradation, humiliation and wretchedness into sustenance, longevity and hope. During good times, we are so busy with living that we do not acknowledge  this strength.

MOTHER NATURE BEARS DOWN ON ORO AGAIN

I'm going home to Popondetta this weekend but the news this morning is not good at all. The Girua bridge between the airport and Popondetta town has been damaged by floods from continuous rains. Girua bridge, or at least a temporary bridge, was the first to be reconstructed after the Cyclone Guba devastation in 2007. And there it goes down again...!