Melbourne fires

What a great tragedy this is, and I am sure everyone reading their newspapers or listening to the news unfold on tv or radio or whatever news media, are as horrified as I am that something of this magnitude has occured, and taken so many lives. The disaster area encompasses more then 20 towns north of Melbourne, and it is really hard to imagine just what this may be like.

There are many stories already emerging about the horror, courage and luck of the many many people involved, my daughter in Perth (Chatty Girl) has been telling me that her workplace has taken up a gold coin collection, and also a practical support measure of asking all their employees to sort out clothing and bedding and similar to be transported to the area for use by those that have lost homes and posessions, as this is what their local Red Cross has asked for. Good on them I say. And we have in our local papers a website to make donations so I am off very soon to contribute to this very worthy cause.

We were away in Twizel for the weekend, so were not aware of this disaster until our return on Monday morning, apparently the glow from the fires could be seen in the Dunedin sky, and many that saw this did not immediately link it to the Melbourne fires, even if they were were aware of them. That is some distance, and indicating how huge the area of fire must be.

It is humbling to see so many rally and provide support in so many necessary ways. I cannot begin to imagine how it may be for those that have lost loved ones, family, friends, homes, pets, businesses etc, and I am sure it will be a long road to recovery and rebuilding. I am also sure that they will be touched and remember these acts of kindness from strangers who felt their pain in very differnt ways.