Thinking of our Australian members

[Anansi]

I emailed Debbie (Ellie777Australia) to see how she is doing, and she wanted me to let everyone know so I am including her emails. I'm so glad they are all safe, but am heartbroken at what they have lost.

This was the first:

"Thank you for your concerns regarding our safety. We are safe at an evacuation centre in Bega, NSW. Our home was burnt in the fire storm that hit Kiah past few days. Bertie, Ellie and all of us are safe. We even managed to rescue our 10 chooks (chickens). Currently homeless and waiting for ok to return and see what is left. Thank you for your prayers."

This was the next:

"Hi Terry,


Miss you all so very much...we were allowed to leave evacuation centre this afternoon and just arrived at a friends house to regroup and have a hot shower. Forgotten what this has been like as we have been evacuated since NYE 9am. Bertie and Ellie have been real troopers. Feathers full of fire ash but Jesus kept us safe and kept their lungs ok despite the awful air quality. Can't express how terrible the experience. Only so eternally grateful that we are alive.

Please share with our PF friends etc on our behalf. We have been more than busy than with move. Fire season came quickly as you know with our Stanthorpe fire so we have been doing bush fire prep since then. Basically why we have been so absent because we have been doing bush fire prep to save our lives as well as trying to live. Our dwelling area was a fire trap big time. Uncleared bush in forestry zone, wooden dwellings and now a dry river bed because of the drought.

I won’t have time to be back to PF but will keep you in the loop when we have communication capability and time. Hope it isn’t time spent trying to save our lives any more because I would not want anyone to have a week like this!

Love you all, happy new year, belated merry Christmas. Hope all is well with you and PF friends…miss you greatly…please understand…we will be back soon,

Hugs

Us plus Ellie, Bertie, and Bella their protector (brown lab)"

Terr, thank you so much for sharing this. Debbie had been gone a while and I know quite a few of us were getting worried. It's good to know that they are safe, at the very least.

Debbie, my heart breaks to read what you are going through. I'm so deeply sorry that you have lost your home. I thank God, however, that you and yours have escaped with your lives and your health. And I find it so amazing that you have kept your positive energy and good spirit even in the face of all that has happened. Your strength is inspirational, my friend.

Sending heartfelt hugs and prayers your way.

 

[Scott]

Hannah, I am so happy you guys are okay! Thank you for letting us know!

I emailed Debbie (Ellie777Australia) to see how she is doing, and she wanted me to let everyone know so I am including her emails. I'm so glad they are all safe, but am heartbroken at what they have lost.

This was the first:

"Thank you for your concerns regarding our safety. We are safe at an evacuation centre in Bega, NSW. Our home was burnt in the fire storm that hit Kiah past few days. Bertie, Ellie and all of us are safe. We even managed to rescue our 10 chooks (chickens). Currently homeless and waiting for ok to return and see what is left. Thank you for your prayers."

This was the next:

"Hi Terry,


Miss you all so very much...we were allowed to leave evacuation centre this afternoon and just arrived at a friends house to regroup and have a hot shower. Forgotten what this has been like as we have been evacuated since NYE 9am. Bertie and Ellie have been real troopers. Feathers full of fire ash but Jesus kept us safe and kept their lungs ok despite the awful air quality. Can't express how terrible the experience. Only so eternally grateful that we are alive.

Please share with our PF friends etc on our behalf. We have been more than busy than with move. Fire season came quickly as you know with our Stanthorpe fire so we have been doing bush fire prep since then. Basically why we have been so absent because we have been doing bush fire prep to save our lives as well as trying to live. Our dwelling area was a fire trap big time. Uncleared bush in forestry zone, wooden dwellings and now a dry river bed because of the drought.

I won’t have time to be back to PF but will keep you in the loop when we have communication capability and time. Hope it isn’t time spent trying to save our lives any more because I would not want anyone to have a week like this!

Love you all, happy new year, belated merry Christmas. Hope all is well with you and PF friends…miss you greatly…please understand…we will be back soon,

Hugs

Us plus Ellie, Bertie, and Bella their protector (brown lab)"

Thanks so much, Terry, for reaching out and acting as conduit for Debbie.

Debbie, so grateful to learn you, family, and flock are safe. You escaped with the truly irreplaceable. Looking forward to you returning to the forums, signifying a semblance of normalcy has returned.

Huge hugs coming your way!

 

[LaManuka]

This just in ... dateline Port Douglas, Far North Queensland ...

Just had to share this one! A couple of enterprising kids up north wanted to help out fundraising for bush fire relief by setting up an honest to goodness old fashioned lemonade stand. The local coppers thought it was such a great idea they wanted to help them out by moving the stand to a busier part of town, where they then (purely by happy coincidence I'm sure!) thought it would be a perfect spot to set up for random licence checks and breath testing With the added benefit of a captive audience and the obligatory hot weather in FNQ the kids sold all their lemonade and raised $380 in an afternoon.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/queensland-brothers-lemonade-stand-raises-money-for-bushfire-victims-20200107-p53pjn.html

With kids like these coming through in the next generations, the future is in good hands.

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Just wanted to add an organisation for consideration. If you can't contribute donations, you can also consider contributing your skills.

There's an Animal Rescue Craft Guild. They're working with all sorts crafting groups around the world. You can find your own local group to donate supplies (the rescues have specific material requirements), learn the craft patterns given by the rescues in Australia, craft what you can, and collaborate to get it delivered to the rescues.

For example, some people only know how to crochet, so they're making the outside of joey pouches as well as bird nests. Then some people only know how to sew, so they're making the inner linings of the joey pouches. Your local crafting group helps facilitate putting you in touch with each other, so your joey pouch's outer layer and be combined with another person's inner lining. Then they also work together to find people going between your area and Australia. In addition, some people just donate supplies for you to craft whatever you know how to craft.

There are daily updates on the latest needs of the rescue centres in Australia. (Eg, we now know they don't need anymore koala mittens or bat wraps, but that joey pouches and hanging pouches are in high demand, especially since the joeys accidentally tear them.)

Most of the crafters here in Singapore are busy with this initiative. Many people travel between Singapore and Australia, so we're getting very passionate about doing what we can.


Here's a news article about it: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/07/...rs-sew-kangaroos-koalas-fires-trnd/index.html

 

[Betrisher]

Thank you, charmedbyekkie! You're a sweetheart!

I'm making joey pouches and hanging pouches out of my lifetime's collection of quilting fabrics. At last, I can use them up and give them to a much better cause than my own! And, the joeys will have pretty little beds to sleep in.

Will you please tell your friends in Singapore that we are so grateful for their care and assistance in this crisis? It means so much that people everywhere are willing to help our animals get a fighting chance.

Love,
Trish. XX

 

[Terry57]

Just wanted to add an organisation for consideration. If you can't contribute donations, you can also consider contributing your skills.

There's an Animal Rescue Craft Guild. They're working with all sorts crafting groups around the world. You can find your own local group to donate supplies (the rescues have specific material requirements), learn the craft patterns given by the rescues in Australia, craft what you can, and collaborate to get it delivered to the rescues.

For example, some people only know how to crochet, so they're making the outside of joey pouches as well as bird nests. Then some people only know how to sew, so they're making the inner linings of the joey pouches. Your local crafting group helps facilitate putting you in touch with each other, so your joey pouch's outer layer and be combined with another person's inner lining. Then they also work together to find people going between your area and Australia. In addition, some people just donate supplies for you to craft whatever you know how to craft.

There are daily updates on the latest needs of the rescue centres in Australia. (Eg, we now know they don't need anymore koala mittens or bat wraps, but that joey pouches and hanging pouches are in high demand, especially since the joeys accidentally tear them.)

Most of the crafters here in Singapore are busy with this initiative. Many people travel between Singapore and Australia, so we're getting very passionate about doing what we can.


Here's a news article about it: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/07/...rs-sew-kangaroos-koalas-fires-trnd/index.html

Charmed, thank you for adding this! Just added it to the first post.

 

[Rozalka]

I've just read there in Australia also are fire tornados I hear about it for the first time and this sounds so terrible!!!

 

[LaManuka]

Yes Rozalka there is such a thing as fire tornadoes unfortunately! Some of these fire fronts are so large they are producing their own weather systems.

However there are some "legends" in Australia that are complete fiction, like the Scottish reporter featured in this ITV News feature whilst reporting in from fire-ravaged Kangaroo Island is about to find out (eventually!) The most believable hoaxes are usually the ones with just a grain of truth to them. Fire-fighters, community workers and wildlife rescue teams around the country have done the most incredible job since this all began back in November but, as with these wacky pranksters on KI, we have not lost our sense of humour. Sometimes that's the only thing that gets us through.

Oh and if you're planning a visit to Aussieland, remember, drop bears can smell fear!

[ame="https://youtu.be/6RzrUOCWjtw"]https://youtu.be/6RzrUOCWjtw[/ame]

 

[Betrisher]

Y'know, I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of a cranky (or hurt) koala! They're nasty little buggers when they want to be and those claws are razor sharp! Just sharp enough to shred ironbark, y'know! Or, um - well - human skin!

I tried to share a bit of film of a woman rescuing a burnt koala yesterday. The poor thing was so hurt, she was reluctant to grab him with her hands, so she ripped off her shirt instead and, clad only in her bra, cradled him to safety in her shirt.

I've been meaning to add as well, that while everyone knows about 'roos, wallabies, koalas and possums, people aren't often aware of our other marsupials. Greater gliders, for example, form the main diet of my favourite bird, the Powerful Owl. Both these species will have taken a massive hit from the fires. Then there are the smaller gliders, the phascogales, antechinuses, dunnarts, rakelis and so on and so forth. We have dozens and dozens of marsupial species which will all have been seriously affected.

And the birds! The poor birds! It doesn't bear thinking about!

One good thing is that there's been some significant rain in Victoria and this has enabled the fireys the chance to step back and make some serious plans for the coming months. So all your prayers have been working! Please keep 'em coming: we need more rain even that what we've had!

 

[Rozalka]

Y'know, I wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of a cranky (or hurt) koala! They're nasty little buggers when they want to be and those claws are razor sharp! Just sharp enough to shred ironbark, y'know! Or, um - well - human skin!

I tried to share a bit of film of a woman rescuing a burnt koala yesterday. The poor thing was so hurt, she was reluctant to grab him with her hands, so she ripped off her shirt instead and, clad only in her bra, cradled him to safety in her shirt.

I've been meaning to add as well, that while everyone knows about 'roos, wallabies, koalas and possums, people aren't often aware of our other marsupials. Greater gliders, for example, form the main diet of my favourite bird, the Powerful Owl. Both these species will have taken a massive hit from the fires. Then there are the smaller gliders, the phascogales, antechinuses, dunnarts, rakelis and so on and so forth. We have dozens and dozens of marsupial species which will all have been seriously affected.

And the birds! The poor birds! It doesn't bear thinking about!

One good thing is that there's been some significant rain in Victoria and this has enabled the fireys the chance to step back and make some serious plans for the coming months. So all your prayers have been working! Please keep 'em coming: we need more rain even that what we've had!

I think I know what vid you're writing about. I Heard to versons - one the koala was saved and the second not saved because it was too burnt. Do you know which is real?

Wysłane z mojego Redmi 5 przy użyciu Tapatalka

 

[Betrisher]

No, I don't, sorry. An awful lot have died of burns and/or smoke inhalation.

 

[Rozalka]

I Heard that about 1/3 of all koalas died[emoji3525]

Wysłane z mojego Redmi 5 przy użyciu Tapatalka

 

[Noahs_Birds]

The Caulfield and Randwick horse races in Melbourne have been called of because of the thick smoke
Thanks
Noah Till

 

[LaManuka]

Whatever you’ve all been doing with the prayers for rain it’s starting to work so thank you and keep ‘em coming everyone! We’ve had some fairly decent rain in most of our capital cities in the last 48 hours but (naturally!) many fire and drought affected areas have missed out so more is needed. You can visit Australia's official weather forecasts & weather radar - Bureau of Meteorology (official Bureau of Meteorology website) and click on “Rain Radars” if you want to see where rain is falling.

It rained so hard in Brisbane last night it woke me up at about 2am and I didn’t mind one bit, it’s the most beautiful sound in the world to me right now

 

[Scott]

Wonderful news, hope the rain keeps steady without flooding for the next few months. Absent thunderstorms/lighting, of course!

 

[HannahandSunny]

Been very smokey in my part of Victoria the past few days, yesterday was especially bad. Could smell as soon as I woke up.

There should be a mountain (more like a big hill lol) behind here..

This is what it should look like, featuring Sunny.. (Taken a few months ago)

But despite the bad conditions, Yesterday morning the Cockatoos where having great fun in the horse arena playing with things!..
(Note the Corella that hangs around with them, I keep spotting this one Corella that is always with the cockatoos, I’ve even heard it call like a sulphur crested!.. It’s definitely not Sunny)

And on a less smokey day..

 

[Chirpy]

Been very smokey in my part of Victoria the past few days, yesterday was especially bad. Could smell as soon as I woke up.

Hi HannahandSunny
I’m also in Victoria but on the nsw/ vic border, we’ve had some Smokey days then it’s cleared up. Wasn’t too bad this week compared to new year.

 

[Scott]

Gorgeous pics regardless of smoke, Hannah. Stay safe!!

Is it common to see lone individuals hanging with other species?

 

[Betrisher]

I'm in Newcastle, NSW, miles from any of the fires, but we've been getting a lot of fallout from the Gospers Mountain blaze near Singleton. I saw the sky yesterday for the first time in weeks, thanks to a nice drop of rain. Great news was that the Wollemi National Park Fire has been quelled to the point where the secret grove of Wollemi Pines is no longer under threat!

Wollemi Pines are a living fossil and were only discovered in 1994. There are only two hundred known trees in existence in the wild, so their whereabouts have been kept strictly secret and they've been widely propagated since discovery. The thought of losing such an important botanical marvel was just chilling, but thank God, they're safe now.

PS. 'Wollemi' is pronounced 'WOLLum-eye'.

 

[HannahandSunny]

Gorgeous pics regardless of smoke, Hannah. Stay safe!!

Is it common to see lone individuals hanging with other species?

I’m unsure. It’s odd as there is huge flocks of both Sulphur crested’s and Corellas here. I wonder how this one Corella ended up thinking it was part of the Sulphurs flock? And hasn’t yet decided to join the Corellas instead. I hope he continues to do well. At least he’s not with a pack of Magpies lol!

Here they are again playing with the trot pole holders (actually potty’s..) this morning. I was watching them for a while, they were having a blast!

Sorry I guess I’ve taken the post off topic! But nice to see wildlife having fun still despite the faraway devastation.