Failed Camping Trip and “ State of Emergency “.

[WelshGas]

we are in Australia visiting Nos 5 child and wife. Excellent Christmas and New Year, very different to home.
we then planned to drive to Canberra for a few days and then to a Campsite on Jarvis Bay. Had been keeping upto date with the news and traffic details. All the roads we were to be travelling were clear so off we set.
Canberra is about 200 miles. 1/3 of the way it began to get a bit hazy and this progressed until arriving at Canberra visibility was less than 100’ and all the vehicles had full headlights on. Arrived at hotel and popped out for a coffee. Then we got the email that the Campsite was closing and being evacuated. Then the news, a State of Emergency has been declared and all tourists and anyone else should leave before Friday as it was anticipated that the main roads could be closed/damaged etc: and could take some days/weeks before they reopened.
Hotel very good and gave a full refund and the Campsite, which we really want to visit, has rescheduled our booking for our next visit.
As, some have said, the fires are bad this year but the affected areas will be safer next year.
So back in the car and back to Sydney with much more traffic fleeing the area.

Champagne Breakfast Cruise on Sunday to compensate.

We saw some evidence of previous Bush Fires on our way to Canberra. With the older fires it is amazing how quickly the green returns on the blackened trunks and branches. I just hope the weekend is not as bad as forecast. Rain is due on Monday according to all the forecasts. It will be welcomed.

 

[GrannyJen]

we are in Australia visiting Nos 5 child and wife. Excellent Christmas and New Year, very different to home.
we then planned to drive to Canberra for a few days and then to a Campsite on Jarvis Bay. Had been keeping upto date with the news and traffic details. All the roads we were to be travelling were clear so off we set.
Canberra is about 200 miles. 1/3 of the way it began to get a bit hazy and this progressed until arriving at Canberra visibility was less than 100’ and all the vehicles had full headlights on. Arrived at hotel and popped out for a coffee. Then we got the email that the Campsite was closing and being evacuated. Then the news, a State of Emergency has been declared and all tourists and anyone else should leave before Friday as it was anticipated that the main roads could be closed/damaged etc: and could take some days/weeks before they reopened.
Hotel very good and gave a full refund and the Campsite, which we really want to visit, has rescheduled our booking for our next visit.
As, some have said, the fires are bad this year but the affected areas will be safer next year.
So back in the car and back to Sydney with much more traffic fleeing the area.

Champagne Breakfast Cruise on Sunday to compensate.

We saw some evidence of previous Bush Fires on our way to Canberra. With the older fires it is amazing how quickly the green returns on the blackened trunks and branches. I just hope the weekend is not as bad as forecast. Rain is due on Monday according to all the forecasts. It will be welcomed.

I hope you and your family stay safe Paul. A lot of scenes of devastation and danger to life. Take care.

 

[kave]

Stay Safe. More than 500.000 animals killed by the fire. 1/3 of the koala population gone.
An area the size of 1/5 of Sweden has burned down. From here it sounds scary.

 

[WelshGas]

We’re fine as is the majority of the population who are not affected. It’s the Firefighters who are the Heroes trying to battle nature. Some interesting articles in the papers etc: along the lines that this is nature doing it’s thing and mankind/civilisation is in the wrong place, similar to at home, “ If you build on a flood plain expect to be flooded at some point “ . These are natural occurrences and will happen eventually and as some of the aboriginal peoples have been saying they have lived with these events for thousands of years and moved around accordingly but now we don’t and try to fight them.

 

[Hotel California]

Have to agree with you there Paul , yes these nature fenomenoms are imo inevitable and due the fact mankind has "developped" the earth to theire own needs now people are affected .
Animals are a part of that cycle , that does not mean don't find it awful all those animals have died but they will recover themselves in time.
The the fact the human population number is this high does not help ....

 

[jts46]

Terrible scenes of devastation on news channels, we are visiting friends in Wellington, New Zealand soon and they sent us a photo of the orange sun caused by the smoke from Australia 1500miles away.

Enjoy your holiday @WelshGas

 

[andyinluton]

Would you categorise yourself as a climate change denier, or do you think that the 43% increase in global CO2 levels since pre-industrial times may have contributed to the frequency and intensity of these “natural” events.

Sorry to hear your holiday plans have been affected.

Its all these natural events that are increasing the CO2 levels, if someone can find a way of stopping the odd volcano errupting we will be fine.

 

[WelshGas]

Well it seems I upset someone.

 

[andyinluton]

Would you categorise yourself as a climate change denier, or do you think that the 43% increase in global CO2 levels since pre-industrial times may have contributed to the frequency and intensity of these “natural” events.

Sorry to hear your holiday plans have been affected.

Actually thinking about it, all the black fire extinguishers contain CO2 to put out fires, so more CO2=less fire.
If we can get the atmosphere to contain 100% CO2 it would solve the problem of forest fires in Australia properly, I appreciate there may be a few unwanted side effects.....

 

[AlisonF]

I also have friends visiting, and family living in Australia. Hoping the weekend is not as bad as forecast. Stay safe.

 

[sapto]

Stay save!
Latest news here: Several cities in New South Wales and Victoria are going to be evacuated.

 

[Loz]

I rated your deleted post “ha ha”.

I think the mods are right in what they say, although I wish they’d left your post there for all to see and judge the value for themselves.

Actually I think your post should have been removed as antagonistic and pointed at an individual. I wish folk on here could refrain from making topics political/personal/insulting/trolling.
Save all that cr@p for Facebook.

 

[kave]

Now, keep it friendly. To me this looks more serious than buisness as usual:

Fires are burning in forests that have been 'permanently wet for tens of millions of years'

Koalas have come to symbolise the non-human costs of the bushfires, but the blazes have also destroyed the lives and homes of creatures you may never have heard of. They include a tiny frog, the world's first songbirds, and a potoroo that eats eucalypt truffles.

www.abc.net.au

All this, and peak fire season is only just beginning.

 

[jts46]

according to this website my vehicle emits 4 tons of co 2 per annum

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Our carbon footprint calculator helps you calculate your carbon footprint and shows you how many trees you'll need to plant to offset it.

savingnature.com

 

[Hotel California]

according to this website my vehicle emits 4 tons of co 2 per annum

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Our carbon footprint calculator helps you calculate your carbon footprint and shows you how many trees you'll need to plant to offset it.

savingnature.com

That test does not counts for us , first line says ....
Average American

The more i get in to such tings the less i understand why governements are taking the actions they are taking at present time.

 

[kave]

You mean inaction? Fuel for airlines is untaxed and fuel for cars is about 90% tax?
What is the reason for that? All transport should have more or less the same taxes on its fuel. Which is coming of course.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

At least the World Wide Shipping Fleet is taking the situation seriously:

IMO 2020 – cutting sulphur oxide emissions

www.imo.org

 

[jts46]

There needs to be international agreement on the level of tax for aviation fuel, otherwise planes will fly into high tax countries laden with fuel from low tax countries increasing the severity of any crash.

Aircraft cannot land laden with fuel, undercarriages are not designed for such heavy landings