It feels like I've spent the past few days avoiding rainy downpours.
There's nothing funny in the irony of these areas that have struggled with no water for more than five years and now there is more water than anyone would ever want.
As I went about life in the protective inland shelter of outback New South Wales this week, despite the distance, it was impossible not to get caught up in the anxiety, and then the grip of Cyclone Yasi as it developed.
In the weeks since I accidentally went off line with an unanticipated lack of internet access as I traversed Australia, my last casual post highlighting a video of a group of blokes skylarking in wet paddocks has been overtaken by much more serious events.
I spent part of my day yesterday interviewing the Broken Hill based artist, Geoff De Main ... he's an incredible talent and the type of person who has spent many years watching and assessing, before portraying the fortunes of his isolated outback home in his work.
I've watched with incredulity as Australia's TV morning presenters stand in the eye of a storm, expressing a Category 10 type empathy for the tragedies to come from a Category 5 cyclone.
I’m watching a storm come in and it feels like I’m on the edge of an ocean.
There are certain moments when even the sound of your own thoughts whinging is enough to hear another voice in your head say..."Oh, just get on it with it would you!"
There’s something about fun don’t you think?
And thus begins my three day weekly sojourn to Broken Hill…
We’ve opened up a house we bought when we were newly married, and have since had rented out.
What a strange feeling it was to walk through those doors and the flood of memories that huddled around as I walked down the hallway.
