Debbie lives on

It’s over two months now since Tropical Cyclone Debbie ploughed through the Whitsundays. The reduced humidity and clear skies give the Dryander Range an outline of such clarity on these bright winter days - it’s so far removed from the oppressiveness and murkiness of the wet, cyclone season.

Dryander Range

A silver lining - spectacular sunrise

The distant forest viewed from our balcony is transforming from brown to a blanket of army green. Peering closely one can see new leaves sprouting from broken tree branches and seedlings emerging from the forest floor: the thinned out forest has begun to fatten up, covering the windborne scars.

While nature does it’s best to make a comeback the damage is still apparent in our man made world.

New beginnings

Broken but not out

I’ve exhausted myself in our garden; replanting, up righting, pruning, weeding. I am overjoyed when a plant continues to thrive; disappointed when it does not. I’m now an expert with the pickaxe, and have become well acquainted with my Thai masseuse. I’m teaching myself how to rebuild dry stone garden beds, learning the art of repairing wire fences to keep the Brush turkeys out, and reassembling the labyrinth of PVC piping to capture all rain and condensation that flows from the roof to our tanks. With a freshly mowed lawn complete with whipper snipped edges, things are starting to look good. On the outside at least. 

Balcony still needs painting and fencing fixed, but front yard looking a lot better

Tank garden

Patio garden

New look pergola

We are becoming accustomed to the industrial internal look of our modern house which was ‘stripped down’ over a month ago as part of ‘make safe’: black mould creeping through plaster board is a health hazard. Silver foiled insulation shimmers through the ceiling joists, and where plaster board has been removed from ceiling and walls, a regular light dusting drifts onto the remaining floorboards, and everywhere else. The master bedroom is completely out of action but we are fortunate to have the spare bedrooms intact. Furniture is piled up in the dining area, and the marital Persian rug covered with a foam mattress is the new TV viewing area. Both bathrooms are still usable (albeit without ceilings) and we have a fully functioning kitchen. For now.

Living area

Master bedroom

While we wait for the building quote to be approved by the insurance assessor (it’s over $100 000), I take the opportunity to declutter and organise things for when we will need to move ourselves into Delvy and all our possessions into the shed for a few months. The building company assures me the rebuild will be completed by Christmas – I forgot to ask which one.

The incessant sound of neighbouring circular saws, hammering, and now only the odd chainsaw, take the serenity away from our rural retreat. Even one of our chickens has gone out in protest of the upheaval - she hasn’t laid in over a month. One day our property will join the chorus and our driveway entrance will also adorn signage displaying the home owner’s builder of choice details and site safety information.

The flow on effect from a natural disaster is often overlooked by those on the outside. How can one know if they are not privy to the disaster? My local pool, library, doctor’s surgery and tennis club are still closed, along with numerous restaurants, tours, accommodation houses and other small businesses that communities either depend on or just simply like having around. The Queensland Transport and Main Roads customer service centre is operating out of a van in front of the Proserpine railway station, major banks have supplied pop up dongas around the district, tenants have been moved on to make way for higher paying building crews, residents move away due to lack of housing and/or work, and tourists struggle to find a bed after taking advantage of the cheap Jetstar and Tiger fares from Brisbane and Sydney.  Not to mention the effect on the natural environment, the reef in particular, and the main reason why most people have chosen to live here. The greatest living organism of World Heritage status has prevailed over nature many times, but it faces it greatest challenge yet in this current political arena.

I feel for the whole community that is still trying to pick up the pieces, deciding whether to rise like a phoenix (or whatever the cyclone equivalent is) or fold and walk away. Unfortunately, some are left with no choice.  At times it takes enormous effort to find motivation to move forward as emotions roller coaster. Yes, I know we are lucky compared to others. Yes, I know it could have been a lot worse. And I know we have each other and at the end of the day that’s all that matters and I am truly thankful for that. And I realise this is an opportunity to reflect and revise life choices and reevaluate future options. However, it would be nice if everything was back to how it was. 

Stunning  Whitsunday sunsets at this time of year