| Archive for THE KOMBI KONNECTION The forum for owners and those who would like to be owners of the worlds most popular camper, bus and van. |
| Brookie |
Heatwave and firesThe loss of property and lives in ES fires is dreadful-make sure you have a fire plan if you live in areas that this could happen.Understand Pirate Kombi's mother has lost family holiday home in almost total devastation of Maryville in Victoria. -------------------------------------- |
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| Piratekombi |
The residents of Marysville spent the night sheltering in a reserve as they watched their entire town burn. It appears everything (bar one building) has been destroyed.
As the town was: 
As a former logging town reliant on casual tourism, this is a devastating blow - it is unlikely that the town could fully rebuild. The family holiday house was lost.... it was uninsured, so my mother is quite upset at its loss. She was hoping to retire there one day... It also appears that Bruno's Art & Sculpture garden has also been lost - over 25 years worth of amazing art lost.... 
http://www.brunosart.com/tour.htm 
But it appears, at least, that no-one was hurt in Marysville.... We could see the Humevale/Kinglake/St Andrews fires from our house on Heidelberg hill.... there was a particularly intense red glow over Kinglake, horrible to watch... There are 20 confirmed deaths from this fire alone - police fear a final death toll of 40 statewide. --- |
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| Piratekombi |
Marysville now:
from the ABC: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/08/2485378.htm ---- |
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| kimba |
My sister just told me about the VIC fires today (we don't have tv), it's insane!
I'm sorry your family lost property PK, your Mum is so lucky she hadn't already retired to the family holiday home. It's tragic that so many people have been killed and injured in these fires, I hope it all ends soon. |
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| Piratekombi |
There are now 36 confirmed dead. 640 homes have been destroyed. The Kinglake fire alone has burned 210,000 hectares. Fire crews continue to battle the blazes.
My mother had intended to visit Marysville yesterday - she is now glad that she didn't. Property losses don't matter, but lives do... |
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| Keith D |
Woz,
Everybody over here is horrified by the disaster in Victoria. We all know and fear bushfires. We have had our share over here, but never as bad as the ones currently raging in Victoria and New South Wales. I have relatives and very good friends in Victoria who are fortunately all OK. Our thoughts and prayers for rain are with you all. Keith |
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| Brookie |
65 now confirmed dead and at least 640 homes destroyed, plus business's, one caravan park at least cattle and sheep and many native animals.
It is a sad day for Victoria and the whole of Australia 
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| Piratekombi |
Every summer, we talk about the devastation of Ash Wednesday 1983.... more people have died this time, so I guess we now have another to remember - the 2009 fires....
It seems arson was largely to blame, and many of the deaths were people fleeing in their cars.... half of the confirmed deaths were in the hills of Kinglake, just 65 kms north-east of the Melbourne CBD. Many more losses will be revealed, once firefighters are able to get into the areas. |
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| Brookie |
Australian Red Cross Appeal with Victorian Govt- Banks will probably also be able to take donations-online secure form here
http://www.redcross.org.au/vic/se...ctorian-bushfires-appeal-2009.htm or on 1800 811 700. ------------------------- |
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| Brookie |
Former well known Channel 9 newsreader Brian Naylor and his wife die at Kingslake where possibly 500 homes have been destroyed
http://www.abc.net.au/news/storie.../02/08/2485681.htm?section=justin ------------------------------- |
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| Brookie |
Even though 5000 homes were destroyed only 71 people were killed in the 1974 Darwin Cyclone.
650 were injured but this weekend must be getting close to being Australia's second worst civilian disaster. http://www.ema.gov.au/ema/emadisa...7fc3ca256d3300057bb5?OpenDocument ------------------ |
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| Diddlie |
It's big headlines in the Uk, our grandparents were up to date on it all when they range last night. Very sad and shocking to think it could be down to some foolish person. Stay safe everyone over there. | ||
| Piratekombi |
The fires have now been burning for two days... while they have eased off, there is still a lot of smoke.
I took these pics moments ago .... Healesville (towards the right) is hidden by smoke.... the Yarra Valley (running to across to the left) is hidden by smoke.... (looking east) ... there is a fire near Yarra Glen. To the far right is the Upper Yarra Valley, again hidden by smoke - there is a big fire burning there at the moment. 
Looking towards the Kinglake Ranges (north-east), hidden by smoke. The fire on the left is near Toolangi. 
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| Piratekombi |
I beg KK members to consider ways they can assist those that have lost their homes etc... consider making a donation, or otherwise assist people and animals affected by the fires. Many people are organising fund-raisers in their workplaces ... Alice also suggested that part of the upcoming stimulus handout could be donated to charities to assist the relief effort.
Many people are left without a home - if you have an empty house, bungalow or holiday home in Vic, please consider offering it to those that have lost everything. There are also many pets left homeless and without food - several charities are calling for donations of pet food. There are also many injured native animals - Help For Wildlife is looking for volunteers and donations. ..... |
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| kimba |
From another forum I'm on...
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| Brookie |
Quote from AussieFrog Forum- mainly for NSW/Vic members
Tynan transport fire relief we are loading up as much as we can to take down to vic on friday night we are hoping to fill our trucks this is being organised by fellow workmates and our boss so if anyone in the central west has anything they want to throw on give me a yell on 0428 637 581 we can pick up anywhere from condobolin through to orange and from dubbo through to orange and possibly from bathurst through to orange as well trucks will be leaving from parkes and orange on friday night also if there is anything between here and there that can go we will see if we can organise that to be picked up as well thanks people ---------------------------------- __________________ |
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| Brookie |
It also seems that Coles Supermarkets across Australia will be donating all profits from Friday's trading to Bushfire Appeal-
http://www.coles.com.au/about/new...0bushfire%20appeal%20donation.pdf ----------------------------------- |
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| Diddlie |
I'll be adding my donation to my shopping bill when I'm at Coles this week, very easy, they did the same with the tsunami, if money is extra tight cut back on a few luxury items and donate the difference. I think some of the stimulus (even people dontating part of their package) is an excellent idea as it is still all going to be spent on the economy as KRudd wants, just moreso on people who really need it. | ||
| Piratekombi |
I am truly amazed at the outpouring of grief, and subsequent generosity, from all of Australia (and overseas). It is wonderful to see the response.
I have been trying to avoid continuing with the statistics, as they are subject to change and don't really convey the magnitude of the loss - but it appears at this stage that as many as 300 people have died, and well over 1000 homes have been lost. There are over 5000 people left homeless. There are hundreds of people that have sought medical treatment, including dozens in severe burns units. It has been estimated that a million native animals, and tens of thousands pets and livestock, also perished in the blaze. Several towns have been obliterated, with some towns losing up to one in five residents. It seems that the "Fight or Flee" message will have to be revised - many people died in their homes, and many of those that fled as the fires approached (without warning) also perished. There are also big questions about the lack of burning-off in the fire-hit areas. The govt has ordered a Royal Commission into the blaze - the 1939 fires and subsequent inquiry led to fundamental changes in fire preparation. The relief effort will continue for months or years.... long-term assistance will be required. The continuing generosity of all will be gratefully accepted. |
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| Piratekombi |
The great news is that there are no longer any communities under threat, although there are still twenty blazes... the effort is now directed towards containment lines, in preparation for the strong northerlies expected on Saturday.
Those wishing to donate to fire victims should call the Red Cross on 1800 811 700. $50 million dollars has been raised already - and that doesn't include the value of donated goods and service..... it has been a heartening response from all Australians. Here are a couple of good news photos, of animals saved. This koala has received massive international attention - her feet are badly burnt; it is expected she will take 7 months to fully recover. 
Charlie the cockatoo is a pet that survived the Flowerdale fires, suffering only from heat stress; his feather loss is due to an unrelated medical condition. 
AWARE (Australian Wildlife Assistance Rescue and Education) http://home.vicnet.net.au/~beaware/Index.html WRAP Wildlife (Wildlife Rescue and Protection) http://www.wrap.org.au/ BADGER Emergency Wildlife Rescue Gippsland & District http://www.wildlifeshelter.org.au/gippsland.htm WRIN (Wildlife Rescue and Information Network) http://www.wrin.asn.au/links.htm Help for Wildlife http://www.helpforwildlife.com/ Coles supermarkets will be donating the proceeds of Friday shopping to the bushfire relief effort. All money raised from Friday night's AFL match between Essendon and the Bulldogs will be donated to the relief effort - the staff at the Telstra Dome will be also be donating their time, along with the players and everyone else involved. Even the money raised from catering sales will be donated! Good stuff. It was also great to see the Australian cricket team visit Whittlesea - no doubt their appearance raised the spirits of everyone there. --- |
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| Brookie |
This is Sam the Koala with her new boyfriend Bob who was brought in to sanctuary before her with burns to feet et.
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| Piratekombi |
I was touched by this - "a glimmer of happiness in a town with virtually no good news."
"A wooden cot handcrafted by actor Reg Evans and loaned to generations of families in St Andrews has been discovered intact in Canberra after fears it had been destroyed in the devastating bushfires. Evans, who died in Saturday's bushfire, made the cot in 1972 for the son of well-known local potter Leon Saper. It was then passed on to other families in the area, providing a bed for about 100 babies over the years. A register of the cot was kept in the town and the name of each child who slept in it was inscribed on the side." more: http://www.theage.com.au/national...heirloom-found-20090212-85h4.html 
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| Keith D |
During this horrendous bushfire disaster in Victoria, (as well as fires in Southern NSW, and not forgetting the severe flooding in Northern Queensland) one thing stands out.
Interstate rivalry is all very well, and can be good fun, but when anything serious happens, Aussies just close ranks. Completely. Yesterday, in Western Australia, we had appeals to donate clothing, non perishable foods, kitchenware and anything that may be of use to our Victorian brothers and sisters. Sylvia and I went along to a depot in Kewdale during the mid morning, and we were in a traffic jam just to get inside the depot. It made us proud to be Australian. By late afternoon we were being told just to send money as the collectors of the donations were completely inundated with all the goods they had received. I have also been moved by the way that even both sides of our Federal Government have joined together and are putting the victims first, without any apparent political point scoring. As a dyed in the wool Liberal, I am very impressed with the way that Kevin Rudd and Ms Gillard are handling this crisis. To our forum friends and members in the danger areas to our East, we send our most sincere best wishes and admiration for the way you are all handling this disaster. Keith |
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| Diddlie |
We had a little bit of money left in our KK Kitty and at Brookies suggestion I have donated $150 to the fund today. I'm sure you will all agree to it being used for this worthwhile cause. | ||
| VLKSWGN |
My Family donated $100 yesterday, not much but I guess it all helps!
The money raised nationwide so far is fantastic, how great is the aussie spirit, im very proud to have my Citizenship. Steve |
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| Brookie |
Good on you Steve- I think anybody that donates even if it is $5 is contributing and it embodies the Aussie spirit which I think came from our forbears mainly from UK who settled the country in 1770s and a long line of hardworking Europeans.
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| Piratekombi |
In other good news, police have reportedly arrested a 39 year-old Churchill man in connection with the Churchill fire in Gippsland. He is expected to face charges of murder by arson, and 25 years in prison. Police had previously said they were looking for a serial arsonist, responsible for several fires over recent years.
With strong northerly winds forecast for this weekend, it is definitely a relief to hear the suspect is behind bars. In less pleasant news, two fires were apparently deliberately lit yesterday - one in grasslands in Ivanhoe East (just 10 kms from Melbourne's CBD), and another in Baxter during the bushfire telethon. Such actions, especially after the events of the past 6 days, are beyond comprehension. Police also believe the Marysville fire, in which up to 100 people may have perished, was deliberately lit. It is pleasing though that, despite the horrors, the residents of the town have vowed to rebuild. -- |
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| kimba |
Why are some people so sick and twisted?! | ||
| Piratekombi |
Dogs' miraculous survival lifts spirits in AlexandraThis story brought tears to my eyes...."When Peter Dowling saw his wife patting a pillow and calling it Coco, he knew the deadly Taggerty bushfire had broken her mind. Nina Mortimer's two dogs were her babies, and on Sunday morning she was told by her neighbours they had not managed to rescue the dogs. By the end of the day she was in Alexandra Hospital, and Mr Dowling thought his wife was in the midst of a mental breakdown. He and his wife were away from their house on Saturday, and when they heard about the fires they told the neighbours to take their dogs to safety. The message from their neighbours was "no worries". But it was a very different story when they drove into Alexandra on Sunday to meet their neighbours. Mr Dowling said he knew something was wrong as soon as he saw his neighbours' car. "I walked past the car and looked in and there weren't any dogs there and I felt really bad," he told the ABC. "I walked into the pub and I looked at them and their faces just fell. They said to my wife 'we're so sorry, we just didn't have the time to get the dogs out.' "Nina just broke down. She said if the house was probably gone and the babies had died in there, she wasn't ever going back again." Grief can do unusual things to people, and Nina's mind started playing cruel tricks on her. She was convinced her dogs were still alive, and when Mr Dowling walked into the relief centre later that afternoon he saw her cradling a pillow in her arms. "She was saying, 'The dogs are OK, Coco and Cody are fine, I've got them just here' and she was patting the pillow," he said. "I knew she was having a breakdown so I took her to the hospital and on Monday they were booking her into the psychiatric ward." Just as Ms Mortimer was being assessed by psychiatrists however, stories began filtering in from Taggerty of a miraculous survival story. "I got a phone call and the neighbours said there was a rumour going around the CFA there was a house still standing and there were dogs going barking their heads off inside," he said. Taggerty residents rushed up to the house to get the dogs out, and what followed not only saved the dogs' lives but three houses. "When everyone went up there they found a shed next door that was on fire," he said. "And if people hadn't gone up there and put that out the whole row of houses would have gone up." The dogs had been trapped inside the house for over 48 hours as flames engulfed the area, filling the rooms with toxic black smoke and ash. But as Mr Mortimer said: "you wouldn't have known it." "They were fine and they were jumping all over us. We were so relieved and they were so relieved," Mr Mortimer said. If the news of her dogs' deaths pushed Ms Mortimer over the edge, the news of their rescue was the lifeline that brought her back from the brink. "She's become a new person, a renewed person," he said. "She's made a lot of new friends, we all have." Coco and Cody's escape has become somewhat of a local legend around the Alexandra and Taggerty region. "Yesterday a friend from Narbathong came up to me and asked if I'd heard the doghouse story," Mr Mortimer said. "Everyone's calling it the story of the doghouse. I might put a sign up outside saying this is the scene of the famous doghouse." " from the ABC: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/13/2490988.htm ---- |
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| Gabbo's Run |
There are indeed some lovely stories coming out of this horrible thing that has happened. All we can do is give and keep thinking of these famlies and their friends. | ||
| Piratekombi |
"The firefighter who gave an injured koala a drink of water during a tender moment in a burnt-out forest will be recognised by an animal rights group.
"Sam" the koala was spotted by Victorian volunteer firefighter David Tree moving around on scorched paws. Mr Tree crouched down and offered the furry marsupial a gulp from his water bottle, which she accepted. An image was taken of the moment and broadcast on the internet and in newspapers, capturing hearts the world over. Now Mr Tree's efforts have earned him recognition from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia-Pacific. The organisation announced on Saturday Mr Tree would receive the Hero to Animals Award for the rescue, which occurred on February 1 as part of backburning operations near Mirboo North, about 150km east of Melbourne. Those fires destroyed 30 houses, cars and other property before being contained, but extinguished, on February 7." ...continues... from The Age: http://news.theage.com.au/breakin...r-aiding-koala-20090214-87gh.html |
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| Piratekombi |
This tribute to the bushfires, including those in Vic recently, was written and created by Barry Moores, a fellow kombi driver from NSW.
"My song about the horror of bushfires faced by so many Australians each summer. The enormous tragedy of the recent bushfires in Victoria has shocked me greatly. The courage of the survivors, the efforts of the volunteers and the thoughts, wishes and donations of so many Australians is amazing. I recorded this song in 1994 after seeing the bushfires around Sydney that summer and have now added some photos. My heart goes out to all impacted by the horrific fires in Victoria." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGPDtnTxMSw .... |
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| Gabbo's Run |
Good post woz, i played this song twice and it was quite good. well done to baz. 
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| Piratekombi |
Sound Relief benefit concerst - Melb/Syd March 14 2009"Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett will reform with his band Midnight Oil for a huge benefit concert for victims of the Victorian bushfires.The Sound Relief concerts will be staged simultaneously at the MCG and the SCG on Saturday March 14, as the music industry rallies behind the survivors of the deadly bushfires. In Melbourne, artists to perform alongside Midnight Oil include Augie March, Hunters and Collectors, Split Enz, Kings of Leon, Jack Johnson, Kasey Chambers and Paul Kelly. In Sydney, artists include Coldplay, Eskimo Joe, Hoodoo Gurus, Icehouse, Jet, Little Birdy, Josh Pyke, The Presets and Wolfmother. The artists will be performing for free. Tickets cost $75 and organisers hope to raise at least $4 million, with most proceeds going to the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal. Half the proceeds from the Sydney concert will go to Queensland flood victims. " ...continues... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/24/2499757.htm It's a worthy cause, and a great line-up....!
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| Diddlie |
Powderfinger and some others are doing a Fire and Flood Benefit in Brisbane also. | ||
| Roadcow |
Very impressed to see how well all Austrailians have come together to help each other in this tragedy. | ||