The Native Iowan

These are well worth a look-see…

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/cyclone-yasi-pictures/

Real, real cheap?

G’day Mike – all ok here… We survived cyclone yasi, though right now we have no power and phones (landline and mobiles) are down (I’ll send this from a friend’s house when I can). We still have a water supply though so things are not too bad!

Talk to you later when circumstances are a bit better….

All the best,

This allows us to see how much influence the weather system named Yasi has…

The “eye” of the storm is at Mission Beach, Qld. The yellow colour shows the weather being sucked into the low pressure of the cyclone. This front technically covers thousands of miles.

Sore lo Aus but very impressive…

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/cairns-avoids-worst-of-winds-20110203-1ae3z.html

ABC: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has warned residents that there could be devastation and heartbreak on an unprecedented scale as Cyclone Yasi smashes into the state.

North Queensland residents are feeling the full force of one of Australia’s worst cyclones, with the category-five storm crossing the coast near Mission Beach, south of Innisfail.
Yasi, packing winds up to 290 kilometres per hour, slowed as it approached the coast and was moving west south-west at 25kph.

Hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering in evacuation centres and homes across the region as strong winds and heavy rain lash hundreds of kilometres of coastline.

In Cairns, trees are thrashing violently and some are bending over, while street signs are rattling.

Power has been cut to the main evacuation centre in Cairns at Earlville shopping centre, where about 2,000 people are taking refuge.

A total of 152,000 customers are without power across the region, including the Townsville CBD where a number of evacuation centres are located.

Townsville resident Robert White lives in a four-storey waterfront unit and says he is struggling to stop his glass doors from shattering in the raging wind.

“The waves have been unbelievable, and the wind… I can’t believe it,” he said.

“We’ve got a glass frontage on our unit and we’ve put our lounge suite and everything against the windows and the doors because they’re all glass and we’re just trying to hold them together at the moment.”

Ms Bligh says the potentially deadly system is the “most catastrophic storm ever seen” in the state, and as well as destructive wind gusts it could also cause a tidal surge as high as nine metres.

The Premier says she cannot sugar-coat the situation and that it will be a tough night and a tough few days for people in north Queensland.

“We are in completely uncharted waters,” she said.

Innisfail resident Craig says the weather is wild.

“This is the scariest thing ever. I think my roof’s about to go, but I’m not 100 per cent sure.”

Ms Bligh says a storm surge of about seven metres above the high tide mark is expected to hit some areas, including the town of Cardwell, which now resembles a ghost town.

“Cardwell’s a small town of about 3,000 people and they’ve all been evacuated today, but you can begin to think of the catastrophic damage that we might find tomorrow morning,” she said.

Ms Bligh has also warned there could be a catastrophic failure of power services in the days after Yasi, and given its size it could have a two to three-day life span.

The Premier says there is very little power generation capacity in the cyclone-affected area and that a spine of transmission towers carries electricity from central Queensland to Cairns on an inland route west of Townsville, while another spine of towers carries the electricity to south of Mackay.

She says these transmission towers are likely to be severely damaged, and if that happens the region could be without power for a long period.

“It will not only take all the strength of those people who are enduring it, [but] we as a community and Australians need to prepare for what we are likely to wake up to tomorrow,” she said.

“We will all have to brace for this. It will take all of us and all of our strength to overcome it.”

Flood threat

Wind gusts of more than 110kph are battering Townsville, but across the city it is the flood threat more than the wind that is making people anxious.

“The thing I’m most worried about is tidal movements,” one resident said.

Mr White says he saw a yacht float away and sink.

“It is absolutely blowing a gale and I mean it’s really strong – the rain is unbelievable,” he said.

“We’ve still got a long way to go I reckon, so I think we’re going to get a fair bit more, a fair bit more yet.”

Glenda from Ravenshoe, west of Innisfail, says she is on an isolated property and is worried about her horses.

“We couldn’t get any tape for our windows so we tried to use wide sticky tape but it’s peeling off … we are very scared. One side of our whole house is just glass,” she said.

“We are actually camping under a desk that is bolted to concrete walls on two sides.”

Wind speeds have also increased around the Mackay and Whitsunday region to the south.

Residents have been told to stay inside until the massive cyclone, which is five times wider than Larry, passes.

Authorities are warning that emergency services will not be able to attend calls for help during the height of the cyclone, but they are already planning the emergency response for when it is safe to leave shelter.

Yasi is expected to reach Mount Isa, around 900 kilometres from the coast, as a category-one cyclone on Friday.

North Queensland taking a hammering… this was about 6pm last eve.

Tens of thousands flee ‘perfect storm’

WEDNESDAY, 02 FEBRUARY 2011 04:06

A Google Maps image shows Cyclone Yasi bearing down on the Queensland coast. (Google Maps)

 

ABC:Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi has been upgraded to a category four system as it moves steadily towards north Queensland, where tens of thousands of people are fleeing their homes.

 
The Bureau of Meteorology says Yasi is still about 800 kilometres off the coast with wind gusts of up to 260 kilometres per hour at its centre.The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre says damaging wind gusts of up to 90 kilometres per hour are expected on coastal islands this morning.

It says there will be damaging gusts in excess of 125 kilometres per hour between Cooktown and Ingham by this afternoon.

Yasi is still on track to cross the coast somewhere between Cairns and Innisfail about 1am AEST on Thursday morning.

Its destructive winds and associated storm surges could affect an area from Cape Melville to Sarina.

The cyclone warning also extends inland to Georgetown and west of Charters Towers.

Residents in low-lying parts of Cairns and Townsville have been told to move to higher ground and patients from two Cairns hospitals are being flown to Brisbane overnight.

The Mayor of Cairns says the town is expecting damaging winds from Yasi to hit the town from midday today.

Mayor Val Schier has told Lateline that a storm surge close to three metres high is expected to arrive well before the cyclone hits.

She says far north Queensland region is facing its biggest cyclone in living memory.

“That obviously is going to inundate quite a lot of houses,” she said.

“We’ve actually asked more than 30,000 people to evacuate; that’s all those low-lying areas from Port Douglas, the northern beaches of Cairns, and right down to Bramston beach near Innisfail.”

She says people should leave for higher ground or seek shelter at evacuation centres, which open at 6am today.

People who have to leave their homes and have nowhere to go should call 1300 99 31 91 for help finding emergency accommodation.

Ms Schier says the town is still recovering from an economic slow-down in recent years.

“We were just getting back on our feet and feeling really confident in the tourism industry and in our other industries as well, so this will be a big set-back if we end up getting a lot of damage as is predicted at the moment,” she said.

Cairns resident Melissa Lovejoy is among the thousands in low-lying areas fleeing the cyclone.

“We just received a phone call and a text message that advised those in coastal low-lying areas, which is exactly where we’re living, to get out tonight,” she said.

“So we’re in the process of packing up boxes with essential and family heirloom-type things, the dogs and the pet snake and getting out of here.”

She says it has been an emotional experience packing up her house.

“I keep telling myself if we lose this house, cause we’re totally on the water, that it’s just stuff, it can all be replaced. But sometimes your heart doesn’t go that way,” she said.

“And also just not knowing how much damage it’s going to do and scared for other people, scared for the wildlife, and scared for Cairns; it’s such a beautiful region. I’d hate to see it decimated by such severe winds and rain.”

Another Cairns resident Graham Burridge says he expects his house will be destroyed by the predicted storm surge.

“We’re eight metres away from the water and if the predictions are right about the storm surge, then if we stayed here we’d be using the house as a surf board and probably end up 20 kilometres inland,” he said.

“So we’ve just decided discretion is the best part of valour and we’d rather see the house go ta ta and take our animals and valuables with us and go somewhere safe.”

Army called to help

Meanwhile, soldiers are about to start doorknocking homes in low-lying areas of Townsville and issuing mandatory evacuation notices.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh ordered the mandatory evacuations after lengthy discussions with the Townsville City Council yesterday afternoon about the threat from a cyclonic storm surge.

About 15,000 people have been ordered to leave almost 4,000 homes across the city.

Emergency evacuation centres have been activated to cater for up to 10,000 people.

Councillor Dale Last says forecasters expect winds of more than 100 kilometres per hour this morning and the evacuations have to be done beforehand.

“The level we’re talking about is 5.1 metres, the normal king tide in Townsville is 4.1 metres … so a metre above that,” he said.

“So if you live in one of those low-lying areas, such as South Townsville, Railway Estate, you need to work out just where that extra one metre of water will reach, hence the reason why we’re mandatory evacuating.

Council is hoping to have moved everyone out of the affected suburbs by the morning.

“The issue we have and the reason we’re undertaking it tonight or starting to do the doorknock tonight is that we’re expecting gale force building into destructive winds commencing from mid morning tomorrow,” Councillor Dale said.

“So we just won’t have the time tomorrow to go and doorknock the number of homes that we need to do so that’s the reason we’re starting tonight.”

South of Cairns, cyclone preparations are well underway in the town of Cardwell.

The weather bureau predicts it will be subject to winds in excess of 125 kilometres per hour from this afternoon – 12 hours before Yasi crosses the coast.

Cardwell residents spent yesterday boarding up windows and stocking up on essentials.

Patrick Quirk from Maritime Safety Queensland says commercial shipping and recreational boat users have been well warned over the past week and should know to stay away from Cyclone Yasi.

He says he hopes no-one at sea is foolish enough to get too close to the system moving rapidly across the Coral Sea.

“There were some pictures going around comparing this to Larry, but this is a system which is almost beyond belief,” he said.

“It’s almost beyond description in the extent of the system and also the power of the system. It’s almost a perfect storm.”

– ABC News

 

… by my ol friend MP if this cyclone was the one hitting Aus. I said “no”.

I was wrong…

Since yesterday we have changed speed (slowed down) and almost reversed direction.

Sure is a pretty pict of a classic tropical cyclone, eh?

way cool…

… what a tropical cyclone looks like?

the weather map shows us the barometric pressure and speed …

the sat picture shows the lovely little pin-point which is the “eye” of the storm…

Governor General receives petition signed by 25 MPs

THE Opposition group had filed their petition against Prime Minister Danny Philip to the governor general Sir Frank Kabui Tuesday this week.

Press secretary to Governor General Nigel Maezama confirmed to The Solomon Star that the petition had been received by Sir Frank on Tuesday morning.

Asked what steps, the Governor General would be taking to handle the case Mr Maezama said at this stage it was still unknown.

“We just have to wait and see but as far as I know the ball is in the Prime Minister’s court. “The Prime Minister only have two options and that is to resign (which he is unlikely to do) or call parliament,” he said.

The opposition press secretary Deli Oso confirmed that a total of 25 Member of Parliament (MP) signed the petition.

This included the five ministers who recently resigned and joined the opposition camp.

They are former forestry minister Douglas Ete, former police minister James Tora, former fisheries minister Bodo Dettke, former housing, lands and survey minister Martin Sopage and former public service minister Stanley Sofu.

The Solomon Star understands the petition was to advice the Governor General to intervene and call parliament as ministers have no confidence in the Prime Minister Danny Philip and he do not have the number to rule.

However, based on a court injunction in 2007 filed by then Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare when he was overthrown by the Sikua government, the court had ruled that only the Prime Minister has the authority to call parliament.

Prime Minister Danny Philip earlier this week said he would never step aside as the government was serious in bringing the country back on its feet.

“Only I can convene parliament. The Governor General doesn’t have the power to compel me.

“In certain circumstances where the country is at risk, they have insurrection or the government has definitely become dysfunctional because there’s absolutely no one to do the job, yes.

“But under normal circumstances I think the situation is still ok.

“I have no reason to resign because we have a program. Are you going to push another resolution to extend the resolution that we were passed last year for three months of spending?

“How many times, by electing prime minister, who will be your prime minister? You’ve got five or ten people in there wanting to be prime ministers,” Prime Minister Philip said.

PRIME Minister Danny Philip has hit back at the opposition revealing secrets of individuals within the group he described as ‘ring leaders.’

The Prime Minister identified deputy opposition leader Matthew Wale, former fisheries minister Bodo Dettke and former forestry minister Douglas Ete as the ring leaders behind  the  conspiracy to overthrow the government.

Prime Minister Danny Philip in a press conference earlier this week stated that he had files and information on the three men especially Mr Wale and Mr Dettke involving serious offences.

“I’m sorry to say that I have to do this so that the people in this country know who these people really are,” he said.

MP for Auki/Langalanga

Prime Minister Philip alleged that few years ago the MP for Auki/Langalanga Matthew Wale diverted a large sum of money paid by a shipping agent into his private bank account.

The Prime Minister said in another similar case involving Mr Wale, a certain amount of pharmaceutical products belonging to a private pharmacist ended up in the Solomon Islands government consignment.

“The products were ordered through government consignments to qualify for tax exemptions which were sold at private shops in the country.

“There is files and information on these cases and as a responsible government we will investigate it,” he said.

The prime minister added that it was a pity that the MP for East Honiara Douglas Ete knew very well about this case but yet he decided to join the opposition.

“Mr Ete is the former chief executive officer (CEO) on the National Referral Hospital and he knows about these things but yet he decides to join them.

“If he claims to be a man of principle then I challenge him to tell the truth,” the prime minister said.

He said he was aware the allegations against the MPs were serious but he reiterated that there are files to prove his arguments.

MP for North/West Guadalcanal

Regarding the MP for North West Guadalcanal Bodo Dettke, Prime Minister Danny Philip alleged that between 1996-1997, Mr Bodo was involved in a major airport project for six major airfields to be built around the country.

The Prime Minister said only two airfields were built with all the money exhausted.

The airfields were proposed for Lord Howe (Small Malaita), Ulawa (Makira/Ulawa Province), Lomolomo and Vanikoro (Temotu Province), one in Isabel Province and the other at Tangarare (Guadalcanal Province).

“This case will be pursued and investigated,” the Prime Minister said.

He said Mr Bodo had also owed the Solomon Islands government $12-$15 million outstanding tax liabilities which he never settled until today.

“The people in this country must understand that Mr Bodo’s intention to be in the government was to cease all logging licence belonging to foreigners,” the PM said.

“Mr Bodo revealed this to me that his plan was to reach a stage when all foreign loggers licence will be stripped with only certain companies remaining,” he said.

The Prime Minister said he could not allow such practice to happen because he said it would destroy the industry and government revenue for the country.

“I’m not protecting loggers but if you dig deep down you will find dead men’s bones attached to the real motive behind such decisions,” he said.

The Solomon Star called the opposition office yesterday but they said the three opposition members would respond together in a press conference today.

Mr Ete and Mr Dettke last night told the Solomon Star that more secrets would be revealed today.

“We will respond to these allegations when the time is right and the government must prepare to fasten their seat belts,” they said.

Had three generations of two wheel’n yesterday. Paul heads home today so he and I go a real nice ride up the Montville ridge. Mendozza and I got a good ride here in the neighborhood surveying the flooding. Afterward we all went and drove Big-go-carts. Looks like more rain today…

All good fun

I am sitting in the departure lounge at London Heathrow airport.

I’m digging the scenery. I have a few more hours to sit and am going to sedate myself nicely for the first leg of my trip between here and Bangkok… only 14 hours.

I have been here a week and really enjoying the hard work. I’ve been working with my lawyer and friend, NM, on a big legal case. He has had me running no less then 12 hours each day for the past 8 days. When I arrived I got off the flight here after 30 some hours of travel, was collected and drove the 2 hours to Swepstone and went straight to work for over 10 hours. That was the easy day. I did not have a chance to be jet-lagged. I was rooted by the end of the first day, had a nice dark ale, a wonderful supper and promptly passed out. Each day has been a repeat of the first. Except of course Sunday, yesterday… we went out Saturday night and were met by other old Gizo friends, RH and family, and got royally pissed at a lovely English pub. NM’s son, Seth, joined us. Seth, at age 5, went with me to stay in Susuka (Gracie’s home village on Choiseul) for a month or more. We lived there in the very early 80s and Seth has ever since been considered one of “our tribe”. Of course we wobbled home to supper after about 3 too many ales then Seth and I drank his fathers fine port to excess, well, until too late. I woke yesterday late and groggy. As punishment NM made me work until 1030 last eve. In it all we achieved amazing stuff.

So I am heading back south. Of course, as Barb states, I bring the snow, and indeed had the weather follow me here.

But I am heading for warmer climes now. Golly, do I look forward to it.

What do I see and hear…

An elderly couple next to is quietly disputing life. He is being waited on by his bossy wife and she is in a fury. We’re in the business class departure lounge and the food here is not to her liking. Now the old boy would be happy with a beer and a packet of chips. But, nooooo… She has just taken 20 minutes to scope the scene out and the old boy ain’t been fed or watered. He is getting cranky. She is a control freak… I am being immensely entertained by it all… is this what Gracie and I sound like?

I am a bit shocked by the bar… an amazing selection of fine scotch whiskey but a nothing selection of beer. God… we’re in England, and though I understand the 27 separate choices in scotch, I have a choice of “Grolsch” and “England’s Beast” beer. Crickey… this is England… the land of fine ale.

As I am not into a whiskey hangover on a plane I am having a couple of Grolschs’ as I wait to get a gate assigned for my flight.

I need to spend more time in England. It is a neat place. On my Solomons passport I qualify as a commonwealth citizen so I can come and go free of charge. This is an old land. My hosts live in what is known as the “manor house’. It has been in her family and is several hundreds (parts of it) years old. The church across the road from them is from the 1500s. I want to, need to explore this land more.

The Asian punk with the mohawk has a fake fur collar.

The aged Italian tart (has amazingly erect nipples) is with a guy who looks like a pimp. She complained about “no vegetarian” then put on her mink stole.

The control freak old lady still jabbers on and the old boy takes it all without emotion… or too much emotion.

I have not seen or read any news while here. I have been at work and sleep. Something happened in the US but I don’t know what. I watch the big TV across the room and see Obama and his babe looking sad in front of a church. Perhaps I missed something impotent?

The white boy delivering food scratches his ass.

The black girl moving wine bottles looks profoundly bored.

The heavyset Asian lady cleaning tables has a nice smile.

Silence… the lady hassling the old boy next to me has walked away. I had forgotten what silence was… golly, she jabbers on… non-stop and meaningless verbiage to fill some unknown personal inadequacy. I want to talk to the guy but am afraid I will offend so I comment via word-on-the-web rather than make personal contact.

I’m on my 3^rd beer and feel the buzz coming.

She is back; silence is golden. She sounds German. That explains it.

I see a fair number of Hasidic Jews.  I dig the hat and the curls. The long black coat.

I spoke to the old boy and had a delightful chat. Now they know me and I am going to have to move in order not to become family to them…

Life is grand.

I am going to go in search of a shower before I fly.

I recall the James Mitchner’s book “ The Drifters”. In there they gave me the 3 rules of travel…

1)    Shower/ bathe every chance available

2)    Never eat at a place named “mom’s”

3)    Do your laundry at every available opportunity

Considering I have, yet again, done this trip as fully “carry-on” I have literally what I am wearing and one change on clothes. My change is dirty. I like the idea that my clothes all looks the same (this horrifies my kids) so no one know if I have changed or not. FYI, I put on clean clothes this morn. And will travel until I hit Brisbane (some 30+ hours from now) with what I have on with no chance of reprieve. Shitting the shorts would be bad news.

So it will be nice to have a shower, change the jocks and brush the chops.

A couple more beers and I will be ready to pass out on the plane and arrive in Bangkok weary and worn.

Life is grand.

More later



And I am still going mad…

Or did my hosts turn the heat up?

I must be mad! woke this morn thing “gee, it’s warm out…”

All of 4 degrees c.

I must be going mad!

and more snow!!!

Sitting in the departure lounge ready for another flight. Brisbane to Sydney in 2 hours then Sydney to London in another 24 hours.

Yep, 24 hours on a plane.

I’m on my own and am traveling light so it should not be a terrible hassle.

We’ve been traveling all over recently and the weather has nailed us everywhere we went… Rain in California, snow and ice in the midwest, floods in Queensland.

Wonder what is going to hit me in England?

So I head for some R&R to sunny England.

Had new years eve on the beach at Mooloolaba. Lots of good fun with the kids.

Have been on some real nice rides but weather still not 100%. Lots of flooding or risk of flooding where I ride. Just means I stay in the hills and leave the valleys alone for a few weeks.

And life is good.