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Ferny Hills, Brisbane, Qld

S 27°23'41" E 152°56'20

Fri 9 Mar 2001


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We spent the day at Patricks Road.

I started on the making of the Highway Wanderers flag. I have simplified the design used on the vehicle sticker without losing the essential features so it should be instantly recognisable.

In the afternoon there was a severe storm so we stayed for dinner. We left at about eight o'clock to go back to Aspley to the caravan park.

When we got back to the Motley, I discovered that I had forgotten to turn the fridge to gas and had run the house batteries right down We needed to plug into the mains to recharge the batteries. We had also left a hatch open in the bathroom and flooded the floor. We headed for Aspley.

There were some places in Becketts Road where the water had accumulated in the gutter and had spread across the road. We didn't think anything was seriously amiss.

In Albany Creek Road, the westbound traffic was trying to cross the median strip onto the eastbound lane. We still didn't think anything was seriously amiss.

At Aspley we were turned back from the short cut into Gympie Road as there was water right across the road. We tried to go along Gympie Road but were sent east along Robinson Road. We still didn't think anything was seriously amiss.

We turned off in the back streets towards Zillmere Road intending to get back to the caravan park from the north. When we finally reached Zillmere Road there was a long line of cars all turning back to the east as they were being advised that the road was impassable. We decided that the truck was capable of navigating water which would make the road impassable to cars so we headed west.

As we approached the intersection with Gympie Road we had to negotiate round several cars and four wheel drives that were stalled or stranded. The water was about 600 mm (2 Ft) deep so we pressed on.

It became clear that Cabbage Tree Creek had burst its banks because the water on the other side of the road was flowing fiercely down towards the other caravan park. We still didn't realise how seriously amiss the situation was.

When we reached Gympie Road and tried to turn south down the northbound carriageway, we were turned back because the road was impassable. There was 600mm (2 Ft) of water flowing through the caravan park. At last we realised how serious the flood was.

We had the CB tuned to the emergency channel so we knew that the Bruce Highway to the north was cut. We assumed that the caravan park at Newmarket would also be in trouble with the floods.

There being few options available to us, we decided to try and return to Ferny Hills. With only a few anxious moments caused by wet brakes with very little effect and relying on the exhaust brakes almost entirely, we finally got back to Patricks Road about half past nine. We parked on the pavement outside Sarah's house, plugged into their power and settled in for the night.


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Created by Robin Chalmers on 10.03.2001 and last revised 12.03.2001