Ah well - at least we are on the paradise side of the chasm...meeting today to work out a few issues of supply and transport for the 200 folk here ...People have been out talking and walking for the last three days - obviously just what we needed to revitalise the old place! Unfortunately, I was too busy wringing out 20 buckets worth of sopping towels from the seepage through my back wall when the flood was at its peak - so there's no photos of the truly amazing flood then! (well, actually it was pitch dark then anyway - and you can imagine how Murray and Joel felt when they drove up in the dark to the huge chasm that was once a bridge on the only road in :o)You will also just have to imagine the soundtrack of a raging torrent that felt like it was shaking my house, while the rain belted down on the roof and the drains roared all around me - and me out the back with my headtorch, wellies and raincoat wielding all sorts of implements to clear the drain and give all those myriad springs that just spring up somewhere to go...I evacuated to Tara's last night and managed to get 2,000 words of my assignment done - YAHOO! Solar power very low and the rain has just kept falling, though much gentler now. The beauty of a big flood is that the sun always seems to come out the day after and it is just such a lovely sparkling day that you see in these pics - lets hope we get a few more ...sunny days, I mean - not floods!
There is a movement happening to save our chasm, it has been a boon for community spirit - here's Bill, Terry, Dave and Ben working together to extract the tree, complete with roots, that was stuck under the centre bridge. But it looks like we will not have the chasm for much longer, the council are working hard too...and a concrete culvert should last better than the gal one...
WEDNESDAY May 27th: Mick managed to get out to catch his plane to Melbourne - by 4WD via the south end ford, so the creek has gone down a lot. But its been amazing to see so many people out and about, the chasm is a regular hub of activity as people commute and chat and look at the hole and what's happening to it! The shop is open every day and people are gathering and talking and walking all over the place. We need a few little warungs set up for tea and cakes...and a review of our present transport dependencies.
A hired minibus is taking workers to Lismore and to Nimbin, although lots of people are relying on the use of friends' cars each side of the chasm.
And the SES made a landing in the little paddock opposite the centre bus stop (twice!) and brought us some great fresh vegies, groceries and even soymilk and tofu! Not really necessary, but much appreciated - we have raised some good donations for them, and it raised the energy too.
Sadly, the fun may be over soon although lets hope the good feelings last a while - and spark up some discussion about how better to live and travel here.
LAST POST FOR THE CHASM Friday May 29th: Well, that's it folks - the chasm is no more, the bridge is rebuilt and open today (friday afternoon) and we are all back to a different sort of isolation now everyone can escape the valley at will - it's a bit sad really, for some of us....it was certainly fun while it lasted...
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