things to be aware of

I was just perusing the online news when an article took my interest.
I won't post the article just the picture accompanying it……..



makes you wonder why people live in Australia, everything is HUGE!!!  :shock: :shock:

That's a massive door hinge Tony …………………..

The beastie looks like something out of 20,000 leagues under the sea ………….

Yep, quite a beastie and with 14 legs to boot!

 Thank goodness the spider part's looking rather more than sickly!

:cheers

Oh that's a spider is it - I thought it was a capricorne wearing an Australian Santa hat ………………….. :cheers

Ah of course, the hat's upside down under! Duh!

 :doublethumb

All I can say. . . I've been to Queensland Australia. . ..I've seen the size of the spiders. . . . Respect !!!  :shock:

Merry Christmas one and all 





Cheers

Matt

That,s a cockroach taking a look at what looks like a dead spider, both are pretty small compared to the bird eating spiders we get around here in Queensland.

just another thing to watch out down under ……….. 




the NSW bush fires raging thru the rural towns, as seen from the SENTINEL-2 satellite, 760km in space - absolutely massive!!


Then a bit more down to earth …. 


Cobargo before (re google maps)




Cobargo after (same spot)  








Absolutely devastating.


And there are still people lighting fires!! Makes you wonder why they do it!


Latest was a 71yo lighting a fire in his backyard - even though there's a total fire ban!


I just shake my head in disbelief - so sad fire fighters have to die for someone else's stupidity! 


(5 Firey's have died fighting these fires to date)

What I don't understand is why all the firefighters are volunteers?I've got nothing against volunteers, but they should be there as a
reserve/back-up to a main, dedicated fire service!
Especially in a country that has a 'bush-fire season'!

I think you forget the vast distances we are talking about and how big a full time force you would need to cover it all. Here we are mostly about 10 - 20 minutes from a station, with another station not too far away to back them up. In Australia you are hours from help with multiple  random fires springing up over huge distances. So locals volunteer and are trained in tackling fires "in there own back yard" so to speak. They are part of a vast network that can be called up from their day job to go where needed, when needed. Although they are unpaid volunteers please dont think of them as 'joe public' having a go, I'm sure they train hard and are just as good as, and dedicated as full time, full pay crew
I think they show the Aussie 'can do' spirit at its very best and can only wish them well in this harrowing time

[user=1460]jcm@gwr[/user] wrote:

What I don't understand is why all the firefighters are volunteers? I've got nothing against volunteers, but they should be there as a reserve/back-up to a main, dedicated fire service!
Especially in a country that has a 'bush-fire season'!

Hi,

just seen this and it raises some important points.

Not all those involved are volunteers, there is a highly organised / equiped professional core but local remote services are typically unpaid roles. Only City Brigades are Professional.

The helping beyond the call of duty that Firefighters show should be held in the highest regard, both Professional and Volunteer. I was deeply moved to hear about the US Firefighter (pro I believe) who gave up his family Christmas to come to Australia to help out. Crews from many Countries are here with no end in sight to the burning.

Given the random and infrequent nature of Bush fires here over a massive area, retaining an adequate effective fully paid service with complete coverage is an impossibility. Remember that just one of the fire zones, the more recent E Gippsland Vic. fires have burnt an area quoted to be half the size Belgium and remain out of control.

There are fires of similar size north of the NSW / Vic border at which point you're barely half way to Sydney from Melbourne. Go as far North again from Sydney (another 900+km) and you're half way to the Northern tip of Australia. Fires have extended this season from Victoria to Southern Queensland but the northernmost have mostly burnt out now a month on.





 

[user=1460]jcm@gwr[/user] wrote:

What I don't understand is why all the firefighters are volunteers?I've got nothing against volunteers, but they should be there as a
reserve/back-up to a main, dedicated fire service!
Especially in a country that has a 'bush-fire season'!

Outside of the city's in the UK most of the firemen are volunteers for exactly the same reason,