My mother just confirmed Aus Post refuses to accept any mail to the ACT.
I have parcels "in the post". One of them actually says "delayed" in the Track My Item page. Of course, there's no ETA or explanation.
I feel an urge to criticise the lack of commitment by Aus Post, which would be entirely in character for them, but I'm not sure that it isn't a sensible measure in the circumstances.
Ironically ... or is it just unfortunate ... my two parcels are a HEPA filter and an air purifier. So at least in that regard I can say, with great sarcasm, "Thanks, Australia Post".
Just finished up transporting bulk water and stock feed to a transfer stop in Mitchell. The smoke was entirely palatable (in a disgusting way). Stinging eyes, rasping cough, headache.
And then went to do some shopping for ourselves on the way home and there are morons outside the shops smoking. What, you need MORE?
Just finished up transporting bulk water and stock feed to a transfer stop in Mitchell. The smoke was entirely palatable (in a disgusting way). Stinging eyes, rasping cough, headache.
And then went to do some shopping for ourselves on the way home and there are morons outside the shops smoking. What, you need MORE?
Lewis, if the rain arrives tomorrow the air quality should improve a lot. At the moment PM10 is over 1000 in Canberra area, tomorrow it is forecast to drop to around 50-65....
We actually have worse air than many of the fire zones.... We are currently the most polluted city in the world, YEY !!! We win !!!
I hope so Matt - as it currently stands, the wife will take the 2 girls to the office tomorrow to get out of it all. I'll stay home.
Passed the BMW cavolcade of PPS coming to Fairbairn at a high rate of knots, so I assume SloMo is escaping the rancidity of Canberra for clearer locales.
I hope so Matt - as it currently stands, the wife will take the 2 girls to the office tomorrow to get out of it all. I'll stay home.
Passed the BMW cavolcade of PPS coming to Fairbairn at a high rate of knots, so I assume SloMo is escaping the rancidity of Canberra for clearer locales.
No doubt ! We've managed to keep much of the carp out of the house up to now and have the escape-mobile fuelled up and packed in the driveway..... Glad my granddaughter is up there at Beresfield now......
Scurry-Mo: "Legs don't fail me now"
Glad to hear of the escape of Star Trek and Matt's relatives its is usually idle talk here but we know there are real people hurting. I also think money is the best option for donation but have not chosen the best conduit yet. Any suggestions?
Getting back to the easier level of hypotheticals, if Canberrans moved in mass from being chokers to runners in the face of any big firestorm, getting out of Canberra to the North could be an issue given our population. I was wondering about using back route to Yass/Wee Jasper.
I also think money is the best option for donation but have not chosen the best conduit yet. Any suggestions?
There was a list on the ABC somewhere that showed all the organisations you could donate to. I've lost it for now, but in the mean time, here's an article with recommendations.
I figure that when the bushfire support agency gets up and running, there'll be plenty of guidance, which should be useful.
...getting out of Canberra to the North could be an issue given our population. I was wondering about using back route to Yass/Wee Jasper.
I wouldn't unless it was dire. Having done that road in broad daylight with nil smoke, it's rather precipitous, windy and narrow. Add people scared, in a rush and in smoke conditions and you are going to have trouble.
Best decision is to watch the reports regularly and make an EARLY decision to leave.
Thanks for the donation advice Matt and everyone. I did not want to send it anywhere that skimmed much.
Thank Lewis on the road intell. I have only seen the turnoff near Coppins crossing while I was doing some urban imaging and have never used it. Things have looked much better since yesterday for Canberra but the potential is still there for disaster. Of course the best advice is to leave early (ie before authorities tell everyone to leave), but in my idle speculations I just wondered if it would be readily apparent early enough from the maps etc whether a fire would be dire enough that the normal town centre go-tos would not be good enough.
The ACT bushfire risk map shows area of high risk. If you're not in one of those red shaded areas, I figure the default decision would be "stay". But of course everyone's circumstances are different.
Open the map below and click "AM I IN A BUSHFIRE PRONE AREA?" on the left:
Seeing where we live - thankfully OUTSIDE the prone zone - ours and all our neighbour plans IF the SHTF is to simply crash through the emergency gates at the airport with our vehicles and camp on the airport grounds
No, seriously.
Seeing the Canberra ESA headquarters and airport firestation is literally 500 metres away at best, and the secure Govt. data centres AND VIP RAAF infrastructure I reckon we will be OK
My very favourite 'Darkest of Dark Skies' observing site has fallen victim to these fires ........
Yesterdays fires have burnt through Kiandra in the Snowy Mountains, the historic Kiandra Court House, Wolgal Hut, Pattinson's and the Mt Selwyn Ski Resort have been burnt.
Lots and lots of cars smashed by tennis ball sized hail in the Parliamentary Triangle....... Parli House looked like it has been in a blizzard.......my son looked out his office window and reported that every car outside had smashed windscreens, windows and roofs......
Hail was only small size out our way. Hope all other Canberra and SE Aus IIS-ers escaped damage. Not far from Canberra has just been some monster dust storms hitting orange and other towns.
Aside from that conditions seems on the improve and so there seems a decent chance of getting some telescope observing/imaging done soon without worrying about multilayers of smoke coating the lens. Its long enough since the last time I did to almost feels like I am starting over again. As long as I do not drop anything sizable in the dark!
We are currently the most polluted city in the world, YEY !!! We win !!!
