October 19. Day 292. I'm on fire

I love a sunburnt country. A land of sweeping plains,

Of ragged mountain ranges
Of droughts and flooding rains.
I love her far horizons,
I love her jewel-sea,
Her beauty and her terror -
The wide brown land for me!
 How often quoted. What a beautiful, romantic notion of the country. It's nice that Dorothea Mackellar included some of the less lovely aspects of Australia - such as the droughts and flooding rains. What a shame that isn't even the worst of it (and here I'm not even talking about the killer reptiles, aquatic creatures or arachnids)
It's the cyclones, thunder storms and bushfires that have the

potential to devastate, of which I speak (how I am not on the pay roll of the Australian Tourist Commission with such a glowing assessment of the country I will never know).
In any event, summer is party season in this part of the world but we can't let that be an excuse to let down our guard and not be ready for the other things that can strike at this time of year. This was the thought behind the Emergency Ready Community Event at South Bank today. It was a timely reminder to get the emergency kit, the non perishable foods, the batteries and the insurance ready and to have an evacuation plan sorted. You will

almost certainly never need it but it could be a lifesaver - literally - in a disaster. The day concentrated on advice and reminders but there were also information stalls, demonstrations (I was particularly taken by the bush fire simulation) and a live ABC Radio broadcast.
There was also a strong emphasis on fun children's entertainment because
1) It's important to remember who we are doing this for and
2) Generational change of attitudes comes from working with the kids
Also it made for a great family day out in the sun. Now where did I out those insurance documents, precious photos, batteries, candles ....?