Just awfulThis week Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) has been, and is, sorrowful, fearful and worried. HorribleCredit: NZ Herald What a lovely picture! But it hides death, injury and tragedy. At 2.11 on Monday afternoon, the volcanic White Island (Maori name Whakaari), off the Bay of Plenty coast, blew its top, sending steam, rocks and ash hurtling into the air. Forty seven visitors (tourists with guides) were there. Many of them are now in burns units in New Zealand hospitals. Many are critically ill. Australians were the largest national grouping; most from the cruise ship Ovation of the Seas. Those fit enough to move have been flown back to hospitals in their own country. On Monday five dead were brought back to Tauranga with the injured. One later died in hospital and this morning six more bodies have been recovered from the island. As I write this on Friday afternoon an air and an underwater search are in progress for the two people still missing. I was troubled, especially on the first day, by some of the media reporting and questioning 'How will this affect the local tourist industry?' 'Will tours to the island continue? 'If the island is closed to tours will Tauranga and the region suffer economically? The injured were just arriving at hospials. Five bodies had just gone to the morgue. People were still missing. Relatives were anxiously waiting. I thought that sort of questioning and the thinking it provoked was grossly inappropriate. FearsomeCredit; The Guardian Bushfires continue to consume parts of Australia. New South Wales (NSW) is ablaze, especially just north of Sydney, People have died, homes have been lost and firefighters both professional and volunteer are exhausted. I read this a few minutes ago: 'Ben Shepherd, from the NSW Rural Fire Service, spoke to Guardian Australia to explain what this means for firefighters and residents. The short answer is: the fires and smoke will continue.' For the next three months, the below-average rainfall means no relief from the drought, and not enough to put out or prevent fires.' About 125 fires are burning. About 50 of them out of control. Sydney, and a number of towns, are blanketed in smoke. So far this bushfire season in NSW six lives have been lost while more than 680 homes have been destroyed. DestructiveCredit: Newshub Massive storms hit the South Island this week, Floods in the Rangitata River near Timaru have been hugely destructive. A Rangitata Island farmer told the Timaru Herald that 'the flooding was the worst he had ever seen.' About 16 farms in the Rangitata have been flooded. Families on farms and in Timaru have had to evacuate. Raiway tracks and roads have been washed out. About twelve major power pylons (not just local posts) have been destroyed and will take weeks or months to replace. For those who live and work on their land this is frighteningly worrying. Home and income are both at risk. Stress. The West Coast, the other side of the island, has also had massive downpours with roads and bridges washed out. Hundreds of tourists have been stranded and some have been evacuated by helicopter to catch flights back to their own countries. Disruption! A pleaThis week's post, particularly for readers who may not receive much New Zealand or Australian news, is a plea for understanding and sympathy – and prayers if you go in for those. Burns My wife Marion, a retired general practitioner (GP) tells me that burns to large parts of the body are the most horrible kinds of accidents – terrible pain, long days or months in hospital and probable permanent disfigurement. Fire Fire is dangerous and heartbreaking. And one of the nasty concomitant features in Australia is the out and out political slanging match going on over whether or not these particularly, large, intense and early fires are in any way being caused by climate change. The government says 'No'. The opposition, particulary the Greens, say 'Yes' and blame the government for not taking measures to reduce emissions. One Green member called government members 'almost terrorists'. For now, I think they might all be better to make their main concern people who are suffering from the fires. Terrible flooding Terrible flooding causes great worry for farmers. I had a farmer friend who committed suicide after seeing the destruction caused to his farm by a severe flood. So yes, this post is a plea for concern for others. □ John McInnes Friday 13 December 2019 ##########
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