Floods up north

12 January 2011

If you’re planning to head north – or come south….

ABC news

Travel warning

 Motorists intending to use the Pacific or New England Highways to travel through northern New South Wales have been advised to cancel their trip.

Flooding has closed the Pacific highway from Halfway Creek in the south to Maclean in the north and the New England Highway is closed north of the Queensland border.

The RTA’s David Wright says the Orara Way, which is the alternative route between Coffs and Grafton, is also closed in both directions.

“It looks like they’re going to be closed for some days,” he said.

“We had reports that one particular bridge around the Nana Glen area is actually eight metres underwater, so you can imagine that road is going to be unpassable for quite some time, at least until that water certainly subsides.”

The Gwydir Highway remains closed between Grafton and Glen Innes, the Bruxner Highway remains closed between Casino and Tenterfield and the Summerland way has been closed overnight from Grevillia to the Queensland border.

In western NSW, the Kamilaroi Highway is closed between Bourke and Brewarrina.

For latest weather warnings visit the Bureau of Meteorology.

For further information visit the State Emergency Service and Roads and Traffic Authority websites.

An information line has also been set up for people in flood-affected areas of New South Wales. That number is 1800 227 228.

Hi all

Sunday 9 January update

Well if you were thinking of going for a surf to get wet, take a cold shower instead!  Why is The Goat on the computer on such a hot day??  Because he thought he’d do a little public service and do you all a favour. 

The Easterly wind that is bringing, and will continue to bring, waves all through the week (see forecast below) is also bringing with it the unwelcome visitation of hoards of bluebottles.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen them as thick as they were this morning on the beach and theres’ more out the back waiting for the wind to blow them ashore (silly critters).

The Easterly wind and waves are the result of the top of a big High… see BoM site below …

http://www.bom.gov.au/australia/charts/viewer/index.shtml?type=windbarb&level=10m&tz=AEDT&area=Au&model=CG

The wind fetch for the swell is coming to the East Coast from way past the top of NZ – that’s thousands of kilometres for the wind to teavel in the one direction and for the waves to build up – and these little fellows have been just floating around in the Pacific going whichever way the wind blows, stinging fish to give themselves a feed, just making an honest ! living. 

Now they’re all coming for a little holiday in Oz, and unless you’re very careful they’ll sting you hoping they can get a feed out of you! 

So you can either try reasoning with them, and insist you’re not a fish (not my preferred option) or, stay out of their way. 

Even if you think the water looks clear of them, there are lots and lots of chopped up bits of tentacles and pieces of blue stingers floating  in the surf zone.

The only hope for the moment is for the wind to edge round more to the Nor East and at least blow them down to the southern ends of beaches.  But watch for any rips bringing them back along the beach. 

Just to add to this unhappy holiday scene, Newport Beach is closed because of pollution from the big storm water drain that recent rain pushed open.  Dead things floating in the surf + bluebottles – yum.

If you’re stung by a bluey:

Stay calm.  First make sure you get all the stingers off – ideally with tweezers, but if you have to you can use the tips of your fingers as the skin is very tough there.

Next, run the affected parts under hot water – try alternating with cold water. 

Then get yourself  out of the sun/ heat, sit down in the shade, put some ice on the parts stung, and just rest to slow the circulation of the ‘poison’ down.  It’ll evetually subside. 

If you start to have a severe reaction, or are in real pain, go to a doctor, medical centre or hospital.

Check Surf Life Saving Australia’s website for Treatment of Bluebottle stings for the latest advice.

TG

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Hope you all had a great Chrissy and New Year.  Hey Don, I think this is the 15th year of the Goat’s surf forecasts – the first online freely available surf forecasts in Australia … still going… therefore the longest running too 🙂

Sadly the last day of 2010 we were at my good mate and cousin-in-law Kevin’s funeral near Wollongong.  But it was great for the family to see so many of his friends there and we gave him a good send off.  Onya Kev!

The Goat’s on holidays so don’t expect too much from him this time of year, but I did get him to wake up briefly from his nap after his exciting little surf at a secret spot – with only about 40 or 50 others in the water –  to check what he has to say…

“The waves will continue breaking for some time, with a good pulse”, he said, then he started to doze off again, so I shook him and he said “the winds will be variable, but onshoreish at times”.  I thought we were getting somewhere but then he went all weird, saying “the sun will still rise each day…even if obscured by clouds at times” …”don’t worry…the earth will keep turning” and stuff like that… so I covered him with his pillow and let him rest…

Anyhoo – a special eight day forecast for Sydney, issued Thursday 6 January 2011:

Friday: in the 1-2 metre range East South East.

Saturday: ditto East.

Sunday: ditto.

Monday: bit bigger, say around 2 metres East.

Tuesday: same East North East.

Wednesday: same same.

Thursday: bigger again – say 3+metres East North East.

Friday: same.

Water temp is a comfortable 21… which means ideal swimming conditions for the annual Avalon Beach Surf Swim on Sunday 16 January.  Come and have some fun… work off that Christmas pudding.  More details at www.oceanswims.com.au

Weather from the Bureau:

Forecast for the rest of Thursday