Landslides are not my cup of tea...

Back in action, re-invigorated after a trip to the Grampians where the people are still reeling from the damage done by floods six weeks ago. What a mess... Anybody who loves dramatic scenery will love the Grampians. But news that many roads through the National Parks are blocked left me alarmed rather than seeking large fallen boulders to photograph. "The Wild" is a place to be avoided in my case, and I had quite enough contact with the natural world while watching plagues of locusts doing their drop fall dance through the air.

It goes out on the news daily... the people of Victoria feel abandoned and although there are work camps set up to re-establish fences swept away in the torrent, the extreme disasters in Queensland have taken most attention.
I also have to admit that, from now on I shall examine any insurance policy I buy with extreme care. Many people right across Australia who thought they were insured against most problems now find that flooding is an ambiguous term. When is water water? Acts of god now come in so many nuanced forms that one might wonder at the deviency of a deity who has nothing better to do of a day than send tiger snakes swimming up through the plumbing into house interiors.

I suggested to one new acquaintance that they ask more questions about entitlements in extreme circumstances. Many years ago, aware of EU law and having worked for medical cover, my health board tried to give me the bum's rush and make life very awkward indeed. After months of negotiation and producing every bit of paper they required, the answer came back:
"You are entitled because we cannot prove that you are unentitled."
Bureaucracy is a river to be navigated. Here's to plain sailing for those who are still in shock after the frightening events of recent days...

Marvelous Melbourne