Cyclone Watch…

Nature never stops throwing all her might at Australia, the land of extremes. After fires since last October raging out of control through millions of acres. Then, since the beginning of February, the rain came creating floods and chaos in Queensland. But thankfully putting out fires, filling dams and bringing life back to drought ravaged farm land.

Now there is another weather event on our doorstep, Cyclone Uesi, a category 2 cyclone.(see details here)

Tropical Cyclone Uesi will make its way through the Tasman Sea and pass dangerously close to the coastline of eastern Australia as the region continues to deal with ongoing flooding.https://t.co/EkDFkwefC7 pic.twitter.com/p0f8cu5ukv

— AccuWeather (@breakingweather) February 12, 2020

At this stage it is not going to make landfall, but it is going to create huge swells, predicted to be 5-6 metres or maybe higher, creating fantastic surfing opportunities, but only for the experienced or foolhardy surfers.

Last February Cyclone Oma passed by our shores and I went down to the beach to see it. (see that post here). The weather is very different today. Last year it was brilliant sunshine, but very windy. Today it is grey and sullen with the torrential rain still falling. Another 150mm yesterday, now over 500mm since February 1st.

About 9am a break came in the rain so we took the opportunity to jump in the car and go down to the beach and see the action. The ocean was raging and crowds of onlookers had gathered to watch the awesome power of nature and the surfers that had come to do battle with the waves.The “beach closed” signs were out and the normally pristine beach was covered with seaweed and debris. The high rise buildings of Surfers Paradise had almost disappeared in the haze. And the waves were pounding and crashing relentlessly. I take photo after photo trying to capture the feeling and raw power of the ocean.Unlike last years blue and colourful photos it is almost monochrome this year.

Further along the crowds had gathered to watch the display put on by the surfers.

It is hard to imagine the height and power of the waves in these photos. But look at this one.Can you see those 2 streaks on the face of that wave? I cropped in to show you in this next rather blurred photo what they were looking at.On the right is the surf-ski rider who has just dropped the surfer on the left into the wave. The waves are way too powerful and high for the surfers to paddle out. So they are taken on the back of the surf-skis and deposited into the surf. Look at the surfer and imagine how high that wave is towering behind him.Here is another surfer dwarfed by the mighty wave.

The break in the rain only lasted an hour and as it started to rain again we went into the surf club for a coffee. As we sat there we noticed this rather fool hardy fellow going to paddle out on his own. We lost sight of him as he disappeared behind the breakers. I hope he makes it ok.

When we arrived home we had a couple of visitors sheltering from the insistent rain…