I really enjoyed my drive today. It was a beautiful, clear and sunny day... the greens were greener, the blues were bluer and the always picturesque Lockyer Valley Region was picturesque-ER....
I drove through Laidley first... and it was immediately clear that they are still recovering from recent flooding... I saw sandbags on the main street and fences left warped, covered with vegetation from flood waters. I wasn't in Laidley long... but I liked the town and felt bad for the locals who had been affected by floods.
Next stop was Gatton... Gatton is a bigger town than Laidley... more built up and busy (although still a quiet country town). I stopped in town and grabbed a coffee... a mismatched cafe with frogs and art from local artists on the wall... the employees were friendly... the coffee.. average. I drove to the edge of the main part of Gatton and caught a glimpse of the dramatic scar that flood waters have left on the town. Where the river runs through the town was quite a sight... Vegetation and earth ripped away from the banks creating a huge gaping through fare for the river... It is shocking how much power and force flowing water has ... and how much damage it can cause.
I then drove to Grantham... I didn't know what to expect from the tiny town... The first time I had even heard of it was during the 2011 flood disaster. I felt a little apprehensive.
Grantham is so pretty... and peaceful. I felt almost wrong getting out of my car to take photos... intrusive... I feel like this town and its people have had enough of cameras and nosey-nellys... I did, however, end up taking some photos around the town... I was drawn to a bridge as usual... I took some photos and continued on my way... I didn't realise until I got home and was reading about Grantham and the floods... that THAT bridge had so much significance during the flood disaster... it was a place of immense horror and tragedy... and I feel sick to my stomach thinking about the suffering, trauma and loss the people of Grantham have endured. I found myself standing by the side of the road... trying to imagine what it must have been like... the fear and terror.. the confusion and chaos... and... I couldn't picture it... I tried and tried... it was difficult to imagine such a disaster in such a pretty and tranquil part of the world. I could only see its beauty.
I think Grantham and all of the Lockyer Valley Region is a place of immense beauty... so much so that it is hard for me to put into words the effect the area has on me. It moves me. It reaches deep into my chest, grabs my heart and fills it with warmth and joy and achy goodness.
20,920kms on the dash... 3,975kms down...
xo
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