2 July, 2025 04:40

It’s definitely hit. And it’s definitely worse.

Woke a couple of times to feel and hear the van buffeted, shaken by the wind’s force. Still too dark to see anything, but this thing is fierce.

I’m sheltered here. Unbelievable severe consequences if I had remained exposed to its full impact.

6.30AM

About media coverage.

It’s only roughly helpful although there’s an abundance of it.

Reports are vague or outright confusing about areas to which they refer. This is due to the widespread region affected and the copy-paste inclusion of information from previous reports – and due to bad writing.

Outlets are also unclear about, for example, which evening they reference, or which morning. They’ll begin a report referring to a particular day then include quotes through it, and the piece becomes a confusing mess.

Some reports are useless because of the bad composition and inclusions.

These are major news outlets. Not good.

7AM

7.30AM

It’s a lot colder now than it was at 4AM. Here our refugees, and while the van isn’t buffeting now the wind nudged me off balance taking this shot:

8.35AM

Just an example of bad ‘information’. Uncclear, confusing reports are rendered all but useless due to issues with the text, this from the BOM suffers also from that as well as bad layout.

Clyde River. Tuross River. These get a mention, but there they are sitting on their own and I ask, So what?

9.05AM

Something I’ve been wanting to do since yesterday. A food dash to Woolworths nearby, but through exposed territory. Got wet.

Woolworths is cold because the centre’s doors won’t close, a lady said. She has a long day ahead.

Decided to go for it in case of a blackout. Bit of a relief in the weather, and now to warm up.

Two day’s food in the fridge.

10.50AM

Wind is strong but not buffeting. Rain still coming but not threatening. A bit lighter, so the clouds are a little less dense. Too early to hope it’s moving away, going, but a reprieve is welcome. I must exercise, which entails sacrificing dry clothes and relative warmth in the van.

Where’s the island?

1.30PM

Had to shower. I’m not going to live like this so to become dirty and unhygienic. I need to cleanse and freshen each day, and moreso my eyes need to be under clear water to work properly for the day. Why, I don’t know.

So I was that one day of unable sensibly to wash, yesterday. Today, even if I had to walk through cold rain and wind I would wash. Which is what I did.

I put on swimmers, one sacrificial T-shirt, wind stopper that soaks me, and thongs, and walked.

The Batemans Bay Aquatic Centre has showers that are a joke. They were hot some months ago, broke down and delivered freezing water, then they tried to fix them, broke again, and now the showers don’t make it to the temperature of warm. They rise from freezing at the start to cool or tepid. You get cold using them.

..Back, warm, dressed, met a beaut bloke as fellow traveller (who sleeplessly suffered the night at Moruya) who’s spending the night also in refuge under the bridge.

The weather has eased, but warnings firmly remain.

4.50PM

Steady rain and strongish wind setting in again. Apparently the storm is coming in for a second bite tonight. No worries.

Back out and about safely tomorrow, I hope. Bit stir crazy, and fed up with the arseholes who obviously use this spot for a haunt. Been a couple of arseholes today with extremely loud music playing for a long time.

If the same as last night, more arseholes tonight, but kid versions. As long as they let me be, and fuck off quickly.