Brisbane River after the Floods January 2011

As the sun goes down over the City of Brisbane on the 14th January 2011, and the dirty muddy water slowly recedes from its streets. The Devastation caused by the Brisbane River floods is clearly visible by the trail of rubbish, pontoons, boats, timber, tyres Etc all along the river bank near the mouth of the Brisbane River at Pinkenba. The scene along the river is like a war zone as helicopters fly up and down and tugs and coast guard tow in pontoons boats and large objects. The army is using sonar equipment to search the shipping channel for wreckage that will make navigation difficult for ships waiting for the all clear to safely enter into the port of Brisbane.

The story is much the same in our low lying suburbs and country towns as residents and business owners clear their properties of all their possessions ruined by the toxic sludge that has  been left behind. An army of volunteers has been tirelessly working helping people they have never met before and may never meet again. The cleanup for some areas is a task that will take months and the effect of the flood will be felt for years to come. Some will never recover and rebuild from their loss. The sad truth is that many of our states are experiencing much of the same.           

Brisbane the River City

The river still occupies some of the buildings along the banks

Looking down from the Kangaroo Point Cliffs

The Boardwalk in the Botanical Gardens is still underwater 

One of the lucky ones.

This pontoon was carried right up on to the car park at the Pinkenba Boat Ramp 

The clean up of the Brisbane River and Morton Bay will take months. 

Tug Boats relentlessly tow debris back from the Bay  

Boats that were thought to be safe on pontoons were damaged
as they  passed under bridges on there journey down the river. 

Many Boats met an end just like this one many are lying at the bottom of the Brisbane River