Garden is flooded – but Esther is staying put
The Norman Creek which flows into the Brisbane River tuns along the back of Esther Oliver’s home home in the Brisbane suburb of Greenslopes. Her garden is flooded but Esther is staying put.
Esther Oliver
Esther's backyard
Flooded garden
The mother of three was at home by herself when the Brisbane River peaked at 4 a.m. this morning. She told J-Wire: “My sons Isaac and Josh are at Betar camp in Melbourne and my 12-yr-old daughter Michal was worried about snakes in the flooded waters and went to stay with a friend. I am at home with no electricity but I do have plenty of food and water and lanterns for light.” Michal will leave this week for Maccabi Junior Carnival in Melbourne.
Oliver, a woman made of tough stuff [she competed in an international triathlon in Israel last year] was helped by Ari Haber’s Queensland Community Services and others in moving all her possessions from the ground floor of her home to the upper level. “I was lucky,” she added. “I have a sunken media room on the lower level. The water flooded the garden but did not make it into the house. Ari and his friends were great. They went to the local pub to get others to help, too. The spirit of the locals has been nothing short of amazing.”
But the worries are not over the 40-something tutor. The Wivenhoe Dam which feeds into the Brisbane River and therefore the Norman Creek is at 190% capacity. “We expect the authorities to release more water from the dam and that will flow right by the house. On top of that we are facing another high tide this afternoon….but hopefully we will be OK. Given what has happened to so many others, I am counting my blessings.”
For Esther, Isaac, 19, Josh 15 and Michal 12, it seems that the power of Nature’s severe flooding in South-East Queensland can dampen the State but not the spirit.
