currumbin after the storm

i know you've all seen it on the news, but living through the weather we had last week here on the gold coast was frightening. we live on a hill (thank you) under the protection of a ridge so we were ok; oh so wet but ok. i've never seen the beaches so damaged, holiday makers would have been very disappointed. it'll take man-made efforts to make them safe, the bulldozers have been out and about creating some slopes on the 10 foot drops from dune to beach.

this photo shows the surf club at currumbin, usually not an island. it has a large carpark in front which is totally swamped in this photo, plus dune and footpath. the foam was up over the dune, the grass area, the carparks and across the road. we resisted going sightseeing. some friends had a frightening moment when they were all grouped on the dune watching the wild waves when a small wave just kept coming and coming and eventually washed them back almost onto the road, going over the heads of the 3yr olds and knocking parents off their feet. my friend said she is amazed that mothers were able to clutch onto their children in the tsunami at all.