Adelaide deluge....Moby Dick beached...

The rain came down in my home city on Monday night.



While I slumbered peacefully, suburbs flooded, people a few streets from me were evacuated through windows, mighty trees fell, and, worst of all, the annual brewery Christmas display was washed away.

The lead escapee was a large whale, with a cheerful smile, and a chance he never sought to break for freedom.


Christened Moby Dick, this newly free Willy sailed serenely down the normally placid Torrens, finding his sea legs as he went, to the startlement of passing Adelaideans.

Breathlessly, alerted citizens wondered if he would make it all the way down the river, and out to sea, there to provide amazement to seafarers for as long as his bold fibreglass frame remained afloat.


Sadly, poor Willy has beached not far from his natural home, and will, presumably be recaptured and ignominiously returned to shore.



His escape, followed closely by a boxing kangaroo and the holy family (whose manger has become a water trough) and sundry other fantasy characters, has provided amusement to wet Adelaideans as the skies dropped over a month's rain in one night.


I must say, as I walked home that night, I DID think it wet, but, as with the 150 km gale I walked home through a couple of months ago, and thought a little inconvenient, and which lifted roofs, nearly killed a motorist, and uprooted giant trees, I had no idea that it was an unusual event.



Frankly, I think I may be building an ark soon.

I DID notice the Torrens flowing VERY fast as I crossed it, and was concerned for the many little ducklings, herded under trees, and anxiously watched by agitated parents, as well as the frightened pelicans gazing gloomily at the raging torrent, and the sad looking black swans....but a whale carrying away flood? Nah...just a brisk stream.


I will post a photo of Moby Dick later.



Has anything odd happened your way lately?


Plagues of boils? Locusts? Angels of death?


Oh, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs are still missing......





From the local rag:

Flood of Biblical proportions
By NICK HENDERSON
09nov05
THE rain may not have lasted for 40 days and 40 nights but Joseph, Mary and the Baby Jesus probably would have liked the help of the Ark yesterday.

Floodwaters which inundated the River Torrens swept the Christmas trio from their stable, which is part of SA Brewing's Christmas display on the riverbank.

They were joined by an aquatic friend - whale Moby Dick made an uncertain start to his swim before mastering the art of riding the waves. He reached Underdale before beaching in the debris, leaving SA Brewing staff the difficult task of plucking him from the torrent.

Tom Keller, 22, of Ottoway, could not believe his eyes when he saw the giant whale floating down the river - with a pair of boxing kangaroos not far behind.

Mr Keller decided to rescue them from a watery grave.



"The whale is sort of in its place in the water, but the kangaroos look a bit weird. We were also thinking about getting wet towels to save the whale because we were worried about it being beached," he said. SA Brewing regional manager Mark Haysman said the company was still searching for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. "There is grave concern for the safety of Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus as water has swamped their stable," Mr Haysman said.

Boaters are being warned to avoid the West Beach area over the next few days amid predictions that there will be a shark feeding frenzy following the floods.

Fishing expert Shane Mensforth said hundreds of dead fish had been washed into the sea from the River Torrens. He said the waters near the Torrens outlet were popular with fishermen hunting for whiting and squid.

"There would be large sharks lurking around this area and I would urge all boaters, particularly small boats, to avoid the area," Mr Mensforth said.......