I'll drink to that!

When Cyclone Thelma wandered down the coast last December, Darwinites "battened down the hatches" as it were, removing loose articles from the gardens, in my case decking the gum trees nearest the house, and generally made their houses as secure as possible.

When it turned into a Category 5 (200mph+ winds), which is more destructive than the Building Code allows for, most people planned their escape (shall I keep my PP&M records, my old 12 string, will my Kaftan fit in the boot of the car, etc).

In the event it kept going, and all we got was 29 inches of rain in a couple of days, and 100kph (60mph) winds, which blew over a few trees, but otherwise caused no concern. My impression was that, if it had turned towards Darwin as a Category 4 (about the strength of Tracy in 1974) most people would have stayed. I intended to. Fortunately our pubs are pretty strong, and many locals decided that any excuse....