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Loyal to the end: touching detail surrounding Symonds' tragedy

<p dir="ltr">The cricket world is in mourning following the devastating death of legendary player Andrew Symonds. </p> <p dir="ltr">The 46-year-old died on Saturday night after his car veered off the road in a single vehicle accident near his home in Hervey Range, in the city of Townsville, Queensland. </p> <p dir="ltr">Two witnesses who were first on scene following the awful accident have given more insight into what happened – including the fact that Symonds' two very loyal Blue Heelers were also in the vehicle at the time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“One of them was very sensitive and didn’t want to leave him,” the unnamed witness told Courier Mail.</p> <p dir="ltr">“It would just growl at you every time we tried to move him or go near him. My partner tried to get (Symonds) out of the car, to put him on to his back.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was unconscious, not responsive and had no pulse.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Waylon Townson was another witness and told 9News that Symonds had no pulse when he tried to help. </p> <p dir="ltr">"He was stuck in there, so I tried to pull him out," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">"(I) started doing CPR and checked his pulse but I didn't get much response."</p> <p dir="ltr">Police continue to investigate the incident which has seen Symonds leave behind a wife and two kids. </p> <p dir="ltr">Symonds’ wife Laura has spoken out since his death saying the family is still in “shock” and described him as “the most laid-back person”. </p> <p dir="ltr">“I’m just thinking of the two kids. He was such a big person and there is just so much of him in his kids,” she said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“Nothing stressed him out. He was an extremely chilled operator. So practical.</p> <p dir="ltr">“He was never good with his phone but he always had time for everyone."</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Instagram</em></p>

Family & Pets

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REVEALED: "Worst" Aussie towns for 2021

<p><em>Image: Getty</em></p> <p>The Queensland city of Townsville has been dubbed Australia’s “supreme s***hole of the year” — stoking a strong reaction from some of its residents.</p> <p>It topped a list in this year’s countdown run by the viral Facebook page<span> </span><em>S*** Towns of Australia</em>, receiving the most votes from the group’s 500,000 followers.</p> <p>Just over 36% of voters listed Townsville as the worst city in the nation, with most blaming high levels of crime.</p> <p>After a year of Covid-19 lockdowns, the entire state of NSW came in second, winning 30% of votes.</p> <p>In third place was the popular beachside suburb of Byron Bay, which received 20% of votes, with Sydney’s Mount Druitt in fourth place.</p> <p>Despite topping the list, some Townsville locals were quick to defend their home town, with one saying “it’s not as bad as what people make it out to be”.</p> <p>“Townsville has a lot to offer. We have the biggest military base here in Australia. We also have a university to further people’s careers,” he said.</p> <p>“There are also some nice beaches where you can camp. You are within an 80km radius to go see a rainforest.</p> <p>“Property values are cheap compared to other places. There’s also a lot of work available if you are looking for a job.”</p> <p>However, some residents actually agreed with the ignominious award — saying crime in the city is out of control.</p> <p>“I would like to formally thank Annastacia (Palaczszuk), Scott (Morrison) and crew for their unfailing efforts in ignoring the crime situation in Townsville,” one resident said. “We could not have won this amazing award without their consistent neglect.”</p> <p>“I love Townsville. Like genuinely have an affinity for the place,” said another Queenslander. “But far out, it is ALWAYS getting on the list for some gronk doing something stupid and getting arrested for it. So I would say that this is probably fair play.”</p> <p>The<span> </span><em>S*** Towns of Australia</em><span> </span>website had this to say about Townsville:</p> <p>“Townsville (or Towntown in English) was named after Robert Towns, a notorious slave trader who was well-known for the practice of ‘blackbirding’, which is Australian for abducting South Sea Islanders and forcing them to work on your sugar cane plantations. In true s*** town fashion, Townsville honoured their namesake with a bronze statue for his services to racism.</p>

Travel Trouble

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​Woman named "Hero to Animals" for helping spider regrow its legs

<p>A townsville woman has been rewarded for making the decision to save an emaciated huntsman spider with only two legs. </p> <p>Elina Walsh has been recognised by animal rights group PETA Australia for rescuing and rehabilitating an injured spider. </p> <p>Ms Walsh hand-fed the spider and took “Peggy” under her wing for a month until it grew its legs back. </p> <p>"Initially my thought was she wasn't going to make it and I considered putting her out of her misery," Ms Walsh said, admitting she initially believed it to be a gecko or a bird.</p> <p><img style="width: 0px; height: 0px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7837163/emma-walsh-2.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/fe33732f3a2a41c89772176003d14c23" /></p> <p>"I did a quick Google search and found out that spiders can in fact regrow legs, so I thought I would give it a go.</p> <p>"I am a huge animal lover, normally huntsmen aren't my favourite choice of animal but I kind of felt sorry for her and tried to help her out."</p> <p>The Townsville “hero” spent a little over a month feeding the spider small cockroaches with tweezers. </p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBenA0kF8CU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CBenA0kF8CU/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by @peggy.the.2leggy</a> on Jun 15, 2020 at 6:55pm PDT</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>In that time, the spider regrew its six smaller legs which became fully functional. </p> <p>She plans to keep Peggy in her care until the spider has one more moult. </p> <p>"Now that she has got her legs back she is able to hunt quite well on her own, but the ones that have regrown are quite a bit smaller," Ms Walsh said.</p> <p>"With her next moult she should have full-sized legs again and I will be quite happy to release her outside."</p> <p>PETA said there was no nomination process for their Hero To Animals awards.</p> <p>PETA spokesperson, Emily Rice, said the organisation saw a post about Ms Walsh's efforts on Facebook and wanted to recognise her compassion.</p> <p>"We take our hats off to this compassionate woman who displayed great care and respect for Peggy and went above and beyond to save her life," Ms Rice said.</p> <p>Ms Walsh said the recognition from PETA Australia was unexpected. </p> <p>"I am just happy that other people can learn about her story and maybe grow a bit of appreciation for these animals as well," she said.</p>

Family & Pets

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Teen driver in horrific Townsville accident revealed to be on bail

<p><span>A 14-year-old boy who drove the vehicle of a stolen car that caused the deaths of four other teens was on bail at the time of the incident.</span><br /><br /><span>The vehicle was being driven on the wrong side of a Queensland road when it clipped a roundabout and rolled, killing four teenagers on board, police have said.</span><br /><br /><span>Lucius Baira-Hill, 13, Aaliyah Tappa Brown, 17, Rayveena Coolwell, 15, and Cayenne Nona, 14, died at the scene in Townsville on Monday morning.</span><br /><br /><span>Witnesses said the car was “doing at least 120km/h” before it hit the roundabout and flipped.</span><br /><br /><span>The car that was involved in the crash had been reported stolen earlier on the same morning.</span><br /><br /><span>Emergency crews were called to the corner of Duckworth Street and Bayswater Road at Garbutt just before 4.30 am after the car crashed into a light pole.</span><br /><br /><span>The 14-year-old driver was taken to Townsville Hospital in a stable condition after suffering minor injuries.</span></p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Teenager charged over multiple fatality fatal Townsville crash <a href="https://t.co/b51Mwxm0qn">https://t.co/b51Mwxm0qn</a> <a href="https://t.co/l8DpTx3Soe">pic.twitter.com/l8DpTx3Soe</a></p> — JohnBlackman (@johnblackmanhey) <a href="https://twitter.com/johnblackmanhey/status/1269767146608881665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <p><br /><span>7News reports he was released on bail about two weeks prior on unrelated property offences and the teen has since been charged with dangerously operating a motor vehicle causing death.</span><br /><br /><span>The young teen has also been charged with two counts of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and burglary, as well as a count of possessing dangerous drugs.</span><br /><br /><span>He did not apply for bail when he faced Townsville Children’s Court onTuesday morning.</span><br /><br /><span>People were spotted laying flowers and tributes where the incident occurred.</span><br /><br /><span>One sign wrote, “Fly high Luie”.</span><br /><br /><span>An anonymous witness, who claimed he saw the vehicle speeding moments before the crash, told the Townsville Bulletin that he was absolutely sure an accident was about to occur.</span><br /><br /><span>“They were doing at least 120km down Hodges Crescent and I said to my missus they’re going to kill someone, there were no police around, just these two cars and they just kept doing blocks,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>Superintendent Glen Pointing said police had seen the car earlier that night.</span><br /><br /><span>“And there was another stolen vehicle getting around to Townsville last night, and there were some reports that those vehicles were getting around the streets driving dangerously,” he said.</span><br /><br /><span>Superintendent Pointing made it clear that at no time did they pursue the car or attempt to intercept it.</span><br /><br /><span>Debris was found across the road, and even a type had been found hundreds of metres away from the crash.</span><br /><br /><span>“Any event like this is a tragedy. We don’t like going to these incidents,” Superintendent Pointing said.</span><br /><br /><span>“As I said, it is a tragedy for the children involved, it is a tragedy for their families, and it is all so confronting to first responders, whether they be police, fire, ambulance. Everyone involved.”</span></p>

Travel Trouble

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Cancer patient to undergo Australia’s first “revolutionary” treatment

<p>Townsville Hospital says it will become the first Australian facility to treat patients with advanced cancer technology designed to target tumours more efficiently.</p> <p>Starting Tuesday, the hospital will use its newly acquired MRI linear accelerator to allow clinicians to use radiation with improved precision and track the movement of tumours in real time.</p> <p>The hospital put in a tender for the machine in 2017, with the equipment and installation costing the state and federal governments $10 million.</p> <p>67-year-old prostate cancer patient John Koch will be the first patient to undergo the treatment at the hospital’s cancer centre on Tuesday.</p> <p>Koch said the technology would shorten the treatment for the three small lesions in his lower abdomen.</p> <p>“I’m excited for what the future holds – it’s revolutionary,” he told the <em><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-10/new-cancer-treatment-technology-to-be-used-in-australian-first/11781558">ABC.</a></em></p> <p>“The last treatment was six weeks; every single day we were up here.</p> <p>“With a shortened treatment, there’s no drama – accommodation, family, everything is just 10 times better.”</p> <p>Radiation oncologist Alex Tan has been treating Koch since his diagnosis in 2014. Tan said the technology decreased the risk of radiation side effects because higher doses could be targeted to small areas, thereby requiring fewer sessions.</p> <p>“We can give the treatment much more quickly and a much higher dose, hopefully with better results and fewer side effects,” he said.</p> <p>“In theory, the side effects are the same as with a normal machine, but because we can deliver the treatment more accurately to a smaller volume of tissue, the side effects should be less than a normal machine.</p> <p>“But we don’t know that yet until we do the research.</p> <p>“I think this will give us the opportunity to do a lot more than what we’ve been able to do before, and that will allow us to advance the dose and the technique that we use.</p> <p>“Then, hopefully, [we can] really start to push the boundaries.”</p> <p>About 120 patients will be able to use the machine in the Townsville facility in its first year of operation.</p> <p>Tan said MR-Linac machines would also be coming to Sydney and Melbourne soon. “It’s something which hopefully will spawn across the country and make this treatment available to many other patients,” he said.</p> <p>Clinicians said while the machine can be used to treat many cancers, not all patients are suitable.</p>

Body

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Crocs could be found “anywhere” experts warn

<p>Freshwater crocodiles have washed up onto Townsville sports grounds, backyards, drains and even a swimming pool after the once-in-a-century flooding.</p> <p>Although they pose little danger, experts are warning residents to stay on the lookout after the abundant sightings of the reptiles in unlikely places.</p> <p>Northern Wildlife Operations manager Michael Joyce said the crocs could possibly be lurking around sports fields, drains and mangroves.</p> <p>"Wildlife officers have already received a number of reports about freshwater crocodiles taking refuge in the suburbs of Townsville," he explained in a statement.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Crocodiles are climbing trees to escape Townsville floodwaters <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/flood?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#flood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/straya?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#straya</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tsvflood?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tsvflood</a> <a href="https://t.co/T8gj8arS2t">https://t.co/T8gj8arS2t</a> <a href="https://t.co/eSkrOncFpu">pic.twitter.com/eSkrOncFpu</a></p> — Chris Bartlett (@bartman6) <a href="https://twitter.com/bartman6/status/1092156664491331584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Mr Joyce warns residents to stay away from any reptile and contact expert removalists to avoid danger.</p> <p>“They are generally timid and are likely to flee at the first sight of people or pets, although they may show defensive behaviour if they feel cornered or threatened,” he said.</p> <p>Just a little over two weeks ago, <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/travel/travel-trouble/crocs-and-snakes-wash-ashore-in-devastating-townsville-floods">a croc was pictured on the driveway</a> of a Townsville resident's home. </p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D1893651137412361%26set%3Da.131094657001360%26type%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="613" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>Across the north and south coast of Queensland, clean-up efforts are in place despite the extent of the disaster still revealing itself.</p> <p>It is believed losses for residents and business owners will well exceed over $600 million and over $1 billion is expected to be lost from the cattle industry.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> <p dir="ltr">Townsville flood. Live to fight another day. Barely got a wink of sleep last night. The water came right up to the edge of the foundation, but no water under the house. Reports of crocodiles seen in the area, but we're okay for now. Thanks again for all the well wishes. <a href="https://t.co/sI85NNbngp">pic.twitter.com/sI85NNbngp</a></p> — Marc Lindsay (@MarcLindsay_) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarcLindsay_/status/1092162202188926976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Mr Joyce urges residents to not attempt to catch, feed or provoke the timid reptiles and instead contact the Crocwatch hotline on 1300 130 372. </p> <p> </p>

Travel Trouble

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Leave your lunch at home and head down to your local Bunnings!

<p>Leave your lunch at home today and enjoy an Aussie staple to help out those in need.</p> <p>Bunnings around the country are firing up their barbecues to raise much-needed money that go towards those who have been impacted by the Townsville floods and the Tasmanian bushfires.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtZxJabhhSv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_test" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BtZxJabhhSv/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_test" target="_blank">Fires, emergencies, smoke, ash, evacuations, despair, anxiety, charred forest are some of the adjectives to describe the last few weeks in little old Geeveston , Huon Valley, Tasmania. 📷abchobart Though not displaced by home, we are certainly displaced by our business in being one of the numbers in this little community. Thank the Lord, thank the TFS, Tas Police &amp; local authorities in sparing lives in this story so far though it’s not over yet ! Geeveston will rebirth, regenerate and literally rise from the ashes when this passes 🙏🏻 Please look forward to the next chapter ... Sincere heartfelt thanks to the many private and other messages to date including @lukewmcgregor @louiselovebrand @stevecumper1 among many others. 💕 • • • #tasmanianfireservice #tasmanianbushfires #geeveston #rosehaven #geevestontasmania #risefromtheashes #therealalannahhill</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/theoldbankofgeeveston/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_test" target="_blank"> The Old Bank Of Geeveston</a> (@theoldbankofgeeveston) on Feb 2, 2019 at 6:19pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Bunnings will have the barbecues running from 9 am to 4pm, so you’ve got plenty of time to get down and help out.</p> <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt181HWgFrG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_control" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="margin: 8px 0 0 0; padding: 0 4px;"><a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bt181HWgFrG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_control" target="_blank">Grab a snag tomorrow from 9am to 4pm at your local store to support our national fundraiser for @givit_aus 🌭 Stores across the country will be behind the BBQ raising funds for the Townsville flood emergency, while the Tassie team will be supporting the recent Tasmania bushfires.</a></p> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/bunnings/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_medium=loading&amp;utm_campaign=embed_locale_control" target="_blank"> Bunnings Warehouse</a> (@bunnings) on Feb 13, 2019 at 5:00pm PST</p> </div> </blockquote> <p>Bunnings partnered with GIVIT, who are directing funds directly to those who need it most in the impacted communities around Australia. </p> <p>GIVIT founder and Director Juliette Wright is on the ground in Townsville, lending a hand to those who have lost everything in the floods.</p> <p><img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7823297/queensland-flood-gallery-5.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/569e6a56b98a4f68b1a9bf33e82f2105" /></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The Townsville floods</em></p> <p>“Front line services, charities and counsels are telling us what people need. And we ask generous Australians to fill that need,” Juliette told <a rel="noopener" href="https://kitchen.nine.com.au/2019/02/14/15/55/bunning-stores-host-sausage-sizzle-for-townsville-floods" target="_blank">9Honey Kitchen.</a></p> <p>“It’s about making sure the people in need get exactly what they need when they need it. Like a mum who has a newborn and a one-year-old and cannot afford an electric kettle,” Juliette added.</p> <p>“We’re focusing on essential items. Safety equipment and cleaning equipment as they’re still in the early phases of recovery.”</p> <p>Will you be heading down to Bunnings today to help raise funds for the victims of the Townsville floods and Tasmanian bushfires? Let us know in the comments.</p>

Money & Banking

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World astonished over devastating Queensland floods: "Never seen anything like it"

<p>With intense rain and flash flooding causing devastation to Townsville and other parts of North Queensland for 11 days, it’s not looking like the weather is going to ease up.</p> <p>With potentially thousands of homes underwater and bridges and roads disappearing due to high flood waters, many residents are trapped in their homes or have been forced to evacuate.</p> <p>As the change in weather is unexpected, this is causing many of our natural wildlife to seek refuge from the floods. This includes crocodiles and snakes.</p> <p>Many residents have reported seeing crocodiles swimming where they shouldn’t be and have seen others wandering up the street.</p> <p>The unexpected new neighbours have caught the attention of the world, with ABC News in the US uploading a video of a crocodile climbing a tree.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en-gb"> <p dir="ltr">"That's unreal!"<br /><br />A crocodile is seen climbing a tree in Townsville, Queensland to escape raging floodwaters. Crocodile warnings have been issued in the Australian city amid "unprecedented" levels of flooding. <a href="https://t.co/5Jf0tep9uH">https://t.co/5Jf0tep9uH</a> <a href="https://t.co/xu7c4K641P">pic.twitter.com/xu7c4K641P</a></p> — ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1092590961010585602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">5 February 2019</a></blockquote> <p>Many have expressed shock, with one commenter saying, “This is just part of life in Queensland, that’s what makes us so great.” He also urged people to visit Australia.</p> <p>Authorities have been sending out daily warnings urging Queenslanders to stay out of the floodwaters.</p> <p>“Playing in flood waters is extremely dangerous, not just because of the unpredictable nature of the water itself, but also because what may lie beneath the surface,” police said in a statement earlier this week.</p> <p>“Crocodiles have been reported in flood waters in parts of Townsville, and there can also be snakes and other wildlife present.”</p> <p>Those affected by the floodwaters have taken to Instagram to showcase the devastation.</p> <p>Scroll through the gallery above to see the devastation the floods in Queensland have caused. </p> <p>Do you know someone who has been affected by the floods? Let us know in the comments.</p>

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Pet detective reunites countless pets with their owners

<p>It’s selfless work, but Townsville woman Heather McKindley doesn’t seem to mind. She runs the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lostpetstownsville">Lost Pets Townsville</a> website and Facebook pages and by doing this, she reunites lost pets with their owners.</p> <p>McKindley has been so successful, she’s lost count!</p> <p>“I love animals. I just see how many animals are looking for their homes and the number of people in the Townsville community who have lost their pets get upset,” she told <a href="https://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/pet-detectives-selfless-work-reunites-countless-pets/news-story/3d8c014d716fd28b7f15153c4e79a47f?nk=8816fb0f5873221c98cd55f3e0795a30-1549257599">The Townsville Bulletin</a>.</p> <p>As McKindley runs seven Facebook pages, it’s safe to say she’s amassed quite a following – with one page having over 8500 people looking for their animals.</p> <p>Her most commonly helped pets include dogs, cats and even birds.</p> <p>As McKindley struggled to fill her time after leaving the army, she figured that a good way to be productive was to help people find their lost pets.</p> <p>“I have chronic manic depression because of the Army … I have panic attacks and things,” Ms Mckindley explained.</p> <p>“At home I can just do things at my own pace, this way I can still help people,” she said.</p> <p>“I just keep working on the page and talking to the people.</p> <p>“I spend a lot of time talking to people, I make a lot of phone calls to vets.”</p> <p>Ms McKindley also generously drops off the pets she finds, which can sometimes lead to interesting stories.</p> <p>“A dog was taken from Townsville… its owners went to see the Cowboys (NRL team). When they were away at the game, the dog went missing.</p> <p>“I found the dog in Charters Towers.</p> <p>“The neighbours had taken the dog for a drive and dumped it.”</p> <p>Have you ever lost a pet and been happily reunited? Share your story with us in the comments below.</p>

Family & Pets

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Crocs and snakes wash ashore in devastating Townsville floods

<p>Thousands of Townsville residents have been forced to evacuate their homes with fears of tornadoes and more rain to hit over the next week.</p> <p>Streets have been turned into rivers in Queensland, with many people having to seek safety on the roof of their homes that have been flooded.</p> <p>Properties are continuing to be threatened as the monsoon that began tearing through the far North Queensland a week ago continues to rage on.</p> <p>Residents in the area were also being encouraged to stay out of flood waters in the streets due to recent crocodile and snake sightings around the area.</p> <p>One large croc washed up onto the driveway of an unsuspecting home residential neighbourhood in Mundingburra on Sunday night.  </p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D1893651137412361%26set%3Da.131094657001360%26type%3D3&amp;width=500" width="500" height="614" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>“Please stay out of the water, it is just not safe,” a concerned Facebook user responded to the picture of the crawling critter.</p> <p>In just seven days of intense flooding, a staggering 1012mm of rain has hit North Queensland, obscuring the previous record of 925mm in 1953.</p> <p>Power to thousands of homes in Townsville has been cut and the main airport closed due to “safety reasons". The Townsville Airport is currently advising people to not travel to the airport as the terminal remains shut.</p> <p> </p> <p><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FTownsvilleAirport%2Fposts%2F2141916739198519&amp;width=500" width="500" height="289" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe></p> <p>Hundreds of people who have fled from their homes that are waist-deep and chest-deep in floodwater are taking refuge in evacuation centres, and with family and friends staying on higher ground.</p> <p>The Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has urged people to stay out of the floodwaters and keep off roads where possible.</p> <p>She described it as a “once in a lifetime” event, also crediting the army and emergency services who worked through the night to ensure the loss of life was prevented.</p> <p>Do you know anyone affected by the devastating Townsville floods? Let us know in the comments below.</p>

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