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Rowan Miller, AKA Biggles, reports on the collection and delivery of goods to fire ravaged East Gippsland: I have been asked to give you an update on the goods we collected and took down to Bairnsdale for the Rotary East Gippsland Fire Relief. Firstly ... I know that everyone believes that pictures tell the true story ... BUT I would like to point out that the pictures in last week's Bulletin DO Not convey how it was! We don't take fridges through doors sideways - We don't walk up boards sideways into a van which must also be lying on its side - And finally ... I don't normally lie on my side on trolleys tied to a wall in a van on its side (Ed note - while in the Bulletin that was distributed last week, the pictures in the President's column were the right way up, apparently on some computers they are shown sideways) Alex & I collected some items from Cranbourne from Rev Cohen & other items were collected as a result of offers made on Australia Day. I think Annie & Hardy did this and all goods were delivered to Neil's Rotary shed. A large double door fridge was collected from Mt Eliza thanks to Leanne Porter. We then loaded up the items from Neil's in the pouring rain on Saturday afternoon. I made a few more collections over the next two days and on the day of departure the Van was completely full to the back doors. Margaret & I went down on Tuesday morning with a very heavy Van trailer ... which as always does, when one is doing a good deed ... decided to blow one of the tyres to pieces ... right beside a speed camera on the freeway ... the temptation to park just in from of him to block the picture taking was great ... but I resisted doing the incorrect thing! We arrived at Bairnsdale and the delivery point in Lucknow (east suburb of Bairnsdale) early afternoon and we were met by some very friendly Rotarians. After the factory door was cleared of a crane and container, we unloaded. The Rotary Club of Mt Eliza managed to collect: - 3 fridges - 3 generators - 2 washing machines - a freezer - literally hundreds of manual tools (spades, shovels, crow bars, hammers, saws, etc) - a large number of power tools (drills, jig saws, rotary hammer drills, nailing guns, etc) John Fallon and the other local Rotarians were most grateful for what we managed to collect and transport down, saying that, in due course, all items will be used by those who need them. At this time they are not seeking too much more, as they simply don't have the space and storage places at Bairnsdale. In saying that they did say that maybe items can be collected and if we store them here, then at a future date when required they could be transported down. On the whole, I feel that this was a very successful effort by some RCME members for a very worthwhile and needy cause. After a cuppa we made our way home, arriving at approximately 8.30 pm. On behalf of all Club Members thanks to Rowan and Margaret and those other Rotarians who helped with this wonderful effort (Ed)
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