Forum: Australia and New Zealand 11

Hi all

Just trying to keep the threads short to be kinder to the Wiki software.

The previous thread is located →

http://www.fluwikie2.com/pmwiki.php?n=Forum.AustraliaAndNewZealand10

here’s me…back from the fish market. i can see this is going to be an expensive week

Sorry didn’t realise we were up to 11.

(this is the same as on the 10 thread)

I am lucky i have a yard. Bunnings have water tanks (about 1000 ltrs) from about $450 up. This is on my last minute list. I won’t connect it to the house, but I will have it at the back door and fill it at that stage from the hose.

For last minute, I also have an ABN, and access to a Campbells (wholesale grocery store) about 25 mins up the road. I will be filling my trailer with extra stores, probably 2 or 3 times, they are cheap and everything comes in wholesale sized boxes and containers. I suggest if you have a campbells near you, go for a look, they have almost everything. I got my ABN so I could shop there, and they dont care what type of business you have.

Indo is making me nervous. I am lurking here more than ever now.

(I have no affiliations with either stores mentioned here)

Bumped, to enter this ABOVE my ill-considered post on ten!

I am not particularly concerned about the latest cluster, with emphasis on latest, Indonesia has historically had family clusters and the culture lends itself to these type of events. Extended families eat together, share food sources and chickens are all over country.

If has gone H2H I would expect to see a different pattern to what is happening at the moment. The number of cases and the death dates do not appear to show efficient H2H and the fact that no others, as yet, have shown themselves reinforces this.

BF made its first appearance in Indonesia last July and I expect things will heat up even more over the next few months.

PS Could we get a closure post of old threads before starting a new one. I for one only have open the AUST/NZ thread and have no idea when it is closed unless I see such a post.

Woodstock – at 21:30

Just off topic a little.

If you think fish are expensive now, wait until they push through the marine parks up the east coast. Closing most the beaches between Newcastle and Forster (+more) to the pro fishermen.

Then you will find a very large amount of fish you buy will be imported from SE Asia. On a positive note though, at least they may look into local fish farming more seriously.

Sorry for causing confusion with the new thread - hope everyone’s found this one now!

Piesy001 - I’ve looked at Campbells (Metcash here in WA) and found their prices aren’t any better than specials at Coles or Woolworths. Of course that presumes that there’s time to go through and get all the specials but I’ve been doing that over the last few months. I think I said here before that I doubted anyone would even notice my prep shopping as I tend to get a few things each time, but do pop into the shop most days (it’s fairly close to work). That said, I’ve been a bit blasé recently, but have just done a trip to top some things up. Nothing too scary and certainly not my last-minute items, but just more of some things that I know will get used anyway. I’m not getting powdered milk (for instance) until it’s all happening - I loathe it!

I have also found prices are like sale prices most of the time. I am preping for 5 so I buy most things in boxes. I find it easier to get and to store in the boxes.

I have also been slack lately. I have the a fair bit of the ‘need’ items, but I don’t have what i consider enough room for all the stuff i need. Hence the 2–3 trailer loads last minute. It is easy stuff that I will get, like extra canned food and similar.

In saying that, everytime I think about it or come here, I find more stuff i would like to get, so I am struggling to see an end to what i need. But….its only money… heh

Aziraphale – at 23:55

Are you in Perth?

Having lived there, I know how diificult it is re shopping after hours. I am curious, how will you get around this should there be an outbreak say Saturday after the Coles, Woolworths are shut?

Hi AussieOne - it’s worse than just being in Perth, though I work in the city, I live in a rural area a bit out of the metro zone…

Which I guess is why I’m trying to get well ahead in my stocking. My last minute list is some fresh fruit and veg, and then things I can get locally 7 days - like gas bottle refills and petrol. The scotch and ciggies may have to wait till the following Monday :-)

Piesy001 I agree about finding a new “must have” item every time I come here! I don’t envy you prepping for 5. I’m also stocking food for 2 med-large dogs! At least they don’t complain if they get the same flavor every night.

Pity the poor family in the sticks, although they normally are more self reliant and have a reasonably well stocked pantry. This would be the case anywhere, but particularly in WA where the local servo becomes your local corner shop.

i reckon

As I reported on the previous thread, I have made adequate arrangements to allow my neighbours to stock some 80 litres at least of water. This is more than charity—I don’t want them breaking down my door if they are dieing from thirst!

Also going to possibly buy, at the bell, dog food tinned beef and cat-food tins of tuna, maybe also dog biscuits to give to neighbours in dire need. I shall first remove the labels!!

Old and un-able-bodied, I don’t want to be attacked by others in their desperation, if I can avoid it.

Worth thinking about?

what floor are you on Nikolai?

Re: Self at 03:22

Not mere stinginess. Limited funds. Indeed, if possible, I shall keep those emergency rations for myself. Not Pheasant Under Glass, nor Lobster Newberg, but in worst cases, long timespan back-to-back waves, could get to looking pretty edible! With spare rice for others, not as bad as it sounds.

This old heap of bricks has eight small apartments, four on four. I’m upstairs and very relieved, now that I am far more threat oriented than when I moved in!

Any response to my idea of buying CHEAP preps to possibly help immediate, next door neighbours?

Yes Nikolai. I have bought some barley, lentils, dried peas etc etc and made up vacuum packs to be turned into soup. Very cheap, nutritious and easy to cook if you’re ill

Nikolai---Sydney – at 03:57

Nikolai, if I can offer you some advice.

You offer to much information and while I am certain of the legitimacy of those that we know on this board, it is those that make no appearance that you should be concerned about.

I will not go into to much information to prove this, as I dont want to feed who ever, but just from what you have posted now and over time I know.

1. The suburb that you live in.

2. The type of complex and what floor you live on.

3. Your age.

4. Your heritage.

5. Your first name.

6. Very likely a strong accent.

And more, just a word of caution.

Nikolai: I am on the ground floor…makes me a bit uneasy

AussieOne — 04:13

Yikes! I feel so secure on this wiki, ‘surrounded’ by friends that I have never considered the possibility of any present or future danger! (Bar Panflu51, that is!)

I am grateful for your caution! Truly grateful—and more than a little embarrassed that I should NEED it. I will take your excellent advice to heart. Thank you.

Hi all - AussieOne’s comments are well timed. We should all bear in mind that this site may be or is being harvested by the Way-Back-Machine so it’s all there for posterity as well as any current readers.

I too am making some neighbour packs, though I’m not putting pet food in (though given that all of my neighbours have pets perhaps I should be). Rice/pasta/tinned veg and beans/packet soups. I am surprised to find that I can make a week worth of dinners for around $10.

Good morning all. this weeks specials of note * 400g moconna coffee at coles for $17.99

Good thinking Woodstock! At Woolworths/Safeway -

• Cambells soup $1.25/can
• 750g box Vita Brits $2.49

i’m starting to feel like Dorothy Domestic with all this. I get a warm housewifely glow when i check my cupboards these days ;) How sad..

I know what you mean - I feel like I’ve turned into one of “them” ! A Stepford Wife or something.

maybe we should get “Prepper” aprons made ;)

Interesting news out of Indonesia, isn’t it. Sumatra and Java also a little, have I read? This is cruel, isn’t it! Talk about being mucked about…and by a damned virus yet!

I keep telling myself ‘We don’t have to read this so often!’ but then I answer myself < getting bad, eh? > “Yes, but we need maximal time for last minute buying and filling.”

Unfortunately there isn’t a great western media presence in Indonesia and what there is, is focused on Merapi at the moment. I think we’re just going to have to wait on this one to see what pans out. I’m hoping there’s something definite one way or another at the end of this week.

I still haven’t done my last minute run, but have put away a few more tins of food. Tomorrow = back to work so I won’t have much time to check here during the day.

i’m confused and too afraid to ask on the other threads: So there are 57 samples been sent to HK right?? And this is in addition to the 8 person cluster? Are the 57 from the same area??

I don’t think they’re entirely sure who the samples are from - if there are (another) 57 possible cases or if they are 57 samples from the existing cluster.

It’s very frustrating!

Gaaah!! I’m so confused!!

Nikolai and Prepper Australia: Your cd’s were posted this afternoon :)

I just spotted an article in the Australian media saying businesses were unprepared for a flu pandemic.

http://finance.news.com.au/story/0,10166,19154029-31037,00.html

Thanks, Azi:

Read it and wept. Forty percent absences expected, based I suppose on the old standby, the 1918 experience. Could be anything, especially higher, with this beast, 40% optimistic.

So ‘businesses need to prepare’ do they. Is such advice to be taken as serious? How do you ‘prepare’ for such loss of personnel WHEN YOU ONLY HAVE NOW JUST ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB and cover a little illness, load surge, holidays?

Are there organisations and companies out there keeping on their payrolls FORTY PERCENT extra, unneeded staff?

Is it to be believed those not ill, not caring for loved ones and not afraid to come out into a deadly danger, will be able to handle TWICE the workload, week after week? With empty shops, transport out, petrol scarce, schools closed?

IF IF IF this thing hits with even the impact of 1957, with a very very low death rate, the economy will hit the wall and slide down.

I am not attacking the writer, nor the business community. I am merely (MERELY?) upset at the prospect.

It just “mustn’t” happen, is all! “It ain’t fair!”

< Laugh on, Nikolai! >

Societal expectations and demands on many non-necessities will also reduce in a linear fashion to the absences.

The question to answer is:

Do I consider certain things necessary that a catastrophised, reductive economy doesn’t?

Nik, you’ll be OK because you have your books and you’ll be able to help so many of your mates.

i think i might just warn the boss tomorrow that there is the “Sound of distant thunder” Nothing definative, but warning bells chiming. We have a plan to switch the office over to remote access as soon as H2H is declared so i think it might pay. Comments?

Nikolai, I don’t know if 40% is optimistic or not. In the same way that (maybe) 0.01% of Aus/NZ is prepping, then I imagine it might be a similarly small number of people who would recognise the real threat and stay home. Remember most of them won’t have supplies at home either, and it’s possible that they may get fed by going to work, or be able to use the money earned to get ration stamps or something along those lines.

What may be worse is that if greater than 40% of the population don’t get through an outbreak. How do you rebuild with such a reduced (and traumatised) workforce?

Woodstock - how much involved in moving the office to remote access? Perhaps at least get the planning including any infrastructure in place soon.

OK, now this really is getting closer (geographically) to home.

Bird flu found in fighting cocks on Papua island

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP212447.htm

Azi: i already have the infrastructure set up. As soon as i say the word we will basically just have to divert phones and flip a switch.

Aziraphale:

Thanks for the post on Papua!

Sure, we all know that bird flu in a country only marginally ups our danger, and any airplane could bring it to our shores from wherever, but the psychological effect on everyone will be very substantial when the HPAI actually arrives, I expect.

I sure dread it, I’ll admit. I plan to complete my sixteen weeks by June 10th, and will stop at that level. I will wish for lots of things, but plan NO last-minute preps. How very horrible to do all I have done and then catch a freak whiff of virus! Let’s not get greedy, Nikolai. If I TRULY NEED it, it should be purchased in advance. If I do NOT truly need it, I should not risk my life to get it then.

Just MHO, FWIW to me or any others…

Guys, dont get to carried away, BF has been in Papua for quite some time now. It is not news, it is just another case.

I expect that it is already well entrenched in PNG (making the distinction between the two), although not yet identified.

AussieOne - the article says it’s the first case in Papua (and I do get the distinction between PNG).

“Indonesia has found the avian flu virus in chickens in Papua province, the first bird flu case in the archipelago’s easternmost province”

It does say that it’s over alot of Indonesia though

“Bird flu has been found in poultry in about two-thirds of the country’s 33 provinces.”

If any of you southern-east-coasters feel like a trip to the country, the factory outlet for Ardmona in Shepparton (Victoria) is having a sale.

http://www.ardmonafactorysales.com.au/prices.htm

Aziraphale – at 06:44

I think you will find that Papua has reported H5N1 in the past.

Please see attached map FYI - pdf

AussieOne - I’m going on is what’s reported in the article, haven’t done lots of research :-) However, the map you’ve linked is just showing the outline of Indonesia (including part of Papua) as Indonesia has reported cases. There’s nothing in the map to indicate infections specifically on the island of Papua.

Aziraphale – at 08:02

It has been generally been accepted that it has been there for some time, below is a link to an islanders discussion site.

http://www.tuvalu.tv/tiki/tiki-view_forum_thread.php?forumId=1&comments_parentId=73

The PNG Govt announced in April that they had proof and I expect that is why the Indonesians have come out with confirmation now.

industrynews.net/storyview.asp?storyid=57665

industrynews.net/storyview.asp?storyid=57665

Try again.

Not copying over, so hear is the text.

Bird flu in Papua: PNG Health Minister

Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Jesse Riseborough

PNG Health Minister Sir Peter Barter has confirmed to PNGIndustryNews.net there has been an outbreak of bird flu in the Indonesian province of Papua. However, Jakarta has yet to officially confirm the first case of bird flu in the province.

AussieOne - the story you pasted I can’t load (the link doesn’t work), however it could be that the Reuters story is about the Indonesian govt confirming that story.

Is it from this site?

http://industrynews.net/

The post on the Tuvalu forum is impossible to evaluate as it doesn’t reference anything, and there are no followup posts lending support.

In any case, I’m not the journo behind the article that I linked to, just passing on a link that might be of interest and of course that information needs to be weighed individually by all.

nikolai and aziraphale, you guys should get a room or something. Its like a private chat session.

Geez x - I didn’t think Nikolai and I were that close….

just kidding. hope this thing doesnt hit you guys. besides, you are one of our (USA’s) best allies seeing we are both British prison colonies by creation.

No worries :-) I hope it doesn’t hit _anywhere_ in a big way!

time for a new thread i think..

Closed to increase Forum speed.