The Four Plagues

Photo by John Woudstra from The Age

About two years ago, while visiting Australia, we took a road trip with Kate’s family from Sydney to Melbourne. As we were driving out of New South Wales and into the state of Victoria we were confronted with something that I only really thought existed in the bible (and Australia, apparently): a locust plague. Click here for Australia’s latest locust news and forecast hatching dates. It is one of the most disgusting things I have ever experienced. I felt dirty, swarms of flying grasshoppers smashing against the windshield (or windscreen as it is referred to here) as we drove 110kph (68.35miles per hour) down the highway.

Once we got out of the main swarm we pulled over for a coffee but there was no getting away from the locusts. I remember stepping on a patch of grass and as the surface of my shoe hit the ends of the grass, out flew what felt like hundreds of them. It was like shaking out a dusty rug but instead of dust, living insects. They were everywhere- buzzing around my ears, landing on my lips; I felt violated. Seriously, it had a psychological impact. On my Australia pros and cons list, which was completed while still living in NYC, it stood out on the cons side.

Almost two years to the day (I guess more of the pros outweighed the cons, as we are now living in Australia) the state of Victoria is once again being hit by a locust plague (even in the city of Melbourne), this time one of the worst ever. Not to mention that in the last two weeks there have been major floods in western Australia and parts of New South Wales, severe hailstorms in the west of Sydney, and snow (remember, it’s summer) 900km north of Perth. Just a little sampling of the ten plagues? Where am I and what is going on?

Photo by Dallas Kilponen from The Sydney Morning Herald

I take it that this is Australia’s way of saying welcome summer? Or is this just what happens at the ends of the world? I may need to revisit the pros and cons list...