Tree over the road? No problem!
Believe me NOTHING stops intrepid thespians from getting to rehearsals!
Chris Stedman lives on Longacre Rd which was in flood when he drove home on Monday, June 18, arriving at 6pm. With his son Reuben, who is in charge of sound for Ringing Changes, Chris
headed back down Longacre on his way into town to a rehearsal at Repertory Theatre. About 3km down the road a tree had fallen right across it. Chris rang Ted Charlton, the director, to tell him there was a problem and Ted offered to drive as far as the obstruction and take Chris and Reuben into town from there. Chris told him that wasn't possible as there was flooding over the road. Resourceful Chris went home to fetch his chainsaw and his bigger four wheel drive, well equipped to deal with all eventualities.
Chris cut the tree, a Lombardy poplar, into three sections. "I attached the tree to the power winch on the four wheel drive and was able to move it to the side of the road creating a clear lane. I was lucky the neighbour arrived and gave me a hand and I was lucky I was home before the tree fell or I'd have had to walk about 3km in the dark and mud. The road floods sometimes because the culverts aren't big enough and the water floods all over the road then goes back down into the creek again. Fortunately it doesn't happen too often. It was just a flash flood. I got into Rep at about eight o'clock but I was pretty keyed up after all that excitement."
You have to admire such dogged determination to make it in to Rep despite the challenges, but, as the saying goes. the show must go on. Well done Chris!
