Shake, Rattle and Roll

[crocodileman]

Must share my experiences with you from the Darwin earthquake on 2 March. It really was an amazing 90 seconds.

I've never felt a tremor or an earthquake before, but last night I did. To be honest, it was exciting and disturbing at the same time. At about 8.15pm Darwin time, I was sitting on my lounge reading when things started to bounce around me, literally. I felt the lounge going up and down as if someone was shaking it on a trampoline. It took me about 3 seconds to realise it was indeed an earthquake. After my 3 year old son came running into room asking who was making it 'bumpy' I was tempted to grab him and run but I didn't know if this shaking would continue.

Then there were 3 or 4 large vibrations that forced the fans on the ceiling to shake and causing the pots and microwave in the kitchen knock loudly against each other. As I looked around me the house was indeed bouncing up and down. I felt like a stew bubbling over on the stove.

These vibrations felt as though they would never stop. It seemed like an eternity, but it proably was something like 90 seconds or so. I could hear people in my street outside calling out to each other, dogs barking and general excitment and confusion in peoples' voices.

It appears that the epicenter was in the Banda Sea, north east of East Timor, and roughly 800 km away. I can only imagine the damage that must have been caused closer to its heart.

A very sobering experience.