this was real, and terrifying.
I was in a tent.
Not long dropped my 16m.
Tall trees came down all around us.
Technology meter not working at site as 15 k to 20 kn all morning. Most days wind meter very reliable. Love the E to SE at this spot.
I had probly packed up from kiting 1/2hr before, was working on cooking dinner. No sign of it coming.
They called it a mini cyclone and it went thru back of noosa/cooroy/tewantin etc. We were camping at lake cootharaba.
Some tents with gear in them were lost from the campsite never to be seen again.
We were in a large dome tent with 3 rooms, we were in the middle section. One entire side was collapsed against us with the force of the wind, and the hail was hitting us thru the tent wall as well as flying sticks etc. We were basically holding the tent down.
My car was near us as well, somehow it came thru totally unscathed. There were big trees dropped all around it and us, had to move some to drive out.
My plastic kite gear box got nearly 1/2 full of water and ice in 15 mins.
We stayed and drove out 2 days later, the SES were still out in a few places clearing the roads.
Probably the scariest experience of my life.
I was sailing down the nsw coast many yrs ago about 15nm out to sea in a summer noreaster, a southerly squal line from horizon to horizon came at us out of clear blue skys. I was able to drop sails
it was only 300-400m in depth. It was blowing i don't know, 60+knots for about a minute of mayhem...
Then back to ne and we watched it from behind as it continued up the coast
surreal
Was right in the thick of it... I remember crouching behind that brick BBQ with some other windsurfers as we watched the carnage unfold around us.
seabreeze.com.au/forums/Windsurfing/General/QLD-Windsurfing-Xmas-Party/
Fun times