SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - When the Queensland floods occurred in Australia over the Christmas holidays and into the new year, Haley Mathisen was right in the middle of it.

Yellowknifer Haley Mathisen and her partner Mark Henderson experienced the Queensland flooding in December and January. - photo courtesy of Haley Mathisen

The 26-year-old Yellowknifer has been in Australia since last February. Her partner, Mark Henderson, is from the city of Bundaberg, about 400 km north of Brisbane.

The couple decided to travel to the city for the Christmas holidays, arriving Dec. 22 two days before the flooding started in the area.

"If we had left any later, we would've got stuck as many people did, because parts of the highway started closing down," said Mathisen.

"Many people spent their holidays away from their loved ones stuck as the flood water began to rise ahead of them and road closed signs began popping up everywhere."

The series of floods known as the Queensland floods began last December mainly in the state of Queensland including its capital city, Brisbane. The floods forced thousands from towns and cities.

As the rivers rose in Bundaberg the house the couple were staying in was in the dry section of town. Residents in other areas in the city weren't as fortunate.

"The CBD (central business district or downtown) of Bundaberg was partially underwater, the river rose up to just under the bridge," said Mathisen.

"The bridges ended up closing and people on the north side were stranded in their homes for days."

The couple headed back to Brisbane on Jan. 4 where they stayed with Henderson's family members while looking for an apartment. Mathisen went back to work at a cafe and learned flooding was soon to be expected in the city.

"Customers and staff alike kept their eyes peeled to the two TVs we have on the walls as news came in about how all this water was heading Brisbane's way, and as the death toll and missing persons list grew bigger and bigger," said Mathisen.

"Our restaurant received notice from council that we were in a high risk area for flooding and we should start taking precautions. We closed down and moved all the valuables upstairs."

Arriving home that night she heard on the news that this flood would be worse than the 1974 floods where the river peaked at 5.45 metres.

"It felt kind of surreal because everyone, including the premier of Queensland, was urging people to take precautions, to not partake in any unessential travel, and to find out if your property was affected in the 1974 floods," said Mathisen.

"Because if it was, then you should evacuate now, not later when you have to be rescued by emergency services."

In the end, the river didn't rise as high as the 1974 flooding but the destruction was still evident. The river peaked at approximately 4.5 meteres. Thousands of people's properties were damaged; 35 people were killed in Queensland because of the floods and as of Jan. 26 nine people were still missing.

"It was pretty crazy," said Mathisen. "But it didn't really sink in, in terms of how much devastation it had actually caused or what it meant for Brisbane."

Here in Yellowknife, Lizzie Close has helped organize a fundraiser for victims of the Queensland flooding.

Originally from Ipswich, a suburb in Queensland, the Australian has been living in Yellowknife for more than two years. Through friends and family in the country, she has been following events closely.

"A lot of places are still without power," said Close.

"Even in Brisbane's (downtown) there are major buildings that have no power, so people can't get to work ... there are whole streets in Brisbane in certain suburbs where every house has gone under."

The fundraiser will be at the Mackenzie Lounge in the Yellowknife Inn on Saturday night beginning at 7:30 p.m. The money raised at the event will go toward the Queensland Premier's Disaster Relief Fund to help victims of the flooding.

"There are so many Australians living in Yellowknife and I think it would be pretty safe to say that there isn't an Aussie living here who doesn't have someone living at home who's been directly affected by what's going on," she said.

Musical acts Smooth Digression and James Boraski and Momentary Evolution will be playing at the event. The fundraiser is being held three days after Australia Day which Close thought would be appropriate.

"I really feel that the community has a desire to reach out and say to Aussies, 'you know mate we're here for you," she said.

Close said donations will be accepted at the event.

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