The Storm Before the Calm: Waiting for Cyclone Alfred
A Week in the Life of a Working Traveller - Week 2
In March 1899, one of the deadliest cyclones in Australian history slammed into the Queensland coast.
Cyclone Mahina, a Category 5 monster, tore through Cape York the northernmost tip of Australia, with apocalyptic fury, bringing a storm surge so powerful it lifted a 500-tonne ship 40 feet into the air and left waves of fish stranded in trees - including dolphins found on 50ft cliffs on Flinders Island.
The devastation was unimaginable. Over 400 lives lost, entire fleets of pearling ships obliterated, and communities simply erased from existence.
It remains the most intense cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.
The worst part was that no one saw it coming. There were no satellites, no early warnings, no technology to track its path.
The first people knew of Mahina's arrival was when the winds began to scream, the sea rose like a wall, and everything changed in an instant.
Today, we've got advanced forecasting, detailed evacuation plans, and sophisticated early warning systems. And yet, even with all that information, there’s still not much anyone can do when a cyclone is brewing offshore. Because no matter how much we think we know, nature does what it wants.
And this week, as Cyclone Alfred edges closer to Queensland I've been feeling that strange mix of preparation and helplessness, not just with the storm, but with my own body.
Because, as luck would have it, I've spent the week battling a brutal, Covid-esque flu while also keeping an eye on the cyclone updates. We’re safe enough, five floors up in an apartment in the city, but when a storm like this is approaching, you can't help but feel the nervous energy in the air.
The supermarket shelves emptying, the anxious chatter, the increasingly urgent weather alerts. Along the coastline, people are boarding windows, securing boats, and preparing for impact while the waves pound harder against the shore and the gusts grow stronger.
And so we wait, as it inches closer. With some 80,000 homes along the coast already without power, and Brisbane likely to see flooding and outages in the coming days, we’ve stocked up the pantry, filled water bottles, and dug out some candles - just in case.
Between the fever, the bone-deep exhaustion, and the looming cyclone, it's been a surreal kind of week. And yet, in true "when it rains, it pours" fashion, I've still managed to get a few things done.
Here's what's been happening:
This Week: Forced Rest and New Clarity
Unexpectedly being sick as a dog does have its silver linings. As this mystery bug has anchored me to my sofa, it’s created an unexpected space for deep thinking, research and watching lots of training videos from courses I've signed up for but never got around to (we've all been there, right?).
And while digging deep into the products I want to launch under my new ecom brand - Grey Nomad, I had a bit of an epiphany about the focus of my overall brand The Working Traveller.
After 15 years deeply immersed in side hustles and the make-money-online world, it’s become apparent that my interests are evolving. I still love talking about turning passions into profits, but as I get older, I'm drawn to a more holistic approach to freedom.
Freedom Beyond the Hustle
Many of us Gen X'ers have reached a different stage. We've accumulated some financial resources or assets that we can leverage to fund travel and we're far more interested in experiences and making the most of our time than grinding out an online business 24/7.
That's why I'm shifting my focus more towards:
Longevity: How travel helps us stay young, vital, and mobile for as long as possible
Connection: Engaging with people, places, history, and culture to keep our brains active and energised
Purpose: Launching passion projects because they give our lives meaning (and put a few quid in our pockets) - whether that's a small online business, volunteering, writing a book, or starting a non-profit venture
So this week, in between weather reports, The Abyss & Avatar (love me a bit of James Cameron, might even settle down to Titanic later!), I’ve mapped out a whole new content plan, complete with fresh lead magnets, to ensure I’m attracting the right crowd - ie, those who refuse to settle for the ordinary and want to make the most of every moment, no matter their age, and I’m excited to connect with older nomads and travellers around the world who are living their best lives!
Products That Make Life on the Road Easier
And with this slight shift in focus, though I thought I had my first product for ‘Grey Nomad’ locked in last week, after further research, I realised it’s not the right fit at this stage.
So I've pivoted and am now exploring several promising options which speak to the travellers I want to connect with directly:
Hiking poles specifically designed for active older adventurers
Rolling backpacks that combine convenience with comfort
Lavender sleep patches for planes and sleeping in unfamiliar surroundings
Bag GPS trackers for peace of mind
And my personal favourite: a lightweight hiking pole that transforms into a crutch stool (though it's expensive, making it a bit of an outsider at the moment)
I've ordered samples and plan to run a poll in my Facebook Group when they arrive.
I know there comes a point when you have to just pick something and go with it, but having run a successful Amazon business in the past, I understand how crucial product selection is. I want to give this brand the best possible chance to launch with a bang and create products that truly make a difference!
So What’s the Lesson?
The lesson for this week isn’t just that forced rest can bring clarity, it’s that we shouldn’t wait for life to force us into stillness before we take the time to reflect.
We live in a world that celebrates momentum. Keep going, keep building, keep grinding. But when was the last time you stopped? Not because you had to, but because you chose to?
When was the last time you deliberately carved out space to think about whether you’re still on the right path?
Because if we don’t create that space, life will do it for us. Through illness, burnout, or sheer exhaustion, we’ll be forced to stop and re-evaluate, often at the worst possible time.
And the truth is, as we get older, this isn’t just important, it’s essential.
Time is no longer an endless resource, and we don’t have the luxury of spending years on things that drain us. Every moment we have left is an opportunity to live with intention, to do what lights us up, to make choices that align with who we are now, not who we were ten years ago, or who society expects us to be.
So the real takeaway is this: don’t wait for a storm—literal or metaphorical—to force you into reflection. (See what I did there! 😉)
Build time into your week to check in with yourself. Ask the hard questions.
Am I still excited about this?
Does this still bring me joy?
Is this what I truly want?
And if the answer is no, give yourself permission to change direction. Not out of panic, not out of guilt, but out of a deep commitment to living fully.
Because at this stage in life, we’ve earned the right to live exactly how we want to.
Now, I’m heading back to bed with my Anticol sweets and menthol rub to wait out both this bug and the impending cyclone.
Stay safe and well. See you next week!
Have you ever had to wait out a natural disaster? Or found unexpected clarity during a period of forced rest? I'd love to hear your experiences in the comments!
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