Life Update: Our Home Flooded & We’re Living in Emergency Housing

Hey friends,

This isn’t the blog post I planned to write.
In fact, I had a dozen drafts, SEO ideas, and Pinterest strategies all lined up…
And then life came in like a wrecking ball—literally through the floorboards.

On 21st of May, 2025, our home flooded.
Not a little leak. Not a quick fix.
We’re talking major water damage—the kind that destroys belongings, uproots your life, and turns everything into chaos overnight.

This was a major disaster in our state with thousands of people losing their homes, cars, businesses, cattle and their livestock, and unfortunately, some lives were lost. 

9news.com.au

Right now, me and the kids are living in emergency housing while our home is being gutted and rebuilt.

What Happened

The flooding hit fast. One minute I was folding laundry, the next I was trying to move my kids and what we could carry to higher ground.

It had been raining pretty constantly for a few weeks beforehand, so the ground was already wet, so when the Rain started, it simply had nowhere to go but up. Mix that with a king tide from our river, and we ended up with almost a metre of water through our house within hours. 

We started with putting towels and blankets behind the doors, trying to keep the water out, but quickly realised that wasn’t going to work. After a quick conversation, and ankle deep water through the house, we decided it would be safer for the children to abandon ship, so to speak. We packed go bags, moved valuables onto tables, top bunks, anywhere high up, and walked through the flood water to get to our neighbour’s house across the road, as her house is a lot higher up. We stayed there for 2 nights before the SES came and evacuated us all. By that stage, we had almost a meter of water through our house.

We lost furniture. Clothes. My children’s schoolbooks. The pantry.
And the worst part? That feeling of powerlessness, watching your safe space fall apart.

All my children’s toys, clothes, belonges, are just gone. Just like that. 

But you know what didn’t drown?
My determination.
And my absolute refusal to let this be the end of the story.

I clearly took time away from this blog as it quickly became the least important thing to me while my children were homeless, and my mental health and brain power were so busy focusing on purely surviving, I just didn’t have the mental space for everything else. 

Now, after almost 3 weeks, we’re all settling into a new routine and I can breathe a little easier. 

Rebuilding (In Every Sense of the Word)

Right now, I’m juggling:

• Living in emergency accommodation with five kids
  
• Coordinating rebuild timelines with the insurance company
  
• Replacing everything from mattresses to spoons
  
• Still parenting, budgeting, and trying to breathe
  

It’s exhausting. It’s messy. It’s a little traumatic, if I’m honest.
But it’s also showing me how strong we are. How resourceful we can be when we have no other choice. How grateful I am for every small kindness—from friends, strangers, even online support.

What I’ve Learned (So Far)

Here’s what this flood taught me (besides the importance of decent drainage and knowing where your insurance documents are):

• Emergency funds are lifesaving. Every dollar I had saved gave me just a bit more breathing room. If you’re not saving yet, start. Even $5 a week can build your safety net.
  
• Minimalism isn’t a trend—it’s sanity. When everything’s been stripped away, you start to see what actually matters. (Spoiler: it’s not the stuff.)
  
• It’s okay to pause. I haven’t posted in over three weeks. That used to stress me out. But life happens, and survival has to come first. If you’re building a dream, it’s okay to take breaks.
  

Where I’m At Now

We’re safe. That’s the most important thing.
We’ve got a roof over our heads, food on the table, and WiFi (which, honestly, is keeping my sanity intact).

Our home is being rebuilt, piece by piece.
And in a strange way, so am I.

I’m still blogging. Still dreaming. Still building financial freedom.
But now I’m doing it from a different starting point—and with even more fire in my chest to make sure me my kids and are never this vulnerable again.

Thank You for Sticking With Me

If you’ve been waiting for new posts, thank you for your patience.
If you’re new here, welcome to the chaos—I promise it comes with a lot of honesty, grit, and caffeine.

The next few posts will dive back into what Pennies and Passports is all about:
Saving money. Traveling smarter. Building wealth. And rising from whatever life throws your way.

But today, I just needed to let you in on what’s been going on behind the scenes.

Thanks for being here.
I’ll be back soon—with more updates, more financial tips, and hopefully… fewer natural disasters.

– Heather 💛

✨ P.S.

If you’ve ever dealt with a flood, house fire, or any kind of sudden loss—I see you. You’re not alone. Feel free to share your story in the comments, or send me a message if you need someone who gets it.