Beyond the Deluge: Flood Resilience Stories from the Hunter Valley

The 20-year fog

Karl grew up in apartheid South Africa in a wealthy but emotionally distant Austrian-South African family, experiencing what he now understands as complex trauma rooted in his mother's narcissism and his father's clinical detachment. For decades he dissociated, unaware he was queer until his late twenties when he met a partner and came out to indifference from his family. He moved to London at 27, then Australia, but remained numb and disconnected from himself until the last two years. Only recently, after leaving corporate work and experiencing a workplace sexual harassment case, has he begun to reclaim his creativity, healing practice, and authentic self. He now writes, mentors others in isolation, and teaches people that the answers we seek live in the quiet spaces we're taught to fear.

Karl Germann is a queer South African-born Australian now based in Port Macquarie. He spent two decades navigating dissociation and emotional distance from a privileged but cold family before recognizing his lived experience as trauma. He has since become a Reiki practitioner, author of the children's book The Land Where Unicorns Are Made, and community support worker dedicated to healing and connection.

In this Kintsugi Heroes conversation with John Dwyer, Karl shares the story behind the moments below.

🎙️ IN THIS CONVERSATION:

• Dissociation and small-t trauma can persist silently for decades without dramatic incidents, rooted in emotional distance and hypervigilance from childhood.

• Coming out as queer or reaching any milestone does not instantly resolve the foundational trauma that shaped you.

• Authenticity attracts more meaningful connection and professional success than conformity or self-censorship ever will.

🕒 CHAPTERS:

00:00 Welcome and introduction

01:27 Growing up in apartheid South Africa

08:00 Dissociation, trauma, and the Austrian father

14:30 A narcissistic mother and emotional distance

19:22 Coming out as queer at 27

27:50 Leaving South Africa for London and Australia

35:00 Corporate work, authenticity, and walking away

41:00 Climbing Kilimanjaro and metaphors for life

46:35 Writing, creativity, and The Land Where Unicorns Are Made

50:14 Reiki practice and community connection through Ankali

54:20 Building community, smiling, and winning people over

57:51 Advice for younger selves and closing reflections

🎧 If this story moved you, follow Kintsugi Heroes in your podcast app so you never miss an episode.

📌 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

Out of the Fog: outofthefog.website

carlfox.com: carlfox.com

Lightunitedreiki.com: lightunitedreiki.com

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Welcome.

We're glad you found your way here.

Kintsugi Heroes was created from a simple belief: every person has a story worth sharing, and sometimes the story we need to hear arrives exactly when we need it most.

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Mentioned in this episode:

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Kintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit, and every story we share is free for the people who need it. If this show has meant something to you, you can help us keep going. Visit kintsugiheroes.com.au and click donate. Every contribution helps us keep telling these stories, and it's tax-deductible.

Melissa O'Toole, a well-respected Broke Village local, gives us her perspective on the floods both from her personal experience and from what is now a hub of the village, Magoony's Coffee House, which plays an important part in village life.

Melissa and her husband Paul moved to Broke nearly 30 years ago with their family and had a couple of businesses. Her husband is a teacher at St Catherine's School in Singleton.

She worked for 18 years in local businesses in the area, including Margan Wines. On their two-acre property on the outskirts of the village, they have a catering business, Motty's Farm Cuisine, and a guest house called Red Tractor Retreat.

They had an antique shop many years ago and took on the old garage where they are now to open another antique shop, but have now turned it into a cellar door. Their son Ryan runs the now iconic Magoony's coffee house in the same location.

Melissa highlights the challenges of rebuilding and finding strength in the face of the devastation caused by the floods and provides outstanding examples of neighbours and volunteers offering assistance and support.

She describes how the community bonded and thrived amidst the challenging circumstances of a natural disaster and how places like the Broke Village Hall and Magoony's Coffee House enable people to gather and share their experiences and to continue to support those who are still dealing with the aftermath of the floods.

Melissa has a positive but realistic outlook about the future of Broke, where floods are part of the history of their environment.

‘I think most likely there will be another flood…a lot of people have got their own views, but I don't have a concern for my future of living here. If it's going to happen, it's going to happen. It was one in a hundred-year flood. Maybe it's another hundred years.’

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

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Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Chris Brooks, the proprietor of the iconic Wollombi Tavern during the July 2022 flood, is a resilient and community-oriented individual. In the early eighties, when Chris was in the army he discovered the tavern during regular trips to Singleton.

Originally a builder from Sydney, in 2016, he and his wife decided to buy a small hobby farm and drew a circle around two hours from Sydney, and Wollombi happened to fall into that circle. They looked at a few properties, from Goulburn up to Singleton, then found the property they liked in Wollombi. ‘I said to my wife, “I want to buy my little piece of Australia.” We lived in this stupid big house in Sydney, but we knew only the two people next door to us and people across the road.’

Chris mentioned to his friends that, ‘There’s this little pub there that I love, and if it ever came up for sale, I’d buy it.’ Which he did, in 2017. Passionate about preserving local history and traditions, Chris took on the challenge of running the historical pub, embracing its rich heritage dating back to the early 1800s. His commitment to Wollombi and its residents reflects his deep connection to the area and his unwavering dedication to preserving its unique character.

Wollombi is a small village, ‘two hours from Sydney, but a long way from anywhere’. The tavern is one of the major focal points for the local community. For tourists, it’s the biggest attraction in the village.

Despite facing numerous adversities, including bushfires, floods, and Covid lockdowns, Chris remained dedicated to the tavern and the community it served. As a volunteer firefighter, he embodies the spirit of service and resilience, facing challenges with determination and positivity.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

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Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Bernadette lives with her husband, Max, on a property called Broke Estate on the outskirts of Broke where they have accommodation, a vineyard, and cattle. They were on other side of the road collapse that blocked of the local villages. Eventually they could get to Singleton but it was a few days before they could get into Broke.

‘It was scary because we were very isolated. We were on an island because there was water all around us, and the road to Singleton was closed. Our neighbours were also blocked off from us. We thought if we did get stuck there, we could go up into the ceiling and onto the roof, but we didn't think the flood would get that high. We had to stay calm.’

Their house was not flooded but they had many other challenges on the property including the need to rescue their livestock, but they were able to observe what was happening around them.

‘The connection to the village really came for us once the road opened, and we were able to go down and be part of the village and of that recovery check-in point at the community centre. It was like a war zone. It was very sad to see the devastation; it was dirty and wet. The sun was shining, and it was really eerie.’

She observed that the local community is very strong, aiding in the recovery with support from various services, officials, and volunteers.

Bernadette’s level preparedness for natural disasters was tested and she realised the importance of better evacuation plans and resources.

Bernadette believes Broke village is bouncing back but also bouncing forward, and describes the significance of wellness initiatives, community involvement, and support services in fostering connectedness and resilience.

Support Bernadette's Business

Broke Estate: https://brokeestate.com.au/

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

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Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Rob Gordon gives us a powerful and detailed explanation of the effects on the human psyche of trauma from disasters and describes strategies for healing. He is warm and compassionate and his examples which all come from his experience over many years illustrate the complexity of the human response to tragic events and explain why it can take many years to recover.

Many of our other guests have come to the same conclusion as Rob that the most important ingredient of healing from this type of trauma is to have strong support and social networks.

Biography

Rob Gordon is a psychotherapist who has been working with Bushfire Recovery since the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983. And he's also been a consultant to the Victorian government and the Red Cross for disasters since 1989. Rob has a private practice in psychotherapy at Box Hill in Victoria

Contact

[email protected]

Check out our Special Series about Recovery from the 2019/2020 Bushfires

Kintsugi Heroes: Alpine Series (YouTube)

Kintsugi Heroes: Alpine Series (Audio RSS)

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

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Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Mick is a man who was acknowledged by the village as being an absolute hero when it came to supporting the community. His operational role was essential and his heart was huge when it came to supporting the local people.

Born in 1963 he was in the Army from 1981 to 2013. In 2016 he moved with his wife to Broke where he owns a small business.

He was the Singleton Citizen of the year for 2023 and is the president of the Broke Residents Community Association.

Mick’s story is about his personal experience of the flood as well as sharing the story of being in charge of the operations centre at the Broke Community Hall during the 2022 catastrophic flood.

“Because of my 30-odd years in the military, mainly overseas in operations, I came into the job to head up the operations centre because I knew what was involved and that when I was down there at the hall, I had to portray, okay, this is what we've got to do and get it done.”

Like many others in the area his animals are an important part of his life.

“We discussed it when they came and saw us about evacuating my wife, Min, but we couldn't go because of the animals; we've got three dogs, two cats, and chickens. I don't think our biggest dog, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, would have been happy getting in a tinny to cross a raging river.”

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

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Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Carina and her husband Leith were severely impacted by the 2022 flood but because they live at Warkworth, away from the main flood area and cut off by flooded roads, they were not assisted by emergency services.

“I was a little bit bitter that nobody had come, simply because if Leith hadn't been here, I would not have left. I would have waited for someone to come and save me. The dog and I would have been on my bed because that's the highest point and there was literally no one coming for us.

“In the future, I want them not to forget the little people. The alerts had come through Bulga, Broke, and Singleton. For some reason, I thought that because Warkworth wasn't named, we must be OK. It's a silly attitude, but it is what it is.”

Her husband Leith has also shared their story and both together offer us a devastating picture of their what they went through and it is still not over for them.

Carina’s story is raw and very honest but, like the other Kintsugi Heroes we have spoken to, she expressed her gratitude at the many acts of generosity and kindness from members of their community.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Annie is a volunteer firefighter and a deputy captain with Wollombi Brigade in the Lower Hunter District. During the floods in 2022, along with many other firefighters in Wollombi Brigade, she undertook the daunting task of cleaning out local residents' flooded homes and businesses.

She learnt how important it was for residents to start the recovery process amidst their tears, left over fears and sense of hopelessness.

The floods didn't affect her home because she lives on a hill, although the sight of the tiny creek on her road turning into a river the width of the Hunter was something she hopes to never see again.

Annie’s story from both her personal and her role in the RFS captures the commitment and compassion of the local volunteer organisations that are the bedrock of rural communities.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Kirsty and Quinton McCleod are a couple who manage Starline Alpacas Farmstay in Broke. They have a shared passion for farming, agritourism and for the growth and development of our region.

Quinton came to the region with an interest in viticulture , but his farming background saw him return to his first love, and Alpacas took the limelight.

Kirsty hailing from a Criminology background saw her work like pivot in a rural setting where she found a love for finding a way to make the farming experience and tourism accessible to everyone.

During the flood they used their resources to shelter as many families as they were able to. Having kids of their own they recognised the importance of having a space for kids to feel moments of normality and safety away from flood waters whilst their parents navigated rebuilding their lives. Along with some incredible local educators we were able to provide a space for a play group .

Kirsty and Quinton share their insights and observations of the devastating impact of the flood on Broke and the residents following some rough years of drought fire and the pandemic.

Their love for their community shines through their words as does their strong belief in the future of this special region.

Social Media

www.starlinealpacas.com.au

https://www.instagram.com/starlinealpacasfarmstayresort/

https://www.tiktok.com/@starlinealpacas

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

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Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.

Leith has a heart rending story about the events of the 6th of July 2022, when he and his wife, Carina, were caught up in the floods and lost everything.

Their village, Warkworth, was out of the way and not part of the hub of activity in the area, but they were heavily impacted on the day of the flood.

They ended up camping by the roadside in atrocious conditions until they were separated by the need for his wife to have a safe space to live. They felt abandoned by the emergency services but were eventually supported by their neighbours and community members.

"Unfortunately, the short-term goal of this situation is to raise awareness of many of these issues and find out why people like us were forgotten. "

"We had no communication to know what other people were doing apart from people stopping by. We saw no emergency services. We had nothing; we had no information besides this water is in our house now. The only assistance we received was from some community people and a couple of stubborn mates who drove out to help out. The area was shut, locked down with floods happening all around."

"If people want to help, the help has to be appropriate. Sometimes, it's not. Some people can hinder, and some people can help.

They are both suffering ongoing trauma. Leith has spent much of the past two years in often fruitless attempts to salvage their precious possessions flooded out in their three sea containers on the property. Carina tells her story in another Kintsugi Heroes podcast.

*****

We hope that you enjoyed this episode of Beyond the Deluge and Kintsugi Heroes.

Please take care: if you have been triggered by listening to this episode we recommend you get in contact with someone who can help keep you safe and give you the support you need. This may be Lifeline, AA, a friend, a counsellor, or some other support group.

If you’d like to share your story on Kintsugi Heroes, please get in touch by contacting us via the website here - https://www.kintsugiheroes.com.au/contact

We hope you continue enjoying the heroes stories!

Warmly,

The Kintsugi Heroes team

YouTube || Facebook || Instagram || LinkedIn || Website

Theme Song: "Broken" by Colin Lillie

This episode of Kintsugi Heroes was made possible in partnership with Singleton Neighbourhood Center with grant funding from the Hunter New England and Centre Primary Health Network.