Category Archives: headline

headline

Car sought in search for missing campers Russell Hill and Carol Clay

Police are looking for a particular car in their search for campers Carol Clay and Russell Hill, who vanished in the Victorian Alps almost one year ago.

That vehicle is described as a white dual cab, four-wheel-drive utility ute but the exact make and model is not confirmed.

"Now we understand that this vehicle was parked near the long drop toilet, or the public toilet and a small suspension bridge over the one again a river, which is, is within fairly close proximity to where we know that Russell and Carol camped," Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said.

UNDER INVESTIGATION: The mystery disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol Clay

Missing Carol Clay and Russell Hill.Under Investigation: Location of the campsite

"The next night – so I stress that this is on the Thursday night of the 19th – so the night before we believe, Russell and Carol disappeared."

Investigators say there is nothing linking the car or the occupants with the 73 and 74-year-old's disappearance from Wonnangatta.

However, police have not given up hope that those travelling in the ute may have some information that is new to investigators.

Police have been able to identify all vehicles seen in the area near Mr Hill and Ms Clay's campsite on March 20 last year – with the exception of the ute.

"It might seem like only a very small possibility that those in the white ute will have information about Russell and Carol's disappearance but we can't afford to leave any stone unturned," Det Insp Stamper said.

"I appreciate this is not an especially uncommon vehicle. However, if you or someone you know with a white dual cab ute was in the Wonnangatta area around 20 March last year then we need to hear from you."

Under Investigation: Carol Clay and Russell Hill

Police remain keen to speak to anyone who was in the Wonnangatta area around March 20, including campers, 4×4 day trippers, hunters, fishermen or trail bike riders, regardless of whether they saw or heard anything.

Detectives are also keen to speak to anyone who was in the area of Howitt Plains and Zeka Spur Track on March 19 or 20, and the Wonnangatta Valley and Wonnangatta Station between 20-24 March.

Detectives received information about the sighting of an older person or pair in the Black Snake Creek, Eaglevale River crossing and the Ollies Jump area on March 22-23, but have never been able to establish if this was the missing campers.

The pair's disappearance has become a national story, with no sign of Ms Clay or Mr Russell since the investigation began.

Police say they are yet to fully determine if their disappearance is suspicious.

Mr Hill left his Drouin home on March 19 and collected Ms Clay from her home in Pakenham in his white Toyota Landcruiser.

He was last heard from on March 20 via HF radio stating he was at Wonnangatta Valley in the Victorian Alps when he made the call.

Ms Clay told friends she was heading away and was expecting to return home on March 28 or 29.

Their campsite was found burnt out with their mobile phones gone.

Mr Hill's DJI Mavic drone was also missing and has not been found.

Ms Clay and Mr Hill were not married but are understood to have been in a relationship for some 20 years and were high school sweethearts.

Ms Clay was divorced but Mr Hill was still married at the time the two went missing.

READ MORE: Elderly couple camping in Victorian Alps declared missing

Mr Hill was an experienced camper with friends saying he understood the rugged terrain of the area and would never wander into the dense bushland.

Det Insp Stamper said the families of the pair had suffered greatly over the last 12 months and wanted answers.

"The grief that these families have had to deal with over the past year, coupled with immense public speculation, is immensely difficult to comprehend.

"We will not give up on the possibility that we can give those families the answers they need – but we cannot do this without the public's help."

headline

Questions raised over New Zealand tsunami evacuation system

New Zealand Minister for Emergency Management Kiri Allan said the country's tsunami alert system will be reviewed in coming days after questions were raised over why an evacuation order took so long to be downgraded.

Residents in the North Island were told to evacuate their homes and head to higher ground after a series of quakes hit off the coast this morning.

A 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck at 2.27am (12.27am AEDT), about 178 kilometres north-east of the city of Gisborne and near the Kermadec Islands.

New Zealand

READ MORE: The latest news updates in our live blog

Another 7.4-magnitude quake hit at 6.40am local time and a third – the largest at 8.1-magnitude – struck at 8.28am.

Minister Allan said thousands of people were advised to leave their homes amid fears a devastating tsunami could hit the coastline.

This alert was not downgraded until 3.45pm (1.45pm AEDT).

"We will be looking to stress test the system over the course of the next few days," Minister Allan said.

She said they would review whether sufficient people received notifications and that being surrounded by water, New Zealanders should always have an evacuation plan in place.

"Tsunamis are a big part of our lives, have your packed bag ready to go, have a plan," she said.

The largest waves triggered by a trio of powerful earthquakes in New Zealand have now passed, authorities say.

New Zealand

While people evacuated from their homes to higher ground on the northern coast of the North Island are now safe to return, officials have warned the threat has not passed entirely.

People were advised to stay away from the beaches and shorelines if they are in the North Cape, the Chatham Islands and the northern part of the East Coast.

"Coastal inundation (flooding of land areas near the shore) is no longer expected as a result of this event," New Zealand's National Emergency Management Agency said in a statement.

"We are advising people to move out of the water, do not go to the coast to watch the unusual wave activity."

Meanwhile in Samoa, the tsunami watch has been cancelled entirely.

A tsunami warning has also been cancelled for Norfolk Island.

What appeared to be the first series of tsunami waves to hit the New Zealand coastline now appear to be the only surge.

Seismic activity over New Zealand overnight, including three major earthquakes.https://twitter.com/manucaddie/status/1367608418802884611

Locals from New Zealand's Tokomaru Bay were awestruck and terrified to watch what appeared to be a tsunami approaching the shoreline.

The entire township was atop a hill overlooking Tokomaru Bay when the surge came in.

"Everyone's sitting up on the hill at the moment, and we're starting to bake, it's 32 degrees, the tar is starting to melt and there's no shade up here," local Chris Beard told Stuff.

New Zealand hit by three powerful earthquakeshttps://twitter.com/NZcivildefence/status/1367577991216205824

There have been no reports of any fatalities or injuries, and no buildings appear to have been damaged by the earthquake.

People living in New Zealand's Bay of Islands to Whangarei, Matata to Tolga Bay and Great Barrier Island were told to evacuate immediately and move as far as inland as possible.

New Zealand locals waiting on higher ground after an earthquake.

Minister Allan praised New Zealanders for their response to the earthquakes and the subsequent tsunami alert.

"This has been an extraordinary morning for New Zealanders up and down the country," she said.

"We saw New Zealanders literally adhere to the advice. They felt the 'long or strong' earthquakes and, they knew to grab their bag and head into the highlands.

"I can only but thank and acknowledge the tireless efforts of the men and women from up and down the coast who knew how to act, when to act, and what to do."

Cars parked beside the roads on higher ground as New Zealanders await a potential tsunami.A powerful quake rattling furniture and pools in New Zealand.

She said many people have done "exceptionally well" to stay calm in an anxious time.

Video footage has shown long lines of cars, with locals standing and waiting at higher ground.

A 64cm tsunami has hit the coast of Norfolk Island, with warnings still current for the Australian territory.

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1367610774617743366

"Further tsunami waves are possible," the Bureau of Meteorology said in a statement.

"Please follow all advice from local police and emergency services."

The bureau has warned of dangerous rips, waves and strong ocean currents, as well as the possibility of localised overflow onto the immediate foreshore of the island.

"While evacuations are not necessary for Marine Threat areas, people in these areas are advised to get out of the water and move away from the immediate water's edge," the bureau stated.

https://twitter.com/BOM_au/status/1367576932259426318

Long-time Gisborne resident Karen Clune said the first quake made her feel physically ill and she hadn't been able to sleep thanks to as many as 20 aftershocks.

"It was awful. The house was shaking and a few of my things on the shelves fell off," she told 9news.com.au.

"It was similar to the one in 2009 that did a lot of damage."

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL__niMgQg8/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp

Even though the quake struck in the middle of the night, people took to social media to report feeling it almost from one end of the North Island to the other.

"She was a beauty, it really shook," Rex from Gisborne told Newstalk ZB.

"I'm quite frightened, I've got no idea if there's going to be a tsunami. It was massive.

"It's the biggest I've felt in a long, long time and I'm 80."

Wairarapa MP Kieran McAnulty felt the quake as far south as Masterton, near the bottom of the North Island.

Multiple Twitter users said they felt the tremors in Auckland, to the north-west of the quakes, while archaeologist Brigid Gallagher said she didn't feel anything on her "sand dune" at Waihi Beach, closer to the epicentre.

https://twitter.com/Kieran_McAnulty/status/1367468697393111045https://twitter.com/willow_iz/status/1367487569928343555

Residents of Gisborne reported light to moderate shaking, the US Geological Survey said.

A magnitude 6.3 quake hit the city of Christchurch in 2011, killing 185 people and destroying much of its downtown.