Exclusive: Australian journalist Kimina Lyall worked a demanding job as a South-East Asian correspondent in Thailand and found an escape on the tiny island of Ko Phra Thong, the "Golden Buddha Island".

It was a relatively normal morning for her on December 26, 2004.

The then-38-year-old had filed an article and was at a resort meeting with her partner when a loud sound blasted around them.

READ MORE: Prayers and tears mark 20 years since the Indian Ocean tsunami that killed some 230,000 people

"I thought it was a plane crash, a plane had crashed into the water," she told 9news.com.au.

"We ran up to the beach and then there was this really big wave that had come all the way to the top of the beach and then just sort of washed out."

They laughed it off but Lyall's gaze went to the horizon, where another wave was breaking.

"We just all watched it get closer and closer and closer and most people were transfixed," she said.

"There was one person who had lived in Japan and she knew what it was. She was running up and down the beach yelling 'run, run, run, everybody run'."

What was quietly approaching was one of several tsunamis caused by the 9.1 magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia.

Lyall's gut instinct took her to the top of a hill.

As she was scrambling up, the tsunami hit the shore and tore through the island, destroying her home.

A total of 94 people on Ko Phra Thong were killed, including about 13 out of about 100 people on Lyall's side of the island.

"For me, the impact was also needing to go and cover the story, the biggest story of my life and I couldn't get off the island because there were no boats," she said.

"It took me a day to get off the island and then a lot of news pressure to go and find stories and file them."

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In the end, almost 230,000 people were killed across several countries by the Boxing Day tsunami, which remains the worst natural disaster of its kind in history.

Lyall was eventually called back to Australia but she found it difficult to return.

In Thailand, everyone had a shared understanding of what had happened and had been impacted in some way or another.

But in Australia, people had moved on. 

Lyall's relationship with her partner broke down, she was diagnosed with PTSD and she was forced to quit her job as a journalist. 

"I couldn't cover a story like that again and I didn't want to," she said. 

"I was running around chasing terrorists and world leaders and now I'm at some stupid press conference about a road being built or something so I felt very disillusioned for a long time."

Lyall went back to university and retrained as a psychologist.

"It's the same as journalism, only one is really confidential and the other is really not. But it's just meeting people and learning their stories," she said.

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She also joined the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma as deputy chief executive and worked to train journalists in trauma-safe reporting and support journalists exposed to trauma.

She's been returning to Thailand ever since and spent time there writing her book, Out of the Blue: Facing the Tsunami, detailing her experience.

"It's one of those things where… it's part of your life. It's part of your story," she said.

Ahead of yesterday's 20th anniversary, Lyall didn't think she would be any more affected by it than she would any other day. 

But she was surprised to find the event was very much alive for her.

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"Three or four weeks ago, I just started getting quite upset about it. I really feel like this 20-year one, for some reason, has hit me harder than any of the other ones," she said.

"I'm sort of surprising even me, just really aware of, thinking a lot about the people who died, and not just people I know, but people who I don't know.

"The 230,000 people, they're gone and barely thought about except for their closest people."

Lyall has been able to figure out and adjust to her new life and said she hasn't let the tsunami define her too much.

"Everyone has a tsunami," she said.

"At some point in everyone's life, there's something that's so dramatic, usually traumatic, that's life-changing."

Azerbaijan on Thursday observed a nationwide day of mourning for the victims of the plane crash that killed 38 people and left all 29 survivors injured as speculation mounted about a possible cause of the disaster that remained unknown.

Azerbaijan Airlines' Embraer 190 was en-route from Azerbaijan's capital of Baku to the Russian city of Grozny in the North Caucasus on Wednesday when it was diverted for reasons yet unclear and crashed while making an attempt to land in Aktau in Kazakhstan after flying east across the Caspian Sea.

The plane went down about 3 kilometres from Aktau. Cellphone footage circulating online appeared to show the aircraft making a steep descent before smashing into the ground in a fireball.

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Other footage showed part of its fuselage ripped away from the wings and the rest of the aircraft lying upside in the grass.

On Thursday, national flags were lowered across Azerbaijan, traffic across the country stopped at noon, and signals were sounded from ships and trains as the country observed a nationwide moment of silence.

Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said that it was too soon to speculate on the reasons behind the crash, but said that the weather had forced the plane to change from its planned course.

"The information provided to me is that the plane changed its course between Baku and Grozny due to worsening weather conditions and headed to Aktau airport, where it crashed upon landing," he said.

Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, said that preliminary information indicated that the pilots diverted to Aktau after a bird strike led to an emergency on board.

According to Kazakh officials, those aboard the plane included 42 Azerbaijani citizens, 16 Russian nationals, six Kazakhs and three Kyrgyzstan nationals. Russia's Emergencies Ministry on Thursday flew nine Russian survivors to Moscow for treatment.

As the official crash investigation started, theories abounded about a possible cause, with some commentators alleging that holes seen in the plane's tail section possibly indicate that it could have come under fire from Russian air defence systems fending off a Ukrainian drone attack.

Ukrainian drones had previously attacked Grozny, the provincial capital of the Russian republic of Chechnya, and other regions in the country's North Caucasus. Some Russian media claimed that another drone attack on Chechnya happened on Wednesday, although it wasn't officially confirmed.

Osprey Flight Solutions, an aviation security firm based in the United Kingdom, warned its clients that the "Azerbaijan Airlines flight was likely shot down by a Russian military air-defence system."

Osprey provides analysis for carriers still flying into Russia after Western airlines halted their flights during the war.

Osprey CEO Andrew Nicholson said that the company had issued more than 200 alerts regarding drone attacks and air defense systems in Russia during the war.

"This incident is a stark reminder of why we do what we do," Nicholson wrote online.

"It is painful to know that despite our efforts, lives were lost in a way that could have been avoided."

Asked about the claims that the plane had been fired upon by air defence assets, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that "it would be wrong to make hypotheses before investigators make their verdict."

Kazakhstan's parliamentary Speaker Maulen Ashimbayev also warned against rushing to conclusions based on pictures of the plane's fragments, describing the allegations of air defence fire as unfounded and "unethical".

Other officials in Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan have similarly avoided comment on a possible cause of the crash, saying it will be up to investigators to determine it.

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Despite the Boxing Day shopping rush, new data shows consumers are grappling with big price hikes in everyday goods and services.

And that's causing a big headache for the federal government.

In the two-and-a half years since the last election a number of items in the shopping trolley have gone up, according to analysis from the Parliamentary Library in Canberra.

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Data shows eggs have gone up the most – increasing by 28.6 per cent, while a loaf of bread is up by 22.7 per cent.

In the dairy aisle, the price of milk and cheese is up by around 20 per cent.

It's the same story for fresh fruit, which is up by 20.4 per cent, while breakfast cereals are also up 20.2 per cent.

But there's good news for meat eaters, with the price of red meat – both lamb and beef – dropping by six per cent.

However, the hit to the hip pocket isn't just at the supermarket.

We're seeing big price hikes in insurance costs, which are up by 34.1 per cent.

And if you're lucky enough to be thinking about an overseas holiday, you might need to think twice because international travel and accommodation has gone up by a whopping 50.7 per cent.

Petrol prices have also come down, while the price of childcare has remained relatively steady.

The government is trying to intervene by putting pressure on supermarkets to reign in price hikes.

Federal Labor is also dishing out those $300 rebates on electricity, which has seen power bills come down significantly in recent months.

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The price rises are impacting the Labor government, who are losing support of a key demographic, those aged between 35-49 year-olds, according to the latest Newspoll analysis.

It shows the age group, who are likely to be paying a mortgage and struggling under continued higher interest rates, moving steadily away from Labor.

Over the last three months, the demographic has moved strongly towards the Coalition.

Those voters potentially blaming the government for cost of living pressures but Labor does say helping people with rising prices is their top priority.

As it gets closer to the next election, NSW is shaping up to be a key battleground state.

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A 63-year-old man has been charged with his wife's alleged murder in Melbourne's south-west, just hours after they hosted Christmas festivities at their home.

Emergency services responded to reports a 59-year-old woman was stabbed at a home at Wood Duck Court in Langwarrin about 6.30am. She was declared dead at the scene.

It's understood the husband made the call to authorities and he was arrested at the property.

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"They have adult children who are obviously being made aware of what's occurred, and they are very, very upset and distraught," Dean Thomas from the Homicide Squad said.

The adult children had just been at their parents home on Christmas Day, with a neighbour saying nothing seemed odd between the couple.

"There was laughter and chit chat and everything seemed very normal," Martine Casagrande told 9News.

Police found a suspected murder weapon inside the home and are now investigating what sparked the alleged stabbing.

"We'll be speaking to family, we'll be speaking to friends, because we need to understand why this has occurred," Thomas said.

Neighbours told 9News the couple had only moved in several months ago and were friendly and approachable.

"They explained they are empty nesters and they're ready to start/ embark on this new part of their lives where, you know, they were able to do things together and enjoy their new home," Casagrande said.

The man faced Melbourne Magistrates Court this evening.

National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).

Award-winning Australian author John Marsden, best known for his multimillion-selling Tomorrow series, has died aged 74.

Tomorrow, When The War Began, released in 1993, sold millions of copies around the world and was adapted as a film in 2010.

The book was dubbed "the best series for Australian teens of all time" and was the first in his seven-book Tomorrow series. 

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The Candlebark and Alice Miller Schools, which he founded, confirmed his death tonight, describing his contribution to young adult literature as "revolutionary" and hailing his "unflinching honesty in addressing complex themes".

"John Marsden transformed countless young lives through both his writing and his groundbreaking approach to education," the schools said.

"As one of Australia's most beloved and successful authors, he sold more than 5 million books and was translated into 15 languages."

Marsden was born in Victoria in 1950 and decided he wanted to become an author at the age of nine. 

But he took a winding path to literary stardom via time spent working in an abattoir, as a lorry driver, and in the emergency ward in a hospital.

He then worked as a teacher at schools including Geelong Grammar's Timbertop and Fitzroy Community School before publishing his first book, So Much To Tell You, in 1987.

Marsden went on to write more than 40 novels.

His Tomorrow series and The Ellie Chronicles gained him notoriety and were loved especially by teenage readers. 

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Marsden won the Lloyd O'Neil Award for contributions to Australian publishing in 2006.

According to his publisher, Pan Macmillan Publishing, he won every major award in Australia for young people's fiction.

Marsden never gave up teaching and even bought an estate on the northern edge of Melbourne in 1998, where he ran a popular writing course.

He later turned the property into his own P-8 school, Candlebark, in 2006. 

He stepped down from his role as a principal at Candlebark, as well as 7-12 school Alice Miller, earlier this year.

"John was a true champion of children and young people. He had unflinching belief in them and viewed them with profound respect," current principal Sarita Ryan said.

"The schools were designed to allow students to be authentic, expressive, and highly capable given the right opportunities.

"John never viewed Candlebark and Alice Miller as particularly radical, as in his mind the schools 'just did the bleeding obvious'."

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There has been an emotional reunion today between a dog named Woodstock and the RSPCA inspector who saved his life, rescuing him from a filthy home last year only days from Woodstock likely starving to death.

Stuart Thomas discovered Woodstock and two other dogs, Lily and Spike, living in squalid conditions last July.

"He was about as close to death without being dead that you can be… in the moment, I knew I had to get this dog help as quickly as possible," Thomas said.

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Thomas rushed Woodstock to an emergency vet where he received extensive treatment. 

"The condition he was left in and the lack of treatment for that dog was one of the most shameful cases of neglect that I have ever personally investigated," he said.

Now thriving and living with his new family, Woodstock and Thomas were today given the opportunity to meet again in a much happier environment. 

"It makes all the bad parts of the job worth it," Thomas said.

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Out of horrible circumstances came a very sweet twist, when Woodstock, Lily and Spike were all adopted by their foster carers.

Their previous owners pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. They were handed a suspended sentence and banned from owning pets again. 

The RSPCA has called for Christmas donations to help other tales like Woodstock's to have a happy ending.

This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.

A service station in Melbourne's south-east sold petrol for under a dollar per litre this morning to highlight the growing burden caused by the federal government's fuel excise.

Between 10am and 11am today APCO at Cranbourne West sold unleaded fuel at 99.9 cents – a price not seen for almost 20 years.

Droves of motorists immediately swamped the servo, desperate to score themselves cheap fuel.

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Jasmine told 9News she managed to fill the fuel tank of her V8 Commodore for the first time in a while.

"I can hardly drive this car," she said.

"I drive it once a week now because I can't afford to."

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Others planned ahead and arrived bearing jerry cans.

Pensioner Pauline was there to make the most of the cheap fuel, too. 

"It's ridiculous, I'm on a pension so you have to think, how much out of that pension fortnight have I got to spend on that fuel," she said.

The stunt was courtesy of the Libertarian Party, designed to protest fuel taxes that now total 55 cents a litre.

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"I think it really highlights that government is just gouging the prices of people so much, whether its through excise taxes and other taxes," said MP David Limbrick.

"And I'm just wrapped that a small number of people are going to get this discount today."

Peter Khoury from the NRMA said Melbourne's average fuel price was currently $1.90 per litre, but questioned the message.

The numbers don't add up, we look at average prices when we think about petrol prices," he said.

"But we need the excise the money raised from the fuel excise should go into and does go into improving the roads and making them safer."

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RNZAF Hercules was heading to Vanuatu with rescue staff and equipment after quake.

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An Australian woman has been medically evacuated out of Fiji after drinking a cocktail at a luxurious five-star hotel and falling ill, as a toxicology report confirms the cocktails were not spiked.

The woman was taken to Nadi Airport on a stretcher while supported by medical staff, where she boarded a medevac flight to Australia.

She is expected to land overnight. 

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Meanwhile, Tourism Fiji has said there were no illicit substances found in the cocktails drunk by seven people who all fell ill. 

"No illicit substances nor methanol were found in the liquor samples, nor the gradients of the pina colada served on the Coral Coast on Saturday night," Fiji's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Viliame Gavoka said.

The seven people experienced nausea, vomiting, and neurological symptoms after consuming a cocktail, believed to be a pina colada, at the Warwick Resort.

The reactions sparked fears that the drinks had been poisoned with drugs or methanol. 

All seven patients have now been discharged.

While it's still a mystery what caused the patients to fall ill, Gavoka apologised that people's holidays had been ruined.

Fijian authorities and police say they will continue an investigation into what caused the sickness.

Yesterday, tourism authorities suggested the illness could be credited to food poisoning.

"We've never had anything like this in our history here in Fiji … we're trying to get to the bottom of it," Tourism Fiji chief executive Brent Hill said.

"It could actually be even food poisoning or something similar to that."