When flash floods hit Lorne, Victoria, in mid-January, holiday-makers at Cumberland River Holiday Park had only minutes to react.
More than 200 guests were staying at the park when intense rainfall caused floodwaters to surge suddenly from the surrounding hills into the Cumberland River. Cars, caravans and personal belongings were swept away. Yet despite the scale and speed of the flooding, no lives were lost.
That outcome, according to those on the ground, was not by chance.
Two Filipino couples were at the centre of the response at Cumberland River Holiday Park. Managers Ram and Mary Joy Nuñez, along with Fritz and Charlotte Zabala, who also work at the park, assisted guests as floodwaters surged through the grounds, helping holiday-makers move to safer areas as conditions changed rapidly.
Acting before the warning came
Ram and Mary Joy Nuñez, the park’s managers, were monitoring rainfall data early that day. While there was no immediate official warning, Ram said the numbers told a worrying story.
“It started raining, but it wasn’t that bad from the morning around 6:00,” he said. “Then around 1:00 pm, we started seeing an increase in the number of mils (millimetres) of rainfall. After 30 minutes, I coordinated with the team that we had to warn people already, especially on the riverbank.”
At the time, the park was fully booked.
“We were zero availability,” Ram said. “So 200 plus. It’s a really, really busy period.”
Guests closest to the river were told to prepare to evacuate. Five minutes later, the flood arrived.
“Imagine, after five minutes that we told all the guests on the riverbank, a flash flood came,” Ram said. “Coming from the mountain to the river. And it was surprising because the river level didn’t rise an inch. It was really sudden.”
“We are eyewitnesses”
Ram and his team watched as the river turned violent.
“We are eyewitnesses,” he said. “It was like cinematic, with all the logs and the water. So we yelled. We had to shake all the tents to make sure everyone would wake up.”
Despite the danger, guests remained calm.
“These are all experienced campers,” Ram said. “They are repeating guests. For decades. So they were very cooperative.”
Evacuation plans had to change in real time. What was meant to be a safe assembly point quickly became unsafe.
“Supposedly, the playground is the evacuation area,” Ram said. “Everyone was there, and then a few minutes later, the water was there again. So we had to tell everyone to go to the hill. So everyone climbed the mountain.”
Cars and caravans were destroyed.
“You can hear smashing sounds almost every second,” Ram said. “Boom. Then some went under the bridge, going to the sea. About 10 to 15 cars and one caravan went to the sea.”
Helping others before themselves
Among those affected were holiday-makers Greg Bulliff and his wife. Bulliff is a staffer of Labor MP and Victorian Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Action, Sheena Watt, who later contacted Melba Marginson, Lead Convenor of Australians for Philippine Human Rights Network.
Marginson said Bulliff was struck by how the Filipino managers prioritised guests even as their own home was damaged.
“He said to me, ‘I’m so worried because they have been attending to all of us, and I’m worried that they are not attending to themselves as well,’” she said.
The Nuñez family’s house, located near the park office, was left structurally unsafe.
“It’s cracked in the middle,” Ram said. “Because of the force of the water underneath. The stumps gave way. So it broke in the middle.”
They were unable to return home and moved temporarily into park cabins that were still livable.
Filipino community responds immediately
Help came quickly — first from fellow Filipinos living in Lorne, many of whom are temporary visa holders or international students.
“Immediately after the incident, we shared it with them,” Ram said. “And everyone — the Filipino bayanihan spirit was there. They offered their house.”
For the first night, the family stayed with friends. Others provided clothes, food and essentials for the children.
“We are small, but we are very solid,” Ram said.
Marginson noted that many who helped were not permanent residents.
“In their own little capacity, that’s a true Filipino spirit,” Ram said. “Whatever our status is, we give.”
Support also came from the wider Lorne community.
“Even when we go to a pub or a restaurant or the shoe shop, they always give us something,” Ram said. “Food, water, even shoes. That’s the Lorne community.”
Passports damaged, consulate steps in
Among the items damaged in the flood were the family’s passports. Marginson contacted the Philippine Consulate General in Melbourne, which immediately began assisting.
“Their immediate concern was, ‘What about your passports?’” Marginson said.
Although the documents were recovered, they were water-damaged and will be replaced.
“Just the passport,” Ram said. “But we really appreciate the effort. Last night she rang us and asked what we need. It was so fast.”
Survival, experience and perspective
Mary Joy described how she escaped rising waters by climbing onto a roof.
“There was no other way,” she said. “The water was taller than a person. The fridge fell over, so we had a stepping stone to go to the shed, to the roof.”
She remained there for close to two hours while rain continued to fall.
Despite the trauma, the couple remained focused on their responsibilities.
“We prioritised the guests,” Ram said. “We don’t even know yet the full status of the house.”
Ram believes their background helped them stay calm.
“I’m from Leyte,” he said. “Typhoons pass through there — 26 typhoons in a year. So we are used to it.”
Mary Joy added that even after losing much of what they owned, they kept going.
“We are still laughing,” she said. “That’s hospitality after all.”
Looking ahead
Clean-up operations are ongoing, involving emergency services, local authorities and volunteers. The Nuñez family is working through recovery while continuing to manage communications with future guests — using a single laptop Ram managed to save during the evacuation.
“We really need to be strong,” Ram said. “Your concern, your thoughts and prayers will also help us.”
For Marginson, the story reflects something larger.
“This is another demonstration of the sacrificing work of Filipinos in the regions,” she said.
[ Compiled by George Gregorio ]
