Domino8, I know an Aussie here who would love to communicate with other Aussies. But, unless you are VIP, you don't have the capability to IM. And the mods here recommend that people don't post their email here, so I think that unless you join VIP, you won't be able to directly connect with other Aussies.
So sad about the fires, but here's a sweet story about one lucky koala, at least.
Thanks KristiD this is such a Great story. Thanks for the membership feedback. I do have VIP membership it doesn't seem to be reflected in my status. Checking into it now. Thanks again.