Kerre Woodham: At last, a victory over nature

It's not often you wake up to good news, but to wake early on Tuesday morning and hear that the two Aussie miners had finally been rescued from their underground crypt meant the day got off to a great start.

The story of Todd Russell and Brant Webb and their incredible rescue will become part of Australian folklore.

First, you had the tragedy of their colleague's death, you had the miraculous survival of the two men and then you had the race against the clock as rescuers clawed their way, inch by precious inch, towards the pair.

It was a story of indomitable human spirit and courage and determination. It was also the classic battle between man and nature. So many times, nature is the winner, be it in landslides or earthquakes or floods, but in this case, I think you can call it one to the humans.

Russell and Webb appear to be the epitome of the fair dinkum Aussie bloke - earthy humour, tenacity, mental strength and modesty. Let's hope they stay that way and are able to resist the inducements of the media.

Seven-figure sums are being talked about and there's no doubt at all that if one media organisation is able to get an exclusive, hearing Russell and Webb's story of survival, in their own words, would be one hell of a scoop and worth every cent of the fee.

These two men are no doe-eyed virgins when it comes to the media, either. Hell, who in this technological age is? Even as they were trapped underground, they realised the potential value of their story. When rescuers asked them to take photos of their surroundings, to aid them in their rescue efforts, Russell and Webb would do so only if they got copyright on the pictures - which was eventually given to them.

The Daily Telegraph also reported that the men made a pact with one another that they would only do interviews together.

So these men seem perfectly capable of coping with the experience of spending two weeks entombed underground and the inevitable media circus that follows such dramatic stories.

And it seems that whatever deal the two men work out between them, they'll be sharing it with everyone involved in the great escape. At the fundraising concert and telethon in Beaconsfield this week they publicly thanked their rescuers and acknowledged there wouldn't be a story to tell if men and women hadn't put their own lives on the line to rescue the miners.

There's no doubt that Russell and Webb would have done the same thing for their own colleagues - in fact, Russell is a volunteer on the mine rescue team - so they know how dangerous the rescue mission was.

They also promised the widow of their dead mate that she and her family wouldn't be going without. From the sounds of it, these guys know how to do the right thing.

You can only hope that money doesn't taint the special bond these men have with each other and with their community.