MALLACOOTA | Reading about how, as of late December when I wrote this, there were (and still are) no live bushfires in New South Wales and Victoria, makes me so happy.
Driving from Lakes Entrance to Mallacoota last year, it was impossible not to notice the impact of the bushfires that ravaged this part of the world.
Hundreds of kilometres of forest, as far as the eye can see, slowly recovering, but undeniably damaged. Long, blackened tree trunks with fresh growth bursting from them, create a hauntingly beautiful vista while driving up the Princes Highway.
Speaking to locals, the emotions that return when talking about this are strong. Most of the walking tracks up this way are closed, and the communities are still recovering, not at all helped by the shit storm that has been COVID-19, following immediately after the fires.
I wasn’t there when it happened, I can’t conceive what it must have been like, even after visiting and talking to people with first hand experience of it all. Even with all that I knew, I wasn’t prepared for seeing the scale and lasting impact of it on the ground. Pictures just don’t capture it quite right.
I could write a lot about all of this, and likely will in the future. For now, however, I’m happy that on Christmas, most of those brave fire-fighters who were doing all of the awesome things that time a year prior, were able to relax and spend the holidays with their loved ones.