So so sad. That's Mother Nature's ire I guess. Many of our fishing spots burnt or in danger. Many residents and visitors in danger. Many people evacuated from their homes. I just hope our vyakker Digger and family are safe. I hope all who are in danger stay safe.

happyas wrote:So so sad. That's Mother Nature's ire I guess. Many of our fishing spots burnt or in danger. Many residents and visitors in danger. Many people evacuated from their homes. I just hope our vyakker Digger and family are safe. I hope all who are in danger stay safe.

X2 i have a daughter in lakes and extended family in barnesdale so far they seem ok

Hi Larry and all my V Yak mates!

We’re still kicking, luxuriating at our daughters place by the water at Paynesville. 5 star refugees...chuckle~

We evacuated early a couple of days ago knowing that our property was at great risk being tinder dry and lots of dead vegetation. 3 years of deep drought will do that!

Early morning New Year’s eve the fire razed much of Sarsfield, decimated doesn’t tell the story as it means reducing by 10%.

Sarsfield has lost many homes with 2 out of 3 of our neighbours and friends being levelled. A cop at a roadblock said this was equal to Black Saturday which he also attended. We just had more warning!

We lost one house, a farm shed with most of my machinery, 2 tractors, zero turn mower, hydraulic splitter, compressor, most of my tools, but a great effort by CFA and other wonderful firefighters saved our house through a number of outbreaks. There have been outbreaks today on our place and the end result might be total loss but so far we are luckier than many. It will takes us years to recover but recover we will.

We mightn’t be allowed back for another week, hard to tell but it isn’t safe just now.

Our phones havent stopped with calls from friends, or just people we know offering accomodation, labour, even money and the kindness, concern and generosity brings tears to my eyes. Nobody can help us until we are living back there and we are Ok, plenty of money to get us through.

We have good insurance cover and extensive photos of our belongings. We were prepared as much as we could be!

My heart cries for friends and neighbours that have lost everything.

I had the foresight to load my car and boat with fishing gear and some tools and lock it in Grant, our son in laws factory for the foreseeable future inc much of my fishing gear although I left some 10 rods and my guns which are now gone. However the things in my car & boat are safe!

So not the best of things to happen but we we are better off than many.

We have an annual van, annex & bathroom at Shady Gully at Mallacoota facing the bush reserve, and we thought it would go but a group of other annuals got together and saved it for us. These are people that we often share happy hour with and we are eternally grateful to them.

So that’s us folks. and we are much better off than many and after all us bushies are a cohesive and resilient group.

Happy New Year to you all.

Sorry to hear this Digger, glad everyone is together in one piece though.

It's just horrendous whats happened up there. We have our annual 5 night trip to Tamboon around Aus day, we're hoping that its spared, with the rest of the country. Enough's enough.

Glad you and your wife are ok digger we're all thinking about you

Glad you are all OK better to have your lives than nothing at all

Thanks for keeping us informed digger.
I was worried about you & yours when I watched the news & the googled the online CFA reports.
Too close to what I knew was your home and annual.
So sad that you lost a house, machinery, tractors & tools
Glad that you had the forethought to pack the car & boat and leave it in a safe place.
Glad that you evacuated and in time & that you & yours are safe & OK at your daughters in Paynesville.
All the best for a safe return and if I can be of any assistance give us a shout.

Wow Rob. So glad that you and yours are OK. I have a mate near Nicholsen who also was evacuated. Big thanks to the fire fighters who lay their lives on the line to help us in these conditions and times. Saying thanks seems such a shallow thing to say but I am really lost for words when I think of all they have done, and are still doing.

I was in communication with Rob before the fire and know he did well in his planning and preparation and his timing of departure. It is likely Rob's work in the lead-up spared his house, even if other buildings and content of those were lost.

So far, Eden remains isolated from fires but the smoke from the 'coota fire (70km away straight line) was incredible. We needed lights on during the day and had burnt (cold) leaves falling.

As a recommended evacuation area, Eden has its resources stretched. Very early NYE there was no bread, milk and very little fruit and vegetables do to the influx of refugees. Fuel was in short supply but this morning cars are again queued at pumps. My understanding is Bega ran out of Diesel but that situation may have changed. None of this is a complaint but written only to give an understanding of the peripheral impact of fires even well away from the flames. In other towns in the region, the water supply is compromised. Drinking water needs to be boiled and if people use hot water, their HWS, is likely to be damaged.

About 50km North of Eden, Bega residents are seeing fires approaching on Mumbulla mountain. To the South, there is nothing but forest and national park between Eden and the advancing Genoa/Mallacoota fire and nowhere in between where there is reasonable access for back-burns. It seems inevitable Eden, Pambula, Merimbula and Tathra (and lesser-known towns) will be under attack, if not this weekend then not a long time after.

Personally, there is little major concern. Apart from the need to do it from the roof feeling vulnerable (but still safe), I can defend our building with ease. Like many East coast towns, many residents are not so well located. Power and all communication systems are likely to to be lost and all roads out cut for a long time. At the moment, roads North and South are cut due to fires. There is one escape route and that is Via Canberra. If anyone is visiting North of the border, below is the 'tourists leave immediately' zone. Please heed the advice.

We left our caravan all set up and headed back home when we got the Emergency alerts.
We wanted to go to Paynesville but there wasn’t anywhere to stay.
We’re hoping our caravan and others and everybody’s houses, property etc is still ok. From reports it hasn’t pushed down into Nowa Nowa so hopefully all will be ok.
Saturday’s northerly wind change, speed and high temps is a concern.
It really angers me to read how many fires are started maliciously etc

https://www.smh.com.au/national/arson-m ... 53bcl.html