Corryong, a little battered, but still there

The Roman God of Fire visited Corryong

We all sit, nice and cosy in our homes and watch the nightly news. A small section may be dedicated to the bushfires. And we comment about how bad things must be.

But it is not until you get here in Corryong, that you see the faces. Now you can put a face to those news broadcasts.

Now the heartache is real.

The tears are real.

The people are real.

The stories we hear are heartbreaking.

People have difficulty with filling in the constant reams of paperwork.

And they need to be very specific in their word choice. The difference between the words repaired as opposed to replaced can mean the difference of many dollars.

One homeowner still had unknown smells emanating from parts of their house, possibly due to the leakage from refrigeration equipment. Yes the power was off for many, many days. Some residents were told that they had not scrubbed hard enough to remove the smell!  Cruel comments !!

Another was told that the cost for the replacement floor would not be fully covered due to the age of the house.

Yes, all those defrosting fridges and freezers caused unimaginable damage.

These problems are a by-product of the fires.

So beautiful but so sad

Lorna was so excited today that she finally found someone who would come out and dig trenches from her tank to the house. She has had no water to her house so has been using buckets to cart water in for the toilet and washing machine.

Lorna and Len live in an idyllic valley. Rolling hills with small creeks running along the valley floor.
But this valley became a living hell.
The red screaming arms of this fire came roaring over those once picturesque hills.
Up the driveway those arms stretched to destroy the house. Trees and plants were attacked. The vinyl weatherboards melted, as did the laserlite sheeting in the verandah roof.

Melted

The fire roared along the driveway

A few injuries but survived

But their house still stands.
The machinery shed was obliterated with all contents reduced to metal skeletons.
Their beautiful horse ran through the fence to escape but survived with some injuries. It is now happily enjoying some green pickings. How the two greys escaped remains a mystery.
I wandered over to their paddock for a pat and received a kiss off the stately dapple grey. Len laughed when I told him that his horse gave me a kiss. So he said " well here's one from me too " and planted a kiss on my cheek.                   Len has laughed and joked with all our fencing team and admitted that the five days we have been at his property has been the most fun he has had in two months.
Lorna's cat is no more. Taken by this roaring red monster.

Nothing to retrieve from the sheds.

Sad

Trav lives next door. The trees which lined his driveway are no longer green; singed leaves and black trunks do not make for an enticing entrance.
But this is the reality of early 2020 when Vulcan, the Roman God of fire arrived to strike fear and cause mass destruction in this area.

Trav also had his machinery shed reduced to rubble. All the contents are just a pile of ash. His boy toys no more. His man cave no longer a place to escape to for a quiet drink. All his Hawks football club memorabilia just blackened memories.
Years of hay gone.All that labour sowing, cutting and baling now nothing. Three steel posts all that is left of the hay shed. Thank God for new deliveries. At least the remaining cattle have feed.
Flames also attacked Trav's  house. But somehow it was spared.  Trees and plants scorched. Those flames quickly moved on.
He had to dig mass graves for his cattle. They tried to escape the inferno. Luck was not with them. Trav found them piled against a fence. Burnt to death. Some others ran through a fence. The steel posts bent at unimaginable angles.

Graves for the cattle litter the bush paddocks

Our small Blaze Aid team sits on blackened logs to enjoy a sandwich, listening to returning birds.
We also hear the constant thump, thump echoing through the valley. The scrap metal merchants are here, removing the debris. Large containers are filled with the blackened steel. A lifetime of collecting. A shed full of labour saving equipment. The boat or motorbike.
So sad.
 So depressing listening to that thump, thump.
We are so lucky to be able to give some hope back to these people. Shiny new fences are now springing up across the region.
Four wheel drives and trailers dot the landscape. Fluro vests are visible for miles.
Yes, the army of volunteers has arrived.
All eager to help their fellow man

Hard at work

We are enjoying the friendliness of the area