Goodbye for Now, Corryong Blaze Aid

                                        Corryong Blaze Aid

We all learn something at a Blaze Aid camp. And we all have a  part to play. I have had women say to me " But what can I do at a Blaze Aid camp "  Well there is plenty that us females can do. We can cut tie wire. We can twitch the barbs on, thread the wire through the holes or measure out post spacing. So don't be deterred. 

For four weeks our Blaze Aid Camp was just like a large family so a goodbye, but see you again was needed

4 weeks ago we walked through those doors with no idea how Blaze Aid worked. Like many others who also joined this camp, this was to be our first Blaze Aid experience.

We have laughed and cried

We have heard some very sad stories but have also seen some positivity coming through

Our first job was at a  caravan park which was decimated by the fire. I wondered how this poor guy would ever recover. But I saw him smile the other day.

Our second job was removing burnt plants from a ladies garden . We called in to see her and she was so excited as she had been able to pick a bunch of roses.

We were there to congratulate Len and Lorna on 57 years of marriage.

It is the little things where you can make a difference

So what have we learnt from Blaze -aid

make sure you get in the dinner line early

Also try to pick the right time to have a shower. At certain times there can be a rush

Also sitting at the dinner table with your face smeared with ash or dust is quite acceptable. Yep no one cares as we have all been in the same situation.

Yes it is dirty out there!

And remember your name tag as Bill does get a bit upset if you do not have one on

And BARB what can I say.

You need to respect barb.

Or you will be pricked or cut or possibly entangled. You will eventually have a great working relationship. Or otherwise you will be covered in band aids.

My apologies to any Barbs who are here!

Blaze aid has also changed our future.

From now on I will try very hard not to laugh at Stan's tradie suntanned legs with stark white feet.

As I have them now too.

Work boots will do that too you.

Previously , every time we went for a drive we would stop and look at domestic fences. 
New designs , quality of work and standard of materials.

Now it will be farm fences.

Yes, we owned a business which included domestic fencing

We have made heaps of friends along the way . We have worked with wonderful people. And the majority of guys have been very accepting of female abilities.

Many farmers have asked us to return to visit them . And phone numbers and email addresses have been shared with many  volunteers..


So thank you all. We have enjoyed our time at Corryong blaze aid

God willing . We will be back

Heading to a job

A fence along the Murray Valley Highway

Morning tea

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

AFTER THE BUSHFIRES

Our first Week

What do Aussies do when there is a disaster ??

They roll up their sleeves and get in and help.

So when the road to Corryong was re-opened our plan came to fruition. We would roll up our sleeves and get in and help.

The Blaze Aid camp in Corryong was our intended target.

We put out a call for dog and cat food so we could leave some nice big bags of dry food for the hard working farm dogs and lazy sun loving cats.  And yes, businesses and friends came to the fore. We were inundated with food, linen and funds.

 So the caravan and ute was packed and we headed off. I must admit that the closer we got, the more apprehensive we became. As first time Blazeaiders we had no idea what to expect. But we had nothing to worry about. Our camp coordinators were helpful and friendly, and we soon discovered that we were not the only first timers. 

A timetable is one thing that makes the day run smoothly so setting the alarm on the phone was a must for us. You also have to get comfortable with orange safety vests, wearing safety goggles, gloves, work boots and sunhat, and pinning on a name tag. But the name tag makes it so much more friendly as others can freely use your name and you can do the same. It makes it so welcoming when a fellow Blaze aider walks towards you and comments " g'day Lyn, how are you doing "

Who ever knew that pulling down a damaged fence would be so rewarding. But to know that you are doing something to help a fellow Aussie who is going through a  tough time is heart warming.

We have met some wonderful people from the Corryong region who still have a positive attitude and are looking forward and not back!  

One day our task was to head out to a farm near Pine Mountain, and tackle a lovely lady's garden. Her hubby was more concerned that  her garden was tidied up before the farm fences were renewed. What a gorgeous husband.

The horrid finger of fire stretched through the garden but their house was saved. Chainsaws, wheelbarrows, rakes and secateurs soon made a difference to the outlook . Our hostess, Helen, was so friendly to these complete strangers who came  en-masse to provide help. She was grateful for any amount of work that was done and soon rewarded us with a country style morning tea. 

Pine Mountain

A property along the Murray Valley Highway belonging to James, a vet from the Geelong region, was our next task. I'm pretty certain he was glad when our team rolled into his front paddock, all ready to erect a new front fence. Cattle on the roads can be a definite traffic problem so the priority is to make sure they are contained on the farms as soon as possible. We were very pleased as James and his farm worker Lou made certain that the tractors made short work of any heavy work.

Blaze Aid also have trailers fully equipped with very useful tools which make a fencing job easier to complete. James was very generous and at lunch time he headed off to the local bakery and returned loaded with freshly baked pies. We worked at this property for four days and it became our daily ritual for the ladies to head in to town for the lunchtime pie run. 

A completed fence

The one thing I have discovered is that you make so many friends along the way. James took all our email addresses and mobile numbers and Lou was determined that we would definitely catch up for a meal. Yes he knows our home town of Bendigo and visits quite often . But I have a feeling that we will see him in Corryong as we will be there for quite a while yet.

We have been so lucky to always work with a team of wonderful people. John, the environmental scientist/ engineer has such a great sense of humour and is respectful and accepting of all people. We had differing views on many subjects but I just told him to please close his ears so he could not hear my view. Andrew was a great team leader, very quiet but a great methodical worker who got the job done safely and quickly. We all learnt different aspects of farm fencing and how different tools worked. It was great to see that the women were not patronised or made to feel that they should not be out doing manual work.

Driving around the Corryong area opens your eyes to the devastation that the fire has caused. There are houses left sitting in denuded paddocks and surrounded by twisted metal which was once a proud machinery shed housing expensive tractors. Trees are tall stripped sticks but look closely and you may see small shoots of life coming back.

 We were pleased to see flocks of yellow tail black cockatoos flying from tree to tree, or hear in the distance the laugh of the kookaburra.

The volunteers are a welcome site to the residents of Corryong and it is quite common to be patted on the back as you are walking along the street. These people value the help that is being given.

After a solid six and half  days of work we decided that we would play tourist and head out to Khancoban. I took my camera but that was pointless as the smoke was very similar to a pea soup fog, hence there were no mountains to be seen. 

So we found a coffee shop. A quiet cuppa and a bowl of wedges was just what was needed. Mind you, we are fed extremely well by Blaze Aid but we share meal time with roughly seventy others, so a quiet meal does not happen. Anyway there was only one other table that was occupied so it gave plenty of thinking time. The elderly man and  woman, and younger woman finished their drinks and left the café , walking out into the very smoky atmosphere. With that the café owner wandered over to our table and asked if she could sit with us and have a chat. She was so friendly and had such a happy personality of course we said "yes, please do !"

She proceeded to tell us that the elderly man and woman were neighbours who had both lost their partners over the years so they went out together on social outings. Continuing on, she  proceeded with, " they are both so grateful to the volunteers who have given their time to the region that they paid for your order so here is your $20 back "

So our quiet cuppa ended in happy and grateful tears. 

We were also lucky enough to drop into a wildlife shelter. I had some food to drop in to him so after a chat we were invited in. To my surprise he had wombats in his lounge room and he offered me a nurse. Well come on now ! Would I refuse ? Hell no !. So I got to nurse a young wombat.

Now how awesome has this first week been. New friends made and new experiences were had. I never in my wildest dreams thought that volunteering for Blaze Aid would give me these opportunities

Looking forward to the rest of my time at Corryong

https://blazeaid.com.au/

The Murray River

THE MALLEE SILOS

Sea Lake

THE MALLEE SILOS

Can you paint? I can't ! But wow ! How awesome are the silos. These people are incredibly talented.

Hubby decided one Sunday morning that we would head off and do the Silo tour. Living in Bendigo, the silos are easily accessible

It did not take long to pack as we calculated that we would only be away for one night.

So off to the Calder Highway we went.

Now when you hit Bridgewater a must stop is the Bakery. Good coffee and very fattening bakery products. So be careful if you have a health problem as it is all very tempting.

Many small towns appear to be struggling so food and drinks, or a fuel purchase gives some boost to the towns economy.

Along the Calder our first Silo was Nullawill, then on to Sea Lake, which has a great fuel stop just north of the town. 

Nullawill

                                                                                                  Patchewollock

From Sea Lake across to Patchewollock . Along the road are the many paddocks of crops, just waving around in the wind. But will harvest be any good ? 

Our last stop for the day was Lake Lascelles. And our first experience of free camping. Setting up did not take long as we stayed hitched up. And it was way to windy to put the awning out. 

After very limited sleep due to the relentless wind we headed off . Now we needed diesel so first stop should have been a service station, but they all looked closed. Oh well we will sort that problem out later. So off we went  to Lascelles to check out their silo. It was painted in a very light colour which was so different to the previous days silos.

Lascelles

There probably was a better way to head to the silo at Rosebery but we went back to Hopetoun. And discovered that the service station that we thought was closed was well and truly open but was unmanned with card purchases for the fuel. The locals are wonderful for sharing information so we were grateful to the local fellow who pointed us in the right direction. So fill up we did and hit that long ribbon of dark bitumen.

We had previously seen the Brim silos but a stop was a necessity. Well we were on a silo tour so we had to visit them all. The Post Office come café, come general store was full of interesting gift ware. So we grabbed hot drinks, Christmas gifts and morning tea. 

Our last Silos were Sheep Hills then on to Rupanyup. All are worth visiting. The talents of the artists are amazing. The detail that the artists have endeavoured to include in each portrait is a testament to their skill. To look at a silo and see the story entwined in a  a country persons  face is as good as hearing them verbalise their life in person. There are laughter lines and lines of sadness and even chest hair popping through the buttons of the flannelette shirt .

Hopefully you can add the Mallee silos to your itinerary as you head through Victoria

Sheep Hills

Rugged coastline and friendly people in Portland Victoria

Portland, a town on Victoria's south west coast

The majority of people are over the moon when they purchase a caravan, whether it be shiny and brand new, or second hand and well loved. And once that van is hooked up, many decide that they would like to head off and do "the big lap !"

Well don't forget our small towns in our home states. Yes, we will more than likely tackle the one way trip around our country, but at the moment we are content with the small towns in our state of Victoria. Next will be our neighbouring states of New South Wales and South Australia.

There are some great small towns scattered along the south west coast of Victoria, and Portland is one of them.

Portland is a lovely town, and home to relatives, so a visit was long overdue. And the most wonderful reason for a visit, was to attend a family wedding.

It has been may years since we have visited Portland and this was the first time with our caravan.

There are a variety of choices for caravan accommodation and we chose to stay at the NRMA Portland Bay Caravan Park, which is affiliated with the Big 4 chain. 

https://www.big4.com.au/caravan-parks/vic/great-ocean-road/portland-bay-holiday-park

The caravan park was easy to find and the staff very welcoming. Having friendly people on the reception desk is a great asset, and a laugh with them makes it feel like you are staying with old friends. 

 We booked an ensuite site, and I must say that it was a very classy ensuite. 
The Portland shopping precinct offers a good variety of supermarkets and food providers for those who need to stock up the pantry or fridge. 
And for the sporty ones, the bike / walking tracks appear to be well maintained; and the golf course, with its manicured fairways will offer up a challenge for those prepared to take it on.
There is plenty to keep you occupied around Portland. The Botanical Gardens is most certainly worth a relaxing walk through to check out the bright colourful flowers and large stately trees. You have lots of rugged coastline to explore and we were lucky enough to see whales frolicking off shore. 

Out at the Blowhole

Cape Nelson Lighthouse

There is the tourist tram which has quite a few accessible pick up points dotted along the foreshore, and there is actually one at the entrance to the Portland Bay caravan park.
One of the tram stops is the Water Tower. It is now used as a war memorial and the information that has been collected is phenomenal. The volunteers who maintain it need to be highly congratulated. Now if you are keen you can traverse the steps to the highest point. 
All 125 of them !  But remember, you have to get back down. The view from the top was certainly worth it

We enjoyed our stay, and Portland is on our list for a return visit.
Portland offers friendly people, great food, unforgettable scenery and relaxing times.
Travel safe everyone.
http://www.visitportland.com.au/
https://www.facebook.com/promotingportland/
https://www.facebook.com/places/Things-to-do-in-Portland-Victoria/112935842054214/

Narrawong beach