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Summer so far has been an exhausting haze of uncertainty and fear. The farm came under threat for the third time in a few weeks with yesterday’s catastrophic fire conditions. The southerly rained fire down on the national park and our neighbours. The shed was incinerated; somehow the house itself didn’t catch alight. The tanks and bins melted. The gardens are burnt to ash. Yesterday afternoon it was so dark and the smoke so thick that people fleeing couldn’t see the road. There are two crashed cars on Woodstock Rd right near our place, burnt out shells with doors flung open. I hope everyone got out alright. It was truly frightening going back out there today through the charred landscape, having to put out embers and flare ups. The ground is so hot, almost like a living, breathing beast. We’re all ok - we got out early and slept in our cars at Ulladulla harbour, anxious and uncertain about what today would bring. I think nearly everyone was in town by the water yesterday. Thinking of everyone today. X
Spending the day in Ulladulla as a precaution; thinking of everyone in the Shoalhaven. Stay safe xx
2019, featuring the gorgeous @clare_moore2 🥰
Merry Christmas from the Smith clan; missing you @annieosmith and @clare_moore2 🎄❤️🥰
Our place, 20th December. The Victorian firefighters who saved the house took these photos as they fought the blaze. Still not sure how they managed to slow the onslaught; so so thankful they did ❤️ This is from John, a firefighter on the ground: “We had 2 tankers set on the property. Had a crew member on the deck, one on the ground, 2 on the right side, 3 on the shed side. It was a long battle. We were glad to have done the job we were sent there to do. Merry Christmas to you and your family from us here in the Victoria CFA.”
This is Mindy the donkey. She’s been with us nearly 20 years, first arriving at the farm as a gorgeous shaggy 6-month old. She free ranges across our 100 acre property and probably knows it better than we do. The majority of the farm is dense bush, with a cleared section around the house and a large bottom paddock; a dirt track winds down the steep escarpment between them. When the fire escalated rapidly last week, there was no time to get her out. The week before, when the fire first threatened, my brother @feltipern, sister @kate.elizabeth1 and sister-in-law @santanaluz borrowed a friend’s horse float, led her up to the top of the farm, and tried to coax her in (video). Mindy was having none of it. This was her home. It was heart wrenching over the weekend knowing she was stuck on the burning property. But we shouldn’t have worried. She’s one seriously smart, capable animal. There’s an ancient creek bed that runs through the middle of the farm that is always somewhat damp; she used it to navigate the property, moving backwards and forwards to areas that hadn’t burnt and where the fire had already passed. The last photo is Mindy happily grazing in the still burning paddock, about to have an ash bath, unperturbed by it all. Gosh we love you, Mindy ❤️
| 839 Woodstock | Last Thursday, embers landed in the bottom paddock, igniting spot fires throughout the back of the property. On Friday, they coalesced into a firefront that roared up the hill. On Friday evening, Victorian firefighters battled the blaze and managed to save the house and shed; and then save it once more when the fire flared up again on Saturday in catastrophic fire conditions. The 100 acre farm is completely burnt, the house and shed an island in a sea of ash. Everyone is safe. There’s still a house to go back to. Plus these letters from the firefighters are amazing. Mindy the donkey and Shadow the cat, the only animals unable to be evacuated, were completely fine. Mindy, you’re one hell of a smart donkey.
A huge thank you to the incredible firefighters working tirelessly in our area ❤️
Tabourie 💨 💨 💨
So good to finally be home. Thinking of everyone north today and tomorrow as the winds pick up again. Thanks to the firefighters who protected our little village against the onslaught, we are so so grateful to have homes to return to.
