The last couple of years I have done a year in review, but so much has happened this year I am going to focus on one thing.

Black Saturday
Saturday February 7 saw treacherous weather conditions in much of SE of Australia, weather conditions which were extreme and dangerous and had the potential to cause catastrophic damage if a fire was to take hold.

Unfortunately it wasn’t just one fire that took hold in country Victoria, there were numerous fires in throughout Victoria. The weather conditions changed and many of the attempts to control the fire with back burning efforts were well and truly out of control.

Devastation was wide spread, whilst I never saw the whole area and what I did see was 6 months later, I can only imagine what the scene was like when the fires hit. Marysville 6 months on was still a ghost town, the only real development that had occurred was flattening and removal of the fire destroyed houses. Looking over Marysville from the surrounding hills was an eary and emotional feeling 6 months on, and with no emotional ties to the area at all. What was once a holiday town now looked like a new housing estates with only slabs visible.

I can’t imagine what it would have been like to have been stuck in the town of Marysville with fire bearing down on you, for many the only way out was through fire which was obviously not an option.

I had the privilege of helping for a week in the town of Yarra Glen and their relief centre in September/October, it is going to take a long time for many in the affected areas. For Marysville I don’t know if it will ever return to its glory days – I will be sure to visit the areas regularly to to help support the local economies.

That is enough for 2009 – bring on 2010, it’s going to be a good one for sure.

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