All is quiet on New Year's Day
THANK GOD MY FAMILY AND I ARE ALIVE!
While we were away on holiday in Eden, New South Wales, over the Christmas holidays, we were promptly interrupted at 7pm on New Years Eve to evacuate our cabin as the alarming bush fires were overtaking many parts of New South Wales. We received a text message instructing us to evacuate to the Eden Fisherman's Club where we slept on the floor between some pokies machines with hundreds of other people! That sounds like the most bizarre thing, but it is true. You can't make these things up!
It felt like an apocalypse - supermarkets were running out of food and petrol stations were running out of petrol/diesel because trucks couldn't enter through the thick smoke to deliver anything. Phone and internet lines were being destroyed too, making contact impossible for some.
To be frank, I was terrified that were were going to burn to death as fires were approaching Eden from both sides.
We left Eden on the first day of 2020, driving 7 hours to get out of there, only to find that we were driving straight towards a fire region - our fire app was giving us incorrect information.
Canberra. Source
We drove another 3 hours to Canberra, booked a hotel room and stayed there for the night. Even there we weren't able to escape the thick smoke. News reports declared that Canberra had the worst air quality in the world caused by the NSW fires. The smoke has even spread to New Zealand! It's amazing that I didn't suffocate as I have asthma.
On 2nd January, we drove 8 hours from Canberra back home to Melbourne, through very thick smoke, where we could only just see the car driving in front of us.
The amount of times I've burst into tears over the last couple of days has been overwhelming. I truthfully thought we'd never get out of there. I cannot watch another second of the news as the fires spreading through NSW and Victoria are terrifying. So many people have already died and hundreds of homes have been burnt down.
I want to say thank you to all the firefighters, charities and everyone else who protected us and so many people who are still stuck in the bush fires. I am praying that every person, family, young child, elderly person and the many animals we passed along the way are safe from these fires.
The photos below were captured on our last day in Eden. They don't fully capture the smoke haze that created a strange atmosphere. There were days when everything was yellow and there was a fluorescent red sun. Even though we were sad to have our holiday cut short, in the grand scheme of things we are very glad to be safe at home.
Oh goodness me, Jess. How awful for you. Those dreadful fires have been headline news here and we've all shed a tear of two over the devastation and death. I'm so glad you're home safe. xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vix. I am so relieved we are home.
DeleteThe smoke is now starting to reach Melbourne - the winds are just so strong. I hope everyone stuck in this terrible situation is safe and gets out soon. X
Oh my word, Jess, what a horrific experience that must have been. It is all over the news here, but of course I never realized you and your family were in the thick of it. That thick smoke over Canberra looks horrible, and those eerie beach shots do indeed look apocalyptic. You still manage to shine in your beautiful dress, though. I'm so glad you're home in one piece! xxx
ReplyDeleteThank you, Ann.
DeleteThank goodness we are home safe. X
My heart goes out to you, the other people affected and the animals - my province experiences extreme wildfires every summer, sometimes to the extent that we get the smoke here on the Island, but not anywhere near as scary as you had it! I've been watching the news and sending good vibes to all my Aussie pals, and mentally willing all of our rain to go down under, just for a few days to help things out.
ReplyDeleteYou look beautiful in your lovely white dress - Happy New Year! I am so glad you are safe, my dear.
Thanks so much, Shiela.
DeleteI'm hoping for rain too. There was a tiny bit of rain in Eden and I was so glad, I was on the verge of tears. Unfortunately the weather in NSW is only going to get hotter tomorrow and conditions are predicted to get worse, so I hope everyone gets out of there really soon. X