The choking smoke which is smothering Sydney and its surrounds gives only a small clue into the devastating impact of the bushfires which have gripped the Blue Mountains, Southern Highlands, Southern Western Sydney and Central Coast in NSW over the past week. The trivialities and tongue-in-cheek humour of Addict-dom have taken a backseat for this post, as we take a moment to focus on the people affected by this situation and the properties which have unwittingly come into the path of the most destructive of elements.
I confess that this issue is particularly close to my heart; my gorgeous Uncle (Tom), Aunt and cousin live in Winmalee, a small suburb which has been battered by the Springwood fire, a fire which is continuing to burn and continuing to cause stress to the residents and wildlife in those areas. As I write this, I hear on the radio that there is a real chance of the imminent merging of three fires in the Blue Mountains National Park, causing a colossal fire front in this area.
With this in mind (and as an Urbanite) I have wondered what drives so many people to live on the bush, an area so prone to the harsh extremities of the environment: bushfires and snow; snakes and spiders! My childhood spent visiting my Uncle’s home offered some of the answers…
Uncle Tom has lived in Winmalee since the late 1980’s, and is an animal lover. As such, he took in an unlikely pet – a blue tongue lizard, found in his bushy garden. He then took on a second inmate, a lady lizard. Love blossomed under the threshold, and soon there was a litter of tiny lizards scarpering through my Uncle’s house, much to the delight of my brother and I (and to the chair-jumping horror of my parents!). This memory makes me both laugh and squirm, given my own adult formed dislike of reptiles. Being so wholeheartedly immersed in nature is only possible where a direct connection to the natural world exists, in areas adjoining bushland, waterways, forests or farmland, and Uncle Tom does this with gusto.
Learning of those who have lost so much, those who have so much invested in their homes, makes you realise just how much a home really means. It is not just a place of shelter, of housing worldly possessions, a statement of hard work, or a venue to host family and friends. It is a place in which memories are made, where children and pets are brought home and raised, a place in which you put the best of yourself, where you feel most comfortable; that place that you want to be more than anywhere else in the world.
Back in Winmalee, my Uncle told me about standing in line at the local chemist over the weekend. The chemist was serving a nobleman from the Rural Fire Service, gratefully thanking him and his comrades for saving her home from destruction. The RFS chap had obviously not fought on this particular front, and was not sure what to say. Uncle Tom was not sure what to say himself, not sure whether to laugh or cry at the situation, at the recollection of his own stress which he and his family had suffered over the past few days, and would continue to suffer over the days to come. He also recounted how he dropped my cousin (who is currently in the midst of HSC exams) to a friend’s house, only to be stopped by the police on the drive home as the road was blocked by the Linksview Road fire. Trouble was that my Aunt was still at the house. Uncle Tom drove the long way around to the house which is a 45 minute trip to rejoin my very stressed out Aunt.
It was Uncle Tom who is credited with the beautiful, yet eerie picture at the beginning of this post. This was taken from his Facebook status update over the weekend, which came with the caption “View from the roof! #scary”.
Uncle Tom also mentioned the generosity of many, in particular all of the people who have volunteered goods, services and accommodation via the Blue Mountain Fire Recovery page on Facebook. Even random strangers have offered a bed to Uncle Tom and his family, which really shows how such an event really brings people together.
The re-building process will be long and arduous for everyone whose castles have been damaged or destroyed by the fires. It is made all the more complex by insurance, which will naturally cover the amount insured on the policy, although this may not be the actual replacement cost of a new home in today’s market. Ultimately a new house will never be the same as the original, but after the passage of time it will become a home once more.
Perhaps now I better understand why people might choose to live in an area which is a little more unforgiving, an unlikely terrain. Loving a location or a home is one thing, but knowing that it is the people and communities around you who will be there if the worst happens is why you love it all the more. This human spirit does not wane, but rather is a continuance in these areas where each time there is a warm and windy day, the threat of trouble is there.
This is certainly not the end of this story, and we are all hoping that the amazing efforts of the RFS are rewarded by an abatement of fire across these battlefronts over the coming days.
And lastly, a message to Uncle Tom: You and yours (and the menagerie) are welcome to invade Addict Manor anytime you like. My kids will love your scaly friends, while you will find me on higher ground, perched on the dining table …
How have you or your loved ones been affected by the bushfires? Could you help the hundreds of families whose lives have been changed by this natural disaster?
