Sepia Saturday #501: Safe Home
I’ve missed the call for Sepia Saturday #500 and am even a little late for a contribution to #501, but nevertheless I hope you won’t mind if I repost a blog I wrote 6 years ago at the end of 2013, the year I started to contribute to Sepia Saturday.
Here’s the link, entitled Happy Holidays, Safe Home. The main part of the blog concerned the Blue Mountains, an area in New South Wales that is popular with holidaymakers due in particular to its spectacular scenery and challenging bushwalks, The other relevance of the post was that it referred to our wedding which took place on 5 January 1974, and we have just been celebrating our 46th anniversary.
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I imagine that other Sepians will have heard about the disastrous bushfires in many parts of Australia that have tragically affected so many residents and visitors, whether in their home towns or on holiday. The Blue Mountains, the South coast of New South Wales and the East Gippsland area of Victoria are all popular holiday places that have have suffered in the horrifying infernos that have raged out of control for many days this summer, and the threat to them is not over yet. Lives have been lost, wildlife and stock have been killed and thousands of homes and properties destroyed. For many holidaymakers, getting safely home has been an enormous challenge, and so devastating for those residents who no longer have a home to go to.
We own a holiday unit north of Sydney in the small beachside township of Hawks Nest. I have mentioned it in other earlier blogs. Fortunately that area has not been threatened by fire this summer, but it was very smokey when we were up there before Christmas, as a result of fires slightly further north, and much of our drive home from Hawks Nest down to Melbourne was heavily smoke affected. The smoke situation must be very much worse now.
Like many Australians, I really wonder what the future holds, and glib political platitudes certainly don't provide us with any solutions. Perhaps it's time to re-think the annual Christmas holiday by the beach, but for now I can only wish all holidaymakers a safe trip home, help for all those who so badly need it, and for everywhere else, smoke-free skies and lots of very much needed rain!
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| My late father-in-law fishing and camping, c 1948 |
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| Family camping holiday at Lake Tabourie on the NSW South Coast, early 1960s. |
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| This photo was taken by my brother of the fire across the lake from his home. He and his wife evacuated to a safe location and thankfully the fire did not reach their home town. |
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| Smoke blankets Central Melbourne, 3 January 2020 |
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| Safe Haven: Bayside view, Hawks Nest NSW |
