Comments on: After the Fires: Our Multi-Coloured Backyard

By: Rachel Cotterill

Rachel Cotterill — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:40:01 +0000

Absolutely incredible. Breathtaking. Thanks for sharing these pictures & words, and I admire your efforts to put your preconceptions to one side.

Adding your blog to my blogroll 🙂

By: theprofessionalhobo

theprofessionalhobo — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:32:25 +0000

@Kazari – I must say, these pictures don’t capture the true feeling and raw (very raw) beauty of the matter. (Damn over-exposures and lack of proper lenses)! It is tragic, truly so. But even while things still smoulder, to see something green is absolute magic. When we are beaten down, we take heart in some of the tiniest beacons of light.
I too was surprised to see so many trees standing. I don’t know if bulldozers will come through the truly devestated areas (like in the pictures) or not. Other areas faired much better, where the fire did not crown above the trees.
Today, I am going for a drive through (formerly) one of the most beautiful sections of subtropical rainforest I have ever seen (The Spur, near Healesville) to get to Melbourne. This road was only recently re-opened since fire blew through here too. I am nervous about what I’ll see (to say the least), but at least to be forewarned is to be forearmed.

By: kazari

kazari — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 03:54:34 +0000

Norah, your pictures made me cry. We moved to Canberra after the 2003 fires, so I have no before memories, but the first time we drove to Stromlo, it looked like pictures of Mt St Helens. Armageddon.
I cried then too.

I didn’t expect to see so many trees standing in your photos. I think it helps. When we climbed up to Stromlo, it was amazing to see the shape of the land, with all the trees bulldozed into contour banks to stop the erosion.

So thankful for rain. You’re right, this landscape is resilient, and life will go on.