Thanks one and all for the kind thoughts, I'm sorry that these below posts didn't make it through. I'll post them below as I think that's probably the easiest to explain things. We are still living in a disaster area and will be for some time. Our house is one of the lucky one.
6th January 2020
Dear family & friends firstly let me say a big thank you for all your kindness and support.
Some of you will follow more of what I write than those overseas but I am sending this out to all as we still don't have telecommunications and I get 1 bar on my phone maybe once or twice a day for a minute or two and receive a lot of messages from you.
So I hope this message does reach you all. Can my model steam friends please pass this message on same as my photography friends to the boards, thanks.
This is now day 7 with no power, land line phones, mobile phones, Internet. Sewers overflowing, rotten garbage left from the evacuations. Our only access to the outside world is an old 1970s transistor radio I dug out of my shed and had some batteries for it. Roads still closed and still cut off. Getting tough to live after a week without power.
Radio says still possible a lot longer yet. But compared to all longer yet. But compared to all those that lost everything they own except the clothes on their backs its nothing.
New year's eve was indescribable the fire storm even though we had prepared ourselves was nothing that can be put in words, the flames, the heat, the smoke, the embers, the incredible noise it made. The wild animals on fire screaming, birds falling out of the sky. Around 90 houses completely gone. Three people know deceased. People drove their cars into the Lake to escape the flames and heat. Hundreds of cars have been incinerated.
Aluminium boats melted like wax. We would have lost our three family homes if we hadn't stayed and defended. But it's taken a toll on our health and lungs. Saturday was a repeat of new year's eve. 47 degrees 80klm winds and ember attacks from the West, then the nor'east, then the south. The forests are burnt beyond devastation, everywhere we look is traumatic. Roads still closed and Roads still closed and still cut off. For my o'seas friend January Lake Conjola swells from 300 permanent residents to around 5000 - 6000 with camping holiday makers. All of these people had to be evacuated by police in 50 car convoys to Nowra 80 klms to our north over a few days and nights but hwy being closed repeatedly most of these people sat frightened in their cars for up to 24 hours or more. To finish we are OK, house is full of Ash. Police escorted some trucks in yesterday with fresh food and water and has been passed out to the few residents remaining.
Thank you all for your kind thoughts sent through. So very much appreciated, will contact you all sometime in the future when things are better.
8th January 2020
G’day all and thank you for the well wishes.
Still not great down here, road still closed to residents only. The army has put truck sized gennys at street corners and after 9 days we have power at Lake Conjola (not all streets in Conjola Park though), which is good, but makes us also very aware that 90 or so houses aren’t there for power to go to.
Incredible to have the internet and information, lived with an old battery transistor radio and that’s been pretty much our only contact with the outside world.
Mobile phones are still SOS or No Service, we haven’t heard when that will be fixed.
The garbage has finally been picked up after 15 days, they were full of Xmas foodstuffs and NYE foodstuffs and seafoods that never got to be eaten. And also the fridges and freezes full of rotten food, the bins were pretty ripe after that 47°+ day. Also the pump out sewers have been finally pumped out.
There’s a large semi type vehicle today that’s been brought in with hot showers and washing machines for the poor buggers that didn’t get hooked up to one of the army gennies.
There’s not a single tourist here, its eerily quiet. The residents that stayed all look pretty haggard, the ones that evacuated are dribbling back and I think the adrenaline that we have lived off has gone and the reality of the rebuilding problems that the area and the lake are in for in the future when we get rain and toxins get washed in are starting to sink in.
The devastation down here is seriously indescribable. I don’t know how much has been on the news as we just haven’t had any. Cops have been patrolling around a lot for looters, can you f#%@!ng believe that there are looters????
Hope all are well and looking forward to things improving.
16th January 2020
Our only road into Lake Conjola is still closed and guarded and only residents allowed in. Power is still being provided by the army generators. The army have stepped up there presence here.
