Greetings from the still so very dry Grampians. And fire ravaged yet once again. The January fires have burnt much of the northern section of the Park. Our Park staff have had a torrid time, and now face months of hard work. We offer them our sympathy and our thanks. In Dave Robert’s piece you will see just what a huge task they have ahead of them.
It has also severely impacted several of our FOGG members. Judith Thompson, Bill and Hennie Neve, Ewen Johnson, Rob Lucas and Bonnie Carter and others all had the fire roar through their properties and lost sheds and equipment. One member (Rodney Thompson) lost the old cottage he was living in next to Judith and his car. Proo Pyke’s property was burnt; they lost fences but no buildings, Other members lost holiday houses. I am sure all of you will sympathise with them on their losses. The woman who died during the fires was not a FOGG member but shared many of our values and interests, and was a good neighbour and friend to our members in the area.
Those of us who live in Halls Gap, Black Ranges and Stawell had a few very worrying days. Most of us took the advice to leave town on two occasions. What a relief to come back home to find we had been spared, thanks in part to a wind shift, but also some heroic effort from Parks, DEPI and CFA. Areas affected by the recent fires are still closed while assessments are done and works commenced. A detailed list is available from tourist offices and the PV line 131963.It is most important that we respect this.
The fire and the extreme heat also affected our activities, as you will see from the activity reports.
Margo S