BUSHFIRES near KYNETON

Kyneton although farming land does have a lot of bushland/forests especially on the hills. About a month ago there were fires during the heatwave. These were 10 to 15 kms away from the township.
We drove by the area last Sunday without knowing where the fires were and then as we turned a bend, the evidence of the fire was around us. It travelled from the forests to the roadway as you can see in these photos.

The fires closed the main road from Kyneton to Revesdale. 

If you look closely to the trees on the hill, you will find that they are now just twisted silhouettes. 

It was just before the burnt out paddocks that we noticed literally hundreds of kangaroos grazing in farmland paddocks. We didn't realise until we came across the charred paddocks and forest that they had come down from their now black habitat to feed. It was quite an amazing site to see so many kangaroos in one area, many with young in their pouches.

You lookin' at me?

Only Yesterday.

When we were driving back from the Latrobe Valley yesterday, we were amongst the bush fires down in the district of Gippsland, east of Melbourne.
Today, I had to visit a client in Healesville in the Yarra Valley and as I drove through the Valley's wine growing district, the sky over the mountains to the north grew hazy with smoke from the fires in that region.
It seems Victoria has bush fires throughout the state and everyone in the rural districts are on alert.

On the way back from my appointment in the Yarra Valley, I made a stop for a light lunch and opened one of Melbourne's two main newspapers, the Herald Sun. Its not my favorite paper, a tabloid that in my opinion makes news when there is none - a gossip newspaper. This was not one of those occasions.
The cover below of the Herald Sun gave a good account of why the whole state is on alert.

The fires destroyed homes in what once were small rural towns four decades ago and today they are populated outer suburbs of Melbourne. Although being suburbs, they retain a wooded environment prone to adding fuel to bush fires. Below is a photo of Warrandyte - an environment that was one of my early cycling training areas.

Only yesterday the towns of Morwell and Hazelwood closed the main highway and it was only luck that we were to the west of those towns that allowed us to return home with out being diverted. We did however see the road closure of the highway for those travelling west from where we had come.

The photo below depicts the bush fire scene very reminiscent of the flag belonging to our indigenous people of Australia. One wonders how the original Australians survived these natural infernos not to mention the wildlife.

And as I write this post, I'm made aware of some of my northern hemisphere blogging friends having to cope with constant rainfall and flooding.

Fortunately to date we have no loss of life. Let's hope it stays that way.