Janet Reynolds

Bushfire Survivor, Numbugga, NSW

I moved to the Bega Valley in 1992 and began to create a home space that was not too much of an intrusion on the natural environment. More than a thousand native plants, food for the natural inhabitants, were planted amongst the existing forest. It attracted a vast array of wildlife and no domestic animals were a part of this sanctuary. I loved, and love, this place deeply.

On August 15th 2018, record breaking winds brought a massive fire racing through the forest to my property. With almost no notice I grabbed a few belongings and headed out. As I drove around the bend I was confronted with a wall of flames and a fallen tree across the road. I stopped the car, jumped out, picked up the tree and threw it off the road. Keep in mind that I am small, not very strong, nearly 74 year old woman! Adrenaline is a wondrous thing! A friend and myself made it out safely but behind me were all the collections of my life. The art, carvings, ceramics, rugs, furniture, artefacts, from my years in Africa. The same from my 45 years in Australia. All the memories and photos of my family and friends, the love letters and drawings from children I had taught, letters from my parents, even love letters from my youth! All packed neatly and carefully in plastic boxes.

However the greatest loss of all is the life that has been destroyed in this massive fire. The joeys who were just popping out of the pouch in the days before the fire, the five goannas who patrolled relentlessly in the warm months, the thousands of finches and wrens, the death adders, black, brown and tiger snakes, and all the myriad life forms who created the wonderful energy of Numbugga. Some of course will have survived but many have gone and my heart is heavy for them. What are we doing to our country, our planet?