No smoke without fire


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Published: December 25th 2009
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Day 241 - Surfleet Cove, Lincoln National Park to Louth Bay (north east of Port Lincoln)

Huge birthday shout out this morning to our very special friend Josh Coulsell. Happy Birthday Josh, hope you have a great time with lots of Birthday Cheer! Hip Hip Hooray!

We really didn’t sleep well last night, there’s no doubt we were both on edge and had one nostril & eye open for most of it, ridiculous as that may sound. We were awake so early this morning, before the sun was fully up but the bay was unbelievably calm and the sky was orange with the sun rise … or was it a lighter shade of ‘red sky in the morning, shepherd’s warning’. We didn’t think so, it just looked like the start of another lovely day.

The Ranger that came to speak to us last night had said that the forecast was for 41+ degree heat today and strong wind so we can be forgiven for thinking early on that they’d got it wrong. Dar did use the phrase ‘calm before the storm’ but we just laughed it off with rye smiles as we dutifully packed our caravan up ready to leave the park as requested. A bit later on I got on the internet to see if I could find information on the ‘catastrophic fire danger’ warning that the Ranger had talked about, it didn’t take me long to find it but the battery was going flat on the laptop so I didn’t read it in full until the end of the day when it all really made sense.

I chatted to a lady from the large caravan that had arrived yesterday. Sharon was in no rush to leave this morning either, she and husband Darrell (co-incidence!) are starting an 8 month break away from their home in Queensland. They were intending to stay here for a couple of days then head to Coffin Bay National Park but that’s going to be closed too because of the catastrophic fire danger warning. We said goodbye to Alex and Sue, shame we didn’t get to spend more time with them but they are heading for Elliston where they will stay for Christmas.

We toyed with the idea of putting a sign up to save our pitch but decided not to bother, if it’s free when we return then fair enough but if not then we’ll make do with one of the other spots as we’re sure that not many will come up until after the Christmas holidays.

Across the bay where Fishermans Point camp ground is we couldn’t see much sign of leaving activity, we wondered if we were the only ones taking things so seriously and whether others would just stay put and sit it out. We drove out of the park and were a bit dismayed to see the ‘low key’ closure notice of the park, don’t get me wrong the wording was clear but it was at the entry station rather than the main turning into the park and could easily be ignored - the Rangers can’t patrol everywhere, it’s a huge park.

It all seems a bit strange, very surreal. We drove into town and parked up initially near Woolies so Dar could get all the goodies for Christmas Day dinner. I sat in the car tapping away updating more of the blogs - at this rate I’ll be uploading about 10 in one go! I made great progress and even found the time to call DEC (Department of Environment and Conservation) for an update on the park closure. I was told that the catastrophic warning was in place for 24 hrs, it had started midnight last night and therefore would end at midnight tonight. It had been a directive from Adelaide that dictated the park should be closed. I thanked the lady for the information and was happy in the knowledge that we’d be nestled back in Surfleet Cove by morning.

By the time Dar got back I was ready to go off and do my bit of shopping, the temperature had changed whilst I’d been doing the blogs it was much warmer now and the wind had picked up.


Firstly though we wanted to try and sort out the battery for the lantern, our best form of lighting when we’re not on power. We’d purchased a new bulb from one of the camping shops in town on Monday but the lantern was still flickering and then dying out so we figured it was actually the battery that wasn’t charging properly as the new bulb hadn’t helped. After a store to store search it became apparent that a new battery was going to be hard to find and when we did eventually track down someone that could order one for us we were shocked to hear it would be at a cost of $64! A new lamp would only cost $90 so we needed a new plan of action and instead would utilise another form of lighting for the time being!

We went back to town so I could finish off my Christmas shopping, which I did and then I popped into the visitors centre to ask if we were ok to rock up outside the national park entry station and then literally drive back in at midnight - no problem at all, they even checked with the rangers who also confirmed that would be fine.

My next stop was back in Woolies to get the very last bits for Dar’s stocking and as I was paying at the till the woman serving me was noticeably distracted and asking what everyone was looking at outside. She said something about a fire but I really didn’t click on to the conversation at all and she turned around to discuss it with a colleague.

In the meantime Dar had filled our caravan tank up using the water tap from the visitors centre and as he walked to return it was stunned to see a huge plume of black smoke filling the air. I walked out from Woolies into the street with my arms full of shopping and could see people grouped together standing looking upwards, then I spotted Darryl who shouted to me. He was standing at the bottom of the street too and behind him the sky was full of black smoke.

We weren’t sure what was going on but headed back to the car and switched the radio on to be greeted with the sound of siren alerts and the CFS (Country Fire Services) warnings that “an extremely dangerous bushfire is burning out of control at Port Lincoln near DK Quarries near Western Approach Road. The Port Lincoln fire is travelling in a easterly direction towards Kurrara Road and Roberttson Road. If you are in this area you should shelter in a solid structure immediately. Close all doors and windows stay inside and stay off the roads. You should not attempt to leave or enter this area as the roads will not be safe”.

The centre of town was thrown into chaos, there were people rushing everywhere and dropping everything to return home. Dar over heard a woman in a bank telling her colleagues that she had to go and she didn’t know how long she’d be. The power had gone out too and although people were still trying to go about their normal business many of the shops and banks couldn’t stay open without power.

I yelled at Dar for taking photographs, not like me to be camera shy all of a sudden but I just felt sick at what was going on in front of us.

We were pretty disorientated and didn’t really know where to go or what to do so we drove in what we thought was the opposite direction to the fire and stopped on the top of a hill. We stood outside with some of the residents who were watching in horror, through binoculars, as one huge burst of flames followed another. There went another house, or maybe a shed but it was more than one and the black smoke filled the air. The people stood with us telling us how often in the past they’d watched this happen, 9 people died here on Black Tuesday in 2005 through a similar bush fire and in only January this year another fire broke out razing houses to the ground. This was not looking good and I was getting upset.

Darryl’s answer? “Come on love, let’s go to Liquorland, they might be doing 2 for $60 still”! I was not amused but I followed him and got in the car all the same. I was less amused when the route to Liquorland appeared to be taking us towards the fire stricken area but we pulled up in the car park and Dar went inside to get the beer. The chap behind the counter was in good spirits and when Dar said that he thought they might have been closed because of the fire he replied “We don’t close until the flames are licking at our door”! I guess with all of this kicking off on a fairly regular basis you have to keep a sense of humour about you. Watching the water bombing planes flying low over the flames and hearing their sirens going was something else. It was just all so strange, full on and right in front of our eyes.

We drove back into town away from the fire and passed a fuel station with an ambulance on the forecourt filling up and a woman on a horse with no saddle. We could only assume that she’d gone to get the horse from wherever it was stabled and felt she didn’t have time to saddle it up.

The town was a bit less congested with traffic now and we parked up on the front beach and sat on the water tank contemplating our next move. Tom Tom could easily take us out of town but we were still unsure of where the fire was so I went to get a map from the visitors centre, they were in darkness but still there helping people out.

Just as I got back to Dar a couple pulled up behind us with their Ute towing a boat. They had the radio station tuned in and their UHF radio seemed to be in contact with the water bombing planes flying over head. As we chatted to this couple they told us that their house was under threat from the fire, they’d been home to grab whatever they could and then got out. The lady, Chris, told
The power was out for most of the townThe power was out for most of the townThe power was out for most of the town

and the water bombing planes just kept on going with the sirens warning people to leave their homes.
me that she couldn’t get the car to her street so she’d had to walk to the house and her knees were really shot now. Whilst she was in the house the water bombing plane had come over really low with its sirens going and that was the signal they had to leave right then and there. Bless her she was shaking and we really felt for them. We offered them a tea or coffee or something to eat but they said they were fine and not long had lunch at work. For the next hour or so we sat with John and Chris as the fire got closer and closer to their house and infact got closer and closer to town. Their son Shane was still at his house having doused it with water and he was now standing on the roof watching the fire make its next move. The air is thick with smoke at this point, thick with it and ash is raining down on the town and us. I chat to Chris about normal life, her job at the Tuna processing plant for John West - she’s one of the ladies who puts the chillies in the tuna cans! I always wondered how that happened, well now I know. They’re all ready to go camping after Christmas down at Farm Beach the other side of Coffin Bay, infact they parked their caravan down there a week or so ago to make sure they secured their spot.

The radio continues to give out updates and the water bombing planes are still flying low over the houses and buildings under threat. John knows the pilot and most of the Country Fire Service volunteers too, they’ve lived here all their lives but this is the closest they’ve ever come to losing their house which they’ve built up together over 38 years. It’s an awful prospect and as the smoke fills the front beach behind us it seems the wind is shifting again in a different direction. We can hear it’s now heading South and Ocean Drive is now engulfed in flames, we find ourselves wanting to get as far away from it all as possible.

How bizarre is it that only hours ago we were desperate to get back to our beautiful spot on the beach in the National Park where there is only one road in and one road out within dense patches of scrub and park land. It would not have been a good place to be in hindsight.

As Elvis the water bombing helicopter flies into sight we bid a sincere farewell to John and Chris. We’ve got their contact details and will get in touch to hopefully hear that their home was spared. Chris has taken the trouble to tell us a few different camp spots we can try not too far away, bless her, what a lovely lady. She also advised us on the safe route out of town so that we wouldn’t be getting in anybodies way or driving towards the fire. With that knowledge we made the break away, passed the groups of people camped out in lay-bys, passed the fire engine filling up with water at the caravan park and out under the news helicopter teams that were flying around.

In no time at all we’ve reached Louth Bay where we find a quiet little camping area just off the beach. There are a couple of people parked up here but it’s not busy by any means and we back into an empty spot. We chat to the family with the “Wag n Work” bus who are originally from Port Lincoln so they’re listening intently to the radio updates for news. They returned to their rented home earlier today to retrieve what they could as the fire headed in its direction, the wind changed so they were lucky but they know families that have lost their homes and all their belongings today.

We go for a walk along the beach, it’s quiet and the outlook is pleasant so we can’t and won’t be complaining.

Our thoughts tonight are with the folk back in Port Lincoln and the extremely brave CFS (Country Fire Service) crews and all the volunteers that put their lives at risk to fight these unpredictable fires.

Dar and Sar


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25th December 2009

Amazing!
Well, thank God you and everybody in Port Lincoln are safe - it must have been a terrifying experience. What some dramatic photos! Take extra care and get back home safe! xxx Mum and Dad K
25th December 2009

Listening to Advice
Hi Darryl and Sarah, well written blog Sarah! It is not easy to write about such a sensitive subject when it affects so many people and of course devastates so many lives. I am really glad that you told us about it before we managed to see it all unfold on the news, it was dreadful to see the news reel. We are both glad that you took heed of the Rangers advice, it is never worth taking the risk, even if they were wrong and nothing happened, I know that I would prefer to be right out of the way when it happens. I guess you can always rely on Darryls sense of humour to help lighten the atmosphere. Hope Christmas Day went well for you both, and equally hope that Santa managed to find you, he must have a tricky time with people who move around. Take care both KJ xx

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