Former South African journalist, Diana Streak, who now lives in the Australian capital, Canberra, yesterday told the Independent on Saturday of the horror of its wildfires.
Streak spent the past four days trying to escape hellish fiery conditions as she drove through raging wildfires which have engulfed many coastal areas of south-east Australia.
Yesterday, Streak said she had been travelling and was in Bateman’s Bay in News South Wales on Tuesday, New Year’s Eve.
“I was on my own and was woken by hot winds and a rattling noise. I went outside and saw a huge plume of smoke and flames approaching my brother’s house. The neighbours were all in the street and fire engine sirens were blaring around the town. Instinctively, I started to film the flames and smoke.
“The wind was incredibly hot and noisy. I was told to evacuate and grabbed a few water bottles and drove to the sports centre where cars were arriving from all directions.”
More and more cars arrived at the evacuation centre, with families bringing “dogs, pet rabbits, chickens, cats and even a horse. By midday it was nearly dark because of the heavy smoke and hot wind. I had a wet sarong which I wrapped around my head and face while I sat in my car. I spent New Year’s Eve sleeping in my car,” said Streak, whose only meal was a sandwich and an apple handed out by volunteers.
And it was only going to get worse.
“There was no power for the next 48 hours which impacted everything – shops were closed, as were petrol stations and there were no traffic lights – it was something from an apocalyptic film. I had to start my car to charge my phone, but didn’t want to waste fuel because the garages were closed. Imagine Margate with no power and people flooding in from neighbouring towns.”
After staying with her brother for the second night, Streak said they were advised to leave the area.
“Two of the three highways out of the town were closed, including the main one to Canberra which had been closed for weeks because of the fires. So I headed north, but after 50km, the traffic was at a standstill as the road ahead was closed due to more fires. I parked my car and contemplated another night sleeping in it,” she said.
Streak had prepared well for her trip, having stocked up on torches, toilet paper, water and food, as well as a full tank of petrol.
She got as far as the town of Ulladulla, where hundreds of other families were stuck, some camping on the beach.
“I ended up sleeping on the couch of a friend of a friend of a friend.
“On day 4, by 4.30am we were on the road, but the traffic was mostly stationary. It took me three hours to cover 20km. After that it improved and I drove through remains of forests with trees still smouldering and flames stubbornly licking their trunks. Dead wildlife is a terrible reminder of what this country has lost,” she said.
She reached home 10 hours later and yesterday she said the country was bracing for what has been predicted as a far more horrifying scenario.
“Saturday, January 4 is going to be apocalyptic. There is a massive heatwave predicted with winds that will fan existing fires. Warnings have been issued in New South Wales and Victoria, Australia’s most populous states, for people to evacuate areas under threat. Current fires are expected to merge and form mega fires which cannot be controlled.”
Streak added that the raging wild fires would be a “defining moment in Australia’s history”.
“These fires burning in all six states are unprecedented and will change the political, environmental and social discourse of this country,” she said, adding there was “wonderful ubuntu”, with people handing out sandwiches and water as queues of thousands of cars came to a standstill.
They were all trying to escape the south coast, which is hugely popular for tourists at this time of year.
Yesterday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that New South Wales was “again in a state of emergency as it braces for a ‘very dangerous day’ of searing temperatures and strong winds”.
The wild fires, which started in September, have ravaged more than 5million hectares, at least 19 people have died and dozens remain missing.
This week Sydney ecologist Chris Dickman told the Herald that nearly 500 million birds, reptiles and mammals were believed to have died in New South Wales alone. That figure excludes countless frogs, bats and insects.
With the holiday season well under way, the Australian Navy yesterday rescued about 1000 tourists and residents trapped in the town of Mallacoota. With roads cut off, air rescues were carried out until dense smoke made that impossible. Navy vessels carried others.
Yesterday, New South Wales state rural fire service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers urged residents and visitors to flee ahead of the weekend.
“We need people to stay focused. Now is not the time to drop your guard. Take it seriously.”
With more than 200 fires burning yesterday, one of Australia’s largest evacuations saw gridlocked traffic as firefighters escorted convoys of thousands of people while flames continued to threaten to shut down roads.
The smoke has blown across to New Zealand where glaciers on South Island have turned brown.
“These fires burning in all six states are unprecedented and will change the political, environmental and social discourse of this country,” she said, adding there was “wonderful ubuntu”, with people handing out sandwiches and water as queues of thousands of cars came to a standstill.
They were all trying to escape the south coast, which is hugely popular for tourists at this time of year.
Yesterday, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that New South Wales was “again in a state of emergency as it braces for a ‘very dangerous day’ of searing temperatures and strong winds”.
The wild fires, which started in September, have ravaged more than 5 million hectares, at least 19 people have died and dozens remain missing.
This week Sydney ecologist Chris Dickman told the Herald that nearly 500 million birds, reptiles and mammals were believed to have died in New South Wales alone. That figure excludes countless frogs, bats and insects.
With the holiday season well under way, the Australian Navy yesterday rescued about 1 000 tourists and residents trapped in the town of Mallacoota. With roads cut off, air rescues were carried out until dense smoke made that impossible. Navy vessels carried others.
Yesterday, New South Wales state rural fire service deputy commissioner Rob Rogers urged residents and visitors to flee ahead of the weekend.
“We need people to stay focused. Now is not the time to drop your guard. Take it seriously.”
With more than 200 fires burning yesterday, one of Australia’s largest evacuations saw gridlocked traffic as firefighters escorted convoys of thousands of people while flames continued to threaten to shut down roads.
The smoke has blown across to New Zealand where glaciers on South Island have turned brown.
Independent On Saturday
