Sunday, July 5, 2009

Marysville Victoria

as of July 5th 2009
5 months after the bushfires.
Today I drove, Seb, Mad, and my mum to Marysville for the day. I met up with my favourite friend Helen, her husband and beautiful daughter Megan for lunch at the bakery - one of the very few businesses still standing. The lunch was very nice - pies/pasties and of course yummy cakes.
After getting lost in Greensborough - it was only because I went left instead of right, - yes I had a map and the GPS - but didnt think the lady on the GPS was telling me the truth !! -She was ... and 3 hours later we arrived.
The place is if you can call it thriving in the only way they can. The bakery is doing a roaring business, the visitor centre is set up and the town was full of either locals or visitors.
The burnt houses / businesses have mostly been cleared away, and only the blackened scenery remains - which is slowly turning green.
It was amazing to actually walk down the main street and see what the aftermath is ..
The Cumberland Spa resort was were I was going on a girls weekend in March has only the Spa left - which is out the back. The accomodation and conference centre was burnt to the ground has been cleared away and the visitor centre is now placed there in temporary gazebos.
A few business have set up shop in temporary portables.
Walking around the town was eery and it still has the burnt smell, it would have been hell on earth to be there on that day ...and it was.
And to top it off last Monday the snow ski hiring business at lake Mountain not far away burnt down, so a portable business was set up for snow gear in the main street.





1 comment:

coral said...

Lee-Ann Your post made me tear up ...I have only managed to get as far as Narbethong with Kristeen...I had to turn back.
When spring comes I plan to take some flowers and have a little drive ...I am sorry you weren't able to see Marysville before the fires...The gardens and cottages along Main St were so pretty, every shade of azalea and dogwood trees ...even the police station had a gorgeous garden.I am so glad you enjoyed your day :)