Vic Fires

Well we have been keeping a low profile in the last couple of weeks since getting back from NZ. Just a couple of catch-ups with mates (Muzza and Claire and baby Delia have finally moved back to Oz), the occasional bike ride & run as we train for our very-mini-triathalon (only a 300m swim, 10km bike and 3km run), and generally getting ready to head up to Sydney for Lee and Sal's wedding on the 20th Feb.





We left Yesterday (Sunday) to drive up to Sydney via Canberra for a couple of days biking and hanging out with my cousin Phil. Sunday wasn't a happy day in Victoria with the worst fires since 1983 raging all over the state. Our intended route up through the Yarra Valley and through the Kinglake state forest wasn't to be with the town of Kinglake literally wiped off the map. Several highways were shut and even the Hume highway - the main road to Sydney - had detours. This is what it looked like driving on the Hume Highway by mid Sunday morning (and we were up-wind of the many fires).





We drove through the smoke for 200km, which may give some idea of the scale of the fires. It was enough to sting our eyes while driving and make our clothes smell like we've been standing in front of a BBQ all day. Fortunately we don't know anyone that has been directly affected, but I imagine that many of the people that I went to school with that lived out that way may have been. Pretty scary stuff, thankfully Mum and Dad got a few hours of rain yesterday down the Mornington Peninsula, which was an area that was on the high risk list for a little while and had a smaller fire last week near one of mum's sisters.

At least the weather forecast is only for the 20's this week which will be a relief after the 40's temperatures we've had in the last couple of weeks. We're off now to make the most of this cooler weather to enjoy Canberra's reputation as the biking mecca of Australia and do some sightseeing around "our nations capital"!

B&K