We'd planned to leave Lakes Entrance on the 30th, but the forecast was for 44deg C that day - too hot to ride, so we decided to come home a day early. The day we left, Vic Emergency Services sent an SMS to all in the area suggesting we evacuate due to hazardous fire conditions. We're glad we left - on two fronts. The ride home the day we came back was already far too hot (another story for another day) and for those that stayed behind, all hell broke loose just a day or two later with major fires, road closures and apocalyptic scenes right across Eastern Victoria.
As I type (3 Jan) there are entire communities still cut off, other communities that are now preparing to evacuate, and swathes of land burnt, and along with it causing devastation and heartache for the victims. In Victoria, we've sadly lost two people with another 28 missings. In NSW,the death toll is currently at 16, including several volunteer firefighters. It just doesn't feel right to be posting about our trip right now with all this going on, so I'll do a catch up in a few days.
Meantime, our thoughts are firmly with those impacted by the fires - we hope that our emergency services stay safe. The work you guys and gas all do is simply awe inspiring.
Photos' not mine - they've been borrowed from Social Media.
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