Well, to answer my question, just about everything it seems. Over the past 3 months, since the fire season started, a majority of National and State Parks in NSW and Victoria have had bushfires through them. As I looked this afternoon at the Victorian figures, there have been some 577 reported bushfires in the state this season, 105 burning as we speak.
Why is this significant you wonder? Well, two reasons, one selfish, the other environmental.
The selfish reason is that I've had a nine day hike through the Kosciuszko National Park cancelled by the Parks and Wildlife Service cancelled due to bushfires. And I'm not ecstatic about - I was really looking forward to getting out and about again. Instead, I'm looking at organising something simpler, 5 or 6 days in the lower Victorian Alps, 6 people instead of 20, less dramatic scenery, but a nice walk nonetheless.
The environmental significance of bushfires is huge. [The author pulls on his green political jumpsuit] As much as people seem to consider them a huge inconvenience and threat to property - in Australia at least, fire is vital to the bush. Fires regenerate forest, they germinate seeds, burn dead wood and eliminate animal overpopulation. Most Australian eucalypts think little of a fire - they lose their leaves and some bark, then continue greener than ever within a few years. Why then, do people have such an aversion to bushfires? I won’t go too far into it, but I reckon it’s got something to do with powerlessness.
Anyway, enough of me trying not to feel so irritated about having a trip cancelled. Instead I’ll point everyone’s attention the picture at the top of this posting - a nice little shot taken last weekend when I was out bush near Lake Eildon in central Victoria. Notice how empty the lake is? About 13% I think - and people in Melbourne and Sydney whinge about water restrictions; I mean, at least we’ve got safe water to drink.
And, while I’m here, I thought I’d plug our new soccer club publication, part of which should be posted on our website
http://groups.msn.com/otgsc . Solid evening’s work, writing and designing an 8 page, full-colour magazine, especially when I spent an hour trying make an anagram out of ‘Old Trinity Grammarian’s Soccer Club.’ Thought I did pretty well coming up with ‘Sir Bucci ‘Roast and Grill’ Commentary’ and Bill Murray in “otgsc (inc.) - record at Ma’s.” It should then come as no surprise that I didn’t finish the magazine until a little after 4am. Ho hum, procrastination as an artform.
Well, I now feel adequately aired, hope everyone is well and enjoying themselves.
Cheers,
Mossy
