A Nation In Deep Mourning

Victoria Reels After The Weekend Of Armageddon

Photographs copyright: DAVID McMAHON

From the bottom of my heart, thank you to all of you who asked if my family is safe. Yes, we are. I have been deeply touched by the scores of emails and comments asking about our safety. As far as possible I have replied personally to every single query. If I missed anyone, my apologies ... but please pray for those who have been hard hit by the fires.

Just to give you an update, this is the worst natural disaster in modern Australian history. No question about it. The previous watersheds were the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983 and, prior to that, Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Day 1974. These pointers are a summary of what has happened since the blazes broke out on Saturday afternoon ....

• 173 dead, the worst bushfire toll in Australia’s history
• 750 homes destroyed and thousands homeless
• At least four children, possibly more, among the dead
  
• Hundreds of refugees flock to Red Cross centres
• Two towns obliterated, Marysville declared a crime scene
  
• Eyewitnesses use a common description: "Armageddon"
• Alfred Hospital, major trauma centre, runs out of morphine
• Fires still burning out of control, despite cooler weather
• Authorities warn some fires could take weeks to contain
• News Limited donates $1 million to Bushfire Appeal
  

Sometimes you see a familiar face when you don't want to. During Sunday night's television coverage of the Black Saturday bushfires, we caught a brief but unmistakable glimpse of someone who recently befriended us.

We met because of his easy humour and his wide grin - and both those sterling qualities were strongly in evidence during his dramatic moments on the nation's television screens.

In July last year, I had just flown into Langkawi, Malaysia, with my family and we were at a resort pool when a big, burly bloke slipped off his perch in the pool bar. He came back up again none the worse for wear, but announced loudly to his wife: "That's the first time I've ever fallen off a bloody bar stool and not hurt myself''.

He had a huge grin on his face.

I spluttered with laughter.

"Fair dinkum, mate,'' he announced, looking in my direction and extending an introductory handshake. "I could get used to this.'' His name was Steve and he introduced me to his wife nearby.

He had a huge grin on his face.

In the space of the next few minutes, we realised that we shared a common link. He was from Melbourne too - and we exchanged notes about just how cold the Victorian capital was when we flew out.

A few minutes later, I excused myself, saying I had to go to the airport, just a few minutes' drive away.

"Airport?'' he asked, "didn't you just get here?''

I nodded. But I explained I was going to collect my mother-in-law, who was flying in from Singapore to spend a few days with us.

He was incredulous. "Mother-in-law? Mate, you're a better bloody man than I am.''

He had a huge grin on his face.

Every time our paths crossed in the resort, Steve would greet us warmly and tell us what a great time they were having in the tropical heat, so far away from the winter frost of Melbourne. When we bumped into each other in the town centre, he would tell us where the best bargains were to be had.

He had a huge grin on his face.

Late on Sunday night, we were about to switch off the television when we saw a familiar face and heard a distinctive voice. It was Steve. He and his family had lost everything they owned. A cellar had saved their lives as the firestorm passed over them.

They had lost everything. But he told the TV interviewer that they were still alive, so they would probably crack open a good bottle of wine to celebrate.

He must have been distraught. He must have been in shock. He and his wife and their kids were probably struggling with their emotions, with the heat, with the fatigue and with the realisation that they had survived Victoria's most deadly bushfires.

But he still had a grin on his face. This time, however, it was only a wry grin.


Visit the creative team behind That's MyWorld Tuesday.

The Polar Espresso

Better Latte Than Never

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

We were at a fairground this weekend when I noticed the licence plate of this vehicle, whose owners were doing such a roaring trade that there was always a long queue of eager customers. Normal licence plates in Victoria, the state where I live, consist of three letters followed by three numerals. The registration is in blue, on a white background.

But personalised plates - or vanity plates as they are sometimes called overseas - come in an interesting variety of colours. The limit of six alpha-numeric characters still applies, but in this case, an eight-letter word was cleverly condensed into six. Given the coffee reference, I have no grounds for complaint.

(The Odd Shots concept came from Katney. Say "G'day" to her.)

Whose Lane Is This, Lois?

It Seemed Like A Bright Idea

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

This shot was taken in the city of Ballarat, in central Victoria. I was just fascinated by the sight of this lamp in a brick laneway beside McDonald's on historic Bakery Hill. Take a close look at the wrought iron frame that supports the lamp. It was probably cast in a local forge by some long-forgotten artisan. It's that sort of history that makes me stop and think. This photograph is not simply a chance to capture an unusual combination of ochre and black, but also a salute to the craftsman whose work is still beautiful in the twenty-first century.

Once In A Brew Moon

This Beer's Been Watered Down, Guv

This story has particular resonance for Victoria, the state where I live - because we've just been through the worst flooding in the history of the state's farming area. A couple of days ago, I was intrigued to read that beer tankers were being used to get safe drinking water to flood-stricken British communities. Five of Britain's main brewers have already made 23 tankers available. The British Beer and Pub Association quipped it was a reversal of their normal business of turning water into beer. Many pubs, God bless them, offered food and shelter to evacuated householders and rescuers.

Krusty The Crown

Royally Plastered After A Night On The Tiles

Photograph copyright: DAVID McMAHON

Wanna buy what every good king or queen needs, a decent Crown? Cost ya four bucks here. Okay, so I'm kiddin'. Let me explain, a Crownie is actually Aussie slang for a Crown lager.

This shot was taken at the Racecourse Hotel in Caulfield, just a stone's throw away from the racecourse that is home to the Caulfield Cup, which is the precursor to the world famous Melbourne Cup. We love adding the ``Y'' sound to our words here in Australia. Hence board shorts are ``boardies'', firefighter are ``fieries'' and sunglasses are ``sunnies''.

And the same rules apply to surnames. Thus, a Sutcliffe becomes ``Suttsy'' and a Payne becomes ``Payney''. Even Steve Bracks,who stunned the nation yesterday when he resigned as Premier of Victoria, is hailed as ``Bracksy''.

But just to confirm your suspicions that we're an oddball bunch Down Under, guess what we do with surnames that actually end with a ``Y''? We remove it! That's why Aussie Rules legend Kevin Sheedy, whose contract was not renewed this week by the Essendon Football Club after an incredible 27 years as coach of the Bombers, is not Sheedy, but ``Sheeds''.

Click here: Pentax K100D, Shutter speed 1/250, F9.5, ISO speed 200.