location was pretty high risk on that day and that there were high fuel
loads in the forest,” Karen says. “The smoke was increasing rapidly and
it felt dangerous. We made the decision to leave and started grabbing
things. But,” her voice wavering, “we didn’t factor in the dog.
“Bailey started having problems breathing because of the smoke,
so I put him in the car and we left, with Ken grabbing a few more
things. We drove past fires and through smoke and finally got out
of Tathra to head to Bega, shocked and shaken.”
The Crearys made the call to leave early, at about 2.30pm. Rob
White, anxiously trying to find out what was happening, evacuated
his guests to Tathra Beach, where otherworldly images would later
emerge of people in the water and on the beach as the sky turned an
angry black and orange.
Michael Barnden recalls heading towards Tathra into an unnerving
darkness. His dad Clem was beside himself that he couldn’t take up his
usual position of captain of one of the local RFS brigades, due to a leg
operation the week before. All he could do was listen to the radio
traffic between Fire Control and the trucks, as first Michael and then
Nathan (who was actually put into the role of divisional commander
for the Tathra fire as soon as he arrived) threw themselves into
fighting a fire he sensed – he knew – was going to be catastrophic.
It was: the fire tore through tinder-dry bush between Reedy Swamp
and Tathra in no time flat, and in the hot, smoky light of day on
19 March it was assessed that it had destroyed 65 houses, 35 cabins
and caravans, with another 48 houses damaged. It was an intense and
terrifying night for all involved. Michael said it was an awful feeling
knowing he and his fellow firefighters could not save everybody’s^1 PHOTOGRAPHY: DESTINATION NSW (TATHRA WHARF LOCAVORE, BEACHSIDE PARK); HELEN HAYES (KIANINNY BAY)homes no matter how hard they tried. Nathan choked back emotion as
he recalled driving past the burning homes of his friends, his old school
teachers, and people he had known his whole life and not knowing if
they were okay.
Karen and Ken’s home was lost, and so was Mitch and Alexis’s place,
but the Tathra Beach House Apartments were saved, with Rob White
trying desperately to put out spot fires as quickly as they started. After
a nervous wait, I found out that my family members were safe, and that
their houses had been spared. In fact, the fire could have been much
worse; no infrastructure was destroyed and mercifully not one life was
lost. Most of the town’s holiday accommodation was intact, and the two
icons of the town – the Tathra Wharf, built in 1862, and the Tathra
Hotel, which dates back to 1888 – were still standing.TATHRA BOUNCES BACK
All the reasons why people love living in Tathra and visitors love going
there still apply, post fire. It still has its beautiful beach, which stretches
for three kilometres right up to the mouth of the Bega River, perfect
for a morning stroll, a swim in the crystal-clear water in front of the surf
club, or for surfers and stand-up paddle boarders to catch a wave
without the city crowds. You might even see whales, which often cruise
off the coast and sometimes come closer in.
The wharf is still the only remaining timber deep-water wharf on
the entire east coast of Australia. It is a hugely popular spot for fishing,
and also has an exceptional gift shop and cafe – The Wharf Locavore.
Upstairs, the Wharf Museum has many old photos of the wharf and
the local area.The two icons of the town – the
Tathra Wharf and the Tathra
Hotel, which dates back to 1888
- were still standing.