March. April 69The deep ravine of
Western River Cove was
among the first areas engulfed
by fire on the island’s north
coast. Repeated outbreaks
over many days also affected
neighbouring communities in
Middle River and Stokes Bay.the boardwalk, many were still wanting selfies and seemed
oblivious to what was happening, as if the smoky pall
hugging the horizon was nothing out of the ordinary.
With each passing hour that evening, the news grew
more dire. As the winds swung to the west and south-west,
they gathered strength, shunting the fires along the south
coast and eastward towards Parndana in the heart of the
island. By 9.30pm the Emergency Services control centre
was evacuating to the town of Kingscote and the entire
island was now either under an Emergency or Watch And
Act warning. It was another unnerving night of knowing
too much and yet not enough.
At some point the warnings and updates became a blur.
So too the picturing of places, farms and people in the
fire’s path; all the homes, nest sites and hand-hewn cabins;
the bush-fringed bays, the hidden streams and our sentinel
trees where we looked for koalas and cockatoos; and so
many dear friends living close with their animals, be they
nature’s mobs or tended f locks. All of it swept into a chaos
beyond comprehension.I
N THE FOLLOWING days the punishing toll of this horrific
fire was revealed. Most tragic was the loss of legendary
bush pilot Dick Lang and his son, Clayton, who died
trying to return to their property after two days fighting
a nearby fire. Across the island the physical destruction
was overwhelming: Southern Ocean Lodge, Hanson Bay
Sanct uar y, K ang aroo Island Wi lder ness Ret reat, the v isitor
and heritage buildings at Flinders Chase – all gone. It wasn’t
just the loss of the structures; they were symbolic gateways
to a cherished natural kingdom that now lay in ruins.
Through the island’s heartlands, many farm families
suffered the destruction of multiple houses and much of
their livestock. A friend told me his neighbour lost nearly
5000 ewes in 10 minutes. For most farmers, these flocks
represented careful breeding programs spanning decades.The bursting of these
vivid hakea seed pods in
Flinders Chase underscore the
adaptation of many species
to fire events.