A TESTAMENT
TO HUMAN
RESILIENCERAY MEARS“ You can’t be unchanged
by experiencing the
aftermath of a bushfire
like this. What really
made an impact on me
is just how strong the
Australian people are.”Kangaroo Island has had
bushfires before, but this year’s
was unprecedented by local
standards. It moved across a
30-mile front at 60mph, with
flames 330ft high. I visited
one particular farm that had
lost 600 sheep — and if you’ve
ever met a sheep farmer, you’ll
know just how much they love
and depend on their animals.
Another 500 had survived, but
the shearing shed hadn’t, so
the farmers had improvised a
platform and were tackling the
remaining sheep. The fleeces
were absolutely filthy, thick
with soot and dust, forcing the
farmers to change blades every
two sheep. When I looked into
the farmers’ eyes, I could see
the hurt and the loss — but at
the same time, you just know
that they’re going to be alright.In February, bushcraft expert
Ray Mears travelled to South
Australia to document the
impact of the 2020 bushfires
on its landscape and wildlife.
raymears.com Sweeping views across the
Bamiyan Valley, AfghanistanAUSTRALIA68 nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel
THE POWER OF PLACE