Family photos and fun in Margaret River, Part Two

More Family Photos in Margaret River

As promised, we’re back for part two of our family holiday to Margaret River, Western Australia.

Upon our arrival into Margaret River, our great friend Daniel pointed out a quaint and whimsical little bakery at the bottom end of the main street, and convinced us to stop for lunch. To say that the venue is made up of eclectic styles would be an understatement. Formerly a home, the rooms have been opened up and furniture has been moved outside under large verandas and into the garden. Aimee fell in love with the place and decided immediately that we should return later in the week for a photoshoot with Rahni.

Margaret River Bushfires

On our final day we thought we would head down to the seaside township of Prevelly just outside Margaret River. Last November Prevelly was the scene of devastating bushfires where numerous homes (but fortunately no lives) were lost. Hundreds of residents in Prevelly, including a full caravan park were evacuated to the beach as the fire swept through the town. Fires of this type are all too common in the Australian bush, where dense scrub and undergrowth provides plenty of fuel for wildfires. This is often combined with rugged terrain that is inaccessible to fire crews. When the fires are fanned by hot, high velocity winds, conditions are perfect for highly destructive circumstances. Fires of this nature are more common at the end of summer when hot weather has dried bushland to a point that the smallest spark can ignite a huge blaze. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the residents of Prevelly as they work to recover from this terrible fire, and to other bush communities as they continue to live with the fear that fires such as this can cause.

Bushfires are unfortunately a part of Australian life, and I’ve witnessed some of their destructive power. But looking at the damage caused to the bushland around Prevelly and the mouth of the Margaret River, I can honestly say that I was left speechless. Normally the scrub and undergrowth gets burned, but there is still a lot of vegetation, especially larger plants, left and regrowth begins almost immediately. The dunes and hillsides in this case, which are normally covered in impassable, dense shrub, have been reduced to ash-covered mounds that resemble a lunar landscape more than the Australian bush. In many areas there is simply nothing left but ash and charred sticks. No doubt it causes real concern for conservation authorities who will need to investigate replanting dune vegetation to avoid massive erosion of the soil.

On a positive note, as we drove around the township, and stopped at Sea Gardens Cafe for morning tea, we witnessed lots of community spirit with people rebuilding and getting on with life. The resilience of people, especially in small towns like Prevelly, never ceases to amaze me. It would be really wonderful if our city-based neighbourhoods could learn from our country counterparts and apply that same community spirit to where we live.

You can see in this last image the level of destruction caused to some areas. The foreground, relatively untouched by the fire, shows the density of the scrub that usually covers these coastal hills. The dunes around the mouth of the Margaret River are completely bare. You can also just see the tops of chimney’s of the old stone homestead that is now completely gutted in the lower right corner. I’m not familiar with the history of this homestead, but might have to do some research. If anyone knows about it, please drop me a line.

Event: Family Photos / Family Holiday | Photography: Deprimo Photography | Location: Margaret River