Christmas and New Year - Australia Burns

We've just had our first Christmas and New Year without any overseas visitors.  I was a bit nervous that we'd be sitting around twiddling our thumbs with the kids on their devices but in fact we had a lovely time seeing lots of friends and playing a lot of table tennis (the kids can now beat Jules and I even if we've got our best game faces on!).  In fact we were lucky not to have any visitors this year because we have had a series of "catastrophic" weather events i.e. very high temperatures and very strong gusty winds which have led to various bush fires around NSW getting larger and larger until it feels like our entire state is on fire and has been since the end of October.  Jules and Tom went up to the farm prior to Christmas to check on a bush fire near it and to help Hugh, the neighbour, prepare the farm for bush fires.  They then headed up again after Boxing Day, for a week, to keep an eye on the fire that was burning incredibly close by.  Jules will write more about the fire and what they did in a separate blog.  Tess and I joined them for a couple of days but the smoke and the temperatures (it was still 33C at 9pm at night) drove us back to Sydney in time for New Year.  

 Christmas Eve with the Rivers full of tradition - hand bell ringing, hunt the thimble playing

The four of us on the beach on Christmas Day for the annual Club Swim.  I didn't do it this year because the water was full of ash which didn't appeal.  

Christmas Day lunch

 Boxing Day with the Chambers and Wakes-Millers

The fire was at the top of this mountain when Tess and I arrived at the farm - this photo is taken on our property from the gate closest to the farm house.  

24 hours later it was visibly lower.  Look how dry the land is.  We are having to feed our cattle every day because there is nothing for them to eat.  Hugh is currently doing this for us but he and his wife are in their 80s.  It took Jules, myself and the kids one and a half hours to feed the cows in 39 degree heat. 

At night you could see the flames and embers glowing

Tom and Jules clearing around the shed - you can just make out the smoke from the fires on the mountain behind them.  

This is taken from the deck of the farm house at dusk and you can clearly see the ember glow of the fire

Keeping cool at Kandos Pool - it was 39C during the day but luckily a very dry heat which made it more manageable

 Josh came and had dinner with Tess and me once we got back from the farm

New Year's Eve at Forty Baskets - a strong southerly came in at around 6pm and it was freezing!  L to R: Cath, Lenka, Kara, Jen, Bec