Mother nature reclaims Bunkers Hill

A BUSHFIRE moved across Sandy Beach’s fourteen-acre property in March like a whirling dervish.

The house survived but not much else despite the efforts of her partner Bob Campbell-Burns who stayed to fight the fire.

“We lost all the sheds and we reckon there was about $250,000 worth of damage to our place,” Ms Beach said.

The couple were devastated and exhausted once the fire had passed.

Yet when looking to rebuild, they chose not to clear the land but decided to sit back and wait and let nature take its course.

Nearly eight months later, their property, while still riddled with blackened trees, is a sea of wildflowers.

Ms Beach and Mr Campbell-Burns have a strong affinity with the land.

They have a Trust for Nature conservation covenant in place and have recorded 172 species of birds across their property.

“The wetlands over the back are now full of water and we’ve seen a lot of wildlife returning,” Ms Beach said.

“I spotted five turtles down by the water last week and the possums, sugar gliders and even the bats are coming back.”

As she pointed out one dead tree on the ground perforated with holes she said, “Everyone reckons we should get rid of it, but the holes are home for the wildlife, so we are leaving it where it is.

“I wish other people took our approach to the land after the fire.

“Rural life has its challenges, but we think nature can help to overcome them.”

She has identified some of the profusion of wildflowers as milk maids, chocolate lilies and billy buttons amongst the native grasses.

One of her neighbours who mowed and cleared his land and cut down all the fire damaged trees after the fire commented on her newly sprung mass of flowers.

“We’ve got a national park and you’ve got a golf course,” she replied.