Day Six Monday 10th Feb 2014 Traralgon, Vic

We are awake early as we intend to drive home to meet the air conditioning technician to fix a problem with the downstairs air con. But the highway and the Yarram Road are both still closed to through traffic. We may as well relax, at least the smoke has cleared. One of our group is due to have a procedure at her local hospital so they take a back road through the hills and make it home in time. A few others and the ‘cabin’ crew also leave via the back roads. We’d rather not risk unknown back roads with so many fires burning.

The choppers and planes are constantly buzzing overhead, it is like being at an airshow. Looking for something to do we walk to the airport to watch the action but there are only two fuel tankers waiting for the aircraft to return yet again. By late afternoon the highway reopens, an afternoon chat becomes happy hour and something akin to plane spotting as necks crane skywards. At least the temperature is now conducive to sitting in the open air.