Thoona - BlazeAid

Checked on the progress of the proposed repairs after the kangaroo strike to find no quote received by the insurer yet. Called and emailed the repairer, Royans Wagga, waiting, waiting. Time slows when waiting... Decided I needed a diversion so off to Thoona in Victoria to do some BlazeAid, only 90km down the road.

Thoona is a small farming community about 25km west of Wangaratta in Victoria. The town has a pub, general store and a primary school. The land around is undulating and very picturesque, except for where the fires went through just before Christmas.

Arrived mid afternoon to find about 25 other volunteers here, plenty of room, but limited power and only pumped river water. The closest potable water and dump appears to be Benalla so every now and then I will need to take a drive.

With BlazeAid, in exchange for working from 630am till about 4pm, the local community and BlazeAid feed you and provide a camp site. Having done BlazeAid in Monto Qld, after the Burnett River flooded, I know the volunteer gets as much personal gratification as the farmer get valuable assistance to help recover from their predicament. Its hard work but rewarding.

The team I'm in completed the boundary fences for an 80 acre farm in 3 days. So Sunday is lay day for us, that's nice.

Rip it out, new posts then 5 strands and mesh. 

The old and the new.