b'to take a drive to Buchan and do arecky up there. On route to Buchan, Ispoke to Alan McKay from Just MatesFour Wheel Driver club. He rang me tolet me know I would need a permit toget to Buchan and I could get that fromDEWLP in Bairnsdale.That was very good advice given as Iwould not have got to Buchan withoutone. I stopped in at DEWLP and spoke toRobert Bulger who was issuing permitsat the time. He was very positive withwhat I was doing and gladly issued thepermit I needed to get to Buchan. Healso offered his assistance in gettingother permits if needed for the weekendwe were attending. I continued on to Buchan and met withsome of the locals there. I was thendirected to the community house inBuchan. I spoke to Sue there who bolstered with Just Mates Four Wheel sight to see what this bloke had broughtdirected me to speak to her brother Driver Club wanting to come along for down. On top of this Kevin also stayedScott who was coordinating a lot of the the weekend. Their club members on after the weekend assisting onefence clearing in the area. increased our numbers to around 55 family for another seven days with fenceI had by this time also been put in touch people wanting to put boots on the clearing and other tasks, so my hatwith another farmer who needed ground and assist over the Australia goes off to him for his effort.assistance. He showed me around his Day weekend in and around the Buchan We stopped at Bruthen to collect thefarm which had nothing left on it. Other area.first lot of bread also on our way tovolunteers were already there by this With the donations I had, I wanted to Buchan. This was via a police checktime assisting with rebuilding fences for also attend the area with an empty esky point where everyone got through withhim. policy. I needed to feed over 40 the permits they had.After spending some time with him and volunteers and felt I should purchase As we drove to Buchan the devastationliaising with Sue and Scott, things had food from the local area and again was there in your face on either side ofbeen put in place for us to attend on the support some businesses in need. the road with houses lost, fences burntAussie Day weekend and provide I contacted the RosedaleButchers and and the bush was just scorched earthassistance to the farmer I had been put arranged to collect meat, bacon and everywhere you looked. You could justin touch with. eggs from there on the way down on the tell how hot and intense this fire was byWe were offered to camp at the Buchan Friday. I also arranged for fresh bread the little that was left standing.Recreational Reserve with other volun- to be collected from the Bruthen Bakery Once we arrived at Buchan we wereteers on that weekend. each day we were there. directed to where we could set upI then spent the next four hours driving On Thursday 23 January 2020, I camp. There was volunteers every-home thinking about the logistics and contacted the farmer in Buchan I had where. There was blokes on their owncoordination I now needed to get this up been liaising with and was told politely who had just come in to help on theirand running. that wewere no longer needed. I was own and had been there for days doingOver the next week I emailed compa- taken aback by his comments and just so.nies I sub-contract for as a private hung up on him. Here I was with over 50 Over the next few hours and we hadinvestigator and greatly received people wanting to assist, $1000.00 in volunteers roll into camp and set up$1000.00 in sponsorship to assist in sponsorship and the hours spent getting around our Gazebos. By the Saturdayfeeding my volunteers. I would like to this thing up and running. I gathered my morning, we were around 52 strong withthank Oracle Investigation Services and thoughts and then rang Scott in Buchan more coming in during the day. its owner Stephen Scahill, MJM and told him what I had been told. He On Saturday morning, I was expectingServices,Procare Group and James was taken back also as there was to feed my troops only to find that otherBrosnan and Lisa H from Procare who many, many farmers who needed our organisations were coming in each dayalso personally donated to us.assistance. Regardless of what I was over the weekend to assist in feedingLeading up to the Aussie Day weekend told, Scott reassured me and told me to the volunteers and locals affected bymy free time at night was then taken up get on up there and he would get us the fires. It was full on and the amountcoordinating the volunteers who had farmers for us to assist. He was not of food being cooked for breakfast andcommitted to the weekend and then wrong. lunch was incredible. I still had fresharranging permits for them. The offer Friday 24 January 2020. I headed off to bread to be collected each day so mostfrom Robert Bulger to assist in getting Buchan from Pakenham and collected of that went to the organisations feedingthe permits issued was a godsend. members on the way. By the time we everyone along with some eggs andEmails to the volunteers requesting their got to Rosedale to pick up the meat, I other food. We had been allocated todetails and then forwarding that onto had about 6 other vehicles in convoy assist three farms in the area. JustRobert worked well, and I believe we with me. One volunteer who got on Mates Four Wheel Drive club wereended up getting over 36 permits board came from Ballarat. His name is assigned one farm. We then split theissued. Kevin Regnier and not only did he give rest of us into two groups and drove outBy 22 January 2020, I had established up his time to attend this event, he also to Galantipy where I thought both farmsmy 40 volunteers and had their permits brought down with him 36 bales of hay were. I was wrong with one farm in aready to go. Our numbers were then on a 6x4 trailer. It was massive and a totally different direction.TRACKWATCH MARCH 202019'