Fire all around

Kadnook fire - B & B Ryan

As smoke envelopes much of the Wimmera, we find a number of bushfires raging across the district once again. Many of the fires reported to be as a result of thunderstorm lightning strikes on Saturday 3rd and Wednesday 7th.

Moyston fire from Bunjil's Cave Rd on 2nd - Lynton Brown

Moyston by night - Keith Pakenham CFA

 The fastest moving blaze was the one to the east of the region at Moyston. The 3,500+ hectare fire had a 64km perimeter with 250 men battling it on the ground and in the air. It may have been ignited by a scare gun operating on a vineyard, before it raced across paddocks to the outskirts of town. In the end 2 houses and a number of sheds were lost as well as about 3,000 sheep. A great report is from Leith Hillard’s report of the Moyston Fire.

Fighting the Moyston fire, from One Tree Hill, Ararat - Lynton Brown

 

Ominous, the giant plume over Telangatuk East, from Horsham - Lynton

The Black Range looking west from the Grampians at 6:30pm - Facebook

The other major fire is the Black Range-Rees Rd (Telangatuk East) fire which started in the mountains on Saturday 3rd and moved north into the Mt Talbot Reserve then broke out again to the south towards Cherrypool. It is currently over 4,500 hectares and NYUC. (all Telangatuk photos were taken late on Monday 5th, when a tongue of fire spread north)

Above & below: Mt Talbot at dusk - Lynton Brown

In the Little Desert there is a whole list of fires, most are NYUC - Not yet under control
- Lillimur Track (Booroopki) started on the 7th has burnt 1800 hectares
- Serviceton started on 3rd 505 hectares
- Nhill-Harrow Rd started on 7th already burnt 13,300 hectares
- Miram South (Broughtons Track) from the 3rd has burnt 3,175 hectares
- south of Woriagworm 1,100 hectares
- and smaller ones on Salt Lake Track, Wallaby Track, Mallee Track, and Dahlensburg Track.

Smoke from the Little Desert obscures Mt Arapiles, from the Grass Flat Rd, 7th - Lynton

Majorlock Soak, Big Desert - CFA

Further north in the Big Desert there are fires in the Sunset Country and further south at Waggon Flat (north of Yanac and Broken Bucket) it has burnt  727 hectares. As well as the Chinaman Well Track of 600 hectares, again NYUC.

Majorlock Soak, Big Desert - CFA

Eruption of the Kadnook fire, from west of Edenhope - B & B Ryan

In the west
- Edenhope-Johnsons Rd (Kadnook) Fire started by lightning in the Jallakar State Forest and spread up to the Scrubby Lake area.The fire grew to approximately 1,600 hectares in size, now contained.

Kadnook fire takes off north - B & B Ryan

- Ozenkadnook fire in Bulls State Forest has subsided after burning 60 hectares.

Near Scrubby Lake - B & B Ryan

On Wednesday 7th in the Grampians - northern district a fire started near Wartook, and in the southern district near Mirranatwa.

Police roadblock - B & B Ryan

As always thanks & gratitude to the efforts of Lynton Brown to graphically record these events. And thinking of those involved - firefighters & landowners, etc.

Done and dusted

Now that location filming has finished for 'The dressmaker' and all the movie stars have left, we can reflect on some of the scenery which will may appear in the finished product.

Dawn in the Wimmera

Here are some of the pics from the film's Facebook page, including this quote - 
"We're bowled over by the warm welcome we've had in the Wimmera! 
Thank you so much to all of the locals out there."
While in the area the crew filmed at Jung - the Rec Reserve - for the story's football match.
Here are  two different moods on the approach to town.

Then of course there was the wedding scene, shot at Longerenong homestead, what a backdrop!

And after the wedding of course the wedding breakfast. Apparently their inspiration for the wedding dessert table came from Mrs Beeton's famous English cookbook (believe some of the old school fundraiser books would have been great sources, or the Green & Gold and PWMU Cookery Book), and their grandmother's secret recipes.They sent reference photos to the Oven Door Bakery in Horsham and  got this in reply.

As well as the Wimmera, other filming was undertaken at the studios in Docklands in Melbourne, and at Mt Rothwell near Little River.

Visitors to Mt Rothwell

It looks authentic - Molly's house from the Dungatar main street.

That is till you add in the film-crew

Now it is a wait for the editing/production process and release of the film in the middle of 2015.