b'With time not on our side we remained young family and they had lost every- ness to give in such a way again. Weas one large group and dumbfounded thing. He and his wife told us what they are talking about doing another week-the farmer we had been assigned to faced on the night of 31 December end in March, so by the time you areassist with fence clearing. He was very 2019 and it sound horrific.reading this, we probably have gonehumble in the beginning and outlined he Again he was very humble and showed back there and put in another couple ofhad around 300 metres of fencing we us a small stretch of fencing he outlined days.could clear. When I told him we could we could assist with. Again this was I wanted to write the story to show thatdo that in about twenty minutes, he donein a very short time and by clubs like ours are capable of givingopened up a bit more and directed us lunchtime he could see what our capa- back to the bush in various ways. Ito other areas of his property. All up he bilities were split up into two teams.personally do not like volunteering to dohad 33 kilometres of fencing that had We also had Just Mates Four Wheel certain things from a club perspectivebeen wiped out by the fires. This need- Drive Club continue their efforts on the but when a crisis like this occurs, I amed to be removed before new fencing farm they worked on the day before and more that happy to put in, coordinatecould be replaced. half our crew back at the farm we also and participate in such events.We cleared a lot of fencing that morning worked on the day before. Bill remained I could write a lot more about this week-which showed everyone what we were on the farm we worked on the Saturday end, but I feel I have got my storycapable of doing as a small volunteer with his tractor and again was a across to you. On top of this I would likearmy. On top of this we also had a life valuable asset to that team. to thank all those that participated andmember by the name of Bill Sibson who This farmer at Bete Bolong however was helped out over the weekend. Iattended and brought along his own up for giving us challenges and in the acknowledge that it was the Australiatractor with a front end bucket. This was end he outlined that there was 1.3 kilo- Day weekend and many people couldfound to be a valuable asset to the team metres of boundary fencing there that not attend due to other commitmentshe assisted over the weekend. Bill also needed to come down and it would be already booked or planned. I hold nostayed on after the weekend and great if we could do that. This was then bad thoughts there as this was a spur ofassisted further towards Bruthen with completed by around 3.00pm when we the moment thing put on, and in the endBlazeAid who were in the area. My hat then knocked off and headed back into I got the numbers I wanted andalso goes off to him for his efforts. camp for a well earned shower and achieved something that will live in theSome of us finished early that day and beverage at the end of the day. hearts of many who assisted.headed back to camp expecting to Each night we camped was abuzz with Our efforts did help out some, but thehead out in the afternoon to the other positive energy from those that had devastation we saw and the size of thefarm we were expected to be on. We contributed, and you could tell how countryside that has been impacted willhad a sketchy mud map to the location much they enjoyed putting in at such a take years to recover. As I said over theand by the time two of us found the negative time. To give to people in need weekend, our efforts will only be a smallactual farm it was too late to send at such a time is heart warming and dint in a very large problem. It waseveryone out there.leaves you fuzzy inside. I can say it is a estimated that we cleared around 12-15Sunday morning saw us wake up and much better feeling than putting $20.00 kilometres of fencing over the two daysanother community group had set up into a bucket as a donation. Dont get between the three teams we had on theand was cooking breakfast for every- me wrong as fundraising was needed ground. This was a very good effort butone. Two young blokes from that for the areas badly hit but to be there 100s of kilometres more fencing needsorganisation did not want to cook but and on the coal face helping out gives a to be cleared.wanted to assist in fence clearing so more sense of feeling you have accom- A footnote to this story. I did not spendthey joined us for the day also.Both plished something. all the donation money given to ourwere from around Afghanistan and it On Monday 26 January 2020, we club, and what is left over will be donatedwas great seeing them put in the way packed up and made the four hour to an organisation who needs it in thethey did. drive back to Melbourne. People who Buchan area and not kept by our club.Despite this, we did make it out to Bete assisted over the weekend wanted to be That is yet to be decided at this time.Bolong, where we showed the farmer informed if we were doing another Andy Hollandwhat we could do. This farmer had a weekend, which showed their willing- President Gippsland 4WDClubTRACKWATCH MARCH 202021'