Couple with Yarmouth roots change course in Australia
Aussie living in Yarmouth also shares thoughts on his homeland’s situation
A couple with Yarmouth roots who are in Australia are changing their travel plans due to the fires that have impacted much of the country.
Ty Bourget and Ashten Mood have been in Melbourne, Australia, for a little over a month on a working holiday visa and have travelled a bit around Victoria, backpacking.
They had planned on travelling the east coast by campervan but have put that trip on hold as the fires are too bad between Melbourne and Sydney.
“We’ve been virtually unaffected by the fires – the most we’ve seen is smoke (and lots of it),” Bourget said from Australia in an interview last week.
“Some days are worse than others. Today is clear but a few days ago the smoke was thick and low. I left my window open overnight and woke up to the room and our clothes smelling like a campfire. The fires have disrupted our plans for sure.”
The couple does intend to leave Australia for a month to travel to southeast Asia, then return to do their campervan trip.
“Hopefully by that time the
Ty Bourget and Ashten Mood are in Australia on a working holiday visa.
fires will have calmed down,” said Bourget.
They’ll be staying in Australia for a few more weeks before heading to Vietnam. Once they return, they'll be staying in Australia for one or two months.
Bourget said people in Melbourne seem positive about the
situation.
“Maybe because they feel they won't be physically affected by the fires or maybe because Australians are used to bush fires as they happen every year, but not to this degree,” he said.
Mood, who is working as an eyelash technician in Melbourne, says stock shortages and shipping delays are common right now.
“The communities here are hard at work trying to raise awareness and funds for recovery. It’s beautiful to see everyone with supportive and positive attitudes towards the Australian bush fires,” she said.
In Yarmouth, longtime resident
Shane Ward – originally from Brisbane, Australia – is watching media coverage of the fires with dismay.
“The poor animals have been affected the most,” he said in an interview.
“I’ve stopped looking at Facebook lately. A lot of it’s kangaroos and koalas. When you’re there, they run away from you, they don’t want to be anywhere near you. And now we’re seeing them coming up to people and just hugging them. I’ve seen pictures of koalas in people’s cars … that doesn’t happen normally.”
Although his friends and family are not close to the fires, he said the smoke is a problem for them.
“I think it’s the smoke that’s going to hurt us. I think personally there will be long-term effects, like lung issues.”
He added the fires seem to be a problem happening everywhere.
“It seems every season there’s some part of the world where the woods are on fire. I think it’s happening more and more.”
He remembers rare occasions when the temperature reached 50 C, but said now it’s becoming more common in Australia.
“Sometimes I’m glad I’m in
Nova Scotia but I wish I could do more. The whole country looks like it’s on fire. It’s horrible.”