WHILE WE HAVE
been putting this issue together, our country has been burning. The scale of the tragedy is almost too behemoth to grasp: hundreds of homes destroyed, an incomprehensible number of our unique animals gone, and too many lives lost. Hopefully, by the time this magazine goes on sale, the worst will finally be over – please let it be over – but after the destruction comes the daunting reality of all that needs to be revived, replaced, rebuilt and reborn, and the limitless sorrow of the things that can’t be. I am incredibly lucky to travel around, and write about, our amazing country for a living, so I know in my heart that one of the first things to rise from the ashes will be the indomitable Aussie spirit that is one of our most enduring traits as a nation. Combined with our traditions of mateship, hard work and bloody-minded determination, you begin to believe we will actually get through this, together. It has already started in the generous donations being pledged, the uptick of people signing up to join the selfless volunteers of our rural and country fire services, the rescue of injured and orphaned animals and the increasing chorus of voices demanding change so that Australia never has to deal with this kind of heartbreak again. And, when the emergency subsides, there is something else that you can do: travel. Plan trips to the regions, towns and communities that have been affected, spend money in their hotels, shops, cafes and pubs, support the tourism businesses that contribute so much to local economies, and listen to the stories locals have to tell when you get there.