WEEKEND AWAY

NSW

Bundle Hill Cottages This accommodation is located at Bawley Point on the South Coast of NSW, an area affected by the bushfires in December last year. We spoke to one of the owners, Siobhan O’brien, about her experience.

“The fires hit with such ferocity they were upon us before we knew what to do. We’d prepared our home and cottages to the best of our ability but nothing can prepare you for flames that are 50 metres high, licking the tops of the trees and obliterating everything in their path,” says Siobhan. “My husband stayed to fight the fires and successfully saved our home, his parents’ home and our four cottages. However, two of the cottages were burnt badly.”

While the bushfires were raging, Siobhan had to evacuate with her three children and they were stuck in Merimbula for 10 days in a camper trailer with no car. “The roads and highways were closed and most townships were on emergency so we often had no electricity or telecommunications,” she says.

The couple’s business continues to be affected. “We had a single booking in January, usually our busiest time of year,” says Siobhan. “Green shoots are now coming up and softening the blackened landscape. It’s wonderful to see.”

Each self-contained cottage is a pole house surrounded by a hardwood deck where you can sit and enjoy breathtaking views of the sea. Inside is a full-sized kitchen and a private bath looking across the bush. 65 Bundle Hill Road, Bawley Point, 0408 022 896, bundlehillcottages.com.au