‘Hairy Man’ ponders new life downstream

FOR Dale “Hairy Man” Fullard, seeing the destruction of the bush was almost as heartbreaking as losing his house.

His bush shack off Southwood Rd, about 10km southwest of Judbury, was reduced to a crumpled melted mess when the flames went through three weeks ago.

At the time, he stood watching on an open plain as the blaze took hold and waterbombing aircraft tried in vain to stop the fire spreading.

When he returned he found his work shed still standing and, inside, his precious banjo, guitar and musical instrument collection mostly unscathed.

But down below on the scorched banks of the Huon River his house and deck was rubble. An old Hilux had been burnt out and his stage area had collapsed.

“The cabin was a work of love, but the bush is something I can’t replace,” Mr Fullard said. “It’s pretty devastating. I was staring at man ferns and small trees that are all gone.

“It’s going to be pretty barren for a fair while.”

He said he had spent the past two weeks chopping his way back into the property armed with a chainsaw, picking up glass, pulling apart rusted metal and cleaning up what was left of his home.

Hairy Man said he might rebuild about 2km further downstream, but doesn’t want to leave an imprint at his current spot.

“It will just be flagstones that signify any sort of existence,” he said. “I’ve lost heaps. I keep adding to the list each day, but it’s stuff.

“We surround ourselves by stuff and I’ve escaped a world to come out here to try and not get caught up in that consum- erism as much. I’ve got to admit having a fire has cleaned up lots of projects I no longer need to think about.

“It’s given me a lot of inspiration to build a new beginning. I can’t change anything from the past and I’ve just got to move on.”

Hairy Man said the fire had brought him a lot closer to a community of wonderful people.

“Don’t be afraid if people come into your life and offer help, you’ll meet some really good people,” he said.

“The other day I had a stranger slip some money into my pocket and walk away because they knew my circumstance, and that brought tears to my eyes.”

Hairy Man estimated the fire had cost him almost $500,000 as it was impossible to insure his property.

Friends and locals have been holding working bees to help him clean-up and a GoFundMe page has already raised a few thousand dollars towards the rebuild.

Tasmania Fire Service has confirmed four homes lost to the Huon Valley bushfire — Hairy Man’s brings the tally to five.