Yarra Valley and Kinglake

We took mum to Yarra Valley to visit the wineries. Who would have thought tht the Grape Picking festival would be on as well. There were so many 'pemabuks' around and they were extra friendly. We visited Domaine Chandon, De Bortoli, Yarra Valley Dairy and Beechworth Bakery. Here are some photos.

On a sadder note, we decided to drive by Kinglake after the wineries to see what was left of the town after the horrific bushfires in February. It was difficult driving through the long narrow winding road with sun in our eyes. Actually, Keith did the driving so I must thank him. The ride itself was equally difficult. There was an air of absolute silence in the area. The trees were completely blackened with the ground completely scorched and ashes metres high. We saw destruction of houses, cars, signboards, huge tree trunks on ground. Everything was so blackened. I can only imagine how terrifying it must have been for those caught in the fire. Nothing could have lived. The road like I said was narrow and winding, and trees so close to the edge of the road, there was no way the victims could have driven fast enough to escape the raging fires. It would take years for the people of Kinglake to rebuild their lives. Here are some photos of the destruction.