THE POWER OF PLACE


AUSTRALIA


A TESTAMENT TO HUMAN RESILIENCE


RAY MEARS


“ You can’t be unchanged by experiencing the af termath of a bushf ire l ike this. What real ly made an impact on me is just how strong the Austral ian people are.”


Kangaroo Island has had bushfires before, but this year’s was unprecedented by local standards. It moved across a 30-mile front at 60mph, with flames 330ft high. I visited one particular farm that had lost 600 sheep — and if you’ve ever met a sheep farmer, you’ll know just how much they love and depend on their animals. Another 500 had survived, but the shearing shed hadn’t, so the farmers had improvised a platform and were tackling the remaining sheep. The fleeces were absolutely filthy, thick with soot and dust, forcing the farmers to change blades every two sheep. When I looked into the farmers’ eyes, I could see the hurt and the loss — but at the same time, you just know that they’re going to be alright.


In February, bushcraft expert Ray Mears travelled to South Australia to document the impact of the 2020 bushfires on its landscape and wildlife. raymears.com


Sweeping views across the Bamiyan Valley, Afghanistan


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nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel


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