What to expect when you visit us
By Kim Murray
The fires that raged through the mainly coastal areas of Margaret River on November 23 and 24 have left behind a perverse beauty.
A landscape never seen in recent history has opened up revealing panoramas of the stunning coastline, and as one of the Margaret River Online family of property owners quipped: The landscape is the same, only in black and white!
For those who watched the drama unfold on TV the impression may have been created that Margaret River is a charred mess. Nothing is further from the truth, though some relatively small sections have been badly scarred.
There is absolutely no sign on the fire as you arrive in the town of Margaret River; nothing there has changed. The rather frenetic main street is still abuzz with activity, the wineries and their fabulous restaurants are untouched, the beauty of this much loved town is unchanged.
It’s not until you drive out to the beach along Wallcliffe Road that you encounter the effects of the fire west of Caves Road, and at first sight it is dramatic, some areas cooked beyond all recognition, others left untouched like so many oases in the desert.
Prevelly untouched
But the gem of it all is Prevelly. This lovely township snuggled behind the dunes is virtually untouched. One old house on the waterfront was lost, but fire did not enter the township proper.
The shop is operating as usual, the caravan park escaped, the popular Sea Gardens café and live music venue had a close call but it too was saved and the view is incredible. The Greek chapel next door stands stark white against the black background, its melted downpipes a testament to how hot things got.
Rumours that the Gnarabup Café, sneeringly called the White Elephant by the locals after it was rebuilt (a name now adopted by new owners) were untrue. The café that is right on the beach is trading.
And the beaches are still as beautiful as ever and the water is doing its usual impersonation of sparkling champagne.
What you are confronted by when you arrive in Prevelly is the utter destruction of the vegetation along the dunes, extending from Surfers Point south as far as you can see along the newly revealed panorama.
It is stark. Tracks to the beach that were once barely visible through the coastal vegetation now stand out in this black and white landscape.
Rock formations that nobody can even remember have been revealed, along with interesting gullies. The big old dune to the south that once in its naked form engulfed a shack, is now bald again and may have to be given a helping hand to revegetate.
It’s interesting how the human eye seeks out pockets of green and finds them, the promise of the renewal that will happen over time.
Gnarabup not as lucky
Gnarabup, the newer residential area to the south of Prevelly, was not as fortunate as Prevelly and some sections were particularly hard hit. But again fires are fickle things and some sections escaped the flames.
From some of the homes along the upper roads the 'new' view is incredible, the foreground view re-written against the azure of the unchanging Indian Ocean.
Would I come here for a holiday? With little hesitation.
If you are one of the thousands of people who love this region for its bountiful gifts you may well find a glimpse of her bare bones at the beach a challenge, but remember the rest of the region has escaped and there’s such a lot to offer.
And best of all, the remarkable community of Margaret River has been strengthened by this event and all my friends here are proving that life goes on, and they are all still here, thank God!
[Kim Murray is the owner of Margaret River Online. He lived for many years in Prevelly while he created the Augusta-Margaret River Mail newspaper.]