Isabella was one of four University of Technology Sydney (UTS) journalism students who travelled to Bega at the beginning of the month as part of a project to find climate-related stories. They arrived in the middle of a heatwave, and as the town faced another bushfire emergency
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Reflections on a blistering hot visit to Bega
We caught our first glimpse of what was to come on the journey itself. Plumes of red smoke covered the sky as we travelled via bus from Canberra to Bega. Many faces were brought close to the glass, phones in hands. As we drew nearer to the smoke, some on the bus broke into coughing fits.
The four of us had never been so close to bushfires before, yet this was an experience locals had become accustomed to. The next day we discovered that the road we had travelled on had closed shortly after we passed through.
The first night we stayed in Bega we were surprised to learn it would be a big night - the New Year's Eve "re-do" at the Commercial Hotel. Our first real glimpse of how Bega is "adapting". As many of the locals were fighting fires over the New Year, the party was moved to the 31st of January.
The music was loud and thumping, and the atmosphere lively. It was clear that this night was a much-needed break. A moment of normality in the worsening conditions the town is facing due to the harsh reality of a changing climate.
During our time in Bega, a persistent smoke cover hung low over the sky; giving all the photos we took a white, apocalyptic tinge. We avoided staying outside for long periods of time, as the longer we spent outside, our throats began to feel dry breathing in the acrid smoke.
While looking for somewhere indoors, we came across children who were sitting in a bookstore, staying out of the heat. They chatted among themselves and shared around a box of ice creams, yet they were visibly agitated with being kept indoors all day. They told us of how since they started school three days before; they had been kept inside during lunchtime. With all the natural beauty of the landscape of Bega to enjoy, it must seem a far cry from their normal freedoms.
We found that rebuilding is a constant in the Bega Valley. Along winding roads shrouded in smog we saw newly built fences, and construction already underway on the homes that had been burned down.
This summer, Bega has been on the frontline of the changing climate and the way that was discussed felt far more urgent and personal than we were used to. This felt like another world to Sydney where often the depth of the discussion is a series of "what ifs". What if the fires were closer to us? What if the smoke was coming from next door and not 100km away?
The immediate need for solutions was palpable in the continuing fight to protect land and lives. A resilience becoming increasingly necessary in Australia's changing climate.
