Jacob Dedman from Digital Journey Photography, who is a regular contributor to The News, gives us an update from Tatura with this story and these photos.
Don and Anita Roberts, along with their dog, Monty, were among the first to arrive at the relief centre, in Tatura, situated at the Ballantyne Centre in Hastie St, on Saturday afternoon.
They made the decision to leave their Mooroopna home after the CFA knocked on their door and advised them that if they wanted to leave, they would need to do so by 6pm. Although it was a stressful situation, it was a simple decision for them to leave.
They have praise for the organisers at the Tatura Relief Centre.
They arrived at 3.45pm on Saturday and as they were signing in, their tent was set up for them, ready to settle into.
Everyone has been helpful and they appreciate the three meals a day they are provided with, along with the good facilities and the helpful organisers.
The mobile phone service was a bit dodgy initially, with power supply to Tatura being disrupted, but it has since improved.
Don and Anita have seen a continual arrival of evacuees, and Tatura Park now resembles a tent city.
Anita is thankful to have her much-loved dog, Monty, staying with them, as he is a great source of comfort.
The hardest part for them is not knowing what they are going back to and what’s going to happen in the future.
– By Jacob Dedman