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Stu Box
11th February 2009, 6.46 am
Hi everyone
Its been a full on few days for us as we were in the firing line from the Bunyip state park fire near Melbourne which I became aware of on fri arvo.
The Circle Duo (Gina and I) had a gig that night in Melb so I left my fiance, Robyn to pack her valuables and get rid of the kids, I got back from the gig and started packing from 3am sat morn fully aware of what destruction was possible. I had much stock including 60 Box guitars, 10's of thousands of bottles for my other products and 100's of stomp boxes in the workshop. moving all this was my main focus as well as saving all my music gear and studio. we had a few trailers and 4 cars loaded by mid morning leaving all the furniture, tools and machinery behind etc, then worked our arses off cleaning up and filling gutters with water. by 11am the N/W winds hit and we were out of there.
We came back at different stages just before and just after the fire went through. 9pm that night we snuck in a little ways to see if we could get back home but everything was still burning so we turned back.
6am next morning we snuck in the back way to avoid police rd blocks and driving up the hill to our place we thought there was no conceivable way it was going to be standing. we came around the last corner and behold our place was like an oasis in the middle of a war zone.
We wandered around in dazed disbelief trying to figure how it was possible (my force field had worked)
We then drove back down the hill to our dearest friends Ben and Jules (Ben is in the live Circle outfit).
We knew their place had gone by then and I drove up a trk to were his farm sheds and dairy were.
Its was like a scene out of a movie. everything had burnt except the milking shed. Ben had already hired a generator, had the cows rounded up and was milking them except there were no fences and all the paddocks were burnt black and still smouldering.
Ben said he didn't know what else to do but milk.
They had lost everything except a few personal items but were alive. since then feed and water has been donated to them so they are kicking along. (cant keep a good Aussy down)
The Circle will be doing a number of charity gigs over the coming weeks to donate to victims and to all our close friends who lost everything.
We are the lucky ones as there has been a huge number of tragic losses.

Take care all

Stu Box
The Circle
www.myspace.com/stubox
www.myspace.com/thecircle

secondfiddle
11th February 2009, 9.49 am
Stu,
What a horrible tragedy from the deaths in the brush fires. You and your family are blessed surviving this and I know your charity work will be very needed and appreciated. I really could not believe what I was reading and seeing in the news about the severity of the fires.

Mike.

TheEclectic
11th February 2009, 10.35 am
Thanks for the update and I am glad you survived better than most. I found "Ben said he didn't know what else to do but milk" to be very poignant.

rjgoos
11th February 2009, 3.28 pm
The thought of having to flee one's home, and the prospect of losing everything is impossible to imagine. I had a taste of that in 1997 when the flood waters of our local river came within a foot of elevation from taking out our neighborhood. As bad as that would have been, a fire of the kind you describe would be infinitely worse. My thoughts and best hopes are with you, Stu.

sobear2003
11th February 2009, 3.52 pm
Hi Stu,

Nice to read a positive story.

Good on you mate.

Tom McMahon (former resident of Warrnambool)

PhoBucket
11th February 2009, 4.56 pm
Glad to hear that you, your family, and friends are safe.

adde65
12th February 2009, 11.29 am
I live in the Adelaide Hills and we went through the same heatwave here last week. Watching what's happened over the border makes me realize how lucky we were - this time.

All the best to you and your loved ones Stu.

Andy

midivox
13th February 2009, 6.02 pm
Hi All, Stu
Glad to hear the Stu Box Angels were on duty and you and your family and the guitars, ete survived.
Happy Sounds
MidiVox