When the Mallacoota grey morning sky turned red then black from bushfires, I wonder if doomsday artists had New Year's Eve 2019 on their minds.

Red flames like giant devil’s tongues lapped up the trees around us, thunder from the fire’s own weather system boomed and crashed, winds threw flames to the side, above and beyond, koalas shrieked as they burnt alive in their habitat.

Mallacoota in eastern Victoria, the morning thousands sought refuge on the beach from surrounding fires. Credit:Mary O'Malley

We have come to this tiny East Gippsland village where my husband grew up, to spend the Christmas break with our son and six of his friends on our new bush block. We had a caravan, tent, tables and chairs and our little dog Oki ready for days of swimming and celebration.

Instead, after a town meeting on December 30, we are told to move immediately. We find ourselves towing the van to the foreshore of Mallacoota lake where we spend the night of December 30 lying on the ground next to a fire truck, ready to dive into the water to save ourselves.