Bushfires threatening the coastal town in Victoria's east from New Year’s Eve forced thousands to evacuate and cut off road access. This week, smoke has grounded aircraft and a sandbar has blocked navy ships from entering the town. Petrol was rationed to $10 portions last week. A combined military effort kept Mallacoota “with its head just above water”, said commander on the ground, Captain Collin Nelson. Over the weekend, the military opened up road access to Eden, New South Wales. There will be two convoys a week for Mallacoota residents to stock up in Eden and two others for food and other supplies to come into Mallacoota, according to the head of emergency services in the town, Mark O’Connor.

Loading “The next phase is to allow locals to come back in who have been displaced,” Mr O’Connor said. “That will be a staged approach. What we don’t want to do is open up the road ‘carte blanche’ and have everybody coming into town, and there’s no infrastructure to support it. At the moment, they’re still on generator power.” The Princes Highway remains closed indefinitely for freight and private vehicles, and it is likely to remain so for several weeks. Wednesday morning in Mallacoota Credit:Justin McManus

Residents should be allowed to return via Eden within a few days, Mr O'Connor said. Authorities hope to restore mains power by then. Military, Red Cross, government and emergency services workers will remain in Mallacoota as long as required — certainly for months still. Some have been working 14-hour days, 15 days in succession. On Mallacoota beach, Brett Mayor stands on the ash-smeared shoreline, fishing. He’s one of about 1000 people still in the Mallacoota area. Loading Replay Replay video Play video Play video “The main reason I wanted to stay is to help out my mate who lives here,” said Mr Mayor, 59.

Through the night of New Year’s Eve, Mr Mayor helped save his friend’s home from the “steam train” of bushfires and embers. “We were just outside watching it come, watching the top of the gum trees exploding into flames,” he said. Fisherman Brett Mayor, from Melbourne, was the only person on the ash-covered beach. Credit:Justin McManus Mr Mayor is only just learning of Victoria’s devastation outside Mallacoota. More than 1.35 million hectares have burnt around the state, and the death toll was updated to five on Wednesday. “We haven’t had any TV here, so I’ve only seen the news in the last couple of days,” he said.

Mr Mayor says fresh fruit and vegetables are "just dribbling in a little bit now", after weeks of eating frozen and canned food. “It’s been very quiet, the place is a little bit like a ghost town at the moment.” Local firefighter Dean Sewell (left) battled the bushfires on New Year's Eve. Credit:Justin McManus About 10 excavators removed debris and trees on the Princes Highway on Wednesday. No wildlife was seen - beyond a single kangaroo hopping around the edges of the town. Many street signs are tarred black, though the road remains in good condition. Mr O’Connor said fires had destroyed perhaps 200 Mallacoota homes, up from previous estimates of 90.

“Psychologically, it’s going to take a long time for people to adjust to what’s happened,” Mr O’Connor said. “So when people start coming on the Mallacoota/Genoa road and seeing that fire damage, that will be the start. They’re coming in at a different stage of grief to the people already here.” Local firefighter Dean Shaw, whose home has been running on a generator for 15 days, says an end to the fires is, at least, in sight. Loading “A fair way away, but it’ll be good. Then the town, once everyone goes and it’s back to just us, has got to turn around,” he said.

“I don’t think we’ve really taken in and comprehended the enormity of the whole thing yet.”