Glenn Gardner is unsure of what the future holds for his family and his 13 dogs when they leave the Batemans Bay evacuation centre.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The family has been camping with their friendly dogs - mostly Alaskan malamutes - ever since they lost everything in two terrifying rounds of bushfire days apart.
They first escaped the flames with the dogs - including four 10-week-old puppies - after the first round came through.
The Bimbimbie fire training centre "graciously" housed them for a few days.
"It all happened so fast," he said. "We had nowhere else to go."
Days later, the second wave of flames came, and police told them to go.
"Words can't describe what we've been through," he said.
"I'm just trying to hold my head up and stay strong.
"We lost everything. There were two houses on the property. They both went up; the stables went up."
Support was "wonderful" at the evacuation centre, but he still felt completely displaced after the horrific week.
"I'm so far out of my comfort zone right now," he said.
At least 100 people remained at the Hanging Rock evacuation centre on Monday, January 6, days after the fire swept through.
Since New Year's Eve, eight people have died in the fires on the South Coast and hundreds of homes have been destroyed.
Soon, the family would have a week's worth of temporary accommodation, but afterwards, Mr Gardner didn't know what would happen.
"I don't know. It's still up in the air. I'm just trying to ground myself so I can move forward," he said.
Read more