Our family lost our home at Mogo on New Year's Eve, but in many ways I feel luckier than others.
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Our family has recovered well, being fortunate enough to return to our property a couple of months back.
When we heard we had lost our house, I was obviously sad - however I did not care that I lost my things; I could get them back. What made me the saddest was seeing my parent's life work gone.
My dad, Peter McGann, is a beekeeper and has spent most his adult life building his business. The fires took a lot out of him, destroying the honey sheds and most of his equipment.
But the fires have shown me that he and my mum, Jenny McGann, are fighters, with the business now back up and running.
Despite having our property and belongings back, something still saddens us. All we need to do is think back on that day and those that followed - think back on how traumatic the whole experience was. No-one should have to go through what we went through.
Family members experienced the days after the fire differently.
I decided I could mope around and be depressed, or I could start to plan to get my stuff back and try to return to a sense of normality.
The fires will always be with us
- Peter McGann
We had help from relatives. My grandfather, Pat McGann, gave us baby, wedding and other pictures with sentimental value, which we thought were gone forever. It was a massive relief to see them.
My parents are recovering ten months on from the disaster.
"The day of the fires, I didn't know where we were going to go, what we were going to do that night," Mum said.
"We couldn't go home because we didn't have a home. We were homeless."
NRMA insurance helped my parents quickly purchase a neighbouring home.
"I feel guilty that we were able to buy this house and still have our land," Mum said.
"We're incredibly lucky, but I do feel guilty because there are victims who still don't have homes."
Even though they are back in a home, they still struggle mentally.
"We are blessed that we are back home, but the fires will always be with us. They are something we will never forget," Dad said.
