Twenty four hours in Marysville

Posted on by Miriam

There’s something to be said for spontaneity.  Sometimes the best getaways are the ones with very little planning, like the one that happened last weekend. We decided at 11am on the Sunday to get away with the camper, we were on the road by 2pm and were set up by 4pm.  Not bad for a quick adventure.

Our destination was the caravan park in Marysville.  This beautiful mountain village was destroyed by fire during the 2009 bushfires of Black Saturday.  It was almost completely wiped out.   But, as with the resilience shown throughout many of these fire affected communities, the town has since been rebuilt and life has continued.

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It’s hard to believe the caravan park we stayed in was once a barren and devastated patch of land.  Powered sites and cabins now line the stream and lush ferns with green grass and a canopy of tall trees provide ample shade.  The owners hard work, time and nature’s healing has done an amazing job in restoring the beauty of the park.

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It was just hubby and I this time.  An overnight getaway, leaving our happy kids alone at home and us time to reconnect  … just twenty four hours in Marysville.

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It was a cold weekend but the sky was clear with the promise of sunshine to come.  And despite it being a holiday weekend in the early morning I was all alone with only warbling magpies for company.

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And I took advantage of it, with an early morning stroll to the nearby Gallipoli Park precinct, which was given a complete facelift following the fires of 2009.

The Park includes a state of the art children’s playground and a reflective garden.

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The walk meanders beside the river, through the gazebo and garden rooms and the New Life Sculpture.  This inspiring sculpture was created by local artist Bruno Torfs and is a permanent symbol of new life in the community.

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And as I walked through it I thought once again of the resilience of the human spirit to overcome tragedy, to rebuild when things seem insurmountable and to move on with new hope and determination.

Our 24 hours weren’t yet complete.  We were to discover even more of this amazing area. I’ll take you there on my next post.

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This post is part of Dutch goes the Photo – Tuesday Photo Challenge – Human Spirit capturing the spirit and resilience of the people in Marysville as well as joining in with Jo’s Monday Walk.

May we all be touched by the beauty of the human spirit, by the kindness, generosity and strength that exists in all of us.

I wish you all a wonderful week and peace of mind as we continue the journey.

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56 thoughts on “Twenty four hours in Marysville”

  10. You made it with time to spare! 🙂 Thank you for the link, Miriam, and I’m glad you were able to squeeze in such a replenishing getaway. It doesn’t take much, does it? The will to do it is half the battle. 🙂

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  13. Oh, I love the stone steps, the bridge, the mosaic alphabet… what a beautiful place! Sometimes, I really want to move farther away from the city. I would love it… kids would love it (aside from having to switch schools…)… but husband would not really love it. Of course, those farther suburbs… the beautiful ones… well, I need to win some serious cash to live there!

    Just love these photos. Maybe I will try to write a story where my characters visit beautiful places like this. The research would be amazing! Unfortunately, it would all be online! 😀

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    1. Sometimes the best writing comes from research, it doesn’t always have to be from real life. Go on and write it, I think it’d be awesome.

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  18. The difference in that park is just amazing! It’s good to remember how much healing can truly take place, especially when humans work with nature. And good for you to go on a spontaneous camping trip! As someone who tends to over-plan, I always admire spontaneous adventures. And I’m planning to have one some day…..

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    1. Thanks Ann, I’m usually one to over-plan as well, so it was nice to pack up and go so quickly and effortlessly. As I’m getting older I’m realising that life’s too short not to make the most of our time and doing what we love. Hope you get away soon Ann …

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  21. You have posted a few times about those horrible fires, and while it’s very tragic I can’t help but admire the love and beauty that came from it. Thanks for sharing the stories and photos.

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    1. I know Steve, it was one of the darkest times in Australia in terms of what was lost but I think what came from it was truly an amazing spirit of resilience, strength and outpouring of love and support. Thanks for reading and commenting.

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  27. Miriam I love this —- the statue of the girl with the phrase “New Life” really took my breath away.
    You know, this reminds me a little of the post you did about the town that decorated all the mailboxes!! (It was mailboxes, right?) Creativity and the dignity of the human spirit.
    Much loving to you, Miriam 🙂

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