We went for a drive on Saturday to get out of the house of a while. We went up the Black Spur to see what Marysville is like these days, as it had been one of our favourite hang-outs a few years ago. It's not much to look at now. The big trees on either side of the main street are still there and there is some autumn colour to be seen, but either side of the road is pretty bare. No buildings bar the bakery, the shops next to it, a ski hire place in a removable container and a lolly shop in the same. The local pub survived the fires and a newly built Foodworks store is on a side street. Hardly any houses have been built, especially in comparison to Kinglake, and people are still living in caravans. There is plenty of green to be seen, especially in undergrowth, but the tops of the trees are all burnt and stick-like. If ever there was such a thing as a desert forest, this would be it.
