Huon Valley’s bushfire recovery a long time in the making

Dale Fullard sits atop his outdoor dining table, playing guitar and singing.

In the distance the sun, shimmering off the water of the Huon River that snakes along the banks of his property, paints an apparent idyllic setting.

But a closer inspection of the trees that are still black to the touch and of melted glass littered on the ground speaks of a tragic past.

Fullard, 50, is a poet and singer more commonly known by his moniker and stage name ‘Hairy Man’.

He’ll tell you he started shaving when he was 12.

Fire it came down and swept the valley clean,

Took away my home, took away my dreams.

The fire Fullard’s ballad refers to is the