Monday, March 2, 2015

Disaster at Long Gully Bridge..


This was going to be my theme day post before the lure of my mum's gorgeous face changed my mind at the last moment :) P took this shot when he was walking the Bibbulmun Track back in 2010. The track runs from Kalumunda on the outskirts of Perth down to Albany, a distance of nearly 1000kms taking walkers through vistas as beautiful as you would see anywhere, ranking it high up there as a must do for keen track walkers.The historic 'Long Gully Bridge' ageing beautifully since 1949 was built for the WA Government Railways,vital for the moving of timber to the Dwellingup Mill.When the mill burnt down in 1961 the track ceased operation and the bridge became the only viable crossing point for walkers on the track.


Tragedy! Fifty four years later the bridge has suffered the same fate! At the beginning of February during one of many bush fires started by lightning this year, despite the valiant efforts of Park & Wildlife Fire crews the bridge was totally destroyed! The above shot and the below shot showing the aftermath of the fire were taken from the official Bibbulmun Track site. Always a heart-tug when a piece of history is lost but there's no stopping mother nature when she unleashes her fury! Happy new week, take care and stay safe..


45 comments:

  1. Oh no! Makes me want to cry. Such a beautiful and useful old bridge, gone. What will the hikers do now?

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  2. This looks like a bridge Indiana Jones might have found himself dangling from--precariously!

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  3. Oh, that is SO sad!! Makes me want to cry, too! I do hate the loss of such wonderful old places!! I love your capture of the old train, too!! Hope you have a great new week!!

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  4. What a tragedy! Do you think that your state government will pay for a re build?

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  5. Such a loss when historical structures are lost. Perhaps it will be rebuilt.

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  6. What a huge pity, it was a beautiful bridge.

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  7. The conditions Aussie railways passed through was something else!
    Scots railways had it tougher mind...

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  8. Dang shame - dang nice post!



    "To revel in the wonders of life, to think, to remember, to dream - this is to know happiness." Giancarlo Di Gratsi



    ALOHA from Honolulu
    ComfortSpiral
    =^..^=

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  9. How awful. It was a great bridge. It could be rebuilt I suppose but it would take quite a bit of good will.

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  11. What a pity ! This bridge was deeply beautiful.

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  12. That was a nice bridge, most of our old ones got washed out by hurricane rains. There are companies who salvage unused structures and rework the wood as it is usually really old.

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  13. Why??? Very sad indeed! I hope it will be reconstructed!

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  14. A wound in the heart- I remember several years ago out west a hiker's train trestle in the mountains was destroyed by forest fires.

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  15. Oh no, it just can't be! So very sorry to see.

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  16. bush fires are terrible, so far I am glad there hasn't been a big on in Australia. We have some in NZ.

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  17. This, too, is an illustration of aging. Indeed, of the whole world.

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  18. That is such a shame. It was quite a fine structure and a bit of history.

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  19. What an amazing before and after collection Grace. I can smell the smoke lingering in the air in that last shot.

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  20. That is so sad, fire and water can be such wonderful things in nature but when they are angry it is a different story. Have a good week Diane

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  21. That is a tragedy. At least we have the photos. So keep on shooting.

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  22. What a tragedy to see the bridge has destroyed by the fire.

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  23. What a wonderful name for the bridge... laced now with sadness. Rebuild? Think all STEEL.

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  24. What a lovely bridge - such a shame it burnt down.

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  25. That is so sad. That first photo was absolutely beautiful. What would I do in this situation? Well, I'd make a trail memorializing it. Looks like a great scenic route!

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  26. oh no such a shame, it was a lovely bridge. Will the walkers be able to cross somewhere else?

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  27. ah oui c'est bien triste.... La nature est parfois brutale... C'est dommage c'est un bel ouvrage d'art rustique

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  28. What a tragic loss, and I think that Chris Rohrer had a great suggestion with a trail memorializing it.

    Bises,
    Genie

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  29. Very sad that a fire destroyed the bridge!

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  30. A sorrowful event that destroyed so much!

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  31. That is so sad. Another little piece of history gone forever. You photo of it and the vintage photo are great.

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  32. Beautiful first shot, Grace! The rest... sad. But, yes. Ageing....

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