For many years, Hazel supported victims of domestic violence as they escaped their situation and rebuilt their lives. Nowadays, she’s focussing more on the homeless. ​​​​​​​​Once thought of as a problem in the big cities, homelessness happens everywhere. In August last year, Homeless Project Denmark found there was 181 homeless people between Cosy Corner and Walpole - you can guarantee the actual figure is higher.​​​​​​​​ There's a small group of legends who work hard with Hazel to make a difference but they can't do it on their own. We can all help...​​​​​​​​

These legends are all BlazeAid volunteers, who were recently working with Denmark's farmers to erect new fences after the old ones were destroyed in the February fires. Some of the vollies are locals, others have come from further afield to help out, but their presence and their hard work helped lift the spirits of those locals who've been so affected. You don’t have to be young and strong to be a part of the team…

It was just a few weeks after the Denmark bushfires that I visited musician, artist and environmentalist James Gentle at home. It was a mix of good luck and James’s huge efforts that his house was not on the list of those lost in the fires. All that’s left of his caravan, however, is a patch of ash with melted metal and glass sculpted by intense heat.

Artist and visionary, Andre is the man who started the Denmark Arts markets, and indeed Denmark Arts itself. He flies under the radar most of the time these days, and I'm sure there's a lot of people here now who have no idea how much Andre shaped our little town. He's one of Denmark's original 'bloody hippies' and a bloody treasure.

I’ve photographed Andre many times over the years and have included some of my old favourites below the photos I took a few days ago.

I recently spent a fascinating few days traipsing though the bush with a team of ecologists from Bush Heritage Australia…The team were monitoring the endangered Red-tailed Phascogales, a tiny carnivorous marsupial once found across most of southern Australia.

I’ve just enjoyed an amazing few days whale-watching in Flinders Bay, Augusta with Naturaliste Charters…Those few days were full of new experiences - hearing the whales expel air, awe-inspired to realise that the spurt I’d seen on the horizon actually reaches five metres into the air…