Man's amazing discovery under dishwasher after bushfire horror
While the residents of Tathra are still dealing with the aftermath of fires that have destroyed homes and livelihoods, some good news stories have emerged from the devastation.
When the fires came through, Tathra local Laurie Rose didn't have time to do anything but run.
"Like grenades going off, all these fire bombs just coming down and landing anywhere and starting fires," was his way of describing the fire's fury.
Everything burned - except his wife's wedding ring, which had fallen under the dishwasher the night before the fires swept through.
When Laurie returned to the house, the ring was still sitting there - a small miracle after disaster that has brought so much loss.
The task in front of them is overwhelming, but for Tathra locals there was a big helping hand from the State Government - $10 million to start the process of clearing up.
Some of that $10 million, announced by NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Infrastructure Minister Andrew Constance on Monday, will be used to clean up dangerous materials, including the asbestos found in a quarter of Tathra's 148 damaged buildings.
"Unfortunately we have a lot of under-insurance, and a lot of people without insurance," Andrew Constance said.
"This goes a long way to removing the scar of last week."
Residents of the beachside town want everyone to know they are back open for business - even for Easter getaways.
Passenger photos reveal what it's really like on Qantas' 17-hour non-stop London flight
Boy, 3, 'told to take Nurofen' for pain found to be riddled with cancer
Darwin residents woken by 6.6-magnitude earthquake in Banda Sea
Some parts of Tathra are clearly a disaster zone, but there is also beauty, and the government wants people to come for holidays to help this town through a difficult time.
"The beach is unaffected, the waves still rolling like they always have," Bega Valley mayor Kristy McBain said.
"The main shopping precinct is completely untouched."
Donations for the stricken locals are continuing to flood in to the Mayoral Appeal Fund.
More than $300,000 has already poured in - a big amount to help many who are starting all over again.
To donate to the Mayoral Appeal Fund click here.
