Australia bushfires: eyewitness account of the ocean evacuation as Mallacoota burns

Emergency services officials in Victoria use the 176-metre-long HMAS Choules to evacuate residents who have been left stranded at the coastal town of Mallacoota after a large blaze forced 4,000 people to take shelter on the foreshore. On 3 January, a defence force official tells the townspeople: 'Once you'e aboard and it's safe they'll do a final head count and it's about a 10-15 minute transit over there. Once you're in location, you'll be provided with some food, some water and accommodation.'

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