Burnt fences, melted netting, wasted cider. This is what Ralph and Judy Wilson faced after devastating fires roared through their Wilgro Orchard in January 2020.
But after a very hard year, the Batlow apple and cherry growers are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
Ralph said they were very lucky they didn't lose more of their trees during the fire, with most of their mature trees surviving, but the younger trees were hit very badly.
Their spray shed and bin shed was destroyed, and while their cider shed survived, all the contents were ruined, including 5000 litres of cider and 7000 litres of vinegar. On top of all of this, the bird netting was melted, and their fences were burned. "Last year was the toughest year of our lives," Ralph said.
He said they had great help from friends and the community, but then COVID-19 hit. They spent the winter replacing fences, with the help of BlazeAid, and it took around six months to rebuild the sheds. And then there was dealing with their irrigation system, which was burnt in the fire.
"We had to get six kilometres of irrigation pipe from Israel," he said. "And while we waited for it, because of the heat, the trees suffered, which meant small, poor quality fruit. The crop was a disaster."
Ralph said the stress of the fire and its aftermath had taken a toll on both his and Judy's health. "It was a tough year, but we've come through it."
It was a tough year, but we've come through it.
- Ralph Wilson, Wilgro Orchard
He said since September, they had had wonderful rain.
"The weather has been brilliant - we need warm, sunny days and cool nights for the apples, and that's what we've got," he said. "And we've got a brilliant crop. The galas are excellent quality, and the honeycrisp - this is best crop of them we have ever had."
Wilgro Orchard still has its roadside stall, and it has been very busy with apple and their Batlow Road Cider sales. The cider is made with their apples and made by hand by Ralph.
Ralph said it was heartening that people were supporting businesses affected by the fires.
"People said they want to support country towns like Batlow. And our sales have been up about 55 per cent on what they were before the fire. Things are looking up."
Cheers to a better year
It is the same story for Hillbilly Cider at Bilpin.
When 90-metre-tall flames raced towards Shane and Tessa McLaughlin's beloved cider business, things were looking pretty bad.
But luckily for them, only their pump shed was lost.
Shane said their trees dropped all their leaves and fruit due to the intense heat of the fire, but then grew back a few months later.
Their new cellar door, which included tastings of their 18 different ciders, food, a chance to see how cider is made and even to fill up a growler - a two-litre flagon - with cider on the spot, was meant to open in December.
But they opened it on the last day of summer last year. And it has been very popular.
"We are making about 400 pizzas on a Sunday," he said.
And even though COVID-19 meant for a while visitors stopped coming, they were busy releasing six new ciders, including a bourbon barrel aged cider, and a summer cider, which is one of a kind.
"It's made of blackberry, raspberry, strawberry and blueberry, and we made it with a wine basket press on site," he said.
They also released their Lockdown Cider, which Shane said was an earthy cider for the experienced cider drinker. It was a limited edition, with only 432 bottles.
"I guess we are looking at it as a glass half full," Shane said.
"There have been positives out of all this drama."
