Six months ago, a bushfire tore through Conjola Park and surrounding bush on the New South Wales South Coast, burning 89 homes and killing three people.
Today, people are still only just beginning to rebuild their lives.
Community groups are starting to build new facilities in the town and many residents are in the process of rebuilding their homes.
Greg Webb said while many people who lost their homes did not want to rebuild, he felt Conjola was still his home.
"I've taken it on the chin, we're here to stay," he said.
"We're building to the highest bushfire rating, but it's quite a task and I can understand why a lot of people can't face it."
Resilience and rebuilding now on the agenda
Kim Harper, president of the Conjola Community Recovery Association, said the past six months had been tough on the community.
The group is helping to build new park facilities and an emergency evacuation point.
It hopes to have the evacuation site ready by Christmas, complete with a storage area for emergency items and a place where people can leave by boat if necessary.
"We've got people who are very distressed and people who can't come back to Conjola," Ms Harper said.
"I'm proud of the way the community has come together."
Shoalhaven recovery coordinator Vince Di Pietro delivered a six-month update at a council meeting on Tuesday night and said it was time to focus on the future, rather than the clean-up.
He indicated the recovery committee would soon wind up, with bushfire clean-up and recovery to return to ordinary council business.
"You should all be very comfortable and satisfied with what has been achieved in six months," Mr Di Pietro said.
"Don't rest, don't stop, and, if possible try, and focus on what the future looks like."
Different stages of recovery
Further north, the town of Balmoral is further along in its recovery after the town was hit on December 21.
Artist Steve Harrison survived by hiding in a makeshift kiln made of fireproof ceramic fibres which he constructed the day before fire struck the town.
The blaze destroyed his pottery shed and most of his ceramic artwork.
Now, Dr Harrison has had his development application (DA) for a new shed approved, and to prepare for future fire events he is making it fire resistant.
"All around us is pretty much cleaned up now," he said.
"My DA has been approved and I'm waiting for the construction certificate, so we should start to rebuild soon.
"We live between two national parks in the bush, we know there will be another dry spell in the future."
