Christmas tree farm reopens after being ravaged by bushfire
A Christmas tree farm caught up in last month's Wanneroo bushfire has opened its doors to customers more than two weeks after losing hundreds of trees in the blaze. The farm's opening was delayed this year as the owners worked around the clock to repair infrastructure damaged by the fire.
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00:00 It was an early start for hundreds of eager tree hunters who lined up for hours in Wanneroo
00:07 to buy the real deal.
00:08 I got here at 7.40 this morning.
00:10 And do you do this every year?
00:11 I do. Every year I've been doing it for probably 20.
00:17 Part of the appeal is choosing your own Christmas tree to take home and cutting it down.
00:23 I just really like the smell. They just look better. I like the tradition of coming here
00:29 and lining up and finding the best tree.
00:33 It was a welcome sight for the farm's owner Alex Frischau. Just two weeks ago he was fighting
00:37 to save his home and the trees during the Wanneroo bushfire.
00:41 I had some serious fears about this is it. We won't be able to open. But oh Jesus it
00:47 feels so good that we've got so far. It feels really great.
00:51 The fire was the worst he'd ever seen in 50 years of living in the area.
00:56 It was fierce. The noise was horrific. But we got through it and with the help of my
01:02 family, friends. It's been really overwhelming.
01:09 The farm lost nearly 200 Christmas trees in the recent bushfire, but there's still 1,400
01:18 left for sale. It's expected this year's bigger crop will sell out within days.
01:23 It's a personal thing because you get to choose the tree that comes home with you and we actually
01:28 nickname him Trevor. So every year Trevor gets to come home with us.
01:31 There are risks involved, but that's all part of the fun.
01:37 The busy start to the season is a fitting end for Mr Frischau. This is his final year
01:41 running the farm after almost three decades in the business.
01:44 [BLANK_AUDIO]