here’s a bushfire burning somewhere south of Byron Bay. Strong winds bring haze to the Queensland border and into the undulating Tallebudgera Valley, where Tallowwood Cabin sits at canopy level on a sloped site. Rayne Fouché of Fouché Architects takes a seat alongside the cabin’s retiree occupant, Kevin, and his daughter Kristie, who owns the property and resides in a separate dwelling accessed by a different driveway, or via a goat track through the tall trees. This haze prompts memories of the 2019–20 bushfire season. On a clear day, Kevin sips tea on his verandah and gazes at Cook Island off Fingal Head and the Pacific Ocean beyond. But
