Former Wallaby prop Al Baxter has described the frightening bushfire scenes which turned his family’s holiday into a nightmare.

Baxter, who played 69 tests, was trying to shelter from the fire in the Malua Bay Surf Club in Australia which was then “smashed by embers”.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Baxter said the family had evacuated their holiday home on the New South Wales south coast but a supposed haven turned into another nightmare as the swept in and that’s when someone yelled: “get out, get out”.

He said they heard what sounded like the rumble of a waterfall and it got really dark. Strange orangey-brown loose embers were falling out of the sky and they started seeing spot fires.

The 42-year-old said there were about 1000 people there and they went down to the beach and there were horses and dogs and chickens.

Baxter added they could hardly see the hand in front of their face as there was what he described a weird darkness with red edges to it.

But he said not being able to see any flames was better in a way.

[Source: Rugby Pass]