From flood to fire, heat waves to road crashes, people across our region are all too familiar with what mother nature and mankind can throw at us.

This week alone we have already witnessed numerous examples of where taking the necessary precautions to ensure public safety is paramount at this time of the year.

A Sydney couple became lost in the Grampians when they tempted fate and were stranded by their hired four-wheel drive on Carter's Track.

The duo were rescued thanks to the quick thinking of Stawell Police. Officers gave the pair instructions about how to download a navigation application to their mobile phone.

The couple were then able to email police screen shots of their position, GPS coordinates and a picture of where they were. This led to their speedy rescue just before nightfall.

As Sergeant Simon Grant of Stawell Police said, if people are planning trips and they are unfamiliar with the area, they should let someone know where they are going.

They should also have either an EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) or hand held GPS (Global Positioning System).

Wednesday's collision on the Western Highway served as another reminder for holiday makers to take care on our roads.

It was lucky no one was killed when two vehicles collided head-on in Great Western.

And if those two incidents weren't enough, this weekend's encroaching heat comes on the back of one of Stawell's driest years on record.

Last year turned out to be Stawell's fifth driest year on record (since 1885) with just 287.6 millimetres (1132 points) of rainfall.

The desperately dry conditions have created high levels of fuel that would fan any outbreak of fire and coupled with this weekend's heat, that has caused immense concern for fire authorities.

So as we look to the weekend it is important we take care of ourselves but also reach out to vulnerable relatives, loved ones and neighbours.

By taking the time to look out for one another we should still be able to make the most of what this wonderful part of the world has to offer and enjoy a safe start to 2015.

- Ben Kimber