Belinda Shipard tells of surviving the Mallacoota fire

Belinda Shipard had to make the "hard decision" to leave her husband Peter behind in the fire-ravaged coastal town on Friday and take the long ride back to Melbourne on the HMAS Choules.

Mr Shipard decided to stay behind and wait until it was safe to drive their car and boat out of the disaster area, but Mrs Shipard fears that won't be for weeks.

"I had to evacuate because I didn't have enough medication to stay," she said.

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"But Peter wanted to stay so we just have to wait and see, it could be three to four weeks away still.

"He has no power but he has a bed and he is safe."

Mrs Shipard has described New Year's Eve and the days that followed as "utterly terrifying" with many people "not taking it seriously".

"We got the first warning and everyone sort of just ignored it - we went about out day, went to the beach, took the dog for a walk, went fishing," she said.

"It wasn't until we got back to our accommodation and the owner warned us to maybe start packing some things that I got worried."

An hour later the owner was banging on their door telling them to "leave now".

The Shipards drove down to the boat ramp and parked along side "everyone else" and waited.

"We didn't know what was going on.

"The next morning the sky turned black and then red, we watched as everything in front of us was on fire."

Mrs Shipard arrived in Melbourne to her two daughters on Saturday.