Anna Mackay (23) is working in the specialist burns unit of the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, the main centre dealing with victims of the fire.
"I've seen burns come in every day, but this time it's on such a large scale and the stories that go with it are far more dramatic," she said.
The hospital was in "code brown" in preparation for many more admissions, with patients with non-burn injuries and illnesses being sent to other hospitals.
However, many patients had been unable to make it to hospital and it resembled a "ghost town" because emergency services were unable to access remote areas ravaged by fire.
"In all reality, if someone has been substantially burnt it is unlikely they would still be alive," Miss Mackay said.
Other wards in the hospital were trying to free beds for burns patients and several nurses and doctors had volunteered to cover the expected increase in patients.
In Melbourne, "everybody is talking about it". Updates were being broadcast 24 hours a day and the skies were hazy with smoke.
Appeals had gone out for blood donations as burn patients would need blood for several months after their injuries, Miss Mackay said. "It's just so unreal."
Dancer Jessi White (23), also formerly of Dunedin and living in Melbourne, described the fires as terrible. "It gives you chills," she said.
Unable to give money, she planned to donate blood today.
The mood in the city was sombre and people knew the death toll was only going to rise as more affected areas were reached.
On Saturday, as the temperature soared to 45degC, the clouds were white and the sky was grey. "It was so creepy," Ms White said.
