As a country, we’re mourning the lives lost. A huge section of the south is under attack by bushfires, and they are still burning over our states.
Only recently, we travelled through the Victorian High Country at Hotham, Dinner Plain and Omeo, down the Great Alpine Road to Lakes Entrance, Marlo and Cape Conran National Park. We have memories of many of those townships under threat. We loved Gippsland – and remember the one road in, one road out to Mallacoota, and the koalas we spotted on the way. From there we continued up into NSW to Ben Boyd National Park, south of Eden.
Coming from a small holiday town, we really feel for the people in East Gippsland, Kangaroo Island or on the NSW south coast. Not only for loss of family members, homes and possessions, and dealing with the threat of that loss – but also for the damage to income for small business owners and their employees.
This is the busiest time of the year, when tourists inject so much into the economy into these beachside havens. Even if your home and possessions are intact, the ongoing impact on communities and locals is monumental.
As a travelling community, of course we need to stay away from these areas right now. Please remember: other townships need your patronage. They also rely on that annual injection that tourists bring to their town.
Do check reports, but if it is safe for you – hit the road. Cool down at a beach, a creek, or a dam! We still have a few weeks left of the school break, and a long weekend.
In our first newsletter of the year, we span from almost the top of Queensland, to near the bottom – and then across to Western Australia. We hope you and yours are safe and away from fires and smoke. We’re thinking of all those affected by the fires, and drought. We hope that 2020 brings rain, joy and travels for everyone.
