'We love Bawley. It wasn't going to put us off': Holidaymakers keep travelling to the South Coast despite fires
It was a very different Christmas in the South Coast holiday hamlet of Bawley Point this year, after bushfires ripped through surrounding bush and villages in early December. Empty and brown, with whiffs of lingering smoke and blackened debris lining the otherwise pristine beaches.
Last weekend, the Currowan fire that burnt all the way around Bawley Point at the start of the month merged with the Tianjara fire burning west of Sussex Inlet to the north. Further north still, the Comberton fire burning close to the Princes Highway south of Nowra is complicating holiday planning for city dwellers.Credit:The highway was cut off for three hours on Monday and the RFS urged people to reconsider heading south. It may close again at short notice if fires flare up, which is expected.
Among tourism operators, there's disagreement about whether visitors should be encouraged while the fires continue to burn.Sharon Gadaleta, who operates Bawley Point Bungalows, said the fire crept all the way to her letterbox before the wind changed. She said a week ago she was all for encouraging tourists, but given the uncertainty over road closures and weather, she's not so sure.
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