Show support for bushfire ravaged communities on your next grey nomad adventure

Grey nomads are being encouraged to visit bushfire affected communities on their next trip around the country to support local businesses and people doing it tough.

For the past few months blazes have been burning right around Australia with the situation turning dire just prior to Christmas. Hundreds of homes have been lost and several lives, with the smallest towns hit the hardest.

And while there have been millions of dollars donated by celebrities and everyday people, along with boxes of food and goods for those who’ve lost everything, once the fires stop burning the impact of the bushfires won’t end. Now in true Aussie spirit, people across the country have promised to continue their support for the bushfire ravaged communities with the hashtag #gowithemptyeskies trending online.

Australians have called on each other to travel to the small towns impacted by the disaster once the fires have been put out to help residents rebuild their businesses and homes. People are advised to bring their eskies along and fill them up with goods from the local shops.

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“I want you to do just one simple thing. When these fires have stopped, and the towns impacted are safe and trying to regain some sense of ‘normal’, I want you to plan a road trip,” the post trending on social media reads. “Go with empty eskies, empty cars and low fuel. Go and spend your money, stay in their hotels, buy from their shops, camp at their camp ground, buy their gifts, buy their fuel, buy bread and milk.

“Beyond rebuilding, they need continued and long term support to get back on their feet and your empty eskies make more of a difference than you could ever imagine.”

Edwina Bartholomew is just one of many to share the post to her social media page this past couple of weeks. She too urged others to plan a trip around regional Australia when it’s safe to do so.

“Tourism is what keeps many communities on the South Coast afloat,” she wrote on Instagram. “People are abandoning holiday plans and fleeing fire affected areas that depend on profits made from busy summers by the beach.

“@neilwrites spent our honeymoon road trippin’ down South. We stayed at the Narooma Caravan Park, drank cocktails at the Tiki Bar, ate toasted cheese sandwiches in Bega, popped in to see the Whales at Eden and carried on through to Victoria.

“We are planning a similar trip this year once the bushfire emergency has subsided. Hopefully you can do the same. Spend some money in small towns, fill up your car at the local servo, eat fish and chips on the wharf, take a fishing trip. Simple pleasures that will make a huge difference to a small business somewhere.”

Some Aussies have already started planning for their next road trip and shared their ideas on social media to give others inspiration.

“A group of friends and our kids holiday in Mystery Bay near Narooma every year,” @thelaurendubois wrote on Eddie’s post. “Can’t wait to get back there.”

“I can’t wait to get in the car for a road trip with the fam once this has passed and give back,” @mrsryan74 said.

“Was thinking the exact same thing when walking my dog before,” @jkr71 added. “We will go somewhere, or many places, and rebuild the communities. Did it after Black Saturday, will do it for other towns in need.”