Local Getaways

As COVID restrictions ease and where it is safe to do so, travelling locally to bushfire affected towns can be a great way to get away, explore regional Australia and support these communities in need.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be visiting and sharing three of these locations: Lobethal in South Australia, Mallacoota in Victoria and Milton in NSW, to showcase some ideas of where to eat, stay and play. We asked our local branches in these areas to show us around and were inspired by what we saw.

As Jodie from Mallacoota explained, ‘It has been a slow and different 12 months – there has been no precedence of recovering from bushfires and a global pandemic! We are still in the initial stages right now’.

Similarly, Robert from Lobethal told us, ‘There are reminders of the fires looking across the [Adelaide] Hills, stands of burnt out trees still exist, houses still need to be rebuilt, but businesses still need to rebuild. People should visit the region and listen to the stories of affected people to get an understanding of what happened and how resilient people can be'.

These communities have shown incredible resilience in reforming and transforming fire affected landscapes and businesses, reminding us of exactly what can be achieved when we all band together.

With beautiful landscapes, delicious food and welcoming communities, these regional towns are the perfect places to relax and explore what Australia has to offer. Check out our travel guides and start planning your regional getaway – you won’t be disappointed!

If you pay a visit to any of our featured regions, be sure to use the hashtag #BBlocalgetaway on your socials so we can share your pics and help support the communities.