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The practical things you can do to help rebuild Australia, one town at a time

We have all had our hearts broken by the horrific bushfires. The road to rebuild will be long but as a nation we will: brick by brick, fence by fence. Bauer Media launched this campaign to help our neighbours in their time of need. Each week we will shine a spotlight on a town telling our generous readers how they can help, from the best fundraisers to donate to that specifically benefit the locals, to products they can buy from that town or region that support small businesses there. The Rebuild Our Towns campaign is centred on the fact that practical help doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Our love and thoughts go out to every person, but actions speak louder than words, so join us to make a difference and help our heartland heal.

Watch as we move from one town to another over the coming months...

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Click below to read more about the bushfire crisis and how you can help

rfs.nsw.gov.au

cfa.vic.gov.au

cfsfoundation.org.au

wires.org.au

wwf.org.au

redcross.org.au

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Click on a town or region to see how you can help. Keep coming back to see what areas we are focusing on each week

In November last year – while already battling the worst droughts in history – Mother Nature delivered another cruel blow to Glen Innes and its surrounding villages nestled in the NSW Northern Tablelands when a catastrophic bushfire left what was a rich agricultural area in ashen ruins. The entire community was broken, including the small hamlet of Wytaliba. The locals tragically lost three of their most-loved elders, Vivian Chaplain, Julie Fletcher and George Nole, in the fire. The heartbreak was unfathomable, and to add to that 70 homes went up in flames and the local primary school burned to the ground. The inhabitants are resilient to the bone and tougher than a pair of well-worn boots.

“We’ve lost so much, but the focus now is to wipe off the ash and get back up and be stronger than ever,” deputy mayor Di Newman tells Woman’s Day. “We’re a close-knit community, and we’re determined to rebuild.”

Glen Innes, NSW

• Wytaliba Primary School is in need of library books, educational games, exercise books and playground equipment. Click here • Support the local Chamber of Commerce and buy from one of the 50 businesses registered for BIG (Business In Glen). Click here • Buy a bag of stock feed ($20-$35) or bale of hay ($35) from Norco Rural Store – the manager will even deliver! (02) 6739 7400 • Book your wedding or take some time out at the beautiful Bens Falls Retreat. Click here • Visit Australia’s own Stonehenge. Click here • Look out for events in the local area. Click here • Give Wytaliba a hand. Click here

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glen innes

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cobargo

Book and play a round of golf

Buy a bag of stock feed ($20-$35) or bale of hay ($35) from Norco Rural Store – Hugh Vimpany the manager will even deliver! Call (02) 6739 7400

In the second week of our Rebuild Our Towns campaign we cover Cobargo, a town 382km south of Sydney that was reduced to ash. “The strength and resilience being shown by our community is nothing short of exceptional,” says Cobargo mayor Kristy McBain. “The amazing care being shown to one another will see us through. The holidaymakers our local economy relies on had to leave in a hurry, but we are hopeful they will return as our stunning natural environment and community heals. There is still much to see and do and we ask that families across Australia come on a holiday on the Sapphire Coast.”

Cobargo, NSW

How to help

• Help the Mardens rebuild their beloved yoga studio and help the community heal. Click here • Shop at the Bowerbird Community Op Shop – profits go back to the community. Click here • Visit or shop local arts and crafts at the Lazy Lizard Gallery. Click here • Commission some work from artist Sally Wilson who lost her studio and equipment. Click here • Donate to the Cobargo Community Bushfire Recovery Fund. Click here • Dance along at the Cobargo Folk Festival in February. Click here • Drop by Cobargo Hotel and check out Tuesday night trivia and the daily specials. Click here • For Cobargo events, accommodation and information, click here

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We have all had our hearts broken by the horrific bushfires. The road to rebuild will be long but as a nation we will: brick by brick, fence by fence and have Bauer Media launched this campaign to help our neighbours in their time of need. Each week we will shine a spotlight on a town telling our generous readers how they can help, from the best fundraisers to donate to that specifically benefit the locals, to products they can buy from that town or region that support small businesses there. The Rebuild Our Towns campaign is centred on the fact that practical help doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Our love and thoughts go out to every person, but actions speak louder than words, so join us to make a difference and help our heartland heal.

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how you've helped

Glen Innes has been inundated with donations since the campaign went live – thank you all! A 90-year-old woman put in a $1000 order for hay bales from the local rural store. Local hotels are suddenly completely booked out for the Glen Innes show next month.

GLEN INNES

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The images that capture the extent of the bushfire crisis

Ways you can help the victims of the Australian bushfires

How Nymboida residents are working to rebuild their town

Where to shop, eat and stay in Glen Innes, NSW

Laena Stephenson told The Australian Women’s Weekly “by working together, trying to be nice to each other and communicating as best we can, I hope Nymboida can begin to rebuild and that we can remain living in this beautiful place.”

Nymboida, in the Clarence Valley of northern NSW, was a beautiful place – lush rainforest gullies teeming with wildlife. No one imagined it would go up like tinder. But it did, on November 8 last year. Bob Gorringe and wife Narelle could hear the fire “roaring like an aeroplane” before it hit. Fuelled by 80 kph winds, the 120 metre-high flames tore through the valley, leapt the Nymboida River and came for the community, raising 85 homes and destroying farmland and wilderness. But locals have rallied to rebuild, transforming the community-run canoe centre into the centre for recovery efforts.

Nymboida, NSW

How to help

• The people of Nymboida welcome volunteer architects, builders and engineers, as well as donations of building supplies to help with rebuilding efforts. Please email rebuildnymboida@outlook.com for more info. • Residents are also happy to share what they’ve learned so far about fundraising and rebuilding with other fire-affected communities. Please contact the above email address. • Nymboida Camping and Canoeing is a community-run riverside holiday spot, currently acting as an emergency relief centre. It sustained some damage and has not yet reopened, the community hopes to welcome back travellers when it does. To learn more click here • To donate to the Nymboida Community Bushfire Fund, click here

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Nymboida

mallacoota

“I was born in the back of an ambulance on the side of a bush road up here 12 years ago – this is my hometown so please don’t forget us,” she says. “Come for a visit and I’ll take you to my favourite beach, Bastion Point – minus the smoke and the embers!”

When the bushfires hit Victoria’s East Gippsland region, Mallacoota was ripped to shreds. With a population of 1000 that skyrockets over the summer months, the town is now exhausted. A month on since the fires, and many locals have returned to find their homes destroyed. Now the community including plucky 12-year-old Jessica Tregellas are rallying together. The stoic grade sixer has a plan and that is for all 126 students, from prep to Grade 12 at Mallacoota College to plant a tree and rebuild the kitchen garden, plus a house for the chickens.

Mallacoota, VIC

How to help

• Help rebuild Mallacoota College community garden and chicken coop. Call Oaklands Barn & Garden Centre in Pambula (02) 6495 7257. • Help the local Mallacoota Wildlife Shelter Fire Relief Fund to help our injured critters. Click here • Donate to Mallacoota teacher Carol Hopkins’ fund, supported by the Mallacoota Lions Club. All funds go straight back into the community. Click here • Make a trip to Mallacoota and book a cabin or site at one of the caravan parks – Mallacoota Foreshore Holiday Park (03) 5158 0300, Mallacoota Beachcomber Caravan Park (03) 5158 0233, Mallacoota’s Shady Gully Caravan Park (03) 5158 0362, A’Wangralea Caravan Park (03) 5158 0222

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• Have a day out at the Wild Harvest Seafood Festival, April 3-5 click here • Buy a Kmart voucher for a local hero doing it tough through Mallacoota RSL. • Bring an empty esky and ask for Ferret and Bonnie at Mallacoota Butchers, 47 Maurice Avenue, Mallacoota (03) 5158 0359 • Buy an IGA voucher (excluding cigarettes and alcohol) for a family doing it tough. Call Mallacoota IGA (03) 5158 0604 • Don’t forget how beautiful this little gem really is! Click here to book a holiday

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Well-known faces throwing their support behind the crisis

Kangaroo island

The Kangaroo Island fires destroyed around 210,000 hectares, with most of the farming land on the western side of the island burned. In total, 43,000 livestock are dead, 89 homes have been destroyed and the loss of wildlife is estimated to be more than one hundred million. Over 5000 residents were trapped on the island as the ferocious flames tore through their land, thinking they’d hit rock bottom. But The BlazeAid Army emerged as a beacon of hope during such dark and desperate times. These golden-hearted heroes from around the world are helping farmers in desperate need get back on their feet and repair fences destroyed by the bushfires. But there is still a long way to go.

Kangaroo Island, SA

How to help

• Discover the best of Kangaroo Island and plan an action-packed getaway. Click here • Enjoy a cake or two at The Rabbit Warren bakery, 8 Grenfell Street, Kingscote. Call (08) 8553 0261 • Visit the cellar door at The Islander Estate Vineyards, 78 Gum Creek Road, Cygnet River. Click here • Shop local and Aussie-made goodies at Kingscote gift shop. Click here

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“Farmers are proudly independent by nature, and we’re always reluctant to accept help,” says local islander and mum-of-three Jenny Stanton. “But without BlazeAid, we’d be on our knees.”

• Support BlazeAid and help rebuild Kangaroo Island. Click here • Donate to the KI Mayoral Relief and Recovery Bushfire Fund. Click here • Support the Stantons, and shop their locally produced oats. Order here • Book your wedding at one of Kangaroo Island’s stunning venues and have local photographer Pete Nash snap your big day. • Shop and support the family-run Clifford’s Honey Farm is Dave. Click here • For a romantic getaway, stay at the luxury Stowaway in Stokes Bay. Call +61 457 742 162, or click here.

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While the rebuild in Mogo is going to be slow, relief comes in knowing every animal survived. ‘Our animals are family – we had to save them,’ says Chad.

You may have seen the heart-breaking image of a herd of giraffes shrouded in smoke, trapped while the fires raged around them at Mogo Wildlife Park on the NSW South Coast. Dedicated zookeeper Chad Staples and his team stayed to help save the 200 animals, putting their own lives at risk as the flames engulfed the surrounding area. With time running out they moved the lions, orangutans and gorillas into their night dens, packed the smaller animals into containers and left the giraffes to roam in a fireproofed area. Their survival is nothing short of a miracle. Almost 80 per cent of the zoo’s 65 hectares was burned. And now the rebuild begins, with plans to build an on-site veterinary hospital to care for and rehabilitate native animals.

Mogo, NSW

How to help

• Enjoy a stay in the neighbouring community of Batemans Bay, whose generous locals have supported the bushfire victims. Click here • Don your lycra for the JetBlack Wild Wombat MTB Challenge, a two-day cycling event (Aug 1-2) showcasing the Eurobodalla region. Click here • This one is for the sweet tooths! Drop in and say hi to the friendly staff at the Mogo Lolly Shop, 30 Sydney St, Mogo. Click here • Take a detour to the famous Nerriga Hotel, where you’ll experience good old-fashioned pub grub. Click here

• To help build the private hospital for native animals at Mogo Wildlife Park, click here or call Chad on (02) 4474 4930. • Donate to the Eurobodalla Disaster Relief Fund. Click here • Explore the Eurobodalla region’s beautiful beaches, great fishing spots and wonderful walks around Mogo, from Batemans Bay to Moruya, Bodalla, Narooma and Tilba. Click here to plan your trip. • Hit the road! Stop in at Ulladulla to try Australia’s best pies from the famous Hayden’s Pies, 2/116 Princes Highway. Click here

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Amidst the heartache, six-year-old Edee Allsopp helped restore hope with a hand-written card and some cash to brighten Pam’s day. “After nine decades of living a good honest life, I can safely say the world is in very good hands,” says Pam.

Random acts of kindness have given 90-year-old Pam Murphy hope the much-needed strength to get back on her feet. It took just under an hour for a freak 70-metre firewall to mercilessly destroy a lifetime of memories on September 9 – a day Pam will never forget. When flames licked the doorstep of her family home of 40 years, Pam had just moments to gather important documents, belongings and her twin Burmese cats, Daisy and Ellie, before the full force of the blaze blitzed through her home. Her neighbours have taken Pam and her two cats in as the rebuild begins. Her positivity and true blue Aussie resilience is thanks to the kindness of the community.

Sunshine Coast, QLD

How to help

• Get behind the Team Noosa Bushfire Appeal. Donations will help provide holiday packages to firies and displaced families from NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland or go towards raffles for further fundraising. Click here • Visit the Peregian Beach Markets at Kingfisher Park on the first and third Sunday morning of every month for a variety of local arts, crafts and home-grown produce. Click here • When it comes to local pubs, it doesn’t get any better than a visit to the Peregian Beach Hotel at 221-229 David Low Way, Peregian Beach. Call (07) 5448 3111 or click here • Head to Capurso’s Locale Ristorante Bar, one of Noosa’s best eateries on the world-famous Hastings Street. Call (07) 5447 5111 or click here

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Sunshine Coast, QLD

“Watching the koalas get better has made it so much easier to recover from the shock of finding our little mate that day,” says Chantelle.

After the South Australian Cudlee Creek fire burned through 25,000 hectares of land, two teenagers, Katie and Chantelle, became selfless wildlife rescuers. As the two 16-year-olds made their way to school on February 10, they heard distressing cries coming from the train tracks. They ran towards the tracks and found an injured koala in pain, his frightened eyes begging for help. Katie called Adelaide Koala Rescue and founder Jane Brister offered help, but despite rescue efforts, ‘Choo Choo’ passed away. The girls were heartbroken, but were offered a life-changing experience – volunteering at the koala sanctuary alongside Jane.

Adelaide Hills, SA

How to help

• Drop in to the Uraidla Republic cafe, bakery and brewery for the best coffee and cold beer. Click here • Take a cycling tour with one of Adelaide’s most experienced mountain bike operators. Click here • Visit Beerenberg Farm and pick your own strawberries, or shop online for homemade jams, preserves and more delicious treats made with love. Call (08) 8388 7272 or click here

• Support the amazing recovery and rehabilitation efforts by Jane and the Adelaide Koala Rescue team. Click here • Invest in a gorgeous limited edition print of a cuddly koala by Adelaide-based artist Sarah Jane to support the Adelaide Koala Rescue. Click here • Visit the beautiful Adelaide Hills region and #BookThemOut. Tour with a local guide, meet the wildlife, buy the local produce, spirits and wine and stay a few nights. Click here • Stay at the historic Uraidla Hotel. If you’re game, try the famous Uraidla Burger with brewery beer cheese sauce! Call (08) 8390 0500 or click here

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Adelaide Hills, SA

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Batlow

“We have members who have lost everything and a few local RFS volunteers did everything they could to save those homes – we’ve never seen a town more united,” says Kathy.

This week takes us to Batlow, a town famous for its apples in the south-west slopes region of NSW. The picturesque area made headlines during the bushfires after being cruelly battered twice in one week. Authorities deemed the area “undefendable”, warning locals and tourists to leave immediately. The magnificent Batlow battlers from the local lawn bowls club have become a symbol of hope for the small town after it was brought to its knees by the recent bushfires. “We lost 80 homes and thousands of hectares of prime orchards and agricultural crops,” says keen bowler Kathy Hamilton. With the full force of the club’s 85 members, this resilient brigade is more determined than ever to rise from the ashes and restore Batlow to its former glory.

Batlow, NSW

How to help

• Feast on superb pub grub at the famous Batlow Hotel – old-fashioned country hospitality at its best. Click here • Local Obsession Wines owner Adrian Brayne lost almost all his vineyards, but the cellar door survived. Click here to order online

• Take a road trip with the family and check out Batlow. Click here • Enjoy lunch or dinner at the Batlow RSL Club Restaurant. Phone (02) 6949 1040 or click here • Save the date for the famous Batlow Cider Festival in May. Click here • Stay at Batlow Caravan Park – it’s back open for business after the fires. Call (02) 6949 1444 • Get your fruit fix and say g’day to Ralph and Judy Wilson at the Wilgro Orchard road stall. Click here • Book a stay at the only motel in town, The Apple Inn, 1 Tumbarumba Road, Batlow. Call (02) 6949 1342 or click here

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Batlow, NSW

“We’re not alone,” says Greg. “You have to remain upbeat. The locals rely on this pub for more than just a cold beer – it’s a place they can come to where the door is always open.”

This week takes us to Buchan, Victoria – a small town nestled in the foothills of the legendary Snowy River National Park. The New Year bushfires swept through the area, destroying more than 25 homes. But it’s the inspiring tale of one local pub opening its doors to feed hundreds of hungry and exhausted firies that touched hearts across the world. Local publicans Margie and Greg Brick – owners of the Buchan Caves Hotel – were open throughout the emergency, cooking and delivering meals to nearby crews. While they were slogging away over a hot stove, their family home of 15 years was being swallowed up by a giant firewall. “Just like that, all your treasures and everything you’ve worked hard for have gone,” explains Greg. But despite the heartache, hope still remains.

Buchan, VIC

How to help

• Stay in the log cabins outside of town to experience country hospitality. Call (03) 5155 9494 or click here • Book a camel safari on the popular Eastern Beach in the neighbouring Lakes Entrance region. Click here • Cruise the vast Gippsland Lakes and waterways or hire a kayak and paddle up the Tambo River. Click here • Rent a Segway and ride along the white sands of Ninety Mile Beach. Click here • Visit the famous Buchan Caves Reserve. Parts of the area remain closed due to bushfires, but visitors are welcome to explore the open areas. Click here

• Drop into the Buchan Caves Hotel to say g’day to the Bricks and try the best schnitzel in the region. Call (03) 5155 9203 • Donate directly to the Buchan and Gelantipy Bushfire Relief Fund to help the Buchan community. BSB: 013 713. Account: 3183 60663 • Hike through the picturesque Snowy River National Park – you won’t regret it! Click here • Stop in at the Buchan Valley Roadhouse – the world’s best road-trucker stop, 52 Main Road, Buchan. Call (03) 5155 9484. • Book a room at the Buchan Motel – the only motel in town! Call (03) 51559419 or click here

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Buchan, VIC

"It was apocalyptic at every level," Says Nadia. “There were a couple of touch-and-go moments where I knew we were in dangerous territory, and always in the back of mind there was that niggling sense that I have to get home tonight to my little boy."

Record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought topped with dangerous gusty winds forced authorities in the Australian Capital Territory to declare a state of emergency back in January. Experts were quick to call the uncontrollable 24,000-hectare blaze south of Canberra - burning just 20 minutes from the Parliament House - the worst since the deadly 2003 fires, with smoke choking the city and taking over the sky. The ACT’s only female air attack supervisor, Nadia Rhodes, knows what it’s like to risk life and limb every day. But like so many emergency service workers during the bushfires, she has best reason of all to return home safe and sound – her eight-year-old son, Lachlan.

Canberra & the ACT

How to help

• Art lovers can indulge in a morning at the National Gallery of Australia and nearby National Portrait Gallery. Click here • Pack up your swag, hook up the caravan and book a camping holiday. Click here or call the Canberra and Region Visitors Centre on 1300 554 114 to find out what sites are open after the bushfires.

• Visit Australian War Memorial in Canberra. Stay for the Last Post, a moving tribute to the fallen played daily at 4.55pm. Click here • Donate to ACT Wildlife - Canberra’s only wildlife care group that provides housing, food, transport and medicine to the hundreds of native animals that come through its doors each year. Click here • Enjoy a 6km trek around the picturesque Lake Burley Griffin. Click here • Check out the Autralian-made wares and fresh local produce at the iconic Handmade Canberra market, held every March, June, September and December. Click here • Take a road-trip two-hours south of Canberra to the Snowy Mountains. Click here

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“Within that first week we had a social event, but it was more like a gathering to support and talk to people," says local Sandra Zielke. "I’ve never seen so many people hug. It was beautiful.”

The tiny town of Bobin in the Hunter Valley was all but destroyed in a bushfire inferno late last year, but the resilient residents are determined to rebuild. One of the town’s few surviving buildings – the 100-year-old Bobin School Of Arts community hall – has become the focal point for this incredible community, which is slowly but surely rebuilding and recovering. In the aftermath of the destruction, this dainty little building has become an epicentre of hope, a place for residents to gather, talk, support one another, and most of all to heal. “The hall’s always been a hub for the community,” explains local artist and President of the Bobin School of Arts Peter Schouten. “Because it was the only building left, it became even more of a focal point and a place of gathering for all.”

Bobin, NSW

How to help

• Enjoy the white sandy beaches of Old Bar, follow the Headland Walking Track, explore Crowdy Bay National Park or enjoy lunch at the Saltwater picnic area. Click here • Treat yourself to the best fish and chips in Australia at Blowfish Street Food in Old Bar. Call 0409 118 083 • Donate or lend a hand to to BlazeAid. The volunteer-based organisation has set up camp to help the people of Bobin and the wider region rebuild farm fences. Click here • Buy a voucher for a local doing it tough or shop online at Wingham’s Ashlea Road Boutique, a locally-owned store with a wide range of clothing and accessories for all. Call (02) 6553 0142 or click here

BOBIN & THE MID NORTH COAST • Visit neighbouring town of Wingham and tuck into the best lamb cutlets in the State at the Australian Hotel, 24 Bent St, Wingham. Call (02) 6553 4511 • Head to the nearby Ellenborough Falls, one of the longest single drop waterfalls in the southern hemisphere. Click here • Eat and #spendwiththem at Wingham’s Bent on Life cafe and homewares store, 95 Isabella St, Wingham. Call (02) 6557 0727 or click here • Take a road trip this October long weekend for the annual Old Bar Beach Festival, which attracts thousands of people – and hundreds of VW Kombi owners. Click here

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Bobin, NSW

“Our vets and nurses are angels,” says Marley.

It’s hard to image a kinder woman than volunteer vet nurse Marley Christian, who gave up her old life to dedicate herself to koala rescue and rehabilitation organisation, Friends of the Koala. Marley says her life changed forever on November 23 last year, during the worst fires ever in the Northern Rivers region of NSW. She received a call from a local farmer about a injured koala with severe burns all over her feet. “The poor man was so distraught and the little fighter sustained such hideous injuries, it broke our hearts,” explains Marley. The koala, Ember, was rushed to the ICU at Currumbin Wildlife Hospital in Queensland. Thankfully, her life was saved. “She’s back with us fighting fit and getting stronger,” says Marley. “In the coming weeks, Ember will go to our Kindy Plantation area where she will gain more confidence before being put back into the wild.”

Northern Rivers, NSW

How to help

• Take a road trip and explore the beautiful areas around Kyogle, known as the Gateway to the Rainforest. Make sure to visit Woodburn, Coraki and Rappville. Click here • Sample the area’s best sausage rolls and pies at Dave’s Bakehouse, 73-75 Summerland Way, Kyogle. Call (02) 6632 2990

• Donate to Friends of the Koala, which relies heavily on public donations. Click here • Visit the gorgeous art deco town of Casino. Military buffs won’t want to miss the Northern Rivers Military Museum. Click here • Sample the famous 500g T-bone at the The Barn Steakhouse, 143 Johnston St, Casino. Call (02) 6662 5982 or click here • Head to Nimbin in September for the annual Nimbin Performance Poetry World Cup and get ready to meet lots of colourful locals! Click here • For fishing enthusiasts, keep an eye out for the 2021 Evans Head Fishing Classic. Dates and details to be confirmed. Click here

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Northern Rivers, NSW

“It’s my calling in life to be there from the get-go when disaster and tragedy strikes,” says Rowena.

With a population of just 300 people, the tight knit community of Swifts Creek in Victoria’s beautiful East Gippsland is determined to rebuild and look after their mates. And there is no better mate in these tough times than Rev Rowena Harris, a real life guardian angel who has selflessly dedicated her life to helping others. Rowena, 58, was one of the first in the firing line to help families who lost everything. Since the bushfires tore through her region earlier this year, she has spent her time delivering food for those in need (pets included), organising toiletry bags and providing school kids with paint smocks and library bags.

Swifts Creek, VIC

How to help

• Donate supplies for distribution across the East Gippsland region. Click here to contact Rev. Rowena Harris or email her directly at highcountrypatrol@gmail.com • Knit and donate a scarf or pair of gloves. Contact Rowena for sizes and pattern ideas. • Visit the Swifts Creek region in the beautiful Tambo Valley. You can venture low for some of the most magnificent beaches, or go high into the picturesque Victorian Alps. Click here • Order a bottle (or two!) of wine from the family-owned Ensay Winery, nestled in the picturesque hills of the Tambo Valley. Click here • Once things are back to normal, drop in and say hi to the friendly team at the Swifts Creek Bakery on McMillan Street and taste the best traditional meat pie you’ll ever have!

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Swifts Creek, VIC