Families unite as South Coast towns bank on uptick in tourism

The Qantas pilot said after accumulating more than 130 days in isolation over the past two years, he and wife Nicole decided to meet in NSW, before road tripping to Canberra for their daughter Allegra's graduation.

Mrs Doe said it had been 18 months since she'd left Queensland and the uncertainty of when they'd be allowed home was slightly unnerving.

"I did feel a bit of anxiousness crossing the border," she said.

"I mean, they say they're gonna open it but you just never know with [Queensland premier] Annastacia [Palaszczuk]."

The pair visited Bodalla this week with recent UNSW graduates, Ms Doe and Zac Pernice, enjoying the quiet period before the tourist rush expected from next week.

With school holidays starting from Friday, South Coast businesses were gearing up for what they hoped would be one of their busiest seasons.

Mrs Doe said seeing her daughter for the first time since Canberra's lockdown was another step towards a return to normal.

"It is hopeful they're saying, 'No more lockdowns'," she said.

"So when the Queensland border opens, that'll be a good moment."

Tourism operators on the South Coast reported feeling a calm before the storm this week, with things quietening down after the post-lockdown exodus from Canberra and Sydney just in time for the Christmas rush.

Bermagui caravan park owner Chris Donohue said since Canberra came out of lockdown they'd been running steadily at 85 per cent occupancy.

"Our Christmas bookings look really, really good, because they're solid right through till the end of January," he said.

"Normally we have till the 10th of January when the tradies all go back to work and offices open back up. This year it's fully booked all the way through, which is great."

Mr Donohue said Reflections Bermagui was one of many South Coast businesses banking on a tourism boom after what had been a tough few months.

He said even with Sydney and Victoria shut out the park had maintained good numbers until the ACT went into lockdown.

READ MORE:

"When Canberra shut down it all went, 'Bang'. Overnight, we went from probably 65 per cent occupancy to zero," Mr Donohue said.

"I've been doing this for 12 years and I've never ever seen a caravan park empty like that before. It was eerie."

Eurobodalla Shire Council tourism manager Tim Booth said accommodation providers across the South Coast were reporting strong numbers for the weeks ahead.

He said anyone thinking of getting down for the summer holidays needed to get in quick or risk missing out.

"We're certainly encouraging visitors to get out and go and see a few more different places and spaces," he said.

While La Nina was forecast to bring between 60 to 120 millimetres of rain to the South Coast this weekend, Mr Booth said spirits shouldn't be dampened.

"Even when it may not be the best day to go to the beach, there's still plenty more things for people to see and do," he said.

Mr Booth said the South Coast was undergoing a gourmet food and drink renaissance.

"For the many travellers who missed the last couple of Christmases down here, it will be an incredibly different place with plenty of new places to try," he said.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: