Saltwood Café & Lifestyle, Kioloa

How has the last 12 months affected the business?

Along with many areas of the country, the Shoalhaven area was affected by bushfires in December 2019 and early January 2020. Susan and Ean managed to open the doors to their café only a few days prior to Christmas 2019. They had been delayed by the Currowan bushfire that had threatened their township and was lapping at their door. The bushfire had broken containment lines and had doubled in size under strong winds, destroying more than 11,000ha of bushland.

Sadly, being a new business Saltwood Café & Lifestyle didn’t have a big profile prior to the bushfires. And on the back of their summer of bushfire hell when Ean and Susan, and so many other South Coast communities were just beginning to get back on their feet – arrives a global pandemic.

“Being a tourist area, we have been devastated by the recent bushfires and COVID-19.” Susan explains.

“Both of these events have quite literally brought our area to a standstill with road closures, evacuations during the bushfires and self-isolating through COVID-19.”

She also mentions that she, as well as other businesses have had to close their doors causing great financial burden.

“Even when we could open, the bushfires had caused so much damage to the infrastructure that we often didn’t have power or the internet operating which caused us to lose stock and much-needed trade.”

Add to that, the emotional toll it has had on the couple and it has been a very tough year.

How are things today?

Most of the businesses in the Shoalhaven region are small and family-run, making for that intimate experience visitors love when travelling to the region. Many were already struggling after the summer bushfires in January; this one month typically accounts for around one third of the annual income of a tourism business. In the short term, the lack of tourism has caused a lot of financial and emotional hardship to many in the community, but Susan is hopeful that Australians choosing to holiday locally will inspire a much needed recovery.

As a community member, Susan worries about the mental and financial health of the Shoalhaven residents and business owners, especially with COVID-19 leaving locals with a sense of unease.

“Our community is very, well communal and we really are very supportive of each other, so I guess our sentiment is to look out for each other and see out the current situation as best we can.”

How you can help

The Shoalhaven relies on tourism to survive. It’s an important time for people to support local businesses wherever they can.

“Drive tourism is a very big deal for a township like ours” says Susan.

“We’re situated on the coast with Canberra and Sydney all within a three hour drive.”

And while the Shoalhaven has many beautiful places to visit, Susan is adamant that Kioloa really does have it all.

“We have endless pristine beaches surrounded by the Murramarang National Park, our accommodation options are endless with fantastic caravan parks and an array of cabins and holiday houses for rent – being at the tail end of the Shoalhaven I think we are often overlooked.”

“It is vital for our survival to have the support of local tourism, especially over the next 12 months so we can recover from the devastating events.”