How have the last 12 months affected the business and town?
As the old saying goes, bad luck comes in threes. Soon after some respite from drought in Wee Waa came the Black Summer bushfires, with COVID lockdowns and interstate travel bans not far behind.
“COVID hit and we were forced to shut down, but there was government assistance and incentives to reopen [this time],” Tennille says.
“We did some renovations and upgraded some of our equipment.”
While times were tough, Tennille and the Wee Waa community remained vigilant yet optimistic of the light at the end of the tunnel, taking advantage of situations where they could.
“We’re pretty lucky in Wee Waa. We’re quite isolated but at the same time everyone is worried. We don’t have hospitals or medical facilities on-hand if people were to get sick or [COVID] was to get into town.
“Everyone was pretty keen to get the vaccine when the Royal Flying Doctor Services came. It’s a country town – people are used to shaking hands and giving each other a hug and a kiss. It’s been a relearning of how to greet someone in a small country town.”
How are things today?
With it looking like the worst of COVID and travel restrictions are behind us, and a wet summer predicted for Australia, Palmer’s Market and the people of Wee Waa are looking to the future with hope.
“[Community sentiment] is good. Right now it’s harvest for us. Everyone’s super busy, we’ve had rain, there’s green grass and crops – it’s good,” Tennille explains.
“Tourists are coming back now that you can get in your caravan and things are opening up. We’re a fare through for the caravan-ers coming from Victoria [to Queensland], so once Queensland opens up we’ll see more people travelling through.
“For small country towns, it’s good to see people from the big smoke coming out here.”
How can we help?
“Buy Australian-made, thank a farmer when they have a beer or put on their cotton shirt. Come visit Wee Waa and see what we do out here and how it all works. Buy a coffee at Palmer’s Market!” Tennille laughs when asked how people can help Wee Waa and communities like it get back on their feet.
While there, we also thoroughly sampled Palmer’s Market’s custard croissant and can highly recommend it to visitors.
Whether you’re heading north or south, east or west, setting out from inland or coastal starting points, plotting your route to pass through Wee Waa and so many towns like it in Australia not only helps these communities, but adds to your experience.
Palmer’s Market isn’t just a café; it’s the result of ingenuity, creativity and spirit overcoming long periods of hardship.
