Hi all pulled up at Walgett this afternoon. Went off and had lunch and then to the supermarket to get some badly needed bit's and pieces only to discover that the IGA supermarket burned down on Sat night. The other issue there are no other outlets in town, we'll looks like simple rations tomorrow for b/fast. Guess we will survive might have to raid the emergency stock. Off to Moree tomorrow for a couple of days before continuing our visit to the Byron Bay area fora couple of weeks.
so take care all especially as you travel in the NSW region at the moment. While on that, just in case you have not caught up with it yet there is a App called " Fires near me". It free and very good for Australia wide info.
chow for now
briche.
-- Edited by briche on Tuesday 22nd of October 2013 07:39:08 PM
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You only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough !!!!!!
Oh no. I shopped there only a few days ago. Think it was Thursday.
Bought a nice seafood salad and German potato salad from the deli.
This will be disastrous for the town. A lot of empty shops already.
Yea the town does not look like a town that's going anywhere soon. The look is very much the same for many in the outback areas and not just NSW found a few in SA as well.
Brian
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You only live once, but if you live it right, once is enough !!!!!!
I also noticed the same thing on my drive from west to east thru the inland drive. Sadly. Most of these settlements began back in the days before cars and trucks and many were based on a good days travel on horseback, sometimes 2 days. Now with cars , we travel hundreds of miles in a single day. Communities have dwindled as young folk searched for employment other than working on the land. Many properties have been amalgamated, bigger, faster machinery has still further reduced the need for the number of people required to run these properties. Slowly the supporting businesses are strangled and become non viable. Another empty shop, another family gone! Even the churches have not escaped this demise. I passed many churches , unused, and sadly falling into disrepair
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Take only your memories, leave only your footprints
We have just spent 4 months travelling from SA to Kalbarri and back and found a lot of small towns languishing in the country, especially the railway towns. 2 years ago we were in Port Augusta and when we returned there this time it had gone downhill too. Talking to the locals they said the high cost of rates was pushing businesses away to Port Lincoln and Port Pirie where they were cheaper.
We left a small country town 5 years ago to retire back to the house we owned. In the next 3 years, it lost it's 2 supermarkets, it's newsagent, it's Land Care office and many other facilities. The 'outsourcing' of the Aged Care facility was one of the contributing factors. The availability of larger supermarkets 40-80 kms away was probably another. A sad day. Fortunately some of the other shops have filled the gaps as best they can but it's a struggle in small country towns. That's why us Grey Nomads need to support them as we travel.
I did hear that the owners of the supermarket at Walgett are going to rebuild but in the meantime they are going to organise a bus (I think) to go to Lightning Ridge.
Was just reading on twitter where at a meeting last night in the town they are going to establish a make shift food shop in one of the empty shops until a new IGA is built. The butchers/ chemist/ and other businesses in town are stocking ESENTIALS.
