What does the Local Guides program mean to me?
Two months ago, my country was on fire. Fires raged across the south and east of Australia throughout December and January. We have bushfires here every year. But this year seemed worse than I can remember, more widespread and more intense. This was during the peak of the summer holiday period, when people love to travel and spend time in the countryside.
Charred tree trunks, Fox Creek Road, Cudlee Creek, March 2020
One of the affected areas was less than 30 minutesâ drive from my house in Adelaide. It was called the Cudlee Creek bushfire. A cute name, but not a cute outcome. Many members of the community were affected, losing their homes, businesses, animals, and sadly one man died while he stayed to protect his home.
Cudlee Creek Country Fire Service station, March 2020
Watching the news unfold, and during the days and weeks after, there was a feeling of âWhat can I do to help?â Having been contributing as a Local Guide for the past couple of years, I already knew about the power of this program, connecting businesses and consumers, and building and strengthening communities. I started to think about how support from Local Guides like me could benefit the local community as part of the rebuilding and recovery process.
Charred road signs, Fox Creek Road, Cudlee Creek, March 2020
People were staying away from the region, thinking it was not safe to visit. But business owners were crying out for support, asking tourists to come back, and a hashtag was created as part of a media campaign #bookthemout. As a Local Guide, I realised that the direct interaction between businesses and consumers was a valuable way to communicate, promote and let people know it was back to âbusiness as usualâ at the numerous cafes, bakeries, wineries and other sites in the Adelaide Hills, so people can see that they can be sure their visit will be worthwhile. Adding photos, writing reviews, submitting edits â these are all actions which Local Guides like me can take, and which I have been doing as much as possible since the fire, in order to create tangible outcomes which in turn will support the recovery from such a tragic situation.
This is at the heart of why the Local Guides program is so important to me, and why I love being involved. I love that my feedback, such as reviews and photos, has the ability to act as a connection between a customer and a business. I appreciate that I can edit information on listings, as well as create lists, such as ones I created with cafes as well as wineries in the Adelaide Hills area to visit, so potential visitors can find all relevant information for their preferred topic in one search.
The Cudlee Cafe, Cudlee Creek, March 2020
I also love to check in and see the statistics of how many people viewed a particular photo or read a review. In less than a week, my photos from The Cudlee Café have been viewed 650 times. I hope they inspired many to take a drive to visit and enjoy a nice coffee and banana bread as I did, spending some money and also spreading the word in their own community that the Adelaide Hills is open for business again. Those affected by these fires need a lot of physical, mental and financial support, so if my actions as a Local Guide play a part to support the local economy in this rebuilding phase, that means a lot to me, and motivates me to contribute even more.
Signs of Recovery, Cudlee Creek, March 2020