Posted March 27, 2020 12:10:16

Photo: Tensions are brewing between people retreating to holiday homes in WA's south. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)

Hidden away on West Australia's south coast, chalets and small cabins dot the tiny riverfront community of Walpole.

A rare unspoilt town, set amongst ancient karri and tingle forests, it has proven an irresistible lure for those keen to swap the hustle and bustle of capital cities for a life amongst the trees.

Now, as city dwellers defy coronavirus travel warnings and head to their idyllic holiday homes to wait out the crisis, the town's permanent residents fear they are trapped by the wooded seclusion that draws so many.

"This isn't a safe haven," said local service station operator, Jason Calleja.

"If everybody starts arriving in towns like ours we're going to become a sardine tin [of people] and that's exactly what we don't want."

Scores ignore travel warnings

On Tuesday Prime Minister Scott Morrison ordered the country's 25 million residents to stay inside their homes unless it was "absolutely necessary" to go out.

Photo: Jason Calleja says Walpole does not have the resources to deal with the influx of visitors who could potentially spread the virus. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)

WA Premier, Mark McGowan, echoed the calls, telling those who planned to go "down south" for an extended holiday to stay put.

But Walpole's local supermarket operator, Neal Griffiths, said the message was not cutting through.

"The Premier said do not go to your holiday homes, but the message didn't get out … and it's already too late, they've bolted to their holiday homes, they're down here," he said.

"The message isn't clear enough right now.

"There's no protection here so anyone coming in with anything [like coronavirus] we can't stop it … and anyone coming in is another potential [coronavirus] spread point."

The population of Walpole is about 500, but in a story often repeated in small bush holiday towns across Australia, it swells during holiday periods.

Last week the head of the WA branch of the Australian Medical Association, Andrew Miller, urged the WA Government to stop flights into regional areas to buy stretched country health workers more time to prepare for a COVID-19 outbreak.

The nearest major hospital, in the coastal city of Albany, has just five ventilators available to deal with an impending medical crisis.

Photo: The tourist town of Walpole has a population of 500 that swells to over 5,000 during holiday periods. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)

Supermarket open for locals only

The clash between permanent residents and those with the means to retreat to holiday homes boiled over this week when the local supermarket barred non-residents from entering.

"We have a very high density of aged people in our population here in Walpole, obviously that's of great concern to us … ordinarily we would be welcoming tourists with welcome arms, [but] times have changed," Mr Calleja said.

"We've taken a bit more of a proactive measure in what we're going to do … the IGA will be closing their doors to people who aren't residents.

"The BP [petrol station] is open seven days a week [and] will cater for tourists passing through in order for them to get fuel and essentials on their way home."

Photo: Neal Griffiths says locals are rattled by the influx of visitors using the town as a bolthole. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)

Mr Calleja said because of supply shortages, spurred by nationwide panic buying, the tiny town was not equipped to feed both locals and its new visitors.

"We're doing our best to cater as much as we can for the people passing through, but the IGA have advised that they are just unable to meet the demand of a huge influx [of people] because the supply they're asking for, they're just not getting."

Hungry travellers

In the nearby town of Nornalup, around 10 kilometres east of Walpole, cafe owner David Higgins is busy feeding stranded backpackers and grey nomads.

He said after the state border closed many travellers been left with no real option but to stay in local caravan parks.

Photo: Caravan parks are teeming with people after thousands of travellers were left stranded by border closures. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)

"There's a lot of people as of today who are travelling … guests from interstate [and] overseas who are doing their tour of this beautiful part of the world who [can't leave] as of today," Mr Higgins said.

"The caravan parks are very full … [and] those folk have really restricted opportunities to eat good quality food."

As scores of hospitality workers across the country find themselves out of work after the Federal Government implemented its stage 2 coronavirus shutdown, Mr Higgins said he and his staff had found themselves in the unlikely position of providing an essential service to displaced tourists.

Photo: David Higgins says scores of stranded backpackers and grey nomads cannot buy food at local supermarkets. (ABC Great Southern: Mark Bennett)

"It seems that some of the smaller towns in the area are going into voluntary lockdown, which is fine, they're concerned about the health and wellbeing of the residents in those towns," he said.

"But we currently would be the only place, or one of the very few establishments, that has remained open … and that has geared up to provide food to both residents and particularly the travellers who are in the region who are not leaving until there is a lift in travel restrictions.

"Our plea to [the] decision-makers is: please consider the unique circumstances in this neck of the woods.

"We're very aware of social distancing, of food hygiene [and] we want to be able to stay open and look after people for as long as we possibly can.

"If it gets to that stage and there's a total lockdown, so be it … but at the moment people are very grateful."

Topics: retail, regional, travel-and-tourism, covid-19, epidemics-and-pandemics, perth-6000, albany-6330, walpole-6398, nornalup-6333