NSW bushfires: Fishermans Paradise’s little heroes happy to help

Resilient Fishermans Paradise residents are now running their own bushfire crisis centre out of a small home while a trio of plucky local kids are walking the streets to hand out donated goods to the elderly as the south coast village struggles to recover from the blazes.

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Resilient Fishermans Paradise residents are now running their own bushfire crisis centre out of a small home while a trio of plucky local kids are walking the streets to hand out donated goods to the elderly as the south coast village struggles to recover from the blazes.

The seaside town of fewer than 500 has been without power or phone reception since New Year’s Eve and the tap water is only drinkable if homeowners have gas to boil it.

Coby McSpadden, 10, Tristin Brown, 10, and Josh Thompson, 10 delivering donated supplies to local families. Picture: David Swift

Many residents won’t leave for fear of not being allowed back in while traffic controllers at the town’s entrance from the Princes Highway are now checking identification after reports of looters from out of town.

Amid the despair, three mates from the Under 10s Milton Ulladulla Bulldogs rugby league side have ­answered the crisis with compassion, banding together to deliver groceries to the sick and elderly in the area.

According to 10-year-olds Koby McSpadden, Tristin Brown and Josh Thompson, they are only living up to the spirit of mateship expected in Fishermans Paradise.

“This is what Fishermans Paradise is all about, helping each other out in tough times,” Koby said. “Our town is a helping town.”

Wayne Wardle, 66, wife Caroline and their grandchildren have been evacuated three times. They are now surviving by using power from a generator in their motor home. Picture: David Swift

Resident Angie Carroll, 66, welled up watching the boys knock on doors and hand over shopping bags filled with essentials, including water, toiletries and instant noodles.

“How lucky are we to be raising such beautiful boys in this town?” Ms Carroll said.

“They are little legends.”

Wayne Wardle, 66, with Zac Chapman, 12, and Sebastian Altschul, 11. Picture: David Swift

The groceries were coming from a makeshift crisis centre, where paracetamol, cereal and tins of tuna were among the donated goods lined up on a trestle table on a veranda.

Before donations began arriving on Monday, a few ­locals were making trips to major towns along the Princes Highway and stocking up with supplies for the town to share.

Kyle Watson, 30, and his nephew Jayson White, 21, picking up donated supplies in Milton to take back to people in Fisherman's Paradise who have been cut off. Picture: David Swift

Loose-leaf paper with handwritten tables recorded the addresses of elderly couples who could not get down the street to collect groceries and needed home deliveries.

“We’re running a disaster centre from a house but we’re just locals, we’re not trained for any of this,” helper Karen Hapgood, 59, said.

“A lot of elderly and single mothers are relying on us to keep them fed because the fridges have been off for so long and cupboards are running empty.

Karen Hapgood, Dawn Nobes, and Donna Webb are getting donated supplies to Fishermans Paradise families from a makeshift community drop-in being run from a house in town. Picture: David Swift

“My greatest fear is we’ll knock on a door and find someone deceased. We need help now.”

When they heard the Army Reserves brought supplies to the Milton Showgrounds, Kyle Watson, 30, and nephew Jayson White, 21, made a mercy dash to take back to Fishermans Paradise.

The pair loaded their ute with baked beans, water and sports drinks.

“The food will go to Fishos, where families have kids to feed,” Mr Watson said.

“Mums and kids don’t have power or phone reception and need all the help they can get.

“It’s so good to see the Army here, we just need people to make sure everyone’s all right.”