King’s, Victoria, is a town of just 2,500 people in the middle of a state of drought, with residents still struggling to cope with the lack of rainfall and the loss of the local wildlife.
King’sville is in rural northern Victoria, north of the state’s southern border with Western Australia.
Residents are still struggling with the drought, which has seen temperatures drop to a record low of around 10 degrees, and have been living in a tent city-like campground.
“We were living in the tent, but it was just too cold, too wet,” King’s resident Chris Dickson told ABC News.
“So we started moving in the car, and it was like, ‘I’m not getting in the vehicle, it’s too cold’,” Mr Dickson said.
“It was like the last few days, it was so bad.”
But the city’s population is growing and the local government has announced it will be moving to a bigger campground, which will bring more amenities and make the town more appealing to families and retirees.
“I’m getting a lot of visitors, it just shows how much people are enjoying living in King’s,” Mayor Greg Smith said.
He said King’s was one of the few rural communities in Victoria that had seen more tourists than residents.
“There is a population of more than 300,000 people, it is the most densely populated city in the state,” he said.
But the move to a larger campground will be welcomed by residents and businesses.
“You have to be careful what you put in a backpack, because the water will freeze in your backpack,” Mr Smith said.
“We need to take advantage of the opportunities we have to move the community forward,” he added.
“The bush is an area that is getting very hard to grow.”
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