Sw bracing for schoolies onslaught

REBECCA TRIGGERThe West Australian The South West towns of Dunsborough and Busselton are bracing for an onslaught of leavers this weekend as fires shut down large swathes of accommodation

further south. The Busselton Shire has opened a temporary camp ground on the Dunsborough Playing Fields Oval to accommodate leavers who have had their end of school holiday plans dashed

after bushfires ripped through the Margaret River and Prevelly areas. Shire events co-ordinator Tanya Gillett said the temporary accommodation was particularly targeted at teenagers who had

planned to camp at Prevelly after camp grounds at the town were closed by fires. Other events planned in the area are also putting a strain on Dunsborough. Revellers planning on attending a

Cold Chisel concert down south have been hunting for alternate accommodation, further reducing the number of beds. "This was a super-busy weekend before the fires," Matt Norton,

manager of the Dunsborough Visitor Centre said. He said his staff had been fielding calls all day from people looking for places to stay at short notice, and predicted by Saturday night the

area would be "at full capacity". Guildford Grammar graduate Mitchell Hutton, 17, said he was staying with 14 other mates at a friend's house in Dunsborough after getting

evacuated from Witchcliffe. They spent Thursday night camping out in their swags on the balcony while they waited for their friend to bring them a key to the property from Perth. GET THE

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