9 HONEY
Former The Block winner Elyse Knowles has shared some striking images for a recent trip.
Driving from Melbourne to Byron Bay, the social media influencer went through the bushfire ravaged towns along the NSW South Coast.
Stopping to take photos against burnt out signs, the model wanted to share the realities of what the devastating fires have done to the local towns while encouraging followers to pay a visit for themselves.
"This week we are travelling from Melbourne to Byron along the south coast observing, supporting and appreciating all the hard work that has gone into saving our country," Knowles captioned the images.
"Let's holiday here this year," she said, adding that local communities "need us".
The 27-year-old, who is also an ambassador for Myer, is seen posing in front of a scorched "Welcome to NSW sign" dressed casually and with her hair pulled back and not the big smile usually associated with holiday photos.
In another image Knowles is seen sitting on a burnt out tree trunk.
Fans and followers were quick to comment on the images, labelling them "heartbreaking".
Some simply responded with broken love heart emojis.
Former E! News host Ksenija Lukich responded, saying: "It's quite confronting...I'll be heading down south soon too to."
"These scenes are just so heartbreaking no matter how many times you see them," trainer Krystal Hipwell commented.
Knowles is the latest personality encouraging fellow Aussies to visit the affected communities around the region.
Turia Pitt first set up the Spend With Them Instagram page in January as a way to promote the local businesses in fire-ravaged towns who will be struggling to make ends meet in the coming months.
But the motivational speaker had no idea how quickly that would snowball into a full fledged campaign, going well beyond a hash-tag.