Businesses in Kangaroo Valley ready for Canberra's Christmas rush to the coast

Fire bans have forced camping sites to close and bushfires have shut off roads that travellers use to reach the popular holiday stop.

Boxing Day and the two weeks afterwards are among the busiest times for the town's businesses, which rely on the post-Christmas rush.

Manager of the Friendly Inn Hotel, Sam Rodden, said Boxing Day would be the true test of the impact of bushfires on trade.

"For us the big effect is going to be on tourist trade, people trying to get down the coast to go camping and holidaying down there, and also people holidaying in Kangaroo Valley," he said.

"A lot of camping grounds and free camping grounds in particular are closing whenever there's a fire ban.

"When that happens, people's plans get disrupted, they won't come through this way."

But Mr Rodden said he'd prefer to worry about trade rather than immediate bushfire threat.

The pub, on Kangaroo Valley's main street on Moss Vale Road, gets many Canberrans stopping for a drink or meal.

Mr Rodden expected many were staying home to avoid bushfires.

"It's just a scary time, really," he said.

Kangaroo Valley General Store and Newsagency owner Mark Schwegler has already noticed a drop in customers, and believes bushfires are the cause.

"It's quite significant too, this time of year will [usually] be very, very busy, the shop will be full," he said.

"For the short term it doesn't really matter, but for long term you can see the difference because we still order the same, so we're still going to get the same deals, but whether the income's going to be there, probably not.

"But it affects everybody, not just us."

Kangaroo Valley residents are also watching to see if fire reaches their district. The Currowan fire, now merged with the Tianjara fire, has burnt north through Morton National Park nearby.

"We can't tell what's going to happen, especially if the fire's coming here," Mr Schwegler said.

"We'll just have to close the shop and go, because we all have properties here we need to attend to."

Maddison's in the Valley cafe co-owner Michael Stahlhut said he had already told staff what to do if bushfire approached.

"We know exactly what we're doing. The secret is here is if there's fire breaks out in the area, close the doors, go home," he said.

"I don't want the firies worrying about us. They've got enough to do.

"It's not worth the risk. Life is more important."