It began in a time of loneliness and isolation, and has flourished into a kind and connected community.
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The "We Love the Southern Highlands" Facebook group was launched on March 29 this year (then called "Living Isolated in the Highlands"), just as most of the world was sinking deep into lockdown of one kind or another.
Creator Phillip Minnis, who for 25 years has run Out and About Day Tours with wife Karen, is more used to shepherding coachloads of bodies through Australian towns.
But he found corralling a like-minded community through a pandemic surprisingly satisfying.
"It's been great for me, given me something to do and stay interested in," said Mr Minnis, who had to hit pause on his business during the COVID-19 period.
"But it's also been great to see how others have responded - everyone who has gone out bushwalking and travelling and posting photos."
Mr Minnis came up with the idea as a way of helping people stay connected during lockdown, and within a week had 1000 people on board. (Group membership now sits at 3400.)
Mr Minnis came up with the idea as a way of helping people stay connected during lockdown, and within a week had 1,000 people on board.
"The idea was that everything would be positive, nothing negative, and nothing to do with COVID allowed," he said, setting it apart from other neighbourhood Facebook groups that are more about finding information, or airing grievances.
"It's all about the lives of the members - what they're up to, what they're making, baking, creating, growing, where they're visiting, what they're eating, what they're drinking, what they're reading, what they're watching, what they're listening to.
"It's basically connecting with each other by sharing our lives."
It must have struck a nerve, because - in his words - it went "off like a rocket", which he attributes to "a great bunch of people, providing great content".
One of the group's most popular members is a former NSW Southern Highlands resident, Steven Dietz, who lives in Japan and entertains group members with spectacular photos of his chosen home every day.
"I love the group because it enabled me to keep in touch with my 'home' during the pandemic of 2020, and it has given me the opportunity to make so many new friends," said Mr Dietz.
"There are so many members who I feel very close to now, even though we have never met in person. How wonderful is that!
"Also, it lets me share the many great experiences I have had in my 30 years in Japan with folks back home.
"I love sharing my photos and telling the story of life in a far off land with my new friends, as a kind of foreign correspondent."
Much closer to home is Christene Knapman, 72, who lives on the same Moss Vale street as Mr Minnis and has known him since he was a boy.
She said the group helped keep her sane when lockdown threatened loneliness.
"It filled in a gap, particularly early in COVID when we were really isolated," said Mrs Knapman.
"It kept people in touch, communicating, seeing and hearing from others - you felt someone else was there with you.
"We would have felt totally isolated otherwise."
She pointed out that it is not only for current Highlands residents, but also those who grew up in the area.
"I'm a Moss Vale person born and bred, but I've now made contact with people we knew 50 years ago," she said.
"The group has brought back us together again.
"But it's also brought new friendships - even though we don't know these people, I feel like I have new friends through it (who I may never meet)."
Mr Minnis said that when life opened up again after the initial coronavirus response, he thought it might be time to close the group down. But the members weren't having any of it.
"Everyone was very keen to keep it up," he said.
"It's still booming."
With his business re-starting on January 31, Mr Minnis is excited to get back to real-life tour guiding, but doesn't intend to lose touch with his new online community.
"It's cathartic for me," he said. "I love it."