Crookwell's Bear Hunt organisers were blown away by the nearly 400 homes and shops that got involved within 24 hours of starting the activity on Wednesday.

They have created a map of all the bears for parents to take their children to see without getting too close to anyone during the coronavirus pandemic.

There are now also bears in surrounding towns and villages including Laggan, Binda, Golspie and Peelwood.

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Organiser and community nurse Katie Laing said she had seen other towns running a bear hunt and wanted to create a page for people to share theirs to bring the community together.

"I think under the current situation we need to pause and think about us as a community again and get back to basics, back to the Crookwell community of old where we look after each other," she said.

Ms Laing said she hoped the bear hunt would brighten the days for people and give them a break from all the negativity about the virus on social media and in the news.

"I also want people to still take their kids out in the fresh air and the sun and having bears to find might make it more enjoyable," she said.

Ms Laing said people were getting inventive and her phone hadn't stopped vibrating with all the new photos.

"It's awesome to see," she said.

Bears will stay out for as long as the pandemic goes on for.

You can also join the bear hunt by sharing a bear on Crookwell's Bear Hunt Facebook page.