Wild footage captures New Year’s Day nightmare at a popular beach in South Australia
By Lisa Edser For Daily Mail Australia[1]
Published: 04:30, 2 January 2024 | Updated: 04:30, 2 January 2024
Shocking footage captured 4WD drivers stuck in a massive queue while trying to reach a popular beach for New Year’s Day.
Access to Goolwa Beach came to a standstill for hours on Monday when there was a minor collision in South Australia[2].
The accident occurred on the access road, preventing cars from reaching the beach.
Due to the massive amount of cars trying to access the popular spot, heavy machinery was then brought in to prevent soft sand from bogging vehicles, making the wait time longer.
The chaos took place as drivers and passengers descended upon the beach on the area’s first hot day, after a spate of cold weather.
Access to Goolwa Beach came to a standstill for hours on Monday when there was a minor collision on the busy beach in South Australia
The accident occurred on the access road, preventing cars from reaching the beach.
Vehicles along the sand and the main road were affected
On Facebook[3], many drivers who were stuck in the traffic said they were frustrated, with some blaming their fellow drivers whilst others laid blame at the infrastructure.
‘I was there…waiting… that loader did nothing but fill in the good ruts with soft sand, pretty silly,’ one wrote.
‘Some drivers should learn how to steer out of a rut before they have a head-on (collision).’
‘We were stuck on the beach for over two hours with two little children waiting for it to be cleared & it was chaos,’ another said.
Other 4WD enthusiasts blamed the council for not doing enough to prepare the busy beach.
‘I was at the start of that line and I feel more prepared work by councils before a busy weekend would certainly reduce the issues and maybe some traffic controls,’ one wrote.
Mayor of Alexandrina Council Keith Parkes told Daily Mail Australia not all visitors to the area arrive in suitable vehicles.
‘Access from the car park to the beach is via a council-controlled track through dunes with very thick soft sand,’ he said.
‘Unfortunately, some visitors are not prepared or they try to enter using AWD vehicles not 4WDs set up for the conditions.’
Mayor Parkes said the coastal town of 8,000 people multiplies by many thousands during the summer period.
‘Long queues to enter Goolwa Beach are common at peak times such as New Year’s Day and Australia Day where, pre-COVID restrictions, I have seen upwards of 700 cars on the beach,’ he said.
‘I believe Council needs to look at alternative solutions to manage vehicle access during these peak times but we would need to talk to all stakeholders including SA Police and the Government of South Australia which controls our beaches.’
The chaos took place as tourists descended upon the beach on the area’s first hot day, after a spate of cold weather
The influx of tourists to Goolwa Beach came just weeks after a new rule was enforced after damaging4WD driving at Goolwa Beach on Christmas Day 2022.
Reckless driving left sand dunes highly damaged and would take years to get back to normal.
New speed limit rules for beaches across South Australia were introduced partly due to the Goolwa Beach incident with the default speed now 40km for drivers on the sand.
A 25km speed limit when travelling within 50metres of a person has also come into play.
This is a significant change to the previous speed limit of 100km on beaches.
The new beach speed limit came into effect on December 1, 2023 with demerit points and fines being issued for drivers who ignore the new law.
The South Australian government’s website explains the changes for beach drivers.
‘Beaches present a unique driving environment that is very different and less predictable to driving on the road.
A reduction in the speed limit is a viable way to improve beach safety.’
There were 29 reported crashes on South Australian beaches over five years to 2021, resulting in one fatality and 28 injuries.
References
- ^ Lisa Edser For Daily Mail Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ South Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Facebook (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ South Australia (www.dailymail.co.uk)
- ^ Facebook (www.dailymail.co.uk)