Abusing beaches as highways
"Overcrowding due to a surge in visitors at some of Queensland's pristine beaches has raised safety and environmental concerns. Reports of offences including reckless driving, littering and even defecating have increased at 4WD beaches in recent years amid a domestic tourism boom."
>>
https://au.news.yahoo.com/calls-for-major-change-at-popular-4wd-beaches-and-campgrounds-as-popularity-soars-224716506.html
#beaches #dunes #traffic #cars #vehicles #SUVs #4WDs #Biodiversity #wildlife #Invertebrates #birds #shorebirds #MigratoryBirds #turtles #NSW #Queensland #Australia #regulation #climate #tourism #FossilFuel #recreation #overtourism
Abusing beaches as highways
"Overcrowding due to a surge in visitors at some of Queensland's pristine beaches has raised safety and environmental concerns.Reports of offences including reckless driving, littering and even defecating have increased at 4WD beaches in recent years amid a domestic tourism boom."
>>
https://au.news.yahoo.com/calls-for-major-change-at-popular-4wd-beaches-and-campgrounds-as-popularity-soars-224716506.html
#beaches #dunes #traffic #cars #vehicles #SUVs #4WDs #Biodiversity #wildlife #Invertebrates #birds #shorebirds #MigratoryBirds #turtles #NSW #Queensland #Australia #regulation #climate #tourism
Traffic on beaches
It's the Wild West - turning beach ecology into a Woolies car park
Off-road vehicles are allowed to cause "serious ecological harm" to beaches, dunes and estuaries ecosystems. Vehicles traffic is causing "unequivocal serious and widespread damage" to coastal dune ecosystems. "All of the species had suffered negative effects caused by off-road vehicles. The four-by-fours running over them basically crush them to death."
"Professor Schlacher said the Noosa North Shore, Rainbow Beach, K'gari and Bribie Island were among the car-accessible beaches that were being "pummelled to death"". On Bribie Island "there can be 1,200 vehicles on the beach in one day, and that's ridiculous. It's just like a Woolies car park."
Ban 4WDs from beaches >>
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-03-24/call-for-four-wheel-drive-ban-aussie-beaches/104990150
#NationalParks #beaches #dunes #traffic #cars #vehicles #SUVs #4WDs #Biodiversity #wildlife #Invertebrates #birds #shorebirds #MigratoryBirds #turtles #NSW #Queensland #Australia #regulation #climate
“Sand Dune Abstract” — Sand dune patterns in evening light, Death Valley.
I first photographed this specific subject in Death Valley well over a decade ago, and perhaps closer to two decades. I “discovered” it by accident while driving back from visiting an entirely different feature. I had stopped in this location to photograph other things, and as I scanned the landscape I noticed this section of almost pure sand dunes. I went here again this year at the end of February when the light on my intended subject died early, and I thought I might be able to work with the soft light in this spot…continues: https://gdanmitchell.com/2025/03/16/sand-dune-abstract/