Australia boasts thousands of kilometers of beautiful beaches. Australian beaches are well prepared for emergencies, and the life saving and medical services are very reliable.
Here are the things you need to know if you are on vacation in Australia and want to explore the fantastic sandy beaches of Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Port Douglas, Victoria and Cairns.
1. Flags on beaches mean safe swimming areas. Outside those areas are “rips”, currents heading out to sea. Unless you’re in a real hurry to get to South America or Africa, swim between the flags.
2. Always play safe. Don’t swim alone, and avoid deep water, dumping waves, rocky areas, or risky looking situations. They usually are risky.
3. Do not drink alcohol and swim, particularly at night. It’s been tried, and it doesn’t work out too well.
4. Shark alerts are always the real thing. You might get a great photo of a Great White Shark, but not a lot of sympathy from it, or other sharks. Get out of the water, fast.
5. Queensland occasionally has the most toxic animal on Earth offshore, the box jellyfish. Survivors say stings are agonizing, and they’re not easily treated. It can mean extended hospitalization. Check out if there’s a warning, and don’t take the risk.
6. Blue ringed octopus are small, inoffensive things in rock pools that can kill an adult human. If you see something with glowing blue rings, back away.
7. Up north, the crocodiles can grow up to five meters long, they’re fast, and they own the place, as far as they know. Don’t set up camp close to their rivers, or anywhere they can easily access. When you see a sign with a croc on it, be warned. If you see a croc, stay well clear.
8. Rock fishing is the most frequent cause of death for anglers. Watch the tides, and make sure you can get clear of the rocks without having to fight waves or wade through water.
9. Coral cuts often get infected. It’s a very avoidable problem, antibiotics usually do the job, but get treatment, immediately. Septicemia isn’t much fun.
10. If you’ve got kids, particularly young ones, make sure you do all these things. Anything unknown, keep the kids safe, and well away. Do not, ever, let toddlers out of your sight for a second on beaches, particularly those with rock ledges leading out to deep water.
Beaches are a way of life in Australia. All the public beaches are very safe. Just be careful.
Photo of the Great Ocean Road, Victoria, originally posted by jurek d.
Topic: Tips and Ideas |
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Tags: Australia, beach, safety tips
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About the author
Freelance writer, author of six books, open source journalist, and commercial writer, Paul Wallis is a native Sydney sider.
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