ONE of Hervey Bay’s most popular beaches has grabbed another accolade for the Fraser Coast as the region continues to show-off its tourism credentials on a national and international scale.
Torquay Beach was named in the top ten beaches in the sunshine state by Surf Life Saving Queensland this year.
Torquay Beach was ranked sixth by the organisation.
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SLSQ rankings are awarded according to a number of factors including: patrol times and service, incident history, coastal conditions, safety signage, cleanliness, access to amenities, parking and public transport.
The Strand Net 1 in Townsville took top honours, while Alma Bay (Magnetic Island) and Cylinder Beach (North Stradbroke Island) rounded off the top three.
The annual list is released by SLSQ to mark the end of the summer season.
SLSQ Services Manager Peta Lawlor said compiling the list is never easy.
“No doubt, many Queenslanders have their own favourite beach. Determining our top ten is always a tough job, but it allows us to highlight some of the safer beaches for swimmers to visit,” Ms Lawlor said.
“Safety is our core focus as we aim for zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters. With that in mind, when determining our top beaches, we consider patrol times and services, incident history and coastal conditions,” she said.
“Given we have an abundance of beaches right along the coastline, we also wanted to make sure we highlighted beaches from each region.”
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Ms Lawlor said it was a busy summer on Queensland beaches, with thousands of people flocking to the coastline.
“Our beaches have been absolutely packed throughout the summer period as more people chose to holiday at home,” she said.
“Along with the large crowds, we have seen some challenging surf conditions on South East Queensland beaches throughout summer, which has kept our patrols busy. Across Queensland, lifesavers and lifeguards performed 1,700 rescues, 299,075 preventative actions and 17,406 first aid treatments.”
SLSQ said this served as a timely reminder to always consider your safety when entering the water and only swim between the red and yellow flags during patrolled hours.
Flagged areas highlight the safest conditions on a particular beach and are also patrolled by qualified surf lifesavers and lifeguards.
Meanwhile, the Fraser Coast’s travel and tourism credentials have made headlines several times in recent weeks.
Hervey Bay was named as the seventh most popular Aussie tourist town by Wotif for 2021, while the travel website ranked WetSide Water Park as the best water park / amusement park in Australia.
Maryborough’s street art caught national attention this year when the Maryborough Mural Project and Gallipoli to Armistice Memorial were nominated for finalists in their respective categories in 2020 Australian Street Art Awards.
Winners will be announced on the Sunshine Coast tonight.
International online travel booking website Booking.com said Hervey Bay was the third most welcoming destination in Australia.
Fraser Coast Mayor George Seymour said the region really does have something for everyone.
“After such a tough year, it is inspiring to see Hervey Bay winning awards and being recognised,” Cr Seymour said.
A host of large-scale sporting events have also been confirmed for the region in the coming months.
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SLSQ’s top ten beaches for 2020 / 2021:
- The Strand Net 1 – Townsville
- Alma Bay – Magnetic Island
- Cylinder Beach – North Stradbroke Island
- Kings Beach – Sunshine Coast
- Palm Cove – North Queensland
- Torquay Beach – Hervey Bay
- Mooloolaba Beach – Sunshine Coast
- Coolangatta – Gold Coast
- Burleigh Heads – Gold Coast
- Kirra – Gold Coast
We want to know which Fraser Coast beach is your favourite. Let us know in the comments section below.