Latest news with #StreakyBay
ABC News
21-05-2025
- ABC News
Friends of Sceale Bay celebrate 20 years preserving SA wilderness
It is hard to fathom that 15 years ago, plans were afoot to develop a 156-room casino resort and fish farm near a rare Australian sea lion sanctuary at Point Labatt on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula. Residents and a group called Friends of Sceale Bay fought against the proposals and won. The group, established years before the casino battle, has spent two decades relentlessly pursuing formal conservation areas that have created a wildlife legacy. The Friends of Sceale Bay group has five official members, supported by other residents and holiday home owners for conservation projects. They work out of the small seaside hamlet of Sceale Bay, 25 kilometres south of Streaky Bay. The group has successfully lobbied for permanent protection of four land parcels in the area, coining the phrase Chain of Bays to define the coastal environment. They recently celebrated another win, after SA Climate, Environment and Water Minister Susan Close added more land to the Sceale Bay Conservation Park, increasing it by about a third. Ms Close said the state and federal governments had a "30 by 30 commitment," aiming to protect 30 per cent of Australia's landmass and marine areas by 2030 and halt biodiversity loss. The Department of Environment and Water manages about 23 million hectares of national parks and wilderness protection areas, which comprise about 22 per cent of the state's land. The Friends of Sceale Bay have helped add the newest parcel of Crown land, creating a corridor of protection for the coastal ecosystems of the Chain of Bays area. "This is just extra dune country being put into the park, which is well-covered with native vegetation and there's a number of birds and other animal species in that area as well," Friends of Sceale Bay Adelaide convener David Kirner said. "It was privately owned and in 2015 the government purchased it, and over the last 10 years they've done all the various things that they need to do to include it in the park. "It is home to rare and endangered species like the Australian sea lion, eastern osprey and the white-bellied sea eagle. "We've been chipping away for 20 years to protect unique ecosystems along the Chain of Bays from Streaky Bay to Venus Bay." The majority of the protected parcels of land are accessed by dirt roads hugging a coastal wilderness of low-lying shrubs, salt lakes, dunes, ocean-facing cliffs, inlets and surf beaches, broken by sparse paddocks of cropping and sheep. The Friends of Sceale Bay have rolled up their sleeves and weeded, planted trees, filled out grant applications and lobbied successive governments to create more conservation park areas. "We have the view that the best way to preserve the environment, save the environment, is to actually take action and get involved, and get your hands dirty," Mr Kirner said. "We did Caring for Country grants — there was work done with the Ceduna Aboriginal Corporation, large-scale direct seeding within the areas that ended up becoming parks. The aim is to link the protected Chain of Bays areas — at the moment they are separated by land allotments held by private owners, farmers, the District Council of Streaky Bay and the government. The West Coast Marine Park hugs the coastline, and along the landscape the current conservation parks include Point Labatt (51 hectares), Calpattana Waterhole (3,644ha), Searcy Bay (868ha), Sceale Bay (527ha) and Cape Blanche (810ha). Sceale Bay was initially named Yanera in 1888 and was settled as a farming port with a jetty that was demolished in 1972. Today the town, with a population of 58 at the 2021 Census, has remained largely undeveloped, protected by its isolation at a time when coastal properties and development are booming. "When you look at the tourist numbers [visiting the region] it's in the thousands," Mr Kirner said. "You do get a lot of people coming in by caravan, people coming in during school holidays, and places like Point Labatt where the sealions are … they have quite large visitor numbers. It is a rare place where — with a little assistance — nature has won some battles, including the conversion of a former caravan park into a block for wildlife. Mr Kirner is now planning to lobby for the expansion of conservation parks at Cape Blanche, Searcy Bay and Point Labatt, as well as expanding the Sceale Bay park to include Yanerbie Dunes. The group would also like to see Smooth Pool, a popular snorkelling spot, developed as a conservation park and aquatic reserve. In a statement, the Department for Environment and Water said it worked collaboratively with the Friends of Sceale Bay. "We value their interest and dedication to the region," the statement read.
News.com.au
15-05-2025
- News.com.au
Streaky Bay: Community grieves two women swept out to sea
Flags have been flown at half mast in a small South Australian town to commemorate the lives of two local women who were swept out to sea while fishing. Zenaida 'Aida' Hunt, 65, was salmon fishing with her friend Beth Peters, 67, at Back Beach, 10km from the town of Streaky Bay, on Tuesday when she was knocked into the water by a large wave. Ms Peters jumped in after her in an attempt to save her friend. It's understood her husband Carl raced down the beach for help after watching the tragedy unfold from the shore. The women's bodies were found in the water several hours later following an extensive search. Members of the SES and a local surfer brought the pair back to shore. Ms Hunt was an avid fisher and would often be spotted at the Streaky Bay jetty, but ongoing construction had rendered the spot out of use. 'It was just a bit of bad luck, she went down there and got taken by a wave and that is just it,' her husband Michael told Nine News. He described his wife of 15 years as a 'beautiful woman' and 'a damn good cook' who worked at a clothes factory. The two met through one of Mr Hunt's friends while he was in the Philippines. Ms Hunt relocated to live with him at his Streaky Bay home – becoming a much-loved member of the local community. Many remain 'quiet and sombre' as the town commemorates the lives of Ms Hunt and Ms Peters. 'She was very quiet and unassuming but lovely, bubbly, always smiling, always said hello,' Streaky Bay Mayor Travis Barber said of Ms Hunt. 'It's going to be a few weeks before we get our heads around this one.'
Daily Mail
14-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Two women who were swept out to sea by freak wave and drowned are identified as shattered loved ones reveal their harrowing final moments
Two close friends who tragically lost their lives at a popular but dangerous beach have been identified. Flags in the town centre of Streaky Bay, on South Australia 's Eyre Peninsula, flew at half-mast on Wednesday in memory of Zenaida Hunt, 65, and her friend Beth Peters, 67. The pair were fishing at Back Beach when Ms Hunt was swept away by a large wave on Tuesday. Ms Peters jumped into the water in a desperate attempt to rescue her friend. It's understood Ms Peters' husband Carl raced down the beach to raise the alarm after watching the tragedy unfold from the shore. The women's bodies were found in the water several hours later. Ms Hunt usually went fishing at the local jetty, which currently off-limits due to repairs, according to her heartbroken husband Michael. 'There's my sweetie,' he told Nine News looking down at her photo. 'It's no good at all,' Mr Hunt said of her death. 'I'm all tense.' 'It was just a bit of bad luck. She went down there and got taken by a wave and that is just it.' Mr Hunt and his wife, affectionally known as Aida, had been married for 15 years after meeting through one of his friends while in the Philippines. 'She was working down at the clothes factory and she liked gardening,' he sai.d Her friend has been remembered as a hero who did not hesitate to try and save Ms Hunt. 'She didn't think twice, she went in there to save her friend and I wish she could have made it back,' Ms Peters' niece Karen Dodge told Seven News. 'It was such a heroic act to be brave enough to go in there with the strong currents. 'We adored her, her infectious smile (and) always had a positive outlook on life.' Back Beach is a popular fishing spot, promoted by the South Australian Tourism Commission as an 'excellent location' for beach fishing. While it's a popular destination, swimming is strongly discouraged due to the presence of powerful rips and heavy swells. The coastline is notorious for its unpredictable surf and has claimed lives in the past. The tragedy comes four months after surfer Lance Appleby, 28, was mauled to death by a shark in nearby Streaky Bay. 'It is another tragic blow for our community of Streaky Bay and my condolences go out to the family and friends at this very tough time,' Streaky Bay mayor Travis Barber said. 'My thoughts and thanks also go out to the volunteers and first responders that have had to deal with yet another tragic incident of which would be very close to home for many of them, as it does when you live in a small close knit community. 'We will rally around them and pull together again.'
ABC News
14-05-2025
- ABC News
Streaky Bay residents mourn women after Back Beach drowning
The deaths of two women at a popular fishing beach has left the small South Australian community of Streaky Bay reeling. The bodies of a 67-year-old from Sturt and a 65-year-old local were recovered from the water near Back Beach on Tuesday afternoon. It is a situation all too familiar to residents of Streaky Bay, where there have been two fatal shark attacks in recent memory, including in January when Lance Appleby was taken at Granites, south-west of the town. "We can't take a trick at the moment, can we?" Mayor Travis Barber said. "We seem to be getting our fair share of incidents, so unfortunately we're not unfamiliar with this. "With some of the shark incidents, I've been speaking to our [council] CEO and we'll look at doing what we can to help people get through. The local woman was well-known in the community and at least one of the volunteers involved in the effort to recover the bodies knew her well. "The volunteers – SES and ambulance, plus police who mightn't be volunteers, but they know people – they were on the job in five minutes and were able to recover the bodies," Cr Barber said. "I feel for them. "This is one where people are familiar with each other and I understand one of the recoveries was a close friend. "We will rally and get around each other and push on." It is believed the two women were fishing along Back Beach, about 10 kilometres from the town, when one of them got into trouble near a spot well-known to anglers called Salmon Hole. It is believed one woman tried to save the other. "This heartbreaking event serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and unforgiving nature of the ocean and beach environments," Sean Faulkner of Surf Lifesaving SA said. "We are also very mindful that the Streaky Bay community is still mourning the loss of another member of their close-knit community earlier this year. "While offering some of South Australia's most stunning beaches and popular tourist destinations, this area also poses risks such as rip currents, sudden weather changes, marine-related dangers and challenges due to its remote nature." Local fisher Jeff Schmucker said Back Beach was "dangerous" and that the superficial calm of the conditions on the day of the drownings may have given off a "false sense of security". "The ocean's very calm, with an offshore wind and relatively small swell running, [but] combined with big moon tides, you get a big push of water onto the beaches," he said. "In this particular case at the Salmon Hole, there's a big hole next to the beach and with the high tide and the surging swell, there's a big release of water, which creates a rip and that rip is hard to navigate. "You get a big push up the beach [and] a lot of water can grab someone unsuspecting and pull them off their feet and drag them into the water, the water is so strong. "It's a dangerous beach. People are upset.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Horror as two bodies are found at a popular surfing spot
The bodies of two women have been recovered after they were swept out to sea while fishing. An extensive search was launched on Tuesday morning after two women aged 67 and 65 went missing near Back Beach near Streaky Bay on South Australia 's Eyre Peninsula. Their bodies were pulled from the water later that afternoon. It's understood that the were fishing when at least one was caught in a large swell. Back Beach is a popular surf spot and is not recommended for swimmers due to strong rips
