Latest news with #SurfingAustralia
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Aussie community 'embarrassed' by 'absolute mess' left at beachfront park ahead of Easter
A proud Aussie community has been left embarrassed at the 'absolute mess' created near one of the nation's most popular beaches. Pictures shared to social media show the grassy area up from the Gold Coast's famous Burleigh Heads has been turned into a field of mud following a two-day surf event. Local woman Cindy Amey walks up the hill at 6:00am every morning, and she was left 'shocked' by what she saw this week. With so many tourists in town for the Easter holidays, she's worried what they'll think of her suburb. 'I just couldn't believe what I was seeing, it's horrific. The grass up there had been looking so good, they'd even relaid turf up there recently,' she told Yahoo News. 'Families go up there, and the view is fantastic. It's a good place to go and have a picnic, but you couldn't do that now, it's embarrassing. If I arrived here on holidays and that was on my doorstep, I'd be wondering what's going on?' Another woman Lisa Evans said on Facebook that she feared no one would be able to use the park for months. "Locals [are] throughly irritated and disappointed by the use & abuse of the park time and time again," she wrote. Deep tyre tracks and puddles of water can be seen across the hilltop, and many have complained the area had begun to smell like a bog. 'It's got that creek-like sewer smell,' one resident told Yahoo. Dozens of Gold Coast locals have shared their frustration at the 'trashing' of the hill on social media. 'This is a disgrace. There have been hundreds of events on Burleigh Hill over the years… Never has the hill been left in such a state as this,' one person wrote. 'A once beautiful area enjoyed by families, especially over Easter, is now just a mud bath,' another added. 'Just horrible,' someone else lamented. But others weren't phased by the state of the park, with some confident a sprinkling of seeds and a few weeks of sunshine would see the grass restored. 'It will be as good as ever in a few weeks. I think people and tourists expect this in a heavy downfall of rain,' one person said. A QUARTER of koalas monitored during controversial Gold Coast project die Detail spotted at remote 'swimming spot' sparks alarm Aussie mum's scary insurance dilemma after double disaster Yahoo News has made several attempts to speak with Surfing Australia, which hosted the Boardriders Battle at Burleigh Heads on April 12 and 13. But it did not respond before publication. Gold Coast City Council told Yahoo News its officers will inspect the site for any damage once the organisers have finished packing up at the end of the week. There's another surf event planned next week, so full repairs aren't expected until that has concluded after Easter. Event organisers are responsible for all costs associated with rectifying any damage as a result of the event, including grass restoration,' it said in a statement. 'Minor repairs will be conducted where possible prior to the World Surf League event beginning set up early next week. Full repairs will be conducted following the conclusion of the surf events.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Cyclone Alfred Sends Cooking Surf to Australia's East Coast
As the North Shore takes a breather, Australia is waking up from a nap. The first major swell event of the season is hitting the East Coast of Australia right now, and crazy things are happening. As reported by major news outlets, Tropical Cyclone Alfred's movement is not a simple task. Forecasters believe the storm could make landfall later this week. If it does, it would be the first one south of Brisbane to do so since Zoe in 1974, according to Surfline. Both Queensland and New South Wales have issued weather warnings for flooding and dangerous winds. But while the cyclone hasn't slammed the coast yet, the swell undulating from it certainly has. The Superbank, in particular, is ramping into the special mode that only an otherworldly sand-bottom-point can deliver. There'll be carnage, chaos, drop-ins and relentless currents that only David Goggins could love. But in between, there will be moments of reel, scroll-stopping glory. Already, we've seen some ridiculous tubes courtesy of Jack Robinson, Mick Fanning, Dean Morrison and Korbin Hutchings packed on Monday. Just hit up Surfing Australia's Insta for a plethora of 100-meter-long rides and breakneck tubes. Later in the week, however, things start to creep into scary territory. By March 5, fueled by Alfred's might, Kirra could 8-12 feet with a 26 feet @ 14 second southeast swell bearing down on the point. After that, Alfred might render surfing impossible for a while. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology is posting periodic updates on the storm here. For all those QLD and NSW warriors, there's a limited window to channel your inner Kenny Powers. But for real, stay safe out there.
The Guardian
26-02-2025
- The Guardian
Plug in to adventure: surf star Adrian Buchan takes us on a family road trip
Adrian Buchan is no stranger to life on the road. 'I had about 15 years on the world tour travelling to incredible places all around the world,' he says, smiling. The former professional surfer, known as Ace, has fond memories of competing on the World Surf League Championship Tour – partly because of the many exotic destinations he visited, such as Tahiti, Indonesia, South Africa and Europe. But Buchan's love of travel was ignited years before he became a globetrotter for his career. Family camping trips up and down the New South Wales coast, to places such as Crescent Head, Point Plomer and Seal Rocks, were a formative part of Buchan's youth. 'I really do remember those road trips,' he says. 'Everything just seemed so exciting.' Despite having retired from professional surfing in 2021, Buchan, along with his wife, Beck, and their three children, still often hits the road in search of adventure. 'We are lucky on the east coast of Australia to have this incredible coastline,' Buchan says. 'I'm grateful to be able to share that with my kids now, and go back to places that I was able to explore.' The family's most recent trip was driving – in a Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV – from their Sydney home up to Avoca Beach on the Central Coast of New South Wales. We asked Ace to talk us through his essentials for a weekend on the road with the family. He may be a former pro surfer, but these days Buchan lives a life much like many of us. He describes his weeks as 'busy', balancing the responsibilities of parenthood and a new career off his surfboard, as the chair of Surfing Australia, an environmentalist and entrepreneur. 'We love going to a boutique hotel and swimming in the pool as much as anyone,' Buchan says. 'But I think getting out and about and discovering places is much more rewarding work.' For Buchan, 'a sense of discovery and adventure' are integral to any family road trip. 'Travelling is about not having plans,' he says. 'Just kind of seeing where the day takes you.' 'Safety,' Buchan replies without hesitation when asked about must-haves for any vehicle he'd take on the road. 'It's important with a young family.' He's just as quick to list what items he would never go on a road trip without. 'The number one thing I'd take would probably be the surfboard.' There are more than 10,000 beaches in Australia, and the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV opens up access to many of them. Its seven driving modes can handle all sorts of terrains, and its Super All-Wheel Control system offers greater stability on whatever terrain your adventure finds you driving on. Exploring those beaches, it's no surprise that Buchan, someone whose life is 'somewhat dictated by surf', would want his surfboard with him. And his three children seem to have inherited their father's passion. 'When we did the road trip in the Mitsubishi, the kids were very keen to make sure the boards were all in the back,' Buchan says. Buchan thinks Australia's east coast is perfectly suited to anyone who might want to give surfing a try. 'There are lots of different types of waves,' he says. 'No matter what kind of level you're at – a beginner, like my kids, or a professional.' Discovering new places, trying new foods, meeting new people – it's easy to recall our favourite memories from a road trip after the fact. But there is also, undeniably, a lot of time spent, you know, driving. When Buchan's behind the wheel, he prioritises comfort. And the Outlander Plug-In Hybrid EV didn't disappoint. 'The car was super comfortable,' he says. 'The drivability was great, and it was surprisingly really stylish.' But Buchan has another tactic for comfort on the road, one that parents far and wide will relate to: keeping the kids happy. 'If you can find something that your kids are into, it's quite a nice way for them to zone out,' he says. 'We play games, like I spy, or find a good playlist. My youngest, Harley, also loves listening to dinosaur podcasts.' From an early age, Buchan's passion for the ocean led him to develop a love for the environment and a desire to protect it. He's long been a climate advocate, speaking out about the climate crisis, and between 2020 and 2023 served as a board member for the Australian charity Surfers for Climate. With its fully electric range of up to 84km, and regenerative braking technology that recharges the battery while it's driven, the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV can make a road trip more sustainable. And Buchan was surprised at how well suited the car was to travelling as a family. 'There's been a lack of options within that portion of the market,' he says. 'It's really cool to see that there are now options that have space and can accommodate a young, growing family.' Learn more about the Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid EV, built for Australian adventures.
