Dunes at region's beaches depart with tide
YESTERDAY'S king tide was really more of a pretender.
Queensland Surf Life Saving Wide Bay-Capricorn regional manager Craig Holden said the region's beaches had generally held up well.
"The surf has eased a little over the past 24 to 48 hours, which probably assisted to limit the amount of erosion,” Mr Holden said.
Mr Holden said there was some erosion to sand dunes at most beaches in the region.
"But not severe - and not as severe as it would have been had the surf been bigger,” he said.
While there were no serious incidents caused by the tide or subsequent erosion, some fencing at Kellys Beach was washed away near the lifeguard tower.
Kellys Beach was closed briefly today and yesterday.
Mr Holden said that was "only while there was no beach” - the high tides meant there was nowhere for lifeguards to set up a flagged area.
He said swimmers needed to be careful for the next few days as the tides were moving huge volumes of water, particularly on the outgoing tides.
"The tide heights are still very high until Sunday, so we are urging to people to avoid the creek and river mouths during the run-out stage of the tide and to only swim between the red and yellow flags,” he said.
"Swimmers need to be extra cautious.”
A Gladstone Regional Council spokesperson said a section of the Seventeen Seventy boardwalk and Endeavour Park were closed during the king tide following coastal erosion during a high tide earlier in the year.
Yesterday's king tide reached 3.61m at Burnett Heads, and came after the appearance of a rare super blue blood moon on Wednesday night.
It's so rare, QUT astrophysicist Stephen Hughes said the next time it would happen was in 423 years.
King tides happen twice a year, once during summer and once during winter. Winter's king tide is due on August 11.
They occur when the gravitational forces of the sun, moon and Earth align.
Today's high tides are at 9.58am (3.55m) and 9.36pm (2.91m).
Tomorrow they will be at 10.42am (3.39) and 11.04pm (2.81m) and on Sunday they will be at 11.24am (3.18m) and 11.48pm (2.7m).
