Stranded motorists bogged every half an hour at Goolwa
Getting bogged is not fun (trust me I know from experience). There’s nothing more humiliating than having to ask for help while you’re knee deep in mud or trying to get out before your mates snap a photo!
South Australia is blessed with white sandy beaches that stretch for miles, including some you can drive on, like Goolwa Beach.
The problem is they can also be a trap, particularly for inexperienced 4×4 drivers or for those with vehicles ill equipped for soft sand.
Bryn Bridges has lived in Goolwa for several years and has spent the last 15 as a lifesaver at Goolwa Surf Life Saving Club.
According to Bridges, it’s an all too common occurrence for vehicles to sink into the sand on the access ramp before they even hit the beach. Even 4×4 drivers need to know what they’re doing to prevent themselves from becoming another victim of the snatch strap of shame!
“On busy days, when there are thousands of people down at the beach, people are getting bogged as often as even every half hour,” Bridges said.
“Occasionally you will see a 4×4 bogged. I do not know how that happens, most often it’s people driving all wheel drives as they think their car is a 4×4.
The other day there was a Tesla that got bogged, why they would even think about taking their car on the beach beggars’ belief.
As lifesavers, we’re not able to help them out – if we damage one of our vehicles then we have no other rescue vehicles to use.”
He also said some drivers misunderstand the (clearly signposted) ramp onto the beach, which is only 100m in length, but the soft sand often spells trouble. “It’s not like driving on other beaches like Moana and Aldinga.”
Alexandrina Council chief executive officer Andrew MacDonald said visitors to Goolwa need to take responsibility when taking their vehicles on the beach.
“Visitors to Goolwa Beach should also be aware that the vehicle access track to the beach is open to 4WDs only – not All Wheel Drive or Two-Wheel Drive – and there are no recovery services for bogged vehicles,” he said.
“There are often long queues for the beach access track at peak times. It happens quite often that motorists without the correct vehicle, equipment or 4×4 experience become stuck and block the track entirely, much to the frustration of other users.
“Council is continuing to work with State agencies to come up with some alternative options to manage vehicle access to the beach.
He said council was not pursuing an option to close the beach access track at this stage.
