Listed: South Australia’s Insta-famous hot spots ruined by tourists
The secret is out – SA’s pristine beaches and breathtaking natural wonders make the state an Instagrammer’s paradise. But social media fame has its consequences.
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Have you ever fancied a trip to your local beach only to discover it’s overcrowded with tourists who have trashed the place?
Or have you just wanted to take a cool shot of one of South Australia’s majestic caves only to find you have to wait until all the ‘grammers are done taking their selfies?
It’s an unfortunate consequence, but some of SA’s most beautiful tourism hot spots have been ruined by social media fame.
From the Limestone Coast to Port Lincoln here are 11 spots fallen victim to visitors doing the wrong thing.
Goolwa Beach
Swimmers, surfers and fisherman flock to Goolwa Beach for the white sands and blue waves. But some are ruining the view for others.
Alexandrina Council Mayor Keith Parkes has warned drivers misusing the beach may force it to be closed to all.
Over the festive season he spotted vehicles speeding and attempting to drive over the sand dunes and said the damage could “take years” to repair.
“On the evening of Christmas Day I was at the beach and there were a number of 4WDs backing up to the water’s edge and then charging at the dunes trying to get up into the sand dunes, and they made an enormous mess,” Mr Parkes said.
“The damage that was done will take years to recover.”
The council hopes to gain control of the issue but the Mayor said it may have to consider closing the beach.
“We’ve got to the point now where we really are going to have a serious look at 4WD access to the beach,” he said,
Mr Parkes said from time-to-time visitors try to drive and camp up in the sand dunes despite signs telling them to keep off.
There is currently a 40km speed limit on the beach which was changed from 100km last year.
Lake Bumbunga
It’s the bubblegum pink lake just a two-hour drive from Adelaide that has captured social media by storm.
Photos of tourists standing in the lake or collecting pink salt crystals gain thousands of likes, but recently posts have surfaced of people finding broken glass and needles.
Family event Facebook page Play & Go Adelaide warned potential visitors on January 13.
“Just a warning if you are walking down the dirt track pictured here, please be careful as it was littered with broken glass,” the post read.
A TripAdvisor review from August said the lake was “great to look at” but they had also discovered a used needle next to the walking path.
“I also unfortunately spotted a used needle next to the walking path, not a great thing to see with young children,” the user, Sapphire1999 wrote.
Beaches of the Limestone Coast
SA’s Limestone Coast is peppered with stunning beaches – some secluded and others that become overcrowded the moment the sun comes out.
From tourism hotspot Robe to Carpenter Rocks visitors are driving off tracks causing damage according to district ranger Ross Anderson.
Mr Anderson said travellers often arrive “unprepared” so they camp and drive off the designated sites, causing damage to sand dunes, vegetation and cultural sites.
“A lot of it’s related to people just not planning their trip and not being organised … they haven’t planned their four wheel driving or where they are going to camp,” he said.
Ms Anderson said there has been a huge increase of visitation to the region since the pandemic as well as due to the current flooding in the Riverland.
Around 80 people were fined by patrolling rangers over the last month for doing the wrong thing in the Limestone Coast district.
“Some of the damage will take ages to recover, and some never will,” he said.
“Despite our best efforts more people have been doing the wrong thing this year than in previous years.”
Woolshed/Talia Cave
At Woolshed Cave, also known as Talia Cave, everyone wants the same iconic photo of themselves emerging from the side of the cave.
But, there might be a bit of a wait to snag that perfect shot.
Those seeking clout are often met with the consequences of the spot’s Insta-fame – a crowd.
When Facebook user CoQuelicot Designs visited on January 2 the amount of people there made it too difficult to capture the money shot.
“Here I was keen to photograph Woolshed Cave but when we pulled up there were cars and people everywhere so my hopes of getting a decent photo without random tourists in it were dashed,” they wrote.
Instagrammers @jess.and.nathans.lapyear shared the cave was “quite busy” so they opted to head back in the afternoon to get the photograph.
Second Valley Beach
You’ll be lucky to find a spot to sit back and relax on a sunny day at Second Valley Beach.
In the summertime the beach attracts loads of keen sunseekers who seem to take up the whole stretch of sand.
Beachgoer Andrew Olsson, 64, shared a photo of the tourist-inundated beach to Instagram with the caption “Beach space at a premium today” on January 7.
Mr Olsson, who has been visiting Second Valley since he was 2, said over a hundred people were on the beach that day.
“We wanted to keep it (the beach) our little secret but now the secret’s gone out,” he said.
Mr Olsson said carparking was the biggest issue, with cars forced to park all the way up the one-way main street when the small car park was full.
“The parking is just diabolic … Christmas and New Year is hectic,” he said.
A TripAdvisor review from user areqdom said “the spot is a beauty but it is too crowded”.
“If the place were more quiet it would be an idilic place, but as it is too crowded it is even difficult to find a spot to put your towel,” the post read.
Umpherston Sinkhole
In Mount Gambier you’ll find the picturesque Umpherston Sinkhole.
The unique sinkhole looks like something out of Lord of the Rings, lush greenery and flowers make it the perfect place to snap a photo for the ‘gram.
But tourists often leaving rubbish behind and overfeed the possums who call it home.
And that plethora of food makes the possums hard to spot according to TripAdvisor reviewer iluvtravel2016.
“Be warned, if you are going to feed the possums at night, they are overfed, picky eaters,” they posted in September 2020.
“Because there is food all over the sinkhole, left by visitors, you cannot guarantee that you will see them.”
Another said: “Disappointed to see the amount of rubbish people leave lying around”.
Greenly Beach
In recent summers Greenly Beach has attracted an influx of tourists and campers, with frustrated businesses in the area saying there is “still a long way to go”.
The spot has become famous on social media for its rock pools and stunning coastline, which led tourists flocking to the area.
Issues such as overflowing bins and 4WDs and caravans parked where they shouldn’t be infuriated locals.
Tara and Luke Rowe, who own eco-accommodation The Greenly Carriage, said the situation “seems to be improving” but there were not enough facilities to keep up with the extra campers.
“There is still a long way to go to ensure that the increasing number of tourists accessing our area are doing it in the most sustainable way possible,” Ms Rowe said.
d’Arenberg Cube
It’s the luxury McLaren Vale winery known for its artistic and innovative architecture and degustations.
But recently the well-snapped d’Arenberg Cube has had more attention for its role hosting the SA government’s controversial and exclusive Sam Smith private concert rather than its wining and dining.
The government has refused reveal the actual cost to taxpayers it took to bring the UK megastar and concertgoers to the invite-only, 300-person event.
One of the event’s exclusive guests – which included Aussie TV, radio and social media stars – came under fire for urinating in the crowd.
TikToker Kate Woolford said that the concert took a turn when she was alerted to a girl peeing in the crowd.
“A girl pushed past me and said ‘sorry some girl is literally peeing’ and I turned myhead and saw this girl squatting, peeing in the mosh,” she said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Sam also saw it considering we were three rows from the front, it was disgusting.”
Moana Beach
A dangerous driver caused a chaotic scene at Moana Beach earlier this month when a red Mazda filmed weaving between groups of people, coming to a halt as a toddler was yanked out of its way before racing off.
The woman, who witnesses say was doing 60km per hour and did a burnout, lost her license for 12 months.
Only days earlier Onkaparinga Council shared a Facebook post about the popular beach being so full it had to be temporary closed to cars, sparking an onslaught of locals complaining about tourists in the comment section.
”We need to be restricting car access to our Southern beaches,” one wrote.
“No locals on our beaches on these days. Lucky enough to live here and can’t wait till school goes back,” wrote another.
The council told the Advertiser there had been more people driving in restricted areas like the pebble banks and soft sand at the top of Moana Beach this season.
“We’ve seen an increase of numbers on all our beaches, both drive-on and non-vehicle,” a council spokesperson said.
“We’ve not identified any specific adverse effects of the increase in these numbers, though we have seen an increase in social media posts regarding vehicle behaviour on beaches, including speeding and hoon driving, which are matters for SA Police.”
Akurra Adnya (Arkaroo Rock)
Arkaroo Rock is a popular walking experience inside of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park.
The rock shelter within has one of the best examples of Adnyamathanha ochre and charcoal paintings depicting aspects of the Yura Muda for Ikara.
But vandals have also left their mark.
Yellow and white graffiti has “partially destroyed” the original artwork according to TripAdvisor reviewer Happy Traveller.
“All of the ‘recent’ stick figures are graffiti and has resulted in a wire frame being erected to prevent further damage,” the reviewer wrote.
“Sadly the graffiti can’t be removed as this would destroy the underlying rock art which was ochre.”
A spokesperson from the Environment and Water Department said there had been no graffiti or damage to the site since the 1980s, when the cage was put up.
“Visitor facilities at the park, including at Akurra Adnya, are being upgraded, with stage two of upgrades to the site to include a new, uniquely designed interpretative screen which will continue to protect the paintings for many years to come,” the spokesperson said.
Hallett Cove Beach and Boardwalk
Hallett Cove Beach is known for its fantastic boardwalk as well as for being a popular snorkelling dive.
Marion Council Mayor Kris Hanna said the once hidden gem for locals had experienced a tourism boom.
“For locals who live nearby, you’re going to get people walking down there and using the barbecues which are very popular,” Mr Hanna said.
There are plans to further the develop the bustling coastal walkway.
Designs for two proposed Hallett Cove suspension bridges went back to the drawing board after Mr Hanna revealed people wouldn’t be able to walk on them.
But he said the project was still on track to be built this year.
The idea of a seaside pool at Hallett Cove Beach has been up in the air since 2018 after more than 4500 people signed a petition for it to be investigated.
If the project went ahead at Heron Way Reserve it would be the first of its kind in metropolitan Adelaide.
Has your local area been affected by tourists? Let us know in the comments.
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