Gold Coast couple Ian and Jo Creaser narrowly escape Queenscliff rock fall

A man says his “inner child” saved him and his wife from being badly hurt or even killed by a rock fall when curiosity drew the couple to an old concrete bunker.

Jo Creaser and Peter Ferrier hid in an old walker bunker during a Queenscliff cliff collapse.

A Queensland man says the “inner child” that pushed him to explore an old war bunker saved he and his wife from a cliff collapse at a Bellarine beach.

Gold Coast man Ian Creaser, his wife Jo and her uncle Peter Ferrier were enjoying a stroll along the beach under Fort Queenscliff about 11am Monday.

Mr Creaser said he made the potentially life-saving decision to check out one of the abandoned concrete military structures on the beach when he heard a rumble.

“I was poking my head in one of the old concrete things, then we had a big landslide come right in front of us,” Mr Creaser said.

“Then I came and walked down, and realised the whole side of the cliff was in front of us, it had fallen literally 5m in front of where we were.”

Mr Creaser climbing into a concrete bunker at Queenscliff.

The aftermath of the rockfall, which left large debris strewn across the shoreline.

Mr Creaser believes if he hadn’t made the decision to explore the old structure, the trio would have been in the path of the rockfall.

“If I hadn't stopped and poked my head in, we would have been right there,” he said.

“We could have been right there when it happened, which probably would have taken our legs out or possibly killed us.

“It’s a bit scary.”

The ordeal was a good reminder to continue to listen to your inner child regardless of your age, Mr Creaser said.

“My wife was joking around saying, ‘you’re such a kid,’ because I wanted to climb up the rocks and have a look inside the fort,” he said.

“So thankfully I’m a big kid, otherwise we would have been taken out.”

A Borough of Queenscliffe spokeswoman confirmed the beach remained open after five to 10 cubic metres of rock fell.

“Signage is located at the entry points to this section of beach in accordance with the advice from consultants provided within the cliff stability study,” she said.

“No clean-up is required, the rocks fallen do not pose an additional risk.

“Nonetheless, this serves as a good reminder, along with the signage, of the dangers around cliffs.”

On New Year’s Eve 2021 a man was killed by falling rocks at Jarosite Headland near Bells Beach.

Another man and a woman suffered non-life threatening injuries and were taken to hospital via road ambulance.

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Originally published as Gold Coast couple Ian and Jo Creaser narrowly escape Queenscliff rock fall