Gympie region missed by holiday-makers flouting lockdown

The Bruce Highway heading north towards Gympie was a carpark just before South East Queensland went into lockdown last weekend. Just where all those travellers ended up remains a mystery.

The Bruce Highway heading north toward Gympie just before South East Queensland went into lockdown. Where did they all end up?. Photo: Lani Gee

When South East Queensland was plunged into lockdown last weekend, the Bruce Highway was a carpark of people fleeing north before the lockdown deadline.

But caravan and holiday parks in the Mary Valley and Cooloola Coast appear to have not been where they were headed, with parks at Tin Can Bay and Rainbow Beach reporting this week they had not had any visitors from the 11 lockdown areas.

The Gympie Times spoke with several holiday locations in the region, but only three responded and reported no sightings of anyone flouting lockdown, although they said they’d received a number of phone inquiries and had turned people away.

Rainbow Beach Caravan Park was already full last weekend with the Rainbow Beach Triathlon.

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The Rainbow Beach Holiday Park was also full, although it has had several inquiries from Brisbane holiday-makers who were also turned away.

Tin Can Bay Tourist Park owner Mel May said her park was overrun with travellers who had been in Queensland for some time before the lockdown, but none were from lockdown areas.

Lake Borumba Camping Ground, Imbil Camping Retreat and the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service were also contacted.

Symptoms of Covid-19 can include fever, coughing, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of smell or taste and a runny nose.

If you have any of these symptoms, no matter how mild, call your doctor or 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and get tested.

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