List of travellers DUI on international licenses at Noosa courthouse

Noosa’s courthouse has become a ‘cosmopolitan’ hub, after a swag of foreign drivers were busted drink driving, with several confused about their rights behind the wheel.

Louis Areski Bureau

A humble courthouse in the tourist playground of Noosa has become a ‘cosmopolitan’ hub where foreign drivers are being caught out.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist commented on the international flavour in the Noosa Magistrates Court on Tuesday, March 7, after three foreign travellers fronted court for various drink driving offences.

“It’s unbelievable,” Magistrate Stjernqvist said.

“What’s the flame here all the moths are flying to?”

Police Prosecutor David Hoffman suggested it “might have something to do with the National Park and the beaches surrounding it”.

French traveller Louis Areski Bureau faced court on Tuesday following Tatiana Schonfeld and Conrado Echemendi who also appeared for drink driving on an international licence.

Bureau, who is the head chef of Paradise Arcade in Noosa Junction was caught drink driving a yellow moped on Noosa Dr at 12.20am on March 2, 2023.

“He had some French identification, had some beers, test was conducted, positive result,” Sergeant Hoffman said.

“Further analysis conducted showed a reading of .108.”

Magistrate Stjernqvist said Bureau was disqualified from driving since the day of the offence.

“Because of the reading you were automatically, immediately disqualified and you still are, and you will be,” he said.

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Bureau said he was travelling in Western Australia in 2020 but went back to France due to Covid before returning to Queensland three months ago.

He was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Magistrate Stjernqvist told Bureau, who had been in Noosa for three months, to apply for a Queensland licence after the three month disqualification period was over.

Argentinian traveller Tatiana Schonfeld who appeared on Tuesday with a translator said she worked as a cleaner and had been driving in Queensland for five months on an international licence.

She was caught by police on Eenie Creek Rd at 2am on February 16 with a blood alcohol reading of 0.077 per cent.

Schonfeld was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for two months.

Conrado Echemendi, also from Argentina, was caught on February 4, 2023 at 1.15am on Duke St in Sunshine Beach with an alcohol reading of .056.

He said he had been travelling in Australia for about five years and held an international licence.

“I don’t know much about how it’s working, the licence,” Echemendi said.

“I never had any problem with my licence.”

Echemendi was fined $450. His licence was disqualified for one month.

Noosa Police Acting Sergeant Scott Guerin said information about international licences is “out there” and should “be part of your research when you’re travelling to another country, to be aware of the common laws over there and what you can and can’t do when driving a car or any other conditions of that country”.

“It depends what visa they’re on and whether or not they’re residents,” Sergeant Guerin said.

“Department of Transport are the main ones that have that information.”

The Department of Transport and Main Roads website says visitors to Queensland “can drive if you have a valid interstate or overseas licence”.

The website states you only need to transfer your licence to a Queensland licence if you move to Queensland.