Qld beach driving: What to watch at Teewah, Moreton, K’Gari and more

More than 30k vehicles are expected along Queensland’s beach holiday hotspots where even for experienced drivers things can go horribly wrong. Here is what you need to know. VIDEO

A driver trainer has highlighted what to look out for on beaches across southeast Queensland as more than 30,000 vehicles are expected to hit the Teewah and Rainbow Beach areas alone this school holidays.

A police officer has also called for more witnesses to come forward following the death of a 24-year-old French backpacker on Teewah Beach last month.

The international student, who was driving, died and four others in the vehicle were taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital after a four-wheel drive rollover near the Teewah Beach campground on November 26.

Tin Can Bay Police Sergeant Mick Bazzo said he needed more people who saw the crash to come forward, especially if they had dashcam footage of the incident or moments leading up to it.

He said police were expecting an extra 30,000 vehicles in the Teewah and Rainbow Beach areas during this school holidays.

A 24-year-old French international student died in a Teewah Beach rollover on November 26, 2023.

“The goal at the end of it is for everyone to have a happy and safe holiday and go home safely so they can do it all again,” Sergeant Bazzo said.

He said officers continued to stress the importance of obeying the road rules on the beach.

Teewah Beach in the Great Sandy National Park, Queensland.

“You have to be mindful the beach is a road, as such, but with added hazards because you have people playing, fishing, sunbaking and building sandcastles,” Sergeant Bazzo said.

He said police were “out in force” this holidays monitoring popular areas like Inskip, Teewah and Rainbow beaches and had “zero tolerance” for bad driving behaviour.

“The odd weather patterns we’re having, there’s a lot of sand movement and this has created a lot of washouts, which can cause problems and they’re hard to spot,” Sergeant Bazzo said.

“People need to adjust their driving habits accordingly.”

Police are expecting an extra 30,000 vehicles in the Teewah and Rainbow Beach areas this school holidays.

He also said that if a crash occurred phone and radio reception was limited on many parts of the beaches and emergency services were as tied to tide times as anyone else.

“It could be some time before emergency services arrive,” Sergeant Bazzo said.

Four teenagers were seriously injured after the ute they were travelling in rolled at Teewah Beach on January 4, 2023. Photo: Queensland Police

The police officer said Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers could also enforce road rules on the beach in national park areas.

In a press release, rangers reminded national park visitors that irresponsible behaviour in Queensland’s recreation areas, national parks and state forests could lead to tragic consequences.

Gold Coast principal ranger Omar Bakhach said he had “seen his fair share” of dangerous behaviour and the consequences.

Beach black spots

XDrive Advanced Driver Training owner Stephen Haughey has trained people in off-road driving for about 40 years.

He said many assumed driving off-road was the same as on-road driving.

XDrive Advanced Driver Training owner Stephen Haughey has taught off-road driving skills for about 40 years. Picture: Contributed

“They don’t take into account the weather, track and you cannot hear another vehicle because of the noise of the wind and the waves,” Mr Haughey said.

The driver trainer, who is certified by the International Four Wheel Drive Trainers’ Association, said campers often also could not hear vehicles approaching.

He said vehicles handled differently on the sand compared to bitumen because sand moved differently and drivers also had to take into account their tyre pressure, plus the weight of their load and the distribution of that weight when beach driving.

He said some drivers also ventured too close to the water, often because they had not considered or mistimed their trip around high and low tides.

“It’s busy, the beaches are busy, just slow down, make sure your vehicle is roadworthy, you have enough fuel and leave enough time between tide times,” he said.

Tide times

Mr Haughey said on K’Gari, Noosa North Shore, Bribie and Moreton it was important to check the tide times before heading out.

He said that if wheels on one side of a vehicle were in water and the other were out of it, one side of the vehicle slowed down faster and a driver risked rolling.

A driver trainer is urging drivers to check tide times before attempting to four-wheel drive on Moreton Island. Picture: Warren Lynam

K’Gari

The driver trainer said the beach had not recovered since storms hit the area about 18 months ago.

He said rocks that were “half a metre under sand” were exposed and washouts had also been created, which presented challenges for people especially in low light at dawn and dusk.

Last month, shocking photos emerged of a branch spearing through the passenger seat of a vehicle after a crash during a Schoolies trip near Lake McKenzie on K’gari.

The scene of an incident involving students celebrating Schoolies on K'gari near Lake McKenzie.

The group was travelling back to Eurong when a branch smashed through the front of the car, narrowly missing a passenger.

Teewah Beach

Mr Haughey said it was a 40kmh zone at Teewah, which increased to 80kmh before dropping to 50kmh at the campsites.

“People haven’t got their heads around the fact that it’s 40 and not 50,” he said.

He also said more drivers were using the entrances at Teewah and Freshwater and people needed an awareness when they were approaching those areas.

“You need to have an understanding of where you are, distance-wise, and slow down or give it a wide berth,” he said.