North Head: Backpacker partygoers suspected of dumping rubbish at sunset beauty spot
Backpackers are being accused of destroying a sunset beauty spot on the northern beaches, after they left empty bottles and cans, drug paraphernalia, including a needle, and even a yoga mat behind.
Manly
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Empty beer cans, drug paraphernalia, suitcases, electronics, sleeping bags and even a yoga mat, as well as general rubbish, were dumped over a large area at North Head last week.
The pictures sent in by a Manly Daily reader also show a Brazilian scarf hanging from a tree as a centrepiece.
The northern beaches resident who is a regular runner at North Head, but doesn’t want to be named, said he stumbled across the scene just up from the Shelly Beach car park last week.
“It’s a spot where people like to watch the sunset,” he said.
“It’s just disgusting. It looks like they’ve emptied a wheelie bin full of rubbish up there.
“I don’t know whether people have been sleeping there also, but it looks like a party scene.
“They left behind a Brazilian scarf hanging from a tree.”
On Wednesday Northern Beaches Council staff cleaned up the site.
However, on Thursday the source who reported the rubbish originally said there was still broken glass and a needle there, as well as rubbish in another site a few metres away on the other side of the track.
It follows a number of other similar incidents at North Head including an illegal full moon rave earlier this month where partygoers left behind smashed beer bottles, cigarettes, tables and a gazebo as well as human faeces and a birthday party at the Old Quarry Swamp in January where spirit bottles and beer cans, as well as food waste and cigarette butts left scattered across the environmentally sensitive site.
Cr Candy Bingham told the Manly Daily that the dumping of rubbish at unofficial party sites at North Head was a growing problem and that she would be bringing it to the attention of police.
She said there was an issue with underage drinking in Manly, but in this instance it could be backpackers.
“They clearly know they are doing the wrong thing,” she said.
“It’s been happening a fair bit and I’ve had reports from residents who are sometimes cleaning it up themselves.
“This is absolutely becoming an issue.”
Cr Bingham said she would be bringing it up at the new community safety committee meeting next week.