Gold Coast beaches fail to make top five in Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) annual rankings

The Gold Coast has failed to make the top five in Surf Life Saving Queensland’s annual list of the state’s best patrolled beaches – and the winner may come as a surprise. SEE THE FULL LIST

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THE Gold Coast has failed to make top five in Surf Life Saving Queensland’s (SLSQ) annual list of Queensland’s best patrolled beaches, losing out to The Strand in Townsville.

The top 10 list based on safety, facilities and nearby services includes Coolangatta in eighth place, Burleigh Head ninth and Kirra in 10th place.

Beachgoers out and about at Burleigh. Picture: Tim Marsden

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Alma Bay at Magnetic Island seized second place, Cylinder Beach at North Stradbroke Island took out third and Kings Beach on the Sunshine Coast ranked at fourth place.

Palm Cove in North Queensland snagged fifth place, Torquay Beach at Hervey Bay took sixth and Mooloolaba Beach on the Sunshine Coast scored seventh place.

While it’s tough to beat the beauty of some of the Gold Coast’s most popular beaches, the city was shocked by a spate of tragic drownings last month.

Peter Downey from Wulguru at The Strand in Townsville. Admittedly, this is not the most flash photo of the popular regional swimming spot. Picture: Evan Morgan

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Three people drowned at Coast beaches in February – Broadbeach gym manager Jake Jacobs, 32, his female companion Julia Boika, 29, and a Victorian tourist, aged 34.

The Coast was also rocked by the shark attack death of Miami surfer and real estate agent Nick Slater at Greenmount Beach on September 8 last year, marking the first fatal attack on city beaches in more than 60 years.

The sun sets over Coolangatta Beach. Picture: Instagram/@black_sesame (Alison Miller)

SLSQ lifesaving services manager Peta Lawlor said a range of factors had been considered when compiling the best beaches list, but safety was evidently key.

“No doubt, many Queenslanders have their own favourite beach. Determining our top 10 is always a tough job, but it allows us to highlight some of the safer beaches for swimmers to visit,” she said.

A quiet day at Kirra Beach. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Steve Holland

“Safety is our core focus as we aim for zero preventable deaths in Queensland public waters. With that in mind, when determining our top beaches, we consider patrol times and services, incident history and coastal conditions.”

Ms Lawlor said the state’s beaches have been “absolutely packed throughout the summer period as more people chose to holiday at home”.

A surfer tackles a wave at Kirra Beach. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Steve Holland

“Along with the large crowds we have seen some challenging surf conditions on southeast Queensland beaches throughout summer, which has kept our patrols busy,” she said.

“Across Queensland lifesavers and lifeguards performed 1700 rescues, 299,075 preventative actions and 17,406 first aid treatments.”

A more flattering photo of The Strand at Townsville.

The report was a timely reminder to always consider your safety and only swim between the red and yellow flags during patrolled hours, she said.