Tourists flock to Gold Coast beaches ahead of the Easter long weekend

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Hundreds of thousands of tourists have flocked to the Gold Coast ahead of the Easter long weekend with the promise of perfect weather and a large swell. It's welcome news for the city after being battered by cyclone Alfred.

Transcript

00:00Soaking up the sun at Surfer's Paradise.

00:05I like seeing it full. It's like good to see how many people are coming out after everything's been back.

00:11Some beaches still being enjoyed from a distance, like this one at Narroneck,

00:16which remains closed due to severe scarping from tropical cyclone Alfred.

00:21I just hope that it gets back to normal soon so everyone can come back and enjoy the beach.

00:25That didn't turn you off from coming here?

00:27No, no, not at all. I always want to come back regardless.

00:30If it's on the grass, if it's on the sand.

00:32The Gold Coast Council had been working to repair them by Easter with the help of a dredging barge.

00:38The Mayor had pledged to buy a beer for everyone if 80% of the beaches weren't ready for the long weekend.

00:45The beach is all opened and all I can say is come on and enjoy what we have on the Gold Coast.

00:54The beaches aren't all open, are they? 100%?

00:57Oh, okay, 95%. You got me, you got me.

01:01While most have reopened, sandpumping works have been paused due to the large swells.

01:07It's got to come very close to where the sand is, which is near the waves.

01:12And if the swell's too high, it's a safety issue.

01:15But that hasn't stopped tourists from visiting.

01:18More than 200,000 people are expected to visit the Gold Coast over the next week and a half, with more than 20,000 due on Good Friday alone.

01:28Tourism operators hoping to recoup their losses say it's great news.

01:33Cyclone Alfred had a big hit at Karamban Wildlife Sanctuary. Unfortunately, we were shut for nine days straight.

01:38A hazardous surf warning is in place for the Gold Coast and parts of the South East until Friday night.

01:44For the first time, police will be patrolling tourist hotspots on e-bikes to ensure holidaymakers are safe.

01:51It gives our officers the ability to intercept tourists and locals who are using e-devices and make sure that they're adhering to the road rules.

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