Your safety and protecting the environment

The Basics

Exploring Noosa Biosphere Reserve can be hot and thirsty work even on short excursions. Pack sunscreen, hat, light and loose fitting clothing and adequate drinking water.

Litter is more than a nuisance. Plastic bags pose a threat to marine life and discarded rubbish can cause injury if partially concealed in sand or under leaves. Most of the time, it happens by accident but be mindful during a picnic or out on a boat – a gust of wind could lead to a hefty fine!

Camping

Designated camp grounds throughout the biosphere reserve are very popular all year round. The most common accidents reported relate to campfires.

• Just one second of contact with material at 70 degrees will inflict a full thickness (3rd degree) burn.
• A campfire extinguished with sand or dirt retains a lot of heat and can camouflage still-hot coals.
• Always extinguish campfires with water.
• Only ever light campfires if permitted. Bushfires can devastate huge areas and often cause fatalities.

Bushwalking

It’s never a great idea to go walking alone in National Parks. You can often be beyond mobile telephone range if an accident were to occur, you’ll be glad someone’s there to help.

• Regardless of how many people you go with, always give someone at home a copy of your travel plans.
• If you’re unfamiliar with the area, choose popular routes and stay on the track.
• Finally, it makes sense to know the weather forecast and plan your walking time, especially in winter when daylight hours are shorter. Remember, we have no Daylight Saving time in Queensland.

Animals

Snakes are a consideration although bites are reasonably rare. If you are bitten:

• Try to remain calm and note any identifying marks on the snake.
• Do not clean or wipe the venom away as this can help identify the snake.
• Apply a broad, firm bandage directly over the bite and cover as much of the limb as possible.
• Do not remove any clothing as the aim is to stay very still.
• Call an ambulance on 000.

Our most common snakes are the Eastern Brown and the Red Bellied Black Snake – both are highly venomous.

Shark attacks are very rare but there are regular sightings along the ocean beaches and occasional reports of bull sharks in the river. To help avoid the possibility of shark attack, here are some common sense rules:

• Always heed the warning of lifeguards at the beach
• Do not swim at night
• Do not swim in murky waters
• Do not swim if you are bleeding
• Do not throw food scraps into the water
• If fishing, do not discard fish scraps or guts into waters where people swim

Swimming

Many surf beaches in southern Queensland have strong currents, called rips. These are powerful currents of water that can drag you away from the beach. If you are caught in a rip, do not panic. Simply raise one arm and float until help arrives. Attempting to swim against the tide can be dangerous because a swimmer in trouble will quickly lose energy. If you must swim against a rip or current, swim diagonally across it.

• Swim between the flags on patrolled beaches
• Do not swim if you are unsure of your ability to handle the sea conditions
• Do not swim when under the influence of drugs or alcohol Do not swim at night
• Always swim with a buddy to keep an eye on each other or have someone watch you from the beach
• Never run, jump or dive into shallow waters at the beach.