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Tragic confirmation of Julian Sands' death

<p>Missing British actor Julia Sands has been confirmed dead at age 65.</p> <p>Californian hikers <a href="https://www.oversixty.com.au/news/news/human-remains-found-in-search-for-missing-actor" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered human remains</a> in the surrounding area where the actor was said to have vanished, and the remains have now been identified as Sands, according to authorities.</p> <p>"The identification process for the body located on Mt. Baldy on June 24, 2023, has been completed and was positively identified as 65-year-old Julian Sands of North Hollywood," the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department said in a statement.</p> <p>"The manner of death is still under investigation, pending further test results," it continued.</p> <p>"We would like to extend our gratitude to all the volunteers that worked tirelessly to locate Mr. Sands.”</p> <p>Sands’ tragic death comes days after a search and rescue was resumed by the San Bernardino Sherrif’s Office, which had been leading the searches for the missing actor over the past six months.</p> <p>The local region experienced wild and uncharacteristic weather which led to a more difficult search.</p> <p>Sands was first reported missing in January after setting out to hike the notoriously dangerous Mount Baldy, which rises more than 10,000 feet (approx. 3048 metres) east of Los Angeles and has been hit with severe storms during their winter season.</p> <p>"We continue to hold Julian in our hearts with bright memories of him as a wonderful father, husband, explorer, lover of the natural world and the arts, and as an original and collaborative performer," the statement said.</p> <p>Sands’ family released a statement at the time of his disappearance, saying, "Our heartfelt thanks to the compassionate members of the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department who are coordinating the search for our beloved Julian, not least the heroic search teams listed below who are braving difficult conditions on the ground and in the air to bring Julian home,”</p> <p>Sands’ son Henry also released a statement in April to praise the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Department for their continued efforts in rescuing his father.</p> <p>"I am hugely appreciative for all the efforts made so far from the volunteer search and rescue climbers and the San Bernardino county sheriff team to bring my father home," Henry Sands told <em>The Times</em>.</p> <p><em>Image credit: Getty</em></p>

News

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Coastal property prices and climate risks are both soaring. We must pull our heads out of the sand

<p>Australians’ <a href="https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australians-beach">well-documented</a> affinity with the sun, surf and sand continues to fuel <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/property/news/stunning-holiday-hotspots-where-house-prices-have-doubled-in-five-years-20221109-p5bwuk.html">coastal property market growth</a>. This growth defies rising interest rates and growing evidence of the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jul/23/against-the-tide-storm-battered-wamberal-residents-cling-to-beachfront-homes">impacts of climate change</a> on people living in vulnerable coastal locations.</p> <p>People in these areas are finding it harder to insure their properties against these risks. Insurers view the Australian market as sensitive to climate risks, as climate change impacts can trigger large insurance payouts. They are <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/12/australians-facing-prohibitive-insurance-premiums-after-climate-related-disasters">pricing their products accordingly</a>.</p> <p>Clearly, there is a vast disconnect between the coastal property market and climate change impacts such as increasingly severe storms, tidal surges, coastal erosion and flooding. There is no shortage of <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/32-billion-of-cba-mortgages-exposed-to-extreme-weather-risks-climate-analysis-finds-20220819-p5bb5p.html">reports</a>, <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/australian-homes-uninsurable-2030-climate-risk-map/">studies</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-11-18/gold-coast-council-additional-88-000-properties-at-flood-risk/101664596">analyses</a> confirming the climate risks we are already living with. Yet another alarming <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/research/environmental-impacts/climate-change/State-of-the-Climate">State of the Climate</a> report was released last week.</p> <p>We keep talking about reaching global net-zero emissions. But this “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwD1kG4PI0w">blah blah blah</a>” masks the fact that climate impacts are already with us. Even if we make deeper, faster cuts to emissions, as we must, our world is now warmer. Australians will <a href="https://www.science.org.au/supporting-science/science-policy-and-analysis/reports-and-publications/risks-australia-three-degrees-c-warmer-world">feel the effects of that warming</a>.</p> <p>We ultimately cannot afford the price of business as usual, as embodied by so many coastal developments.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZwD1kG4PI0w?wmode=transparent&start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Greta Thunberg denounces the ‘blah, blah, blah’ from world leaders in response to the climate emergency.</span></figcaption></figure> <p><strong>Risks are worrying banks and insurers</strong></p> <p>In Australia, the disasters and the environmental collapse we are experiencing will get worse. While a range of businesses see this as opening up <a href="https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/accc-internet-sweeps-target-greenwashing-fake-online-reviews">new market and product frontiers</a>, the fact is climate change is creating a fundamentally uncertain, unstable and difficult world.</p> <p>Banks have a <a href="https://law-store.wolterskluwer.com/s/product/banking-on-climate-change-how-finance-actors-regulatory-regimes/01t0f00000J3aMk">central role</a> in addressing climate risks. They are <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-can-your-bank-help-reduce-climate-change-risks-to-your-home-60049">exposed to climate risk</a> through residential lending on properties that are vulnerable to climate impacts and now <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/26/australias-unraveling-climate-risk-leaving-more-homes-uninsurable-against-flooding-expert-warns">face insurance pressures</a>.</p> <p>One in 25 Australian homes are <a href="https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/resources/australian-homes-uninsurable-2030-climate-risk-map/">projected to be uninsurable by 2030</a>. The Australian government risks bearing the large costs of supporting the underinsured or uninsured – otherwise known as <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/disaster-funding/report">being “the insurer of last resort”</a>.</p> <p>This costly legacy shows why planning decisions made now must take account of climate change impacts, and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40641-020-00161-z">not just in the wake of disasters</a>.</p> <p>The rapidly escalating impacts and risks across sectors demand that we undertake mitigation and adaptation at the same time, urgently and on a large scale. This means reducing emissions to negative levels – not just reaching net zero and transitioning our energy sector, but also actively removing greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.</p> <p>We must also respond to climate change risks already locked into the system. We have to make substantial changes in how we think about, treat, price and act on these risks.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Australia’s ‘unraveling’ climate risk leaving more homes uninsurable against flooding, expert warns <a href="https://t.co/cLj1SKei72">https://t.co/cLj1SKei72</a></p> <p>— Guardian Australia (@GuardianAus) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuardianAus/status/1596294943529893888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>As the climate shifts, so must our coastal dream</strong></p> <p>The consequences of a warming climate, including reaching and crossing tipping points in the Earth’s weather systems, are <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abn7950#core-collateral-purchase-access">occurring sooner than anticipated</a>. The required behavioural, institutional and structural changes are vast and challenging.</p> <p>People are often attached to places based on <a href="https://rgs-ibg.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/tran.12368">historical knowledge</a> of them. These lived experiences, while important, inform a worldview based on an understanding of our environment before the <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-19-2428-6_2">rapid onset</a> of climate change. This can skew our climate risk responses, but compounding climate impacts are outpacing our ability to adapt as we might have in the past.</p> <p>Institutional signalling, such as <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/property-values-are-at-risk-in-climate-change-hot-spots-rba-warns-20210917-p58skt.html">warnings by the Reserve Bank</a>, support greater public awareness of climate impacts and risks.</p> <p>When buying a property, people need to consider these factors more seriously than, say, having an extra bathroom. Obligatory disclosure of regional climate change impacts could inform buyers’ decision-making. The data and models used would have to be clear on the validity and limitations of their scenarios.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">A great presentation from <a href="https://twitter.com/Tayanah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Tayanah</a> at the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/C2C2021?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#C2C2021</a> about the legal status of property rights in Australia enabling (or otherwise...) managed retreat as a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/climateadaptation?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#climateadaptation</a> solution. Once again we find the climate projections are ahead of our legal preced…<a href="https://t.co/XgDVV5O0Gj">https://t.co/XgDVV5O0Gj</a></p> <p>— Anthony Boxshall (@ScienceN2Action) <a href="https://twitter.com/ScienceN2Action/status/1420173588217303044?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2021</a></p></blockquote> <p><strong>Nature-based and equitable solutions</strong></p> <p>In recent years there has been an increasing focus on nature-based solutions. This approach uses natural systems and tools for tackling societal issues such as the enormous and complex risks posed by climate change. Indeed, many Indigenous peoples, communities and ways of knowing <a href="https://www.facetsjournal.com/doi/full/10.1139/facets-2019-0058">have long recognised</a> the fundamental role of nature in making good and safe lives possible for people.</p> <p>Nature-based solutions provide a suite of valuable tools for remedying issues we’re already facing on coasts. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0964569121000399">For example</a>, in many contexts, building hard seawalls is often a temporary solution, which instils a false sense of security. Planting soft barriers such as mangroves and dense, deep-rooting vegetation can provide a more enduring solution. It also restores fish habitat, purifies water and eases floods.</p> <p>Acknowledging the well-being of people and nature as interconnected has important implications for decisions about relocating people from high-risk areas. Effective planned retreat strategies must not only get people out of harm’s way, but account for where they will move and how precious ecosystems will be protected as demand for land supply shifts. Nature-based solutions must be built into retreat policies too.</p> <p>As the Australian Academy of Science’s <a href="https://www.science.org.au/news-and-events/events/launch-national-strategy-just-adaptation">Strategy for Just Adaptation</a> explains, effective adaptation also embeds equity and justice in the process. <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-019-02535-1">Research</a> on historic retreat strategies has shown that a failure to properly consider and respect people’s choices, resources and histories can further entrench inequities. Giving people moving to a new home as much choice as possible helps them work through an emotional and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0964569116301119">highly political process</a>.</p> <p>We all need to find the courage to have difficult conversations, to seek information to make prudent choices, and to do all we can to respond to the growing climate risks that confront us. As climate activist Greta Thunburg <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwD1kG4PI0w">says</a>:</p> <blockquote> <p>“Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah blah blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people.”</p> </blockquote> <p>Acting on this kind of hope can put us on an altogether different and more positive path.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/195357/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><em>Writen by Tayanah O'Donnell and Eleanor Robson. Republished with permission from <a href="https://theconversation.com/coastal-property-prices-and-climate-risks-are-both-soaring-we-must-pull-our-heads-out-of-the-sand-195357" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Real Estate

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The wild weather of La Niña could wipe out vast stretches of Australia’s beaches and sand dunes

<p>Australians along the east cost are bracing for yet another round of heavy rainfall this weekend, after a band of stormy weather soaked <a href="https://theconversation.com/on-our-wettest-days-stormclouds-can-dump-30-trillion-litres-of-water-across-australia-191949">most of the continent</a> this week.</p> <p>The Bureau of Meteorology has <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUsNQ_-fNbM&amp;ab_channel=BureauofMeteorology">alerted</a> southern inland Queensland, eastern New South Wales, Victoria and northern Tasmania to ongoing flood risks, as the rain falls on already flooded or saturated catchments.</p> <p>This widespread wet weather heralds <a href="https://theconversation.com/la-nina-3-years-in-a-row-a-climate-scientist-on-what-flood-weary-australians-can-expect-this-summer-190542">Australia’s rare third</a> back-to-back La Niña, which goes hand-in-hand with heavy rain. There is, however, another pressing issue arising from La Niña events: coastal erosion.</p> <p>The wild weather associated with La Niña will drive more erosion along Australia’s east coast – enough to wipe out entire stretches of beaches and dunes, if all factors align. So, it’s important we heed lessons from past storms and plan ahead, as climate change <a href="https://theconversation.com/2022s-supercharged-summer-of-climate-extremes-how-global-warming-and-la-nina-fueled-disasters-on-top-of-disasters-190546">will only exacerbate</a> future coastal disasters.</p> <figure><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QUsNQ_-fNbM?wmode=transparent&amp;start=0" width="440" height="260" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe><figcaption><span class="caption">Ongoing flood risk for eastern Australia | Bureau of Meteorology.</span></figcaption></figure> <h2>How La Niña batters coastlines</h2> <p>La Niña is associated with warmer waters in the western Pacific Ocean, which increase storminess off Australia’s east coast. Chances of a higher number of tropical cyclones increase, as do the chances of cyclones travelling further south and further inland, and of more frequent passages of east coast lows.</p> <p>Australians had a taste of this in 1967, when the Gold Coast was hit by the largest storm cluster on record, made up of four cyclones and three east coast lows within six months. 1967 wasn’t even an official La Niña year, with the index just below the La Niña threshold.</p> <p>Such frequency didn’t allow beaches to recover between storms, and the overall erosion was unprecedented. It <a href="https://impact.griffith.edu.au/seawall-engineering/">forced many</a> local residents to use anything on hand, even cars, to protect their properties and other infrastructure.</p> <p>Official La Niña events occurred soon after. This included a double-dip La Niña between 1970 and 1972, followed by a triple-dip La Niña between 1973 and 1976.</p> <p>These events fuelled two cyclones in 1972, two in 1974 and one in 1976, wreaking havoc along the entire east coast of Australia. Indeed, 1967 and 1974 are considered <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/northern-beaches/one-of-the-storms-that-hit-us-in-1974-was-among-the-three-worst-since-white-settlement/news-story/0cd5ca874d6b37206762d8485e4eb442">record years</a> for storm-induced coastal erosion.</p> <p>Studies show the extreme erosion of 1974 was caused by a combination of large waves coinciding with <a href="https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1066&amp;context=scipapers">above-average high tides</a>. It took over ten years for the sand to come back to the beach and for <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4300263">dunes to recover</a>. However, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-022-00437-2">recent studies</a> also show single extreme storms can bring back considerable amounts of sand from deeper waters.</p> <p>La Niña also modifies the direction of waves along the east coast, resulting in waves approaching from a more easterly direction (<a href="https://www.surfline.com/surf-news/forecaster-blog-la-nina-conditions-mean-surf/97904">anticlockwise</a>).</p> <p>This subtle change has huge implications when it comes to erosion of otherwise more sheltered <a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/how-la-nina-may-damage-queensland-tourist-hot-spots-041805874.html">north-facing beaches</a>. We saw this during the recent, and relatively weaker, double La Niña of 2016-18.</p> <p>In 2016, an east coast low of only moderate intensity produced extreme erosion, similar to that of 1974. Scenes of destruction along NSW – including a collapsed backyard pool on <a href="https://www.wrl.unsw.edu.au/news/wrl-coastal-engineers-document-the-worst-erosion-at-collaroy-since-1974">Collaroy Beach</a> – are now <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-06-06/nsw-weather-large-waves-hit-collaroy-coast/7479846#:%7E:text=NSW%20weather%3A%20Collaroy%20swimming%20pool%20collapses%20as%20giant%20waves%20hit%20beachfront%20houses,-Posted%20Sun%205&amp;text=Waves%20up%20to%208%20metres,as%20wild%20weather%20battered%20NSW.">iconic</a>.</p> <p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-05792-1">This is largely</a> because wave direction deviated from the average by 45 degrees anticlockwise, during winter solstice spring tides when water levels are higher.</p> <h2>All ducks aligned?</h2> <p>The current triple-dip La Niña started in 2020. Based on Australia’s limited record since 1900, we know the final events in such sequences tend to be the weakest.</p> <p>However, when it comes to coastal hazards, history tells us smaller but more frequent storms can cause as much or more erosion than one large event. This is mostly about the combination of storm direction, sequencing and high water levels.</p> <p>For example, Bribie Island in Queensland was hit by relatively large easterly waves from ex-Tropical Cyclone Seth earlier this year, coinciding with above-average high tides. This caused the island to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-27/bribie-island-changes-could-create-new-caloundra-bar/100777038#:%7E:text=Ex%2DTropical%20Cyclone%20Seth%20has,splitting%20the%20island%20in%20two.">split in two</a> and form a 300-metre wide passage of seawater.</p> <p>Further, the prolonged period of easterly waves since 2020 has already taken a toll on beaches and dunes in Australia.</p> <p>Traditionally, spring is the season when sand is transported onshore under fair-weather waves, building back wide beaches and tall dunes nearest to the sea. However, beaches haven’t had time to fully recover from the previous two years, which makes them more vulnerable to future erosion.</p> <p>Repeated <a href="https://www.usc.edu.au/about/structure/schools/school-of-science-technology-and-engineering/coast4d">elevation measurements</a> by our team and citizen scientists along beaches in the Sunshine Coast and Noosa show shorelines have eroded more than 10m landwards since the beginning of this year. As the photo below shows, 2-3m high erosion scarps (which look like small cliffs) have formed along dunes due to frequent heavy rainfalls and waves.</p> <p>On the other hand, we can also see that the wet weather has led to greater growth of vegetation on dunes, such as native spinifex and dune bean.</p> <p>Experiments in laboratory settings show dune vegetation can dissipate up to 40-50% of the water level reached as a result of waves, and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0272771418307583">reduce erosion</a>. But whether this increase in dune vegetation mitigates further erosion remains to be seen.</p> <h2>A challenging future</h2> <p>The chances of witnessing coastal hazards similar to those in 1967 or 1974 in the coming season are real and, in the unfortunate case they materialise, we should be ready to act. Councils and communities need to prepare ahead and work together towards recovery if disaster strikes using, for example, sand nourishment and sandbags.</p> <p>Looking ahead, it remains essential to further our understanding about coastal dynamics – especially in a <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-09-03/gold-coast-no-stranger-to-beach-erosion/101381812#:%7E:text=a%20huge%20challenge-,Millions%20spent%20to%20protect%20Gold%20Coast%20beaches%2C%20but,change%20poses%20a%20huge%20challenge&amp;text=In%201967%2C%20Gold%20Coast%20beaches,and%20ruined%20the%20tourist%20season.">changing climate</a> – so we can better manage densely populated coastal regions.</p> <p>After all, much of what we know about the dynamics of Australia’s east coast has been supported by coastal monitoring programs, which were implemented <a href="https://www.publications.qld.gov.au/dataset/coastal-observation-program-engineering">along Queensland</a> and NSW after the 1967 and 1974 storms.</p> <p>Scientists predict that La Niña conditions along the east coast of Australia – such as warmer waters, higher sea levels, stronger waves and more waves coming from the east – will become <a href="https://theconversation.com/climate-fuelled-wave-patterns-pose-an-erosion-risk-for-developing-countries-184064">the norm under climate change</a>.</p> <p>It’s crucial we start having a serious conversation about coastal adaptation strategies, including implementing a <a href="https://www.usc.edu.au/about/unisc-news/news-archive/2022/january/coastal-erosion-may-force-retreat-from-the-sea#:%7E:text=Giving%20up%20land%20to%20the,of%20the%20Sunshine%20Coast%20researcher.">managed retreat</a>. The longer we take, the higher the costs will be.<!-- Below is The Conversation's page counter tag. Please DO NOT REMOVE. --><img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/191941/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /><!-- End of code. If you don't see any code above, please get new code from the Advanced tab after you click the republish button. The page counter does not collect any personal data. More info: https://theconversation.com/republishing-guidelines --></p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/javier-leon-262182">Javier Leon</a>, Senior lecturer, <em><a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-the-sunshine-coast-1068">University of the Sunshine Coast</a></em></p> <p>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-wild-weather-of-la-nina-could-wipe-out-vast-stretches-of-australias-beaches-and-sand-dunes-191941">original article</a>.</p>

Domestic Travel

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Sailors rescued from tiny island after writing giant "SOS" in the sand

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Three missing sailors have been found on a tiny island in the western Pacific after a desperate message saying SOS in the sand that was spotted from the air. </p> <p>The men were found on Sunday after they had been missing for three days, and were reportedly "in good health", according to the Australian Defence Ministry. </p> <p>Their call for help was written on the beach of Pikelot Island, 190 kilometres west of where they had set out and was seen by Australian and US aircraft.  </p> <p>A ship, the HMAS Canberra, headed to the sailors' aid and a helicopter landed on the beach. </p> <p>The ship brought water and food for the men as well as carrying out identity and health checks. </p> <p>The men were reportedly sailing between the atolls Poluwat and Pulap, a journey of 42 kilometres when they veered off course and ran out of fuel. </p> <p>A Micronesian patrol vessel, FSS Independence, is heading to the island to pick up the men. </p> <p>Canberra's Commanding Officer Captain Terry Morrison said the response by the ship's company to the operation was outstanding. </p> <p>"The ship's company responded to the call and had the ship quickly prepared to support the search and rescue," Captain Morrison said. </p> <p>"In particular, our embarked MRH90 helicopter from No. 808 Squadron and the four armed reconnaissance helicopters from 1st Aviation Regiment were instrumental in the morning search that helped locate the men and deliver supplies and confirm their welfare. </p> <p>"I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfil our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world."</p> <p><em>Photo credit: Australian Department of Defence</em></p> </div> </div> </div>

Travel Trouble

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Sun, sand and uncertainty: The promise and peril of a Pacific tourism bubble

<p>Pacific nations have largely <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&amp;objectid=12328702">avoided</a> the worst health effects of COVID-19, but its economic impact has been devastating. With the tourism tap turned off, unemployment has soared while GDP has plummeted.</p> <p>In recent weeks, Fiji Airways laid off 775 employees and souvenir business Jack’s of Fiji laid off 500. In Vanuatu 70% of tourism workers have lost their jobs. Cook Islands is estimated to have experienced a <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2020/05/18/1177034/an-island-in-debt">60% drop in GDP</a> in the past three months.</p> <p>In response, many are calling for the Pacific to be included in the proposed <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/121727144/coronavirus-transtasman-travel-bubble-date-down-to-australians-winston-peters-says">trans-Tasman travel corridor</a>. Such calls have come from <a href="https://devpolicy.org/vanuatu-a-tourism-sector-perspective-on-potential-recovery-from-covid-19-and-tc-harold-20200506-1/">tourism operators</a>, <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/418156/pressure-mounts-on-nz-and-aust-to-include-pacific-in-bubble">politicians</a> and at least one <a href="https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/2020/05/28/1205479/nz-pacific-islands-bubble-should-come-first">health expert</a>.</p> <p>Quarantine concerns aside, there is economic logic to this. Australians and New Zealanders make up <a href="http://pacific.scoop.co.nz/2019/06/tourism-sector-achieves-3-16-million-visitor-arrivals-in-18/">more than 50%</a> of travellers to the region. Some countries are massively dependent: two-thirds of visitors to Fiji and three-quarters of visitors to Cook Islands are Aussies and Kiwis.</p> <p>Cook Islands has budgeted NZ$140 million for economic recovery, but this will increase the tiny nation’s debt. Prime Minister Henry Puna has <a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/travel/2020/06/cook-islands-prime-minister-calls-for-pacific-bubble-as-soon-as-new-zealand-enters-covid-19-alert-level-1.html">argued for</a> a limited tourism bubble as soon as New Zealand relaxes its COVID-19 restrictions to alert level 1. Cook Islands News editor Jonathan Milne <a href="https://player.whooshkaa.com/coronavirus-nz?episode=665993">estimates</a> 75-80% of the population is “desperate to get the tourists back”.</p> <p>A Pacific bubble would undoubtedly help economic recovery. But this merely highlights how <a href="https://www.eco-business.com/opinion/impact-of-covid-19-on-tourism-in-small-island-developing-states/">vulnerable</a> these island economies have become. Tourism <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/337854342_Development_and_change_Reflections_on_tourism_in_the_South_Pacific">accounts</a> for between 10% and 70% of GDP and up to one in four jobs across the South Pacific.</p> <p>The pressure to reopen borders is understandable. But we argue that a tourism bubble cannot be looked at in isolation. It should be part of a broader strategy to diversify economies and enhance linkages (e.g. between agriculture and tourism, to put more local food on restaurant menus), especially in those countries that are most perilously dependent on tourism.</p> <p><strong>Over-dependence on tourism is a trap</strong></p> <p>Pacific nations such as Vanuatu and Fiji have recovered quickly from past crises such as the GFC, cyclones and coups because of the continuity of tourism. COVID-19 has turned that upside down.</p> <p>People are coping in the short term by reviving subsistence farming, fishing and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/08/two-piglets-for-a-kayak-fiji-returns-to-barter-system-as-covid-19-hits-economy">bartering</a> for goods and services. Many are still suffering, however, due to limited state welfare systems.</p> <p>In Fiji’s case, the government has taken the drastic step of allowing laid-off or temporarily unemployed workers to withdraw from their superannuation savings in the National Provident Fund. Retirement funds have also been used to <a href="https://www.fijivillage.com/news/We-need-Fiji-Airways-to-come-back-strongly-for-the-future-of-the-country---Koroi-48r5xf/">lend FJ$53.6 million</a> to the struggling national carrier, Fiji Airways.</p> <p>Fiji has taken on more debt to cope. Its debt-to-GDP ratio, which ideally should sit below 40% for developing economies, has risen from 48.9% before the pandemic to 60.9%. It’s likely to <a href="http://www.economy.gov.fj/images/Budget/budgetdocuments/supplements/SUPPLEMENT-TO-THE-COVID-19-RESPONSE-BUDGET-ADDRESS.pdf">increase further</a>.</p> <p>High debt, lack of economic diversity and dependence on tourism put the Fijian economy in a very vulnerable position. Recovery will take a long time, probably requiring assistance from the country’s main trading partners. In the meantime, Fiji is pinning hopes on joining a New Zealand-Australia <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/416392/fiji-keen-to-join-nz-australia-travel-bubble">travel bubble</a>.</p> <p><strong>Out of crisis comes opportunity</strong></p> <p>Supporting Pacific states to recover is an opportunity for New Zealand and Australia to put their respective Pacific <a href="https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/about-us/mfat-annual-reports/mfat-annual-report-2018-19/case-study-the-pacific-reset-a-year-on/">Reset</a> and <a href="https://www.dfat.gov.au/geo/pacific/Pages/the-pacific">Step-Up</a> policies into practice. If building more reciprocal, equitable relationships with Pacific states is the goal, now is the time to ensure economic recovery also strengthens their socio-economic, environmental and political infrastructures.</p> <p>Economic well-being within the Pacific region is already closely linked to New Zealand and Australia through seasonal workers in horticulture and viticulture, remittance payments, trade and travel. But for many years there has been a major trade imbalance in favour of New Zealand and Australia. Shifting that balance beyond the recovery phase will involve facilitating long-term resilience and sustainable development in the region.</p> <p>A good place to start would be the recent United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific <a href="https://www.unescap.org/sites/default/files/Policy%20brief_MPFD_Combating%20COVID-19%20in%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific%20updated.pdf">report</a> on recovering from COVID-19. Its recommendations include such measures as implementing social protection programs, integrating climate action into plans to revive economies, and encouraging more socially and environmentally responsible businesses.</p> <p>This is about more than altruism – enlightened self-interest should also drive the New Zealand and Australian agenda. Any longer-term economic downturn in the South Pacific, due in part to over-reliance on tourism, could lead to instability in the region. There is a clear <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/11/the-next-economic-crisis-could-cause-a-global-conflict-heres-why">link</a> between serious economic crises and social unrest.</p> <p>At a broader level, the pandemic is already <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Coronavirus-gives-China-an-edge-as-it-expands-sway-in-the-Pacific">entrenching</a> Chinese regional influence: loans from China make up 62% of Tonga’s total foreign borrowing; for Vanuatu the figure is 43%; for Samoa 39%.</p> <p>China is taking the initiative through what some call “<a href="https://devpolicy.org/chinas-coronavirus-covid-19-diplomacy-in-the-pacific-20200527-1/">COVID-19 diplomacy</a>”. This involves funding pandemic stimulus packages and offering aid and investment throughout the Pacific, including drafting a <a href="https://www.fbcnews.com.fj/news/free-trade-agreement-talks-underway-between-fiji-and-china/">free trade agreement</a> with Fiji.</p> <p>That is not to say Chinese investment in Pacific economies won’t do good. Rather, it is an argument for thinking beyond the immediate benefits of a travel bubble. By realigning their development priorities, Australia and New Zealand can help the Pacific build a better, more sustainable future.</p> <p><em>Written by Regina Scheyvens and Apisalome Movono. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/sun-sand-and-uncertainty-the-promise-and-peril-of-a-pacific-tourism-bubble-139661">The Conversation.</a> </em></p> <p><em> </em></p>

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The world may lose half its sandy beaches by 2100: It’s not too late to save most of them

<p>For many coastal regions, sea-level rise is a looming crisis threatening our coastal society, livelihoods and coastal ecosystems. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-020-0697-0">A new study</a>, published in Nature Climate Change, has reported the world will lose almost half of its valuable sandy beaches by 2100 as the ocean moves landward with rising sea levels.</p> <p>Sandy beaches comprise about a third of the world’s coastline. And Australia, with nearly 12,000 kilometres at risk, could be hit hard.</p> <p>This is the first truly global study to attempt to quantify beach erosion. The results for the highest greenhouse gas emission scenario are alarming, but reducing emissions lead to lower rates of coastal erosion.</p> <p>Our best hope for the future of the world’s coastlines and for Australia’s iconic beaches is to keep global warming as low as possible by urgently reducing greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p><strong>Losing sand in coastal erosion</strong></p> <p>Two of the largest problems resulting from <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/">rising sea levels</a> are coastal erosion and an already-observed increase in the frequency of coastal flooding events.</p> <p>Erosion during storms can have dramatic consequences, particularly for coastal infrastructure. We saw this in 2016, when <a href="https://theconversation.com/sydneys-wild-weather-shows-home-owners-are-increasingly-at-risk-60621">wild storms</a> removed sand from beaches and damaged houses in Sydney.</p> <p>After storms like this, beaches often gradually recover, because sand from deeper waters washes back to the shore over months to years and in some cases decades. These dramatic storms and the long-term <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S002532271630010X">sand supply</a> make it difficult to identify any beach movement in the recent past from sea-level rise.</p> <p>What we do know is that the rate of sea-level rise has <a href="https://theconversation.com/contributions-to-sea-level-rise-have-increased-by-half-since-1993-largely-because-of-greenlands-ice-79175">accelerated</a>. It has increased by half since 1993, and is continuing to accelerate from ongoing greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p>If we continue to emit high levels of greenhouse gases, this acceleration will continue through the 21st century and <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-science-really-say-about-sea-level-rise-56807">beyond</a>. As a result, the supply of sand may not be able to keep pace with rapidly rising sea levels.</p> <p><strong>Projections for the worst-case scenario</strong></p> <p>In the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/srocc/">report</a>, released last year, the highest greenhouse gas emissions scenario resulted in global warming of more than 4°C (relative to pre-industrial temperatures) and a likely range of sea-level rise between 0.6 and 1.1 metres by 2100.</p> <p>For this scenario, this new study projects a global average landward movement of the coastline in the range of 40 to 250 metres if there were no physical limits to shoreline movement, such as those imposed by sea walls or other coastal infrastructure.</p> <p>Sea-level rise is responsible for the vast majority of this beach loss, with faster loss during the latter decades of the 21st century when the rate of rise is larger. And sea levels will continue to rise for centuries, so beach erosion would continue well after 2100.</p> <p>For southern Australia, the landward movement of the shoreline is projected to be more than 100 metres. This would damage many of Australia’s iconic tourist beaches such as Bondi, Manly and the Gold Coast. The movement in northern Australia is projected to be even larger, but more uncertain because of ongoing historical shoreline trends.</p> <p><strong>What happens if we mitigate our emissions</strong></p> <p>The above results are from a worst-case scenario. If greenhouse gas emissions were reduced such that the 2100 global temperature rose by about 2.5°C, instead of more than 4°C, then we’d reduce beach erosion by about a third of what’s projected in this worst-case scenario.</p> <p>Current global policies would result in about <a href="https://climateactiontracker.org/global/cat-thermometer/">3°C of global warming</a>. That’s between the 4°C and the 2.5°C scenarios considered in this beach erosion study, implying our current policies will lead to significant beach erosion, including in Australia.</p> <p>Mitigating our emissions even further to achieving the Paris goal of keeping temperature rise to well below 2°C would be a major step in reducing beach loss.</p> <p><strong>Why coastal erosion is hard to predict</strong></p> <p>Projecting sea-level rise and resulting beach erosion are particularly difficult as both depend on many factors.</p> <p>For sea level, the major problems are estimating the contribution of melting Antarctic ice flowing into the ocean, how sea level will change on a regional scale, and the amount of global warming.</p> <p>The beach erosion calculated in this new study depends on several new databases. The databases of recent shoreline movement used to project ongoing natural factors might already be influenced by rising sea levels, possibly leading to an overestimate in the final calculations.</p> <p><strong>The implications</strong></p> <p>Regardless of the exact numbers reported in this study, it’s clear we will have to adapt to the beach erosion that we can no longer prevent, if we are to continue enjoying our beaches.</p> <p>This means we need appropriate planning, such as beach nourishment (adding sand to beaches to combat erosion) and other soft and hard engineering solutions. In some cases, we’ll even need to retreat from the coast to allow the beach to migrate landward.</p> <p>And if we are to continue to enjoy our sandy beaches into the future, we cannot allow ongoing and increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The world needs urgent, significant and sustained global mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.</p> <p><em>Written by John Church. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-world-may-lose-half-its-sandy-beaches-by-2100-its-not-too-late-to-save-most-of-them-132586">The Conversation.</a> </em></p> <p> </p>

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Where exactly does beach sand come from?

<p>There’s more to beach sand than meets the eye. It has stories to tell about the land, and an epic journey to the sea. That’s because mountains end their lives as sand on beaches.</p> <p>Over time, mountains erode. The mud, sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders they shed are washed into streams, which come together to form rivers. As they flow down to the sea, all this sediment is ground up and worn down in nature’s version of a rock tumbler.</p> <p>Big rocks break down into smaller pieces, so most of what reaches the sea is mud. These silt and clay particles are too small to perceive with the naked eye. But you can see individual grains of sand, which are just bigger bits of rock.</p> <p>Next time you’re at the beach, pick up a handful of sand and look closely at it. Are all the grains the same color, or a rainbow assortment? Are they jagged and angular, or smooth and round?</p> <p>Different colors of sand come from different minerals, like khaki <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/feldspar#/media/File:Feldspar_1659.jpg">feldspar</a>, smoky white <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quartz#/media/File:Quartz,_Tibet.jpg">quartz</a>, green <a href="https://geology.com/minerals/olivine.shtml">olivine</a> or black <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basalt#/media/File:BasaltUSGOV.jpg">basalt</a>. The mix of colors in beach sand tells you what kinds of rocks produced it.</p> <p>The shape of sand grains also provides clues about where they come from. Angular grains of the same type of sand have not traveled as far as smooth round grains, which have been more worn down. And weak rocks break down to mud faster than hard rocks, so sand tends to be made of the harder types that break down slowly.</p> <p>About a tenth of the supply of sediment that reaches the sea is sand. These particles are between about half a millimeter and 2 millimeters in size – roughly as thick as a penny. These particles are large enough that they don’t flow right out to the deep sea.</p> <p>But the beach is just a temporary stop for sand. Big waves pull it offshore, and smaller waves push it along the coast. So keeping a beach nourished with sand is essential for keeping it sandy.</p> <p>Many beach towns spend millions of dollars to rebuild eroded beaches with new sand.</p> <p>Yet today many beaches are starving. Many dams trap the sand that flows down rivers, piling it up in reservoirs. All in all, human activity has cut off about <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1109454">half the sand</a> that would otherwise end up on the world’s beaches.</p> <p>But humans haven’t turned the waves off, so as beach sand washes away and isn’t replenished, the shoreline erodes. That means that many beaches around the world are shrinking, slowly but surely.</p> <p>So next time you dig your toes into beach sand think about the epic journey it took to arrive beneath your feet. Take a moment to think about where the sand came from and where it’s going.</p> <p><em>Written by David R. Montgomery. Republished with permission of <a href="https://theconversation.com/where-does-beach-sand-come-from-126323">The Conversation.</a> </em></p>

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Tourists face jail time over sand theft

<p><span>“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time” – this often heard phrase has become a rule of thumb while travelling, but some still could not resist the urge to bring a piece of paradise home from the holidays.</span></p> <p><span>A French couple had to deal with the consequences as they are facing up to six years in prison for taking 40kg of sand from a beach in the Italian island of Sardinia.</span></p> <p><span>14 plastic bottles containing around 40kg of white sand from a beach in Chia, southern Sardinia were seized from the car during routine checks, police said.</span></p> <p><span>The couple, a man and a woman in their 40s, said they wanted to bring the sand home as a “souvenir” and did not realise they were committing a crime.</span></p> <p><span>The Italian island’s white sand is protected as a public good, and tourists who remove it from the island are subject to fines of up to €3,000 and possible imprisonment.</span></p> <p><span>Residents of the Mediterranean island have been protesting the theft of sand, stones and seashells by tourists, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-41031029"><em>BBC</em></a> reported.</span></p> <p><span>“The people of Sardinia are very angry with tourists that steal shells and sand, because it's a theft [from] future generations that also puts at risk a delicate environment,” a police officer told <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/sardinia-sand-theft-arrest-scli-intl/index.html"><em>CNN</em></a>.</span></p> <p><span>According to environmental scientist and Sardinian resident Pierluigi Cocco, there are two threats to the island’s sandy beaches. “One is due to erosion, which is partly natural and partly induced by the increasing sea level due to climate change; the second is sand stealing by tourists,” Cocco told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49394828"><em>BBC</em></a>.</span></p> <p><span>"Only a fraction of the tourists visiting Sardinia spend their time digging up to 40kg of sand each. But if you multiply half that amount times 5 per cent of the one million tourists per year, in a few years that would contribute significantly to the reduction of beaches – the main reason why tourists are attracted by the island of Sardinia.”</span></p> <p><span>In 1994, access to the famous pink beach on Budelli island off Sardinia were restricted over concerns about the degraded environment. In 2016, a woman who took the sand from the beach <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/19/french-tourists-in-hot-water-in-sardinia-over-sand-souvenir">returned it after more than two decades</a>. “I read in some newspapers and heard on the TV what this sand is and how it is made,” she said. “I understood how unique Sardinia is. I felt guilty.”</span></p>

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This beach officially has the whitest sand in Australia

<p><em><strong>Noel Schoknecht is a senior research associate at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia.</strong></em></p> <p>In 2005, when I was chair of the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.soilscienceaustralia.org/ncst" target="_blank">National Committee on Soil and Terrain</a></strong></span>, I started a debate: where is Australia’s whitest beach? This was a diversion from the committee’s normal business of looking at the sustainable management of Australia’s soils, but it led down a path I hadn’t expected.</p> <p>What began as a bit of after-hours banter became a serious look across Australia in search of our whitest beaches. New South Wales had already laid claim to the title, arguing that Hyams Beach at Jervis Bay has the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://open.abc.net.au/explore/28273" target="_blank">whitest sand in the world</a></strong></span>, purportedly backed up by Guinness World Records.</p> <p>As it turned out, both claims were false. Guinness World Records has no such category, and the whitest beach (as we found) is actually elsewhere.</p> <p>So we drafted terms of reference, and the search for <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.whitestbeach.com/" target="_blank">Australia’s Whitest Beach</a></strong></span> began. Over the next year samples were collected across the nation. The criteria were simple: samples had to be taken from the swash zone (the gently sloping area between the water and the dunes) and the samples could not be treated in any way apart from air-drying. No bleaching. No sieving out of impurities. Marine environment only.</p> <p>The results of the first judging in 2006 were startling. Of all the states and territories, the much promoted Hyams Beach in New South Wales came in fourth. Third was Victoria, second Queensland, and first Western Australia.</p> <p>The other states and territories came in at Tasmania fifth, Northern Territory sixth, and South Australia seventh. The ACT didn’t have a beach to sample, although technically some of the Commonwealth lands around our coasts could possibly come in under their banner (but that’s another debate altogether).</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198662/original/file-20171211-9383-1y7qak8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>A sample of the main contenders for the whitest beach in Australia. Unfortunately, samples submitted from South Australia didn’t make the final cut.</em></p> <p>The winning beach was Lucky Bay in Cape Le Grand National Park on WA’s south coast, but in reality any of the beaches in this area could have been winners – Hellfire Bay, Thistle Cove and Wharton’s beach (just to name a few) are all magnificently white.</p> <p>A quick qualification here: the southwestern end of Lucky Bay, where many people enter the beach, is covered with seaweed – not the whitest bit! I should also note that all of the finalists in the whitest beach challenge were in their own right fabulously white. But when compared side-by-side, some beaches are clearly whiter than others.</p> <p>The Queensland team felt aggrieved, so in 2007 I carried out a repechage with new samples from Queensland at Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays, and Lake McKenzie on Fraser Island. Lake McKenzie was ultimately disallowed as it is a freshwater lake and the rules stipulated a marine environment. Meanwhile, Whitehaven didn’t quite cut the mustard in the judging and Lucky Bay in WA was again the winner.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198665/original/file-20171211-9416-v5kr92.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Whitehaven beach in Queensland just missed out on the top spot in the recount.</em></p> <p><strong>So what makes a beach white, and is it important anyway?</strong></p> <p>The assessments were based on a visual comparison, so to remove any possible visual bias after the 2007 challenge all the samples were scanned for their reflectance – how much light bounced off the sand, essentially – in the visible and infrared wavelengths. Our assumption was that higher reflectance throughout the visual spectrum correlates with greater whiteness.</p> <p>As it turned out, the results from the scanning exactly correlated with the visual assessments. The eye is quite good at discerning small differences in colour and reflectance. (More background and the results from the competition are available <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="http://www.whitestbeach.com/" target="_blank">here</a></strong></span>.)</p> <p>So what makes a beach white? Obviously, a pristine environment helps. Another factor is the distance from rivers, which deliver coloured organic and clay contaminants to the coast.</p> <p>The geology of the area and the source of the sand are also critical, with quartz seemingly a major requirement for fine sands. Most white sandy beaches are derived from granitic, or less commonly sandstone, geologies that weather to produce fine, frosted quartz sand grains. Interestingly, sands made from shell or coral fragments just aren’t as white.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="NaN" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/198671/original/file-20171212-9392-1b85svb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>The source of the sand is very important; sand made from shells or coral aren’t as white as quartz.</em></p> <p><strong>Is it important?</strong></p> <p>While this competition began in fun, I do believe it’s important. Beaches are places of refuge in this crazy world, and a pristine white beach indicates a cleanliness that is worth striving for. The reflectance of light off these sands through shallow waters near the beach creates a surreal, magical turquoise colour. White beaches are like the canary in the coalmine – once they’re spoiled, we know we’re in trouble.</p> <p>Even though this study was a first look at some of Australia’s whitest beaches, and sampling was limited, it did highlight the sheer number of wonderful sandy beaches that Australia has.</p> <p>The story’s not finished though. There are many white beaches out there yet to be sampled, and if you’d like to alert me to your potentially award-winning beach please <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/whitestbeachinaustralia@gmail.com" target="_blank">email me</a></strong></span> or leave a comment on the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong><a href="https://whitestbeach.com/feedback/" target="_blank">whitest beach website</a></strong></span>.</p> <p>It’s our responsibility, and I believe honour, to protect these amazing places. I’m sure there are more wonderful beaches out there that we haven’t sampled which may defeat Lucky Bay.</p> <p>Shelburne Bay in northern Queensland, for example, is a contender yet to be sampled, and there are some magnificent beaches on the east coast of Tasmania. Whatever the outcome, let’s celebrate the natural wonders that surround our country.</p> <p><em>Written by Noel Schoknecht. Republishd with permission of <strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation.</a></span></strong></em><img width="1" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/88393/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" alt="The Conversation"/></p>

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Mum's brilliant $8 Kmart backyard hack that's perfect for kids

<div class="replay"> <div class="reply_body body linkify"> <div class="reply_body"> <div class="body_text "> <p>Kmart shoppers are so savvy and creative, there’s dozens of social media pages and groups dedicated to sharing tips on how to get the most out of the budget superstore. But this latest tip from one mum is just perfect for summer.</p> <p>Mum-of-two Krystal Findlay took to the popular Facebook group “Kmart Mums Australia” to share how she turned an $8 tent into the perfect shaded play area for her twins.</p> <p><img width="500" height="390" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/45413/5a00d430dfa0a_kmart_tent_600x468_5a00d4235fcc9_500x390.jpg" alt="5a 00d 430dfa 0a _kmart _tent _600x 468_5a 00d 4235fcc9" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p>The South Australian told <a href="https://au.be.yahoo.com/lifestyle/parenting/a/37766333/mum-shares-genius-kmart-tent-sandpit-hack/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Yahoo7 Be</span></strong></a> she originally bought a shell pool to use as a sandpit for her kids, but grew worried about their sun exposure. </p> <p>“As a mum I was thinking how can I still let them have fun and protect them from the sun,” Krystal said.</p> <p>“I purchased the tent because we were going camping and I used it to put their toys in so they had somewhere to play still and had shade. That’s when it dawned on me to use it when we got home for their sandpit. They love it and I’m happy because not only do they have more room to play but they have shade.”</p> <p>Krystal said the entire setup cost her less than $20 – the tent was just $8 and she filled it with five bags of sand from Bunnings for $7.20. Plus, since the tent can be zipped up when not in use, there’s no chance of any bugs or other unwanted critters getting inside.</p> <p>As you can imagine, other mums in the group absolutely loved the idea – not to mention their little ones!</p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

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Photos of feeding sharks bust common misconceptions

<p><span>Photographer and conservationist Tanya Houppermans has bravely captured images of a sand tiger shark feeding on a huge bait ball.</span></p> <p><span>With Tanya taking photos from beneath the sharks, the images show the top half of the shark’s body diving into thousands of fish.</span></p> <p><span>Tanya took the remarkable images in waters off the coast of Morehead City in North Carolina.</span></p> <p><span>She explained that in all her time diving, she had never witnessed a bait ball as big as the one she encountered in these photographs.</span></p> <p><span>“I am always amazed by how incredibly graceful and beautiful sharks are,” she said.</span></p> <p><span>“Here is an animal that has been around in one form or another for a few hundred million years, and is so perfectly suited for its environment that you can’t help but be awe-struck seeing one in the wild.”</span></p> <p><span>“They will look at you and watch you; sometimes their curiosity will motivate them to come in for a closer look, and other times they’ll err on the side of caution and retreat.”</span></p> <p><span>Tanya hopes these images will disprove misconceptions about sharks, saying that are not creatures to be feared.</span></p> <p><span>There have been no reported human fatalities caused by a sand tiger shark.</span></p> <p><span>“One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding sharks is that they will seek out and attack people who happen to be in the water nearby. This is simply untrue,” she said.</span></p> <p><span>“Sharks are often quite cautious and timid around people. They will typically retreat if they feel threatened.”</span></p> <p><span>Scroll through the gallery above to see the remarkable photographs.</span></p> <p><em>Image credit: Tanya Houppermans</em></p>

International Travel

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Dramatic black sand beaches of Auckland’s west coast

<p><strong><em>New Zealand travel writer Justine Tyerman and family visit the dramatic black sand beaches of Auckland’s West Coast…</em></strong></p> <p>The first glimpse of the black sand beach at Piha with its mountainous surf thundering in from the Tasman Sea, swirling around the haunches of the giant crouching lion, stopped us in our tracks. Accustomed to the golden sands and more docile surf of the East Coast, the wild West Coast where the sand shone like pewter or black pearls, seemed other-worldly.</p> <p>The sound of sirens as the Piha lifeguards roared out through the ferocious waves in their IRBs on one of their famous rescue missions added to the drama of the scene.</p> <p>Short of time, we chose Piha as the base for our annual family get-together because it’s close to Auckland and none of us had ever been there before. Just 50-60 minutes’ drive from the airport, it was easy for us to collect our far-flung family flying in from distant places, and run away for a long weekend together.</p> <p><strong>The Hillary Trail</strong></p> <p>We spent a long weekend hiking the spectacular Hillary Trail, a 76km multi-day hike from the Arataki Visitor Centre in the Waitakere Ranges to Muriwai Beach. It’s named in honour of the famous Kiwi explorer and mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary who came to the rugged Waitakere Ranges to prepare for his expeditions.</p> <p>During our stay, we managed to tick off a sizeable chunk of the trail from Anawhata to Whatipu, albeit the cushy way, returning to our luxurious home base every night.</p> <p>A highlight was the Piha to Karekare stretch of the walkway which was high above the coastline and rich in history. The track begins at the end of Log Race Road, a reminder of the intensive logging of kauri in the area during the late 1800s-early 1900s. Logs were transported by tramway from Anawhata to Paratutai Wharf at Whatipu where they were loaded onto ships for export.</p> <p>Also at the start of the track is a relic of WW2, the foundations of a radar station where the skies and seas were scanned for signs of invading Japanese. Sited on Hikurangi, the highest hill in the region, the station was part of a coastal network, and a key part of New Zealand’s home defence system.</p> <p>The station was later used in experiments to pinpoint sources of radio emissions from space, research which laid the foundations for the modern science of radio astronomy. Information boards and audio recordings give a fascinating account of the life of the station.</p> <p>Te Ahua Point Lookout is a site of deep historical significance to Te Kawerau a Maki iwi, the tangata whenua of the region. Gazing out to sea, there’s a striking pou (carving) of a beautiful, young noble woman named Hinerangi after an honoured Turehu ancestress. Hinerangi and her husband lived happily at Karekare for many years until one day he was swept away by a wave while fishing off the rocks at Te Kawa Rimurapa in Mercer Bay.</p> <p>Grief-stricken, Hinerangi climbed to the top of the highest cliff and sat there for days, scanning the turbulent seas, longing for her husband’s return. She eventually died of a broken heart and her sad face is said to be etched in the cliff face. The site is called Te Ahua o Hinerangi — The Likeness of Hinerangi. Recent archaeological excavation shows the headland is one of the oldest settled areas of the Waitakere Ranges and was a sanctuary and defensive position for Te Kawerau a Maki.</p> <p>The track took us high above Mercer Bay with its sphinx-like rock formations to a lookout where we could see the shimmering black sands of Karekare Beach, recently named one of the world’s most beautiful beaches, and the vast expanse of the Whatipu Scenic Reserve in the distance.</p> <p>That evening we rewarded ourselves with burgers and fish and chips at the Piha Surf Lifesaving Club as the sun set over the Tasman, an awesome sight for a family of East Coasters who are accustomed to sunrises over the Pacific but seldom see the sun sink into the ocean. It was dazzling.</p> <p><strong>Home swapping</strong></p> <p>Accommodation was at a premium that weekend, but thanks to my membership of the international home swap club, Love Home Swap, we found a primo place in a perfect location.</p> <p>I joined Love Home Swap in 2013 and the Piha house is one of many fabulous private homes we’ve stayed at around the world. We stayed five nights and paid precisely nothing… unless you take into account the beer and nibbles we shared with owners, Dave and Emma, who joined us for a chat one evening.</p> <p>That’s another great factor about Love Home Swap — you make new friends wherever you go, people who not only entrust you with their lovely homes but also introduce you to their communities and networks, and give you the inside goss on where to wine, dine, hike and sightsee.</p> <p>Dave, an advanced paramedic and former Piha lifeguard, and Emma, who works for the design label Sabatini, were delightful company with a wealth of knowledge about the area. We felt like celebrities after they told us we were living in a film set for the new TV series 800 Words which screens on TVNZ1 on Sunday evenings.</p> <p>We’ve kept in touch with many people we’ve met through Love Home Swap over the years.</p> <p>The ‘stays’ are managed by an exchange of points, a form of currency, rather than an actual home swap, although that’s always an option.</p> <p>It often does not suit members to swap simultaneously so the points system provides the flexibility and freedom to stay wherever and whenever you choose. Dave and Emma earned 750 points for our stay which they can ‘spend’ anywhere in the world at a time that suits them. Keen surfers, they may well turn up on our doorstep in Gisborne one day.</p> <p><strong>The house</strong></p> <p>Built of silvery Lawsons cypress, the design of the house was visually striking, featuring two cubes of different heights, the larger, taller one resting on the smaller, lower one, with a void between. A front north-facing deck leads to a tropical sun-filled garden and outside dining area with a massive macrocarpa table, while the back deck with its spa pool are suspended above the dark, moody, misty Waitakere Ranges with Karekare Beach in the distance.</p> <p>A covered passageway frames the view like a living artwork. Huge glass doors can be swung into place to enclose it and provide shelter in wet or windy weather.</p> <p>Designed by Tim Dorrington of Dorrington Atcheson Architects, the house was built with easy-care, hard-wearing materials like the polished concrete floors in the open plan kitchen-living-dining area.</p> <p>A hefty macrocarpa servery board, hand-made by Dave, sits on the recycled oak kitchen island, while the main workbench is stainless steel.</p> <p>A cosy, carpeted lounge with panoramic windows overlooking the wooded Waitakeres and Karekare Beach steps down from the kitchen. A comprehensive TV/home entertainment centre lines one wall while comfy bean bags, built-in seating and a wood-burning stove create a snug, intimate feeling.</p> <p>Upstairs, spacious, airy bedrooms, balconies and a bathroom also have spectacular views.</p> <p>It was the perfect location for our foursome to rebond after too long apart. The place just seemed to have good feng shui. It’s a house with a smile.</p> <p>Have you ever been to Auckland?</p> <p><em>Image credit: Justine Tyerman</em></p> <p><em>Justine Tyerman stayed at Dave and Emma’s Love Home Swap property at Piha.</em></p> <p><em>Visit <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.lovehomeswap.com/" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Love Home Swap</span></strong></a> to view over 100,000 properties in 150 countries:</em></p> <p><em>Getting there: <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.jucy.co.nz/our-vehicles/motor-homes/casa-plus/%20%20%20" target="_blank"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">JUCY Rentals</span></strong></a>.</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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How to: catch sand whiting fish

<p><em><strong>As host of fishing TV show Reel Action Michael Guest is all about showing regular anglers like you the techniques and tricks to catching bigger fish. Here he shares with Over60 his top tips for catching sand whiting fish.</strong></em></p><p>Whiting are one of the most underrated species to target throughout Australian waters.&nbsp; Most of my fishing for whiting has been in my local estuary and beaches. Catching whiting on poppers has really kicked along over the last few years and it has proven what an aggressive and tenacious fish they really are.</p><p><strong>Tackle time</strong></p><p>For the majority of anglers bait is the most consistent and productive way of catching a nice brace.&nbsp; The tackle is fairly simple; super light gear of 1-3 kilograms is generally all that’s needed.&nbsp; They’re a clean fighting fish and spend most of their time in and around open sandy water.</p><p>1000 – 2500 size spin reels with either 4-6 pound nylon or super light braid with long nylon leaders is a really good place to start. Whiting have exceptionally good eyesight so fluorocarbon is a definite advantage, especially for the bigger fish.&nbsp; If you’re fishing around more turbulent areas such as sand banks along the beach you can get away with slightly heavier leaders, as these conditions mean a&nbsp; hungry whiting needs to make its mind up quickly whether to take your bait or not.</p><p>Either a tiny running sinker right to the hook or a conventional style running sinker rig using a swivel and just enough weight to hold the bottom are my two favourite rigs. Chemically sharpened worm-style long shank hooks are ideal in sizes no. 4 to no.1.&nbsp; Whiting have small turned down mouths designed to rummage around for all types of worms and small crustaceans so small hooks need to be used.</p><p>Catching whiting on this type of tackle, especially when you add in a little current, is great fun.&nbsp; It’s how I got my kids started in fishing and is still one of my favourite ways to spend a morning.&nbsp; Polarized sunglasses are a must as whiting have a great ability to camouflage themselves on the sand flats. You’ll be amazed at just how shallow big quality fish will be cruising.</p><p><strong>Live bait is best</strong></p><p>Baits such as prawns, worms, pippies, yabbies and squid are all favourites when it comes to targeting whiting. Live bait is by far the best option and you will need to look at the areas you’re fishing and work out exactly what it is the whiting are feeding on.&nbsp; For example, if you’re fishing at open beaches, chances are they will be feeding on either beach worms or pippies and on most occasions this will be the best bait.</p><p>Depending on the time of year and moon phases, prawns could well be high on the menu.&nbsp; A quick run the night before in the shallows is a great way to get some live prawns for bait.&nbsp; This is another good way to get the kids involved as catching the bait can be just as much fun as winding in a whiting. Live prawns rigged unweighted with a single hook then flicked across an open sand flat is not only a deadly technique but can have some spectacular action as well, with your bait skipping across the surface and a hungry whiting in pursuit.</p><p>In other locations live yabbies are hard to beat.&nbsp; They’re readily available and can be pumped (check your local regulations regarding this). Once again use live, they are sensational bait and make up a large part of whiting diet.&nbsp;</p><p>However, I still feel without a doubt worms (live or dead) are the most consistent bait for whiting in any area.&nbsp; The profile of baits such as worms make it easy for a whiting to devour and produce a good hook up rate.&nbsp; There are several different types: beach, blood, tube and squirt just to name a few. Different areas will have various worms prevalent so it pays to match the hatch.&nbsp; Always feed your worm on to the hook head first, or they will segment into smaller pieces if you try it from the tail end.</p><p><strong>Sunny days</strong></p><p>Whiting tend to feed better on brighter sunny days rather than overcast conditions.&nbsp; They seem to get a little skittish when the sky is grey. I think this has to do with their ability to see shadows of predatory birds from above.</p><p>Whiting are not only fun to catch but great eating as well.&nbsp; Try to take only what you need though.</p><p><em>For more great fishing tips, check out Michael's Facebook page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MichaelGuestFishing" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Michael Guest Fishing</strong></span></a> or follow him on Instagram at REELACTIONTV</em></p>

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These sand cats look like kittens forever

<p>These sand cats are seemingly immortal: they retain their kitten-like appearance into adulthood and can survive temperatures from -5 to 52 degrees Celsius. But unfortunately, in reality these felines are endangered due to hunting and illegal pet trade in their habitats of North Africa, Arabia, Central Asia, and Pakistan.</p> <p>So while they’re unsuitable to have as pets, that won’t stop us from gushing over how cute they are in these photos.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="499" height="312" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7363/sand-cats-kittens-forever-1__880_499x312.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -1__880" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="334" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7366/sand-cats-kittens-forever-3__880_500x334.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -3__880"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="349" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7367/sand-cats-kittens-forever-4__880_500x349.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -4__880"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="496" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7368/sand-cats-kittens-forever-6__880_496x330.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -6__880"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="496" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7369/sand-cats-kittens-forever-10__880_496x330.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -10__880"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="497" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7370/sand-cats-kittens-forever-12_497x330.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -12"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="496" height="330" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7371/sand-cats-kittens-forever-13_496x330.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -13"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7372/sand-cats-kittens-forever-14_500x375.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -14"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7373/sand-cats-kittens-forever-15_500x375.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -15"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="284" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7374/sand-cats-kittens-forever-101-1-_500x284.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -101 (1)"/></p> <p style="text-align: center;"><img width="500" height="375" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7365/sand-cats-kittens-forever-2__880_500x375.jpg" alt="Sand -cats -kittens -forever -2__880"/></p> <p><strong>Related links:</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/07/emus-react-to-cat-toy/">This mob of emus had the most incredible reaction to a cat toy</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/07/remote-cave-photos/">In photos: breathtaking shots of the world’s most remote caves</a></strong></em></span></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong><a href="/news/news/2015/07/blood-test-for-breast-cancer/">New blood test can predict breast cancer five years before it develops</a></strong></em></span></p>

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How to: catch sand whiting fish

<p><em><strong>As host of fishing TV show Reel Action Michael Guest is all about showing regular anglers like you the techniques and tricks to catching bigger fish. Here he shares with Over60 his top tips for catching sand whiting fish.</strong></em></p><p>Whiting are one of the most underrated species to target throughout Australian waters.&nbsp; Most of my fishing for whiting has been in my local estuary and beaches. Catching whiting on poppers has really kicked along over the last few years and it has proven what an aggressive and tenacious fish they really are.</p><p><strong>Tackle time</strong></p><p>For the majority of anglers bait is the most consistent and productive way of catching a nice brace.&nbsp; The tackle is fairly simple; super light gear of 1-3 kilograms is generally all that’s needed.&nbsp; They’re a clean fighting fish and spend most of their time in and around open sandy water.</p><p>1000 – 2500 size spin reels with either 4-6 pound nylon or super light braid with long nylon leaders is a really good place to start. Whiting have exceptionally good eyesight so fluorocarbon is a definite advantage, especially for the bigger fish.&nbsp; If you’re fishing around more turbulent areas such as sand banks along the beach you can get away with slightly heavier leaders, as these conditions mean a&nbsp; hungry whiting needs to make its mind up quickly whether to take your bait or not.</p><p>Either a tiny running sinker right to the hook or a conventional style running sinker rig using a swivel and just enough weight to hold the bottom are my two favourite rigs. Chemically sharpened worm-style long shank hooks are ideal in sizes no. 4 to no.1.&nbsp; Whiting have small turned down mouths designed to rummage around for all types of worms and small crustaceans so small hooks need to be used.</p><p>Catching whiting on this type of tackle, especially when you add in a little current, is great fun.&nbsp; It’s how I got my kids started in fishing and is still one of my favourite ways to spend a morning.&nbsp; Polarized sunglasses are a must as whiting have a great ability to camouflage themselves on the sand flats. You’ll be amazed at just how shallow big quality fish will be cruising.</p><p><strong>Live bait is best</strong></p><p>Baits such as prawns, worms, pippies, yabbies and squid are all favourites when it comes to targeting whiting. Live bait is by far the best option and you will need to look at the areas you’re fishing and work out exactly what it is the whiting are feeding on.&nbsp; For example, if you’re fishing at open beaches, chances are they will be feeding on either beach worms or pippies and on most occasions this will be the best bait.</p><p>Depending on the time of year and moon phases, prawns could well be high on the menu.&nbsp; A quick run the night before in the shallows is a great way to get some live prawns for bait.&nbsp; This is another good way to get the kids involved as catching the bait can be just as much fun as winding in a whiting. Live prawns rigged unweighted with a single hook then flicked across an open sand flat is not only a deadly technique but can have some spectacular action as well, with your bait skipping across the surface and a hungry whiting in pursuit.</p><p>In other locations live yabbies are hard to beat.&nbsp; They’re readily available and can be pumped (check your local regulations regarding this). Once again use live, they are sensational bait and make up a large part of whiting diet.&nbsp;</p><p>However, I still feel without a doubt worms (live or dead) are the most consistent bait for whiting in any area.&nbsp; The profile of baits such as worms make it easy for a whiting to devour and produce a good hook up rate.&nbsp; There are several different types: beach, blood, tube and squirt just to name a few. Different areas will have various worms prevalent so it pays to match the hatch.&nbsp; Always feed your worm on to the hook head first, or they will segment into smaller pieces if you try it from the tail end.</p><p><strong>Sunny days</strong></p><p>Whiting tend to feed better on brighter sunny days rather than overcast conditions.&nbsp; They seem to get a little skittish when the sky is grey. I think this has to do with their ability to see shadows of predatory birds from above.</p><p>Whiting are not only fun to catch but great eating as well.&nbsp; Try to take only what you need though.</p><p><em>For more great fishing tips, check out Michael's Facebook page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MichaelGuestFishing" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Michael Guest Fishing</strong></span></a> or follow him on Instagram at REELACTIONTV</em></p>

Home & Garden

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How to: catch sand whiting fish

<p><em><strong>As host of fishing TV show Reel Action Michael Guest is all about showing regular anglers like you the techniques and tricks to catching bigger fish. Here he shares with Over60 his top tips for catching sand whiting fish.</strong></em></p><p>Whiting are one of the most underrated species to target throughout Australian waters.&nbsp; Most of my fishing for whiting has been in my local estuary and beaches. Catching whiting on poppers has really kicked along over the last few years and it has proven what an aggressive and tenacious fish they really are.</p><p><strong>Tackle time</strong></p><p>For the majority of anglers bait is the most consistent and productive way of catching a nice brace.&nbsp; The tackle is fairly simple; super light gear of 1-3 kilograms is generally all that’s needed.&nbsp; They’re a clean fighting fish and spend most of their time in and around open sandy water.</p><p>1000 – 2500 size spin reels with either 4-6 pound nylon or super light braid with long nylon leaders is a really good place to start. Whiting have exceptionally good eyesight so fluorocarbon is a definite advantage, especially for the bigger fish.&nbsp; If you’re fishing around more turbulent areas such as sand banks along the beach you can get away with slightly heavier leaders, as these conditions mean a&nbsp; hungry whiting needs to make its mind up quickly whether to take your bait or not.</p><p>Either a tiny running sinker right to the hook or a conventional style running sinker rig using a swivel and just enough weight to hold the bottom are my two favourite rigs. Chemically sharpened worm-style long shank hooks are ideal in sizes no. 4 to no.1.&nbsp; Whiting have small turned down mouths designed to rummage around for all types of worms and small crustaceans so small hooks need to be used.</p><p>Catching whiting on this type of tackle, especially when you add in a little current, is great fun.&nbsp; It’s how I got my kids started in fishing and is still one of my favourite ways to spend a morning.&nbsp; Polarized sunglasses are a must as whiting have a great ability to camouflage themselves on the sand flats. You’ll be amazed at just how shallow big quality fish will be cruising.</p><p><strong>Live bait is best</strong></p><p>Baits such as prawns, worms, pippies, yabbies and squid are all favourites when it comes to targeting whiting. Live bait is by far the best option and you will need to look at the areas you’re fishing and work out exactly what it is the whiting are feeding on.&nbsp; For example, if you’re fishing at open beaches, chances are they will be feeding on either beach worms or pippies and on most occasions this will be the best bait.</p><p>Depending on the time of year and moon phases, prawns could well be high on the menu.&nbsp; A quick run the night before in the shallows is a great way to get some live prawns for bait.&nbsp; This is another good way to get the kids involved as catching the bait can be just as much fun as winding in a whiting. Live prawns rigged unweighted with a single hook then flicked across an open sand flat is not only a deadly technique but can have some spectacular action as well, with your bait skipping across the surface and a hungry whiting in pursuit.</p><p>In other locations live yabbies are hard to beat.&nbsp; They’re readily available and can be pumped (check your local regulations regarding this). Once again use live, they are sensational bait and make up a large part of whiting diet.&nbsp;</p><p>However, I still feel without a doubt worms (live or dead) are the most consistent bait for whiting in any area.&nbsp; The profile of baits such as worms make it easy for a whiting to devour and produce a good hook up rate.&nbsp; There are several different types: beach, blood, tube and squirt just to name a few. Different areas will have various worms prevalent so it pays to match the hatch.&nbsp; Always feed your worm on to the hook head first, or they will segment into smaller pieces if you try it from the tail end.</p><p><strong>Sunny days</strong></p><p>Whiting tend to feed better on brighter sunny days rather than overcast conditions.&nbsp; They seem to get a little skittish when the sky is grey. I think this has to do with their ability to see shadows of predatory birds from above.</p><p>Whiting are not only fun to catch but great eating as well.&nbsp; Try to take only what you need though.</p><p><em>For more great fishing tips, check out Michael's Facebook page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MichaelGuestFishing" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Michael Guest Fishing</strong></span></a> or follow him on Instagram at REELACTIONTV</em></p>

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