Tourists and beach safety in Queensland, Australia

Surf Life Saving Queensland (SLSQ) is a leading authority on beach safety, providing patrol, education, and rescue services to both tourists and local residents along the coast of Queensland, Australia. SLSQ recognizes that tourists are a target group requiring special attention due to their unfamiliarity with ocean beaches and surfing activities, and in some cases having the additional challenge of poor swimming skills, language barriers, and disorientation in a foreign vacation environment. This article describes SLSQ initiatives to provide beach safety for tourists through a focus on service delivery and partnerships with the tourism industry and relevant government agencies. The positive involvement of SLSQ in tourism is a model for other coastal destinations, given that drowning is the second most frequent cause of injury death among international travelers.

Long wave generation by the shoaling and breaking of transient wave groups on a beach

This paper presents new laboratory data on the generation of long waves by the shoaling and breaking of transient-focused short-wave groups. Direct offshore radiation of long waves from the breakpoint is shown experimentally for the first time. High spatial resolution enables identification of the relationship between the spatial gradients of the short-wave envelope and the long-wave surface. This relationship is consistent with radiation stress theory even well inside the surf zone and appears as a result of the strong nonlinear forcing associated with the transient group. In shallow water, the change in depth across the group leads to asymmetry in the forcing which generates significant dynamic setup in front of the group during shoaling. Strong amplification of the incident dynamic setup occurs after short-wave breaking. The data show the radiation of a transient long wave dominated by a pulse of positive elevation, preceded and followed by weaker trailing waves with negative elevation. The instantaneous cross-shore structure of the long wave shows the mechanics of the reflection process and the formation of a transient node in the inner surf zone. The wave run-up and relative amplitude of the radiated and incident long waves suggests significant modification of the incident bound wave in the inner surf zone and, the dominance of long waves generated by the breaking process. It is proposed that these conditions occur when the primary short waves and bound wave are not shallow water waves at the breakpoint. A simple criterion is given to determine these conditions, which generally occur for the important case of storm waves.

Beach face and berm morphodynamics fronting a coastal lagoon

This study documents two different modes of berm development: (I) vertical growth at spring tides or following significant beach cut due to substantial swash overtopping, and (2) horizontal progradation at neap tides through the formation of a proto-berm located lower and further seaward of the principal berm. Concurrent high-frequency measurements of bed elevation and the associated wave runup distribution reveal the details of each of these berm growth modes. In mode I sediment is eroded from the inner surf and lower swash zone where swash interactions are prevalent. The net transport of this sediment is landward only, resulting in accretion onto the upper beach face and over the berm crest. The final outcome is a steepening of the beach face gradient, a change in the profile shape towards concave and rapid vertical and horizontal growth of the berm. In mode 2 sediment is eroded from the lower two-thirds of the active swash zone during the rising tide and is transported both landward and seaward. On the falling tide sediment is eroded from the inner surf and transported landward to backfill the zone eroded on the rising tide. The net result is relatively slow steepening of the beach face, a change of the profile shape towards convex, and horizontal progradation through the formation of a neap berm. The primary factor determining which mode of berm growth occurs is the presence or absence of swash overtopping at the time of sediment accumulation on the beach face. This depends on the current phase of the spring-neap tide cycle, the wave runup height (and indirectly offshore wave conditions) and the height of the pre-existing berm. A conceptual model for berm morphodynamics is presented, based on sediment transport shape functions measured during the two modes of berm growth. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Swash-aquifer interaction in the vicinity of the water table exit point on a sandy beach

The coupling of sandy beach aquifers with the swash zone in the vicinity of the water table exit point is investigated through simultaneous measurements of the instantaneous shoreline (swash front) location, pore pressures and the water table exit point. The field observations reveal new insights into swash-aquifer coupling not previously gleaned from measurements of pore pressure only. In particular, for the case where the exit point is seaward of the observation point, the pore pressure response is correlated with the distance between the exit point and the shoreline in that when the distance is large the rate of pressure drop is fast and when the distance is small the rate decreases. The observations expose limitations in a simple model describing exit point dynamics which is based only on the force balance on a particle of water at the sand surface and neglects subsurface pressures. A new modified form of the model is shown to significantly improve the model-data comparison through a parameterization of the effects of capillarity into the aquifer storage coefficient. The model enables sufficiently accurate predictions of the exit point to determine when the swash uprush propagates over a saturated or a partially saturated sand surface, potentially an important factor in the morphological evolution of the beach face. Observations of the shoreward propagation of the swash-induced pore pressure waves ahead of the runup limit shows that the magnitude of the pressure fluctuation decays exponentially and that there is a linear increase in time lags, behavior similar to that of tidally induced water table waves. The location of the exit point and the intermittency of wave runup events is also shown to be significant in terms of the shore-normal energy distribution. Seaward of the mean exit point location, peak energies are small because of the saturated sand surface within the seepage face acting as a "rigid lid'' and limiting pressure fluctuations. Landward of the mean exit point the peak energies grow before decreasing landward of the maximum shoreline position.

Measurement and modelling of controlled beach groundwater levels under wave action

New laboratory scale experimental data are presented on the forcing of beach groundwater levels by wave run-up. The experimental setup simulates a coastal barrier dividing the ocean from a relatively constant back beach water level, conditions approximating a closed off lagoon system or beach aquifer. The data are critically compared to an advanced numerical model for simulating wave and beach groundwater interaction in the coastal zone, and provide the first experimental verification of such a model. Overall model-data comparisons are good, but some systematic discrepancies are apparent, and reasons for these are discussed.

Dynamics of a transient wave group breaking on a beach

New experimental data are presented on the dynamics of a transient wave group breaking on a beach. The transient group is tracked during shoaling and wave breaking, together with the long waves forced during those processes. High spatial sampling enables novel resolution of the evolution of the wave envelope during breaking and the correlation between the envelope and the long waves. The data show a strong dynamic long wave setup in front of the group in shallow water. The amplitude of the dynamic setup is likely to be a function of beach slope, and larger on steeper beaches.

Cottage, Cleveland Point House, Cleveland

Beach elevation of renovated existing cottage.

La Pointe Saint Mathieu, Brittany, France

The "Pointe Saint Mathieu" is one of the most westerly continental landmarks of France. The promontory is located at the entrance of the "Goulet de la Rade de Brest", that is the entrance channel of the harbour of Brest in Brittany (France). It marks also the Southern end of the "Chenal du Four" that is the main navigation channel between the islands of Ouessant, Molène and Béniquet, and Brittany. The "Chenal du Four" is reputed for its dangers. The tidal range is greater than 7 m in spring tides, and the mid-tide current may exceed 5 knots. The Saint Mathieu promontory is equipped with a lighthouse and a semaphore. The former is located in the ruins of an old monastery, founded during the 6th century AD by Saint Tanguy. The present ruins are the remnants of buildings from the 11th to 15th centuries. The first lighthouse was installed in 1689, although the monks of the monastery used to maintain a signal light since the 1250s. Completed in 1835, the present "Phare de la Pointe Saint-Mathieu" is 37 m high and it reaches 58.8 m above sea level During World War 2, the Pointe Saint Mathieu was defended by a series of concrete fortifications built by the Germans. Some were based upon some earlier French bunker systems, like the coastal battery at the Rospects which included 4 main gun bunkers (4*150 mm, or 2*150 mm & 2*105 mm), an observation bunker on the Western side close to sea, and several smaller structures. There was also the large Kéringar Blockhaus system, near Lochrist, located about 1 km inland and designed for 4 guns of 280 mm. Its command bunker remains a landmark along the main road. All this area was very-heavily bombed between 1943 and 1944, and particularly during the battle of Brest in August-September 1944 ("L'Enfer de Brest").

Mooloomba House, Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island

North elevation, deck below and belvedere above, as seen from path to beach.

Mooloomba House, Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island

North elevation, deck below and belvedere above, as seen from path to beach.

Mooloomba House, Point Lookout, North Stradbroke Island

North elevation, deck below and belvedere above, as seen from path to beach.

The myth of the nation: Historiography of New Zealand architecture since 1907

This paper considers the relationship between the recent historiography (of the last quarter century) of “New Zealand architecture” and the historical notion of “New Zealand-ness” invoked in contemporary architecture. It argues that a more recent programmatic uptake of post-War discussions on national identity and regional specificity has fed the tendencies of practicing architects to defer to history in rhetorical defences of their work: the beach-side mansion as a contemporary expression of the 1950s bach; a formal modernism divorced from the social discourse adherent to the historical moment that it “restates”; and so on. The paper will consider instances in the historiography of New Zealand architecture where historians have compounded, consciously or accidentally, a problem that is systemic to the uses made by architects of historical knowledge (in the most general examples), identifying the difficulties of relying upon the tentative conclusions of an under-studied field in developing principles of contemporary architectural practice under the banners of New Zealand-ness, regionalism, or localism, or with reference to icons of New Zealand architectural history. At the heart of this paper is a reflection on historiographical responsibility in presenting knowledge of a national past to an audience that is eager to transform that knowledge into principles of contemporary production. What, the paper asks, is the historical basis for speaking of a New Zealand architecture? Can we speak of a national history of architecture distinct from a regional history, or from an international history of architecture?

Economic , Educational and Conservation Benefits of Sea Turtle Based Ecotourism: A Study Focused on Mon Repos

The study examines the economic, educational and conservation values of sea turtle-based ecotourism in Australia. The centre-piece of this research is a case study undertaken at the Mon Repos Conservation Park located near the town of Bundaberg, Queensland. Each year from mid-November to end of March, thousands of visitors visit Mon Repos Conservation Park to view sea turtles either nesting on the one km stretch of beach or to see hatchlings emerge from their nests and march on to the sea or both. As a result of this activity there are considerable economic benefits to the Bundaberg region during the sea turtle season. The study examines the economic impact of sea turtle viewing at Mon Repos to the region. The study assesses the recreational value of sea turtle viewing. Furthermore, sea turtle-based ecotourism also provides educational and conservation benefits that are important for the protection and conservation of sea turtles, especially in Australia. The study specifies the extent of the educational impact and conservation appreciation of sea turtle viewing at Mon Repos Conservation Park. As a background to the study, Mon Repos visitors’ profile and socio-economic data of visitors are provided. In order to conduct this study, 1,200 survey forms were distributed, out of which 519 usable responses were obtained.

Tidal effects on sea water intrusion in unconfined aquifers

A variable-density groundwater model is used to analyse the effects of tidal fluctuations on sea-water intrusion in an unconfined aquifer. It is shown that the tidal activity forces the sea-water to intrude further inland and it also creates a thicker interface than would occur without tidal effects. Moreover, the configuration of the interface is radically changed when the tidal fluctuations are included. This is because of the dramatic changes in the flow pattern and velocity of the groundwater near the shoreline. For aquifer depths much larger than tidal amplitudes, the tidal fluctuation does not have much effect on how far the sea-water intrudes into the aquifer; nevertheless, a significant change in the configuration of concentration contours because of the effect of tidal fluctuations is observed. This change is more noticeable at the top of the aquifer, near the water table, than at the bottom of the aquifer, and is caused by the infiltration of salt water into the top of the aquifer at higher tidal levels. A flatter beach slope, therefore, intensifies this phenomenon. The interface configurations do not change noticeably over the course of a tidal cycle. Neglecting tidal fluctuation effects results in an inaccurate evaluation of the water table elevation at the land end of the aquifer, although no distinguishable difference is seen between the water tables near the shoreline. Where the landward boundary condition is a constant head, the effects of tidal fluctuations on sea-water intrusion are more pronounced than for cases where the landward boundary condition is a specified flux. Also it is shown that the effects of tidal fluctuations are more significant for a sloping beach than for a vertical shoreline and the salt water intrudes further inland for the sloping case. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.