A family is outraged after claiming staff at a nearby privately owned Chinese resort screamed at their children in waters in Queensland.
A family is outraged after claiming staff at a nearby privately-owned Chinese resort screamed at their children who were snorkelling at a coral reef in Queensland.
David Edge, who is a marine contractor at nearby Airlie Beach, had taken a group including four children on a belated Australia Day boat gathering last Sunday.
The children were snorkelling in water close to Sunlovers Beach, a part of Daydream Island. The land surrounding the water is privately owned by China Capital Investment Group but Mr Edge believes that family is within their right to swim in the waters surrounding.
According to the Great Barrier Reef website the beach is “fringed by live coral outcrops containing over 40 marine fish species and 50 coral varieties” and calls it “the perfect location for hours of snorkelling and underwater exploration”.
Despite this, Mr Edge claims a Daydream Island staff member (pictured, allegedly in blue), “ordered our kids to stop snorkelling as it was private property”.
He said the person was “shouting” at the children to go away despite a younger swimmer who “just wanted to touch the beach to catch her breath”.
The staff member claimed the area as their own private property and “ordered us to leave”, he said.
He says he was so outraged as he saw the staff member “order our kids to leave the area immediately” that he snapped a couple of photos.
“They were snorkelling on some coral,” he said.
“I was on my boat on the public mooring and could not believe what I was witnessing.
“One kid was having trouble swimming and the staff were shouting at her to get away from the island.
“They yelled all this from the beach … and we left without an argument.”
Mr Edge says he is “of mixed nationalities” himself.
“If it was any other place, I wouldn’t have cared so much,” he said.
“It’s just my family has been swimming at the beach for 30 years, my kids really enjoy it there.
“They are good kids and … they don’t cause any trouble … and we weren’t harming anyone, we were in a public swimming spot.
“The kids were told to stop snorkelling and to move on, so this was really annoying for us.
“Yes I understand the island has a private resort and we respected that, at no stage did we go onto the beach or the island, we just wanted to enjoy the beautiful coral that was in the ocean near Daydream Island.”
The Queensland Government’s Department of Resources and Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority told the Whitsunday Times the family were well within their right to swim in the waters.
“Most beaches in Queensland are state land to the highest tide mark and the Queensland Government is the only entity able to restrict access,” a Department of Resources spokeswoman said.
“Sunset Bay beach and waters are available for public use.
“Visitors can contact the local Department of Resources office if they are asked to leave this area.”
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