‘Don’t bother coming to Wurtulla’: Controversial sign at entrance popular beach warns tourists away

A sign warning tourists to stay away from a popular surf beach has divided locals.

The handwritten sign instructs tourists to ‘respect the locals’ when visiting Wurtulla Beach, just north of Brisbane.

It lists rules for visitors to follow, including: ‘Remember locals have first pick of waves.’

The list of rules ends ominously, saying: ‘If you can’t follow the above rules, don’t bother coming to Wurtulla.’ 

The sign hung at the Bellbird Court entrance to Wurtulla Beach, warning tourists away if they can’t follow a set of rules giving locals preference over the waves

Wurtulla Beach (pictured) is one of the most popular surfing and walking beaches for locals

Wurtulla Beach (pictured) is one of the most popular surfing and walking beaches for locals

Cleaning up after dogs and putting rubbish in the bin are another two of the six rules laid out on the sign.

Some believed commenting on a Facebook post about the sign said the rules it imposes are overdue and make sense, while others believe it is hostile and feel the coast can be shared by all.

Local Amy O’Carroll agreed with these rules, telling the Sunshine Coast Daily she thought they were fair.

‘Some of them were definitely acceptable,’ she said.

‘It’s a real local beach, you don’t really get many tourists here, so the locals just want to really protect it.’

However others disagreed with her, saying that the beach was for everyone to enjoy, not just locals.

‘First in best dressed – nobody owns the surf, local or not,’ one person commented on Facebook.

Another commenter wondered how the rules could be enforced.

 

Cleaning up after dogs and putting rubbish in the bin are two of the rules laid out on the sign

Cleaning up after dogs and putting rubbish in the bin are two of the rules laid out on the sign

‘Do you have to have your license on you to prove you’re a local?’ asked another.

One reader pointed out that the author’s grammar could use a bit of work due to the liberal use of unnecessary apostrophes.

It is unknown how long the handwritten sign had been up, but it was torn down after a photo of it was posted to Facebook on Wednesday.

Following speculation that the Sunshine Coast council was to blame for the removal, a spokesperson for that body told the Sunshine Coast Daily that they were not involved. 

The sign came months after global attention was drawn to the beach in October, when a 20-tonne whale washed up on its shore. 

Wurtulla Beach became a hotspot for tourists when a deceased whale washed up on its shore in October (pictured)

Wurtulla Beach became a hotspot for tourists when a deceased whale washed up on its shore in October (pictured)



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