Anticipating a spike in coastal visitation this coming holiday season, Ingenia Holiday Parks is partnering with Surf Life Saving NSW to host ‘Surf Safety Sessions’ for Ingenia Holidays guests throughout November.
Guests at Ingenia Holidays One Mile Beach, Bonny Hills and Broulee will access the interactive 60-minute sessions designed to reinforce surf safety messages to holiday park guests.
Ingenia Holidays One Mile Beach Park Manager Leah Tonks said the ‘Surf Safety Sessions’ would give families the opportunity to learn surf safety in a fun and interactive way, while providing a timely reminder of the need to take care at our beaches over the summer period.
“Our Park is right on the beach and coming out of a large-scale lockdown, we’re expecting an extremely busy holiday season,” Ms Tonks said.
“Most people come here for a seaside holiday so being able to help provide them with the tools to enjoy it in a safe way and know their limits while they’re at the beach is definitely beneficial.”
The ‘Surf Safety Sessions’ are designed to help kids recognise lifeguards and hazards at the beach including dangerous sea creatures and rips, while emphasising the importance of sun safety and Surf Life Saving’s message to ‘swim between the flags’.
“We’ve all been in lockdown, so kids have missed out on their swimming lessons and the excitement to get out and get to the beach after an extended period working from home and home-schooling, could lead to some complacency around water,” Ms Tonks said.
“These Surf Safety Sessions will help kids regain their confidence, while having lots of fun meeting local lifeguards on the beach, dressing up in lifeguard uniforms, learning how to ‘Slip Slop Slap’ and pack a beach trolley.”
Australian Lifeguard Service (NSW) Public Safety Business Coordinator Ruben Roxburgh said the ‘Surf Safety Sessions’ would increase guest safety and help ingrain a safety mentality with families at the park.
“80 per cent of the Australian population resides on the coast however, not all of us know how to read the ocean and when it’s dangerous,” Mr Roxburgh said.
“Leading into the summer season, it’s important to remind people to be safe, to think safe and to act safe.
“With everyone coming out of lockdown, it’s likely that we are going to see a huge increase in people visiting coastal communities outside of their local government areas and in places they’re not familiar with.
“Working with Ingenia Holiday Parks is a fantastic opportunity for the Australian Lifesaving Service and Surf Life Saving NSW to increase park patron safety at the local beaches and ingrain that safety message into children in a fun and practical manner.
“We’re excited to partner with Ingenia Holiday Parks to introduce these Surf Safety Sessions at One Mile Beach, Bonny Hills and Broulee and we look forward to expanding this offering to other Ingenia Holiday Park’s locations across NSW in 2022.”
