Lifeguards at Whangamata wharf prove popular

Whangamata's harbour wharf and beaches were more popular than ever over the peak holiday period, with a new lifeguard service there adding to the allure.

"Hundreds more people flocked to the area each day than would usually do so," says Council's Whangamata Area Manager Garry Towler.

Instead of the usual 200-300 people using the wharf and the harbour beaches, up to 600 people were there."All because a team of lifeguards were there to look after them," says Mr Towler.

The new lifeguard service was put in place following the tragic death of a teenage girl paddleboarding in the harbour on 7 January.

He said the death had sharpened focus on what was happening at the harbour, especially the increased numbers of people using the area every mid-to-high tide.

"A rough onshore breeze typically blows on hot summer days, prompting parents with little kids to move to the gentler waters of the harbour beaches," says Council's Whangamata Community Field Representative Lou Mackwell.

"After talking to the Harbour Master and boaties it became obvious the wharf and harbour beaches were becoming increasingly popular and record numbers of people, especially young families, were visiting day after day," says Mr Towler.

The Whangamata Community Board quickly gave its full support and funding was provided for a professional lifeguard. Volunteers from the Whangamata Surf Life Saving Club came forward to help provide a full lifeguard service at the wharf until the end of the Anniversary weekend.

The new pontoon and the jump-off wharf have been particularly popular.

"This is a great outcome and great example of community empowerment working," says Mr Towler.

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Lifeguards at Whangamata wharf prove popular

Rough seas, shark close Newcastle beaches

A shark has been spotted off a Newcastle beach a day after a shark bit someone at Merewether Beach.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water ...

With several Newcastle beaches already closed due to rough weather, a shark sighting has prompted lifeguards to give swimmers a double reminder about taking the plunge.

A 1.8-metre shark has been spotted off Bar Beach on Friday morning, while a person was bitten by a small shark at nearby Merewether Beach on Thursday night.

Several Newcastle beaches had already been closed on Friday by lifeguards due to rough seas, but signs have since been erected warning of shark sightings.

A City of Newcastle Council spokesperson said the person bitten by a shark on Thursday appears to have minor injuries to the leg.

"We're getting all of this third hand because it was not reported to our lifeguards, they were off duty at the time, but someone was reportedly bitten by a bull shark, or the person thought it was a two foot (61cm) bull shark," she told AAP on Friday.

"I have also seen a picture on social media of the person's leg with a few little holes in it. So not to downplay it because any kind of shark bite is serious, but it's very minor."

Beaches around Newcastle were shut for a record nine days in January after repeated sightings of a five-metre great white shark, nicknamed Bruce.

Lifeguards will continue to warn swimmers about the recent sightings and patrol on jet skis to keep an eye out for further activity.

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Rough seas, shark close Newcastle beaches

Health advisories in place for 3 Hillsborough beaches, lifted for 1

Health advisories were issued Thursday for two Hillborough County beaches, extended for one and lifted for one based on criteria for bacteria levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Samples taken Monday were above thresholds for enterococci bacteria at Cypress Point Beach, Bahia Beach and Picnic Island, according to the Hillsborough County Health Department. A similar advisory was issued for Picnic Island on Jan. 27.

An advisory issued on Jan. 27 for Ben T. Davis beach was lifted Thursday.

The beaches under advisories should be considered unsafe for swimming, the department said.

The health department has been conducting coastal quality monitoring at nine sites once every two weeks since August 2000 and weekly since August 2002 through the states Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program.

Enterococci bacteria is typically found in the intestinal tracts of humans and animals and may cause human disease, infections, or rashes. It is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets and wildlife, and human sewage, the department said.

For more information, visit http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/beach-water-quality/index.html.

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Health advisories in place for 3 Hillsborough beaches, lifted for 1

A WEDDING VIDEO LIKE NO OTHER- Summer Wedding at Tunnels Beaches Ilfracombe (8MFH EP23) – Video


A WEDDING VIDEO LIKE NO OTHER- Summer Wedding at Tunnels Beaches Ilfracombe (8MFH EP23)
Watch #39;8 Miles From Home #39; Our Cinematic Video Diary Series: http://bit.ly/8MFHepisodes Watch our #39;A Day In The Life #39; Bi Weekly VLOG series here: http://bit.l...

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A WEDDING VIDEO LIKE NO OTHER- Summer Wedding at Tunnels Beaches Ilfracombe (8MFH EP23) - Video

Costa del Sol, Spain. Weather and beaches during October November. – Video


Costa del Sol, Spain. Weather and beaches during October November.
Costa del Sol, Spain. Weather and beaches during the months of October and November are wonderful. Clear blue skies, empty beaches and temperatures around 25 degrees centigrade. The pictures.

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BEER, BIKINIS, BABES, BEACHES & BAHAMAS Farm Girl opening beer on the beach! – Video


BEER, BIKINIS, BABES, BEACHES BAHAMAS Farm Girl opening beer on the beach!
Carnival Cruise visits to Freeport, Nassau - Atlantis. We follow sexy Farm Girl around in the Bahamas for this really fun beautiful video. We booked a junior suite on the veranda level aboard...

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BEER, BIKINIS, BABES, BEACHES & BAHAMAS Farm Girl opening beer on the beach! - Video

Around the Region: Ponte Vedra Library's Forum series presents "The Maritime Zone" and more

BEACHES Friend of the Beaches Award nomination

Beaches Watch is seeking nominations by 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, for its annual Friend of the Beaches Award. Nominations may be submitted to info@beacheswatch.com or mailed to Beaches Watch Inc., P.O. Box 50311, Jacksonville Beach, Fl . 32240. For more, beacheswatch.com.

BEACHES Ritz Chamber Players concert

The Ritz Chamber Players will perform 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 17, at the Beaches Chapel at Beaches Museum and History Park, 381 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville Beach. For more, beachesmuseum.org.

CLAY Junior high students wins county spelling bee

Wilkinson Junior High School eighth grader Joshua Brown, 14, won the Clay County Spelling Bee with the word roughhewn in the 18th round. Brown and all area county bee winners compete on Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Florida Times-Union Regional Spelling Bee at the Jacksonville Main Public Library. The winner advances to Mays Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C.

CLAY Celebrate Clay nominations

The Paul E. and Klare N. Reinhold Foundation Inc. is accepting applications through Friday, Feb. 6, for the 2015 Celebrate Clay awards, recognizing individuals and organizations for their community service. For more, reinhold.net.

FERNANDINA BEACH City commission holds Wednesday workshop

The City Commission holds a workshop from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at the Fernandina Beach Golf Course Clubhouse, 2800 Bill Melton Road. The workshop will include a year in review report from the city manager, a presentation on the citys proposed accounting software upgrade and a goal setting exercise. The public is invited.

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Around the Region: Ponte Vedra Library's Forum series presents "The Maritime Zone" and more

Beaches resort start delayed

Chairman of Sandals Resorts International Gordon "Butch" Stewart. Below, one of the pools at Sandals Barbados. (Pictures by Lennox Devonish.)

SANDALS RESORTS INTERNATIONALS proposed Beaches hotel in St Peter will not be starting this year.

Fresh from opening the new Sandals Barbados Resort & Spa, hotel magnate Gordon "Butch" Stewart said the "complex project" was still at the design stage. This means work is likely to start next year.

But speaking to the media following a tour of the refurbished property at Dover, Christ Church, Stewart said planning for the northern property was proceeding "at great speed" and that the new Sandals would be a major boost for Barbados, especially in the traditionally slow summer months.

At the same time, the veteran hotelier called suggestions that his company wanted a private beach in Barbados was "the most unfair accusation I have ever had".

Stewart said Sandals was now 80 per cent occupied, and that "if we end up at 80 per cent for the rest of the year I would be very unhappy"".

He also praised the quality of staff the company recruited in Barbados, and thanked residents in districts neighbouring Sandals for the patience and understanding while the hotel was being refurbished. (SC)

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Beaches resort start delayed

Mans appeal for help in clearing beaches of litter

A MAN from Dorset is appealing for help in his quest to rid the beaches of Weymouth and Portland of rubbish.

Simon Owens, 52, from Milton Abbas, is on a one-man mission to try and clean up the beaches in south Dorset after noticing an increase in rubbish being washed up along the shores.

He has launched his campaign, called Operation Perfect Organisation, to clean the beaches and is hoping the initiative will catch on throughout the country in the near future.

Mr Owens is currently collecting rubbish from the beaches once a week, mainly collecting plastic and other recyclable items, and is now asking local residents or businesses to help with the storage of the rubbish before it is recycled.

After just one clean earlier this week, Mr Owens filled his small container on Portland and said if he is to continue the cleans he will need a bigger unit.

Mr Owens said: I have been doing beach cleans for years, but it was always quite small cleans and this year I want to make a bigger difference.

Im 52 and I thought it was about time I made a big difference to the local community and there is so much rubbish on the beaches. Im hoping that over the next year the project will bring a lot of people together across Dorset and across the whole of the country to clean the beaches, but in each place we need to find a large enough space to store the rubbish before it is recycled.

Mr Owens said after he has collected the rubbish, he will separate all of what he finds before recycling it himself.

He added: There is plenty to do, there is plenty of rubbish on the beaches and there are thousands of litter pickers.

I think its very important to keep our beaches clean, it makes them look a lot nicer and it can also be incredibly harmful to wildlife.

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Mans appeal for help in clearing beaches of litter