Ingenia Holidays and Surf Life Saving NSW join forces to ensure a surf safe summer for guests
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 Broulee, Bonny Hills and One Mile Beach will access the interactive 60-minute sessions designed to reinforce surf safety messages to holiday park guests.
Ingenia Holidays Broulee Park Manager Tess Clark 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.
“We had so many guests coming into our park after the first round of the pandemic last year – this holiday season people are going to flock to our beaches after being stuck at home for so long,” Ms Clark said.
“Guest safety is paramount for us and some of our guests aren’t familiar with the ocean, so being aware of the risks and knowing where to swim safely and how to read the ocean is important, particularly for kids but also for their parents.
“With these sessions we can give families the opportunity to learn surf safety in a fun environment, so that they can safely enjoy our great location here on the coast.”
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 Clark 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.”
Surf Life Saving (NSW) Surf Safety Presenter Natalie Browning 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,” Ms Browning 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 Broulee, Bonny Hills and One Mile Beach and we look forward to expanding this offering to other Ingenia Holiday Park’s locations across NSW in 2022.”
The ‘Surf Safety Sessions’ will be held on 13 and 20 November, with certificates of participation given to attendees.
