Is Australia's Most Cherished Beach at Risk of Being Overrun? The Case of Squeaky Beach
Squeaky Beach, a pristine stretch of white quartz sands on the east side of Wilsons Promontory National Park in Victoria, Australia, has been named Australia's best beach by Tourism Australia in 2024 and runner-up in Lonely Planet's list of the best beaches in the world in 2025. Its unique feature, the squeaking sound made by the sand when visitors scuff their feet, has become a major draw for tourists. However, the beach's popularity is causing concerns about its long-term sustainability.
The beach's fame began when K-pop star Jennie from Blackpink posted photos of herself at Lincoln’s Rock lookout in the Blue Mountains, outside Sydney, to her 80 million followers on Instagram in 2023. This led to a surge in visitor numbers, with the Blue Mountains City Council reporting a significant increase in tourism. While the number of tourists at Wilsons Promontory is lower than the 5 million who visit the Blue Mountains annually, it has grown rapidly, with an estimated 400,000 visitors in 2024, 500,000 in 2025, and over 600,000 expected this year.
This influx has brought several issues, including increased rubbish, illegal parking, traffic congestion, and vandalism. Visitors have carved their initials and names into the rock, and with no toilets at the site, some have defecated in the bush. The council closed the site last month for at least three months due to safety concerns, as two people had fallen from the lookout and survived horrific injuries, with the mayor fearing deaths would follow.
The beach itself is facing threats. During the summer months, hundreds of tourists disembark from shuttle buses, some clambering over delicate dunes, which are fragile ecosystems with significant cultural heritage values. These dunes provide vital feeding and nesting areas for small animals like the southern brown bandicoot and the endangered hooded plover. Visitors leaving behind rubbish or trampling, sliding, or jumping on the dunes accelerates erosion and harms coastal plants that hold the dunes together.
Parks Victoria launched a consultation in 2023 to develop a new management plan for the Prom, aiming to limit visitors to ensure the park's long-term sustainability. However, the state government has twice delayed the draft plan, which was first promised in 2024. The agency is now working with traditional owners to develop the plan, which is expected to take a significant amount of time.
The number of park rangers employed to manage invasive weeds, maintain tracks, and protect national parks must increase with growing population and tourism numbers, according to Victorian National Parks Association campaigner Jordan Crook. However, the number of full-time equivalent staff at Parks Victoria has declined since 1998, and only a fraction are rangers. This decline raises concerns about the park's ability to manage the increasing number of visitors.
The beach's popularity and the resulting environmental impact highlight the challenge of balancing tourism and environmental conservation. As the beach continues to attract visitors, the need for effective management and conservation efforts becomes increasingly urgent to prevent it from being 'loved to death'.
