An ‘influencer’ couple who say they were unfairly blamed for the closure of a ‘hidden gem’ beach in South Australia have revealed who is really responsible.
The State Government announced this week that large vehicles would be banned from camping at Wauraltee Beach on Yorke Peninsula from February 2025.
Motor homes and tent trailers “will not be permitted at any time during the day or night,” but daytime access for boat launching and recreation will remain.
Chris and Miriam traveled to the campsite in their caravan for Australia Day 2023 and shared their experience on their popular camping account Aussie Destinations Unknown.
The couple say they have been attacked by angry locals since the decision was made to restrict beach access for “protect the sensitive environment” from a “massive congregation of vehicles.”
“We just got a really nasty message from a local basically saying it’s us and other travelers who caused this,” Chris said in a video shared on social media.
‘I’d say 99.99% of the time it’s the locals who come there on the weekends. We are watching their behavior, leaving an absolute spectacle of trash, disgusting behavior, motorcycles, donuts, just disgusting behavior.
Influencers Chris and Miriam have taken the blame for the closure of a “hidden gem” beach in Adelaide when they shared the location with their followers on social media.
Wauraltee Beach on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula (pictured) will no longer allow caravans and other heavy camping vehicles from February 2025.
“They’re the ones who are actually causing these places to close, but they’re quick to blame us travelers, which… is really unfair.”
Officials said the influx of interest in the secret beaches had significant consequences, including disruption to wildlife, loss of wildlife habitat, damage to vegetation, weed infestation and compaction of sand.
But the couple claim it is locals who are vandalizing Wauraltee beach. tearing it up on long weekends doing donuts on dirt bikes and 4x4s and leaving trash behind.
‘I called this about three years ago. “One thing I’ve noticed over 10 years of traveling is that a lot of the larvae are backpackers in vans who don’t have a bathroom or shower and leave toilet paper everywhere,” Chris said.
The couple responded to accusations that they “ruined” hidden gems by sharing them online, saying they investigated the scene to make sure there were no secrets to reveal.
‘We checked to see if Wauraltee was well known before naming the location. “It was well known to have hundreds of vans parked for Australia Day and other long weekends,” Chris wrote in a separate post.
‘We didn’t put that place on the map. We keep many secret places a secret from the locals. Plus, half the fun is doing your own research and finding the places! So we leave some of that up to you.
National Parks and Wildlife Services Program Director Jason Irving insisted there was no intention to ban all vehicles from South Australian beaches.
“It’s about finding a balance between visitor enjoyment and the need to protect native flora and fauna,” Irving said in a statement.