Campers living on edge
It’s a campsite with million dollar views. And a terrifying drop.
Locals were surprised this week to see a tent pitched precariously on the edge of a steep slope at Magic Mountain.
Mermaid Beach resident Mark Deegan, who spotted the tent while out walking on Monday, said he had never seen anyone camped there before.
“It’s the best free view on the Gold Coast for sure,” he said. “However, I’d be a bit worried if he does any sleep walking, walks out the tent and goes off a cliff.”
The appearance of the tent on Magic Mountain comes amid a deepening housing crisis on the Gold Coast, which has seen the number of people sleeping in cars and tents surge in the city.
Local real estate agent and Division 12 council candidate Luke Henderson said he had been struck by the scale of the problem during his campaign.
“The cost of living is biting and we’re seeing it,” he said.
“It been the most eyeopening thing on this whole campaign. By far.”
Mr Henderson said people sleeping in vehicles or tents were regularly found in a number of parks, beaches and carparks in the area.
He said some had drug issues, some were tourists looking to save on holiday costs, but many were simply locals struggling with costof-living issues.
“You’ve got holiday makers trying to save a couple of dollars but most of them are decent people just down on their luck,” he said.
“Around Pizzey Park, I was chatting to a lady there with her daughter. They were living in their car.
“It was a really sad story. “She found herself down on her luck. She was just trying to save money on accommodation.”