Glory days are long gone
Once-popular swim spot now deserted
BURNT-OUT shells of stolen cars serve as a morbid reminder of how far the tide has turned on what was once one of the Far North’s favourite swimming holes.
Weekend journeys to Ross and Locke used to be an essential pilgrimage for thousands of Cairns residents during the summer months.
The bank would be packed with picnickers as swimmers bobbed along the Mulgrave River on inflatable tyres.
Now there is nary a swimmer in sight due to crocodiles.
The scorched carcasses of two stolen vehicles create an eyesore on the riverbank and nobody is getting ready to bomb dive off Peets Bridge.
Fiona Anastasi, who runs the Fee’s Fernhouse nursery at Gordonvale, doubted the glory days would ever return.
“At this time of year, you wouldn’t have been able to get a parking spot anywhere on the creek verge – but there’s plenty of room now,” she said.
Division 1 Cairns Regional Councillor Brett Moller said he was aware of a spike in anti-social behaviour at the site, including four-wheel-drive enthusiasts using it as their own personal playground.
“The trail of destruction and rubbish they leave behind is a blight,” he said.
“I know community members are deeply upset about it.”
Cr Moller said he would work with the State Government on the issue but, until there was a more proactive crocodile policy, it was unlikely Ross and Locke would get back to its former popularity.
A Queensland Police spokeswoman said one of the burnt-out cars had been at the riverside since January 2018, while the other was investigated in March this year.
“The owners of the vehicle were advised of the location,” she said.
“Police are not responsible for removing these vehicles.
“(The) Ross and Locke area is land under shared management of the Department of Natural Resources and Cairns Regional Council.
“The investigation has been completed and offenders were not located.”