Police Beat – Tri to be patient

Senior Constable, Michael Brantz

Last month I spent a weekend in the Gold Coast hinterland working as part of the support crew for my daughter’s Kokoda Challenge team.  The event, that raises money for the Kokoda Challenge Youth Program, saw Em, three schoolmates and a brave teacher (and hundreds of other teams), hike 48 kilometres through some pretty gruelling countryside near the Hinze Dam.

At the start of the event, the participants ran / walked off along Nerang-Murwillumbah Road for a few hundred metres before heading into the bush to tackle the hills.

To facilitate a safe start for those involved, the road was closed briefly in both directions. Not really a big deal, or a major delay to any motorists, at least that’s what I would have thought.

As I was walking back towards our car, my attention was drawn towards an irate motorist who had left his vehicle and was standing in the middle of the road, a short distance from the poor SES volunteer stopping traffic.

He was in the middle of a tantrum any young child would have been proud of.  His behaviour was so hostile, I felt the need to stop in case the poor lady needed help.

Mr Cranky’s main issue was he was unaware of the road closures that morning, because, “Nobody told me”.

I’m sure he had a fair point and nobody from the event had personally contacted him, despite the numerous other measures taken to advise motorists of the impending delays.

The reason I recount this story is that this month, on the weekend of August 11 and 12, the annual Rainbow Beach Double Triathlon will run. As usual, it will involve some road closures around town and while we make every effort to keep delays to a minimum, if you’re driving around Rainbow Beach on that weekend, you may be affected.

The main disruptions will occur during the two ‘main’ races which take place on Saturday afternoon between 3.30 5.30pm and Sunday morning, 7.30am to 9.30am. Both races follow the same course and will involve road closures along Clarkson Drive, Inskip Avenue, Wide Bay Esplanade, Ocean View Parade and Green Valley Drive.

I will be posting a list of the weekend’s road closures at various locations around Rainbow Beach prior to the date. I ask please that you don’t drive around the beachfront / CBD during the race times unless absolutely necessary – or you’re on a bike in the race.

Also if you’re planning on coming or going from Inskip Point, please plan your trip to avoid the race times. It would help us out a lot and ensure the safety of everyone competing.

It’s one of the only events in Rainbow Beach during the year that involves road closures and we work hard to make the delays as short as possible.  If you do get held up, please don’t be a Mr Cranky, instead ‘Tri to be patient!’