Thick, pungent red seaweed that has plagued Crowdy Head Beach for the last six months continues to frustrate locals and tourists.
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Since December 2018, the beach has been covered in piles of seaweed, rendering the sand and water obsolete.
Likening it to an oil slick, Crowdy Head Surf Life Saving Club president Adam Eady said the seaweed has impacted on swimmers, surfers and fishermen.
"It's been really thick, I've been out there for 10 years and I've never seen it so thick.
"You just can't use the beach, you can't swim in it, there's no fish in it, it basically takes that whole area out.
"Our attendance at the beach has been really low this year, everyone has been going over to the unpatrolled beach on the back side," he said.
Mr Eady tried almost every day during the Christmas/school holidays to have a swim.
His strike rate? One swim in six weeks.
The seaweed is a regular occurrence. It's longevity, however, is not.
"It would come in, hang around for about a week and then move along with the current," Mr Eady said.
The surf club's nippers have also felt the effects.
"I think we missed out on three weeks due to the weed, the kids couldn't get in the water and due to the tide, we didn't have much beach so we had to cancel nippers at least three times," Mr Eady said.
Mr Eady said rising sea temperatures could have played a factor in the amount of seaweed washed ashore.
"There was a bit of a fish kill over in the harbour so it (seaweed) just sucks the oxygen out of the water," Mr Eady said.
However it's done, Mr Eady is hopeful the seaweed will be cleaned up soon.
"Once the tide goes out, it's sitting on the beach. It would be a pretty easy fix to come and scrape it all up and bury it under the beach somewhere or stick it in the dunes so it can decompose naturally," he said.
The popular spot suffered depleted tourist numbers during summer, causing damage to the local economy.
"For an area like Harrington and Crowdy, it is really reliant on the tourist dollar so that really hurts us.
"People come to Harrington and Crowdy for a beach holiday and if they can't go to the beach, they probably won't come next year.
"Ultimately, it will hurt us majorly in years to come," Mr Eady said.
Looking out at the red stained sand from the shop window, Sunsets Cafe employee Danika Farrell has seen the effects of the seaweed.
As expected, the lack of visitors had a toll on business.
"I've been here six years and the last year has been poorer," she said.
With a front row seat, Ms Farrell has witnessed dead fish washing ashore and the strong smell of rotting seaweed wafting from the beach.
"The wind has been blowing it in so we need the westerly to blow it back out," Ms Farrell said.
The beach has been a second home to Ross Moylan for three decades. The amount of seaweed on the sand is the worst he's ever seen.
"It's sad to see the beach the way it is. At Christmas, the sand, rocks, everything was red.
"It's the worst I've seen it in 30 years," Mr Moylan said.
Ultimately, it will hurt us majorly in years to come.
- Adam Eady, Crowdy Head Surf Life Saving Club president
After speaking with friends, Mr Moylan said the problem is felt by other beaches on the east coast.
"It's been constant over summer so hopefully the winds during autumn and winter will help clean it up," he said.
The beach will be occupied this Saturday by vintage vehicles event RattleTrap 3.
Host club Drag-ens Hot Rod Club asked MidCoast Council earlier this week to clear away some of the seaweed so the event can go ahead.
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