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Authorities urge visitors to stay on designated paths at the historic Pink Cliffs in Heathcote after social media trends caused increased foot traffic and potential damage to the fragile 19th-century gold mining site.
The Pink Cliffs at Heathcote are a remnant of gold mining in the 19th century. Visitors to a fragile central Victorian landscape are heading off designated paths and damaging the site.
Authorities say visitors to the Pink Cliffs are welcome but must respect the cliff formations. Social media has inspired a swag of tourists to visit a fragile land formation in central Victoria, prompting warnings about damaging the unique site. Photos and videos showing people standing on the Pink Cliffs at Heathcote have spread on TikTok and Instagram, with each platform featuring dozens of posts on the attraction. A visitor climbing in the Pink Cliffs, posted on social media.
But Parks Victoria is concerned visitors may be ignoring signs and barriers to get the perfect picture.
"Social media has probably highlighted what has been a trend for a while," ranger Peter Barrow said. Mr Barrow said visitors were welcome to explore the reserve, but needed to stay on designated walking tracks and behind barriers to protect the area's unique geology. He said the exposed formations were particularly vulnerable because people could accelerate erosion by walking over them.
"It may not impact on the current generation, but the following generations will lose the ability to see this really unique geology," he said. Victoria University School for the Visitor Economy director Naomi Dale said social media had the power to influence how people behave at tourist attractions. She said repeatedly seeing photos of people enjoying a location can create a fear of missing out, even when signs tell people they shouldn't be there.
Another visitor documents a Pink Cliffs visit on social media. Professor Dale said people could also underestimate the impact of their actions, believing one person climbing on a formation would not make a difference. More than just an Instagram backdrop Geologist Clive Willman said the Pink Cliffs were created when miners used high-pressure water to wash away large volumes of soil and rock in search of gold.
The process exposed the layers underneath, leaving behind the distinctive gullies and formations seen today. ABC News: Molly PaynterHe said the site was visually spectacular, but also evidence of significant environmental damage caused by the gold rush.
"People see an amazing moonscape. It's a feast for the eyes but, really, it's the site of a devastated landscape," he said. Mr Barrow said signage at the reserve had been replaced in the past year, and there was a balance between protecting the formations and allowing visitors to experience them without being surrounded by signs.
Heathcote Pink Cliffs Social Media Tourism Conservation Visitor Impact Central Victoria
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