Visitors flood Preston Beach

Preston Beach residents were baffled when crowds flocked to their beach last week, despite the “stay home” instructions from the Premier.

The beach carpark was clogged with caravans, campervans, backpackers and boats — just days before the regional boundary restrictions came into play.

The picturesque shore usually attracts many day-trippers — particularly at weekends. However, Premier Mark McGowan said all non-essential travel was now banned.

Preston Beach resident, Tracy Roache, manages several Aldemor holiday houses in the town and said she chose to shut them weeks ago.

“I did not want to encourage visitors at that time or put the Preston Beach community at risk,” Mrs Roache said.

“It was the right thing to do.”

Mrs Roache cancelled every booking and issued full refunds.

“I blocked all calendar bookings and will not reopen them until this pandemic is over.”

She believed many people had come from Perth to stay in their Preston Beach holiday houses.

She said Preston Beach was home to many elderly people and having visitors posed serious health risks in the current pandemic.

Mrs Roache said the team at Aldemor Holiday Services WA would be back up and running after the pandemic had blown over.

“It would be great if the visitors returned at the other end of this, however, right now is just not the time to travel.”

Although visitors were given full refunds, Mrs Roache hoped visitors would rebook their holidays at a safer date.

Mrs Roache said the Easter holidays usually attracted the highest number of holidaymakers.