A spit ( cognate with the word for a rotisserie bar) or sandspit is a deposition bar or beach landform off coasts or lake shores. It develops in places where re-entrance occurs, such as at a cove's headlands , by the process of longshore drift by longshore currents. The drift occurs due to waves meeting the beach at an oblique angle, moving sediment down the beach in a zigzag pattern. This is complemented by longshore currents, which further transport sediment through the water alongside the beach. These currents are caused by the same waves that cause the drift.
34-628: Download coordinates as: The Southport Spit (officially known as The Spit ) is a spit and neighbourhood within the northern end of Main Beach , City of Gold Coast , Queensland , Australia. It is a permanent sand spit that separates the Southport Broadwater from the Pacific Ocean . Seaworld Drive is the main street connecting the area of The Spit to the rest of Main Beach . Parklands and naturally vegetated sand dunes on
68-417: A direction other than obliquely along the spit will halt the growth of the spit, shorten it, or eventually destroy it entirely. The sediments that make up spits come from a variety of sources including rivers and eroding bluffs, and changes there can have a major effect on spits and other coastal landforms. Activities such as logging and farming upstream can increase the sediment load of rivers, which may hurt
102-573: A narrow section of land on Stradbroke Island. This made a new ocean passage, the Jumpinpin Channel , which divided Stradbroke Island in two ( North Stradbroke Island and South Stradbroke Island ). The continuous longshore drift it created continued to erode South Stradbroke Island and the township of Moondarewa began to be lost to the sea from the late 1930s during storms as the Broadwater Entrance migrated northwards. During
136-565: A number of different sections including Travel times and distances for walking journeys along the Gold Coast Oceanway have been calculated. There are viewing platforms at popular outlooks all along the Oceanway that are accessible for people with a disability and the entire route is serviced by Surfside Buses . The Gold Coast Oceanway logo is made up of a number of elements including The Gold Coast City Council has
170-665: A program to invest into the quality and capacity of the Gold Coast Oceanway . It is already possible to enjoy walking and cycling along the full 36 kilometres (22 mi) Gold Coast Oceanway corridor from Point Danger to the Gold Coast Seaway but many sections are narrow and of low quality. In July 2008 a new section of Oceanway pavement was completed between the Sheraton Mirage Hotel and Seaworld on The Spit . Council will construct
204-607: A rival attraction, Marineland, in 1976. Marineland was situated on the site of the current Sheraton resort. On the end of The Spit is the Gold Coast Sand Pumping Jetty ( 27°56′19″S 153°25′57″E / 27.9386°S 153.4324°E / -27.9386; 153.4324 ( Sand Bypass Pumping Jetty ) ), a popular destination for fishermen and part of the Gold Coast Seaway's Sand Bypassing System. The Gold Coast Oceanway and
238-634: Is a corruption of the Aboriginal name Moonjerrabah which was the name for a mosquito. Moondarewa was located in the area near where Seaworld is located today ( 27°55′48″S 153°25′32″E / 27.9300°S 153.42556°E / -27.9300; 153.42556 ( Moondarewa, Queensland ) ). The Spit was formed between 1897 and 1898, a product of longshore drift when high seas broke through at Jumpinpin ( 27°43′50″S 153°26′43″E / 27.7306°S 153.4453°E / -27.7306; 153.4453 ( Jumpinpin ) ),
272-499: Is a reserve comprising the eastern part of The Spit. There are a number of parks: Doug Jennings Park covers the whole north end of The Spit, with views to Wave Break Island to the east and South Stradbroke Island to the north. It is a popular family park, suitable for fishing, diving, surfing, boating and swimming. 27°57′07″S 153°25′37″E / 27.952°S 153.427°E / -27.952; 153.427 ( Southport Spit ) Spit (landform) Where
306-504: Is along the busy Gold Coast highway. A new pavement is proposed for the dune front area. Residents who currently enjoy beach front property are concerned about CPTED . In 2009, Council resolved to put construction of this section of the Oceanway on hold due to the opposition of beachfront property owners. In 2019 Council was preparing to construct the TD23A Oceanway. This section was completed in 2021 Opening up public access along
340-780: Is called the proximal end, and the end jutting out into water is called the distal end. There is debate as to the longest spit in the world, with both the Arabat Spit in the Sea of Azov and the Younghusband Peninsula in South Australia approximately 110 kilometres (68 mi) long. Alternatively, with the natural closing of the Roanoke inlet in 1811, Bodie Island in North Carolina may qualify as
374-514: Is home to Sea World ( 27°57′21″S 153°25′33″E / 27.9559°S 153.4257°E / -27.9559; 153.4257 ( Sea World ) ), Sea World Resort, the Sheraton Mirage Resort and Spa, as well as Palazzo Versace ( 27°58′01″S 153°25′33″E / 27.9670°S 153.4259°E / -27.9670; 153.4259 ( Palazza Versace Australia ) ). Sea World expanded after purchasing
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#1732771731318408-401: Is not interrupted, and the spit is not breached by the sea (or, if across an estuary, the river), the spit may become a bar , with both ends joined to land, and form a lagoon behind the bar. If an island lies offshore near where the coast changes direction, and the spit continues to grow until it connects the island to the mainland, it is called a tombolo . The end of a spit attached to land
442-825: The Curonian Lagoon from the Baltic Sea ; it is 98 km long (61 mi). In a similar fashion, the Vistula Spit separates the Vistula Lagoon from the Gdańsk Bay off the coast of Poland . Zlatni Rat , a popular pebble beach jutting southward from the harbor town of Bol , on the Croatian island of Brač , is formed by Adriatic currents flowing east and west through the Hvar Channel , along
476-557: The Federation Walk ( 27°56′37″S 153°25′36″E / 27.9435°S 153.4266°E / -27.9435; 153.4266 ( Federation Trail ) ) provide opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists to explore the Spit. The Federation Walk Coastal Reserve ( 27°57′00″S 153°25′41″E / 27.950°S 153.428°E / -27.950; 153.428 ( Federation Walk Coastal Reserve ) )
510-693: The Morro Bay is one such location. Gold Coast Oceanway The Gold Coast Oceanway is a foreshoreway for use by pedestrians and cyclists along the Gold Coast , Queensland , Australia connecting the Point Danger lighthouse on the New South Wales and Queensland border to the Gold Coast Seaway . The network includes 36 kilometres (22 mi) of poor, medium, and high-quality pathways. The 'Gold Coast Oceanway' includes
544-696: The 1940s the Southport Yacht Club grew and added marina facilities for the increasing number of private boats wanting to moor on the Spits' eastern side of the Broadwater. Since the 1950s and '60s, the local prawning industry used The Spit for their berth. The Spit continued to develop, with tourist attractions opening in the 1960s. It is now home to Sea World theme park, an upmarket shopping restaurant and bar precinct and several resorts. Navigational difficulties caused boating accidents, prompting
578-480: The Main Beach South Oceanway between Woodroffe Street and Narrowneck between February and June 2023. In November 2020, Council was consulting with the community about constructing the Oceanway between Laycock Street Surfers Paradise and First Avenue Broadbeach. In 2021, a group of beach front landowners has sought a court injunction to stop construction near their homes. The Court challenge
612-520: The Southern Points Oceanway between Greenmount and Bilinga . In 2009 the Oceanway was completed between Kirra Point and North Kirra and in 2010 the Oceanway was extended up to Bilinga SLSC. There are many places where a realignment of the Oceanway traffic routes from the landward side of beachfront buildings to the beachfront itself would allow a superior pavement to be constructed. Beachfront residents are concerned that opening up
646-530: The beachfront between Flat Rock and Elephant Rock (FERO) Currumbin has been debated in the community for over a decade. There has been petitions both in support and opposition to opening the public road reserve along the beach so the public can walk along the dunes. The Friends of Currumbin have been quoted in the Sun Newspaper as in support of the public's right of access to the road reserve. Local beachfront property owners are lobbying politicians to ensure
680-599: The central sections of Palm Beach were built further seaward than other parts of the Gold Coast. This means that the remaining dunes are regularly eroded with waves reaching the seawalls. The instability of the dunes does not leave much room to construct an Oceanway between the 11th and 21st Avenue groynes . In July 2018, Council commenced construction of the 1.7 km missing link of the Oceanway from Tugun to Bilinga. The section of Oceanway pathway opened by Christmas 2018. In September 2008, works commenced on improving
714-436: The complementary process of littoral drift, the bar would not build above the surface of the waves becoming a spit and would instead be leveled off underwater. Spits occur when longshore drift reaches a section of headland where the turn is greater than 30 degrees. The spit will continue out into the sea until water pressure (e.g. from a river) becomes too great to allow the sand to deposit. Vegetation may then start to grow on
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#1732771731318748-429: The direction of the shore inland re-enters , or changes direction, for example at a headland , the longshore current spreads out or dissipates. No longer able to carry the full load, much of the sediment is dropped. This is called deposition. This submerged bar of sediment allows longshore drift or littoral drift to continue to transport sediment in the direction the waves are breaking, forming an above-water spit. Without
782-646: The eastern ocean side of the Spit start in Main Beach at Kemp Street and Main Beach Parade and run continuously to the tip of the Spit. There was a township called Moondarewa located on the southern tip of Stradbroke Island (now South Stradbroke Island ). On 9 February 1881 the Queensland Government auctioned 156 town lots at Moondarewa which was described as "southern end of Stradbroke Island and opposite Southport" (. The name Moondarewa
816-517: The innovative Wave highrise building in Broadbeach allowed completion of the Oceanway between Kurrawa Parklands and First Avenue, Broadbeach . There are wealthy residents along Hedges Avenue who do not support the construction of the Oceanway along this section of the beach. Sections of the public road reserve (Los Angeles Esplanade) have been fenced off from public access and are vegetated with turf and landscaping that incorporates public road into
850-404: The intertidal environments around spits by smothering delicate habitats. Roads or bulkheads built along bluffs can drastically reduce the volume of sediment eroded, so that not enough material is being pushed along to maintain the spit. If the supply of sediment is interrupted the sand at the neck (landward end) of the spit may be moved towards the head, eventually creating an island. If the supply
884-520: The longest, also measuring in at approximately 70 miles (110 km) to the peninsula's terminus at the Oregon Inlet . The longest spit in a freshwater body of water is Long Point, Ontario , which extends approximately 32 km (20 mi) into Lake Erie . Farewell Spit in New Zealand , at 32 km (20 mi), in the north-west area of South Island , is believed to be caused by
918-576: The planning and design of the Gold Coast Seaway , built from 1984 to 1986. The design relied on data from the Beach Protection Authority to prevent it becoming a baymouth bar connecting to South Stradbroke Island . Construction of the project had six main phases: In 2018, the Spit Master Plan was announced to revitalise the area for community use. At at October 2024, the work is still in progress. The Southport Spit
952-563: The private gardens for the adjoining houses. The footpath on the landward side of the houses is narrow and impeded by driveways and powerpoles. In March 2008, works commenced on the Palm Beach Parklands including a new upgraded section of Oceanway between Lacey's Lane and Tarrabora Reserve. In 2021, the Palm Beach Oceanway was extended from Tallebudgera Drive to twenty-Third Avenue. Houses and apartments along
986-426: The public land between their houses and the beach will detract from enjoyment of their property, citing in particular CPTED and coastal erosion concerns. Gold Coast City Council is considering proposals to invest into the quality and capacity of the Gold Coast Oceanway at northern Palm Beach . A controversial area is the TD23A Oceanway between Tallebudgera Drive and 23rd Avenue. The current route for pedestrians
1020-487: The road reserve remains for their exclusive beachfront enjoyment. Opponents to public access along FERO have submitted a formal legal injunction that questions the right of local government to allow people to walk along a public road reserve. In 2010, the FERO section of Oceanway was completed as a turf walkway. This section of the Oceanway was completed as a concrete accessible path in 2019. The Gold Coast Oceanway has received
1054-479: The southern side of the island. The spit bends slightly west or east, changing its direction gradually, depending on the conditions of the tides and weather. Since prehistory humans have chosen certain spit formations as sites for human habitation. In some cases, these sites have been chosen for proximity to marine resource exploitation ; the Chumash Native American prehistorical settlement on
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1088-426: The spit, and the spit may become stable and often fertile. A spit may be considered a special form of a shoal . As spits grow, the water behind them is sheltered from wind and waves, and a salt marsh is likely to develop. Wave refraction can occur at the end of a spit, carrying sediment around the end to form a hook or recurved spit. Refraction in multiple directions may create a complex spit. Waves that arrive in
1122-728: The strong prevailing winds and currents, bringing sand eroded from the Southern Alps of the South Island and depositing these into Golden Bay . A well-known spit in the UK is Spurn Point at the Humber ; it is approximately 4.8 km (3.0 mi) long. Another is Chesil Beach in the UK, which connects the Isle of Portland to the mainland. The Curonian Spit , off the coast of Lithuania and Kaliningrad Oblast of Russia , separates
1156-802: Was not successful. Council has now constructed the Surfers South Oceanway, and the Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Mark Bailey, and local divisional councillor, Darren Taylor, opened the new pathway for pedestrians and cyclists in March 2023. The Surfers South Oceanway was jointly funded by the Queensland Government under its Cycle Network Local Government Grants Program and by the City of Gold Coast. In June 2008, funding from
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