It was not something the residents of Biggera Waters and Labrador expected to see that day with up to 13 roads awash with waters from the 1.84 metre King Tide. The good news is, even though some of the roads were a bit tricky to navigate through, the beaches themselves are still open.

 

With a larger than average swell which is to be expected with any king tide, Life guard Chief Warren Young advised that even with this tide expected to be the highest of the year, the beaches are still safe “for a swim between the flags.”

 

So what exactly is a King Tide? Put simply a king tide is an above average high tide which is seen only a few times throughout a year. The cause of a king tide can be either from when the tide is enhanced when the earth is closest to the sun (this usually occurs in January) or when particular weather patterns form.

 

Usually king tides are predicable and also the main cause of erosion on Gold Coast beaches.