Guest safety is a big issue at Oakhurst, and with our farm dam and swimming pool frequented by people of all ages, we’re continually appealing to visitors to be safe and aware of the dangers around water. Apart from small children not being permitted into the fenced swimming pool area without an adult escorting them, we needed to do more.
Having spotted the National Sea Rescue Institute’s (NSRI) pink life saving buoys dotted along unmanned beaches of our nearby coastline, we got in touch with our local NSRI base, Station 23 at Wilderness to enquire about having a couple of these pink buoys installed on the farm.

Nothing is ever too-big-a-task for these dedicated volunteers, and before we knew it, the pink buoys were ready and on standby at the swimming pool and farm dam. This became a great opportunity for us to donate to the pink buoy cause, a fantastic fundraising initiative by NSRI, whereby anyone can sponsor a buoy in order to raise funds for the organisation.

What’s more, is that an exciting pilot project is kicking off in Wilderness this coming weekend (26 Feb 2021), whereby more lifeguards will be employed via local NSRI donations, meaning the Oakhurst Farm Cottages donation is without doubt going towards a worthy cause. This initiative really is a community effort, with many local businesses contributing what they can. Bottom line: The more lifeguards on our Wilderness beaches, the less chance of fatalities.
Back to Oakhurst…the newly installed pink buoys may look a little out of place away from the beach and amidst the lush surroundings of a dairy farm, but the general concept and message are the same. They’re bright, they’re highly visible and they’ve become a subconscious warning device to anyone who sees them: Be careful when swimming.
To prove the effectiveness of these pink buoys, since NSRI launched the Pink Rescue Buoy Campaign in 2017, over 850 of them have been installed along the coastline and interior waterways. To date nearly 70 lives have been saved by using these devices. That’s 70 people who would have drowned, had the pink buoy not been close at hand.
While we hope that the two installed at Oakhurst never have to be used, it’s great for us and our guests to know they’re there. Of course with that bright pink colour, it’s pretty hard for them to go unnoticed.
To find our more about NSRI and the Wilderness station’s lifeguard initiative, or to make your pledge to this great cause, visit: