An arctic blast in some states failed to prevent people heading outdoors to enjoy an easing of coronavirus restrictions over the weekend.
While many people will be keenly waiting to see what the National Cabinet has to say about further easing restrictions after they meet on Friday, this weekend presented the first opportunity for a lot of people to head outside and enjoy activities that haven’t been possible for the past few weeks.
And for the most part police around the nation felt most Australians did the right thing.
Here’s a look at what happened across the states and how the first wave of lowered restrictions played out.
Queensland
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In Queensland, residents were able to spend some time outside just for pleasure, rather than exercise or running essential errands.
With picnics allowed in household groups or groups of two, the state’s parklands and beaches were busy — and people took to the waterways on boats and jet skis.
Winding roads long favoured by motorcyclists were busy, with plenty of bikers wasting no time hitting the road within the permitted 50 kilometre radius of their home.
One motorcyclist, Michael, said it was a relief to “see real people again”.
“This is busy … this first weekend people are like, ‘I want to get out’,” he said.
At the entrance to D’Aguilar National Park, west of Brisbane, people were embracing the chance to wander in nature for the first time in weeks and one man said it was busier than a shopping centre.
“I would say there’d be over 100 people there … but everyone is maintaining their distance, so yeah, it’s great … magic,” he said.
However, some people still fell foul of restrictions rules, with Queensland Police on Sunday morning saying they had issued more than 30 fines in the first 24 hours of restrictions being eased.
Northern Territory
In the Northern Territory, restrictions on outdoor activities, including hiking, swimming, fishing and camping, were lifted just in time for the start of the dry season.
Nature enthusiasts flocked to Litchfield National Park, filling campsites and waterholes within a few short hours.
Others encouraged by the cooler weather took ad