Grant Hudson’s face and voice will be familiar to patrons of the sun and sand as Port Macquarie-Hastings Council’s senior lifeguard. Grant’s team of seasonal lifeguards did their re-accreditation recently and they’ll be busy patrolling Town and Flynn’s beaches until next year. 

Grant also works with school students to emphasis council’s main safety message: No Flags, No Swim. He spoke with Ben Cooper...

What kind of a start are you expecting for the patrolling season? The conditions over the last week show summer has already started to hit. Most of our beaches that are protected by those southerly winds are just beautiful at the moment. The water’s amazing and clear, and hopefully conditions will stay like this for the start of the holidays and we get plenty of people down.

Do you have a favourite local beach? I have a soft spot for Flynns Beach, but all of our beaches are great because they each offer something different. Town Beach is nice and open with a few scattered rocky outcrops, and it’s also got the advantage of having the picturesque river mouth at the northern end. Another one of my favourites is Lighthouse Beach. We have very few beaches that are protected from those northeast winds and, especially during summer, Lighthouse is really the place people can go to escape.

Do you head out for a daily swim or a surf before work? Typically yes, because I encourage all my staff to make use of their work environment. They work on such beautiful beaches so they’re encouraged to get out there and have a paddle in the mornings, talk to the people on the beach as well as those nearby. It’s really important that lifeguards aren’t just seen in the water having fun, but also doing their job by talking to people and providing help where it’s appropriate.

Is it possible to get tired of working at the beach? Just take a look at where we’re sitting now (Flynns Beach): Could you get sick of this? There are some hard days. Last year we had the rains and floods for more than two weeks, and some of the beaches were shut for about that long. Those are the days where you get drenched whether you’re inside or outside the tower. The lifeguards cherish those days when there is big swell, because they get to challenge themselves and develop their skills.

Do you get excited about coming to work? I get excited every day about coming to work. Every morning when I do my checklist for the truck, to check we’ve got everything we need and all the equipment works, I do get a little buzz. Being a professional lifeguard is one of the best jobs I could ever ask for. It’s the joy of working down here. I love coming to the beach and seeing all the familiar faces again, and having a chat with tourists and locals. You can’t really get anything better: It’s just one of those jobs you have to smile about.