Step away from the edge, Instagram fanatics.
A picturesque clifftop on the outskirts of Sydney, Australia, has become such a popular photo destination on Instagram that local authorities have had no choice but to rope it off.
A photo posted by 认真点。 (@stephy_lii) on May 17, 2015 at 2:17am PDT
Known as "Wedding Cake Rock" in the Royal National Park, the pristine white sandstone set against an ocean backdrop has proven irresistible to hordes of people in search of those double tap "likes," pushing them to take risky photos on the cliff's potentially unstable edge.
Apparently driven by social media hype, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) told Fairfax Media that the usual 2,000 visitors a month who walk the ocean track has jumped to 10,000 visitors. "This is a new phenomenon for us -- to have the popularity of a site driven by social media," NPWS regional manager Gary Dunnett said.
One man has already died after he hung off the rock and the edge crumbled, the outlet reported, and there are fears for the integrity of the rock column. "The thing I'm concerned about is whether having 30 or 40 people standing on that area has the potential to tip it one way or the other," Dunnett added.
In a move unlikely to make a nice 'gram, the NPWS have now erected a fence to protect both people and the rock.
Check out some of the more than 3,614 #weddingcakerock photos for an idea of the pristine oceanside location, which Instagram fame has ruined for us all:
A photo posted by Serena yang (@coollight2015) on May 30, 2015 at 9:56pm PDT
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