Queensland surf lifesavers say this has been the busiest summer on the state's beaches in three years, with 3.5 million beach visitors in December alone.
As crowd sizes grow, so too does the popularity of the beach cabana.
A sea of the shaded shelters has become a common view at busy south-east beaches, creating small villages on the sand.
But they've been causing problems for lifesavers at one popular beach.
Noosa Heads Surf Life Saving Club president Ross Fisher said the cabana had secured its domination over the past couple of years.
"They've become a phenomena," he said.
"People found their patch of sand, they had their family under the cabana, they had sun shade, shelter from the rain if it rains."
He said as they populated the beach, the water's edge became harder to see.
"It'll get to a point that there'll be too many, you simply cannot get down to the water's edge through them because they go right up to each other," he said.
Shifting patrols and lost kids
Mr Fisher said while the cabanas were a "wonderful, colourful sight", he had seen them cause distress for kids who could not spot their own.
"We get problems where children go down for a swim, they turn around and they don't know which cabana is theirs," he said.
Mr Fisher said lifesavers were also constantly shifting their patrol set-up, to stay in front of the rows of shelters.
"We have to keep moving the patrol down," he said.
"You're trying to keep the flags going down, which we have to do anyway, but you have to be smart about it."
Busy beaches
Surf Life Saving Queensland Gold Coast coordinator Nathan Fife said while he wasn't aware of any major cabana concerns on Gold Coast beaches, he encouraged beachgoers to use common sense.
"Make sure there is pathways, make sure they [lifesavers] can still see the water and see their flagged areas, " Mr Fife said.
"If lifesavers or lifeguards ask you to move because they need to get a vehicle through, or you're too close to their flagged area, please listen to them.
"They're there to make sure everyone is safe at the beach. If they can't do their job, it's not good for anyone."
Mr Fife said volunteer lifesavers carried out 670 rescues on Queensland beaches in December.
