The authorities have declared large stretches of normally white-sand beaches along the popular surf region of the Sunshine Coast a disaster zone, as well as Moreton and Bribie islands, which are national parks.
VOA: standard.2009.03.13
Curacao, off the Venezuelan coast, is an oil refining and tourist centre, boasting white-sand beaches, crystalline waters and popular casinos.
Yet the country is still a popular stopover for cruises, and, being that it is home to the world's second longest barrier reef, impressive eco-tourism attractions and relaxing white-sand beaches, tourism is still one of its top sources of revenue.
Which it does: serene views of Little Narragansett Bay and Block Island Sound, spotless white-sand beaches, and a newly rebuilt, grand inn atop a scenic bluff, the Ocean House, which for decades had stood as a neglected sentinel, a reminder of grander times past.