A Queensland couple's romantic beach stroll took an unusual twist when they unearthed a vintage car buried in the sand yesterday.
Kylah and Tim Chapman were celebrating their first wedding anniversary with a relaxing walk on Coonarr Beach, south of Bundaberg, when they stumbled upon a small piece of rusty metal.
The couple attempted to pick it up but soon realised it wasn't just some small curio.
"We love fossicking and searching for treasure — it's our thing," Mr Chapman said.
"It just got better and better the deeper we dug.
"We kept following it and following it, and it turned into a super old car."
After a quick trip home to retrieve some tools, it was clear they had unearthed something of a considerable vintage.
"We had an older couple come past and the man seemed fairly knowledgeable about vehicles of an old age," Mr Chapman said.
"He was saying judging from the chassis and where the engine was situated in the car, with eight spark plugs sticking out the front, it may be pre-World War II."
Mysterious location
Coonarr Beach is a few hundred kilometres north of the infamous Inskip Point beach road, which regularly claims vehicles.
But Coonarr Beach is not accessible to vehicles and the road leading to the shore was only recently sealed.
While racing to remove sand before the tide reclaimed their prize, the couple discussed theories on how the vehicle ended up buried in the sand.
"I reckon back in the day it could have been something like 'Grease Lightning', with all the kids out there having a blast and maybe a couple of bevvies," Mr Chapman mused.
Historian supports theory
After viewing photos of the car, John Anderson from Hervey Bay Historical Village consulted with friends and came to believe the car could be a 1930s Austin.
Most cars lost in the sand are usually near boat ramps or driving beaches, so Mr Anderson believed the Chapmans could be on the right track with their theory.
"The consensus seems to be that it's a 1930s English vehicle," Mr Anderson said.
"The mudguards are typical of that era and the bumper bar in the front still has the provision for the crank handle to go in.
"The educated guess would be that these people have been out at Coonarr Beach there, gone for a drive, and that's where the vehicle stayed.
Digging the romance
With very sore fingers from digging and a touch too much sun, the Chapmans could not have asked for a better first wedding anniversary.
The high tide will once again claim the mysterious vintage car, but they have the memories and the photos of their exciting find.
"It was very romantic and we were doing it together," Ms Chapman said.
"All you have from it is pictures."
