Stonefish alert | Noosa Today

By Arthur Gorrie

Ugly by name, ugly by appearance and nature, the Queensland stonefish is once again a threat to holiday visitors to Gympie’s Cooloola Coast, Barnacles Cafe owner Les Dunstan has warned.

Mr Dunstan says the evil looking mini-monsters lie in wait for the unwary, their barbs containing a poison which victims say causes such pain that it makes imminent death seem like a blessed relief.

And shoes are not necessarily any protection, the waterfront business owner said.

Cooloola Coast commercial diver Kev Phillips is one victim who has no wish to repeat the experience, after a stonefish barb penetrated his steel mesh glove while he worked on mooring maintenance near the mouth of the Mary River.

“The only…