And many of us like to spend as much time as possible in the great outdoors during the spring and summer months.

Unfortunately, we are also a country with an excessively high rate of melanoma. And the annual cost of diagnosing and treating that melanoma has ballooned by nearly seven times to $200 million in the past 16 years.

New figures released this week indicate melanoma diagnosing and treatment costs have risen from $30 million in 2001. But what is more alarming is the number of people with the disease has soared from 8885 to a staggering 13,000.

These skyrocketing figures are despite the potentially deadly skin cancer being largely preventable by avoiding the sun and wearing protective clothing.

Does this mean the message to slip, slop, slap – a slogan which has been around for decades now – is still not getting through to us Australians?

Experts admit the research findings show the need for a new message.

Health economist Associate Professor Louisa Gordon said: "Campaigns like 'Slip, Slop, Slap!' were a big part of the national psyche a generation ago.

"And although the national melanoma rate has begun to decline, it is still increasing in older Australians.

"This study indicates there is still a strong need for some fresh messaging to encourage Australians to be sun safe."

Melanoma claims the lives of about 1800 Australians a year, a figure which is far too high, despite all the information out there about protecting ourselves.

Professor Gordon said the costs of treating melanoma were likely to continue to rise as a result of expensive new medicines, health price inflation and the ageing population.

However, she said there were areas where savings could be made, including how skin cancers were diagnosed.

At present, doctors treat or cut out any skin lesions that look suspicious.

But one of the best ways to reduce the cases of melanoma is to heed to important messages from health professionals.

Simply burying our head in the sand and believing “it won’t happen to me” is no longer an option. Because melanoma can happen to you.