G’day GC, and welcome back to another big weekly edition. It’s August 20.
In today's newsletter
One Big Thing: Gold Coast student launches Strava-style boating app
Roulettes finish Queensland flying week: On the Gold Coast
Gold Coast Light Rail assets: Go under the hammer from $1
Around the web: GC trains halted after Yatala incident, Google adds AI-powered study tools, AgForce seeks fairer talks for farmers and more
Trending: Roulettes over the Gold Coast ✈️✈️✈️
Upcoming events: A South African wine tasting and more
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1. One Big Thing: Gold Coast student launches Strava-style boating app
What’s Happening: The 20-year-old Bond University student Fraser Lowe has launched GoCoast, a social app that lets boaties and jet ski riders record GPS trips, share routes, organise events and access safety information.
Why It Matters: GoCoast brings trip tracking, boating communities, events, maintenance records and emergency information into one platform.
By The Numbers:
400 sign-ups were recorded before Fraser began marketing the app.
Five months went into development and testing before its App Store release.
Six regions currently have destination information, including the Gold Coast, Brisbane and Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast, Whitsundays, Sydney and Perth.
Local Impact: Gold Coast users can record and share trips beyond familiar locations such as Wavebreak Island and the Seaway. The app also lists food, snorkelling and marina stops, while its map highlights the 10 most-liked community routes.
Making Waves Beyond the Coast: GoCoast can already record trips anywhere in Australia, although detailed destination information remains limited to selected regions. Fraser plans to add more Australian locations before taking the platform overseas.
What The People Say:
“Facebook groups only give you community. GoCoast combines community with GPS ride tracking, events, a marketplace and a service log for your jet ski or boat,” Fraser said. “The feedback has been really positive. We’ve had around 400 sign-ups and some paid subscriptions since launch, before I’ve even started marketing it,”
What To Look For Next: An Android version is expected about a month after the Apple launch.
2. Roulettes finish Queensland flying week on the Gold Coast
What’s Happening: The Gold Coast was the final stop in a week of Queensland flying for the Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes.
The team performed at Brisbane’s Ekka on 12 August, completed practice flying in Rockhampton the following day, then appeared at Pacific Airshow Gold Coast from 14 to 16 August.
Why It Matters: The displays gave thousands of spectators a close look at the skill and teamwork required to operate six aircraft in high-speed formation.
By The Numbers:
Three Queensland stops took the Roulettes from Brisbane to Rockhampton and the Gold Coast.
Six aircraft operated together during the team’s close-formation display.
Brodie Sweeney was 16 years old when an RAAF Base Amberley airshow sparked her interest in aviation.
Local Impact: The Gold Coast finale carried extra meaning for Sweeney, who grew up in the city and still has family in the local community.
From Spectator to Pilot: After attending the Amberley airshow as a teenager, Flight Lieutenant Brodie Sweeney completed a trial instructional flight from Gold Coast Airport. That experience confirmed aviation was the career she wanted to pursue.
Although a Roulettes display lasts only a few minutes, it follows weeks of planning, practice and preparation by the pilots and support team.
What The People Say:
“The Gold Coast is an amazing venue to fly over which is only amplified by the fact it’s my hometown. Personally, it’s the people that make the venue. The enjoyment from standing on the beach, splashing in the water and watching aeroplanes can be seen on everyone’s faces. Displaying on the Gold Coast gives me the opportunity to share a small part of my career and life with them, which means a lot to me.” Roulette pilot Flight Lieutenant Brodie Sweeney said
What To Look For Next: Check the full article 👇🏼
3. Gold Coast Light Rail assets go under the hammer from $1
What’s Happening: Lloyds Auctions is selling lots of surplus materials, equipment, and industrial site gear from the Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 project. The assets were used during the construction of the extension between Broadbeach South and Burleigh Heads.
Why It Matters: The auction gives contractors, councils, and local businesses a chance to buy equipment from a major infrastructure project at competitive prices. It also keeps usable assets in circulation rather than leaving them idle after construction.
By The Numbers:
More than 600 lots are included across the auction series.
6.7 kilometres of new light rail connects Broadbeach South and Burleigh Heads.
Bidding starts from $1, covering construction materials, equipment and general site assets.
Local Impact: Civil contractors, builders, plumbers and industrial buyers across the Gold Coast could secure equipment for upcoming projects. Online and absentee bidding also allow buyers outside the region to take part.
From Rail Site to Work Site: Equipment that helped build Stage 3 could soon be used on construction, council, and industrial projects elsewhere. The sale comes after the new light rail section began carrying passengers earlier this month.
What The People Say:
“This auction is the release of a large volume of end-of-project surplus from one of the Gold Coast’s biggest recent infrastructure jobs,” Lloyds Auctions Chief Operations Officer Lee Hames said. “Auctions help get those assets back into the hands of contractors, councils and businesses that can use them straight away,” he said.
What To Look For Next: The full article below 👇🏼
5. Around the web
Gold Coast trains halted: A serious incident at Yatala has suspended services between Ormeau and Beenleigh, with commuters warned of delays of up to an hour.
Australia’s teen social media ban sparks a bigger debate: Early results show little change in teens’ sleep or mental health, while experts argue safer algorithms and greater platform transparency may matter more than blanket bans.
Google Search is becoming a study buddy: Students can now use AI-powered visuals, practice quizzes, assignment uploads and personalized study tools without leaving Search.
Gen Z goes old-school: Young people are embracing traditional art as AI reshapes creativity.
Coomera Connector Stage 2 moves ahead: Design work is starting on the Pimpama-to-Coomera link to help ease M1 congestion.
Trading cards targeted: Police are investigating linked hobby shop break-ins across the Gold Coast and Brisbane.
Red panda baby boom: Three healthy cubs, including twins, have been born at the Smithsonian’s Conservation Biology Institute this year. 👇
6. Trending
Recent newsletters
Last week’s top-clicked link was 👇🏼
Weekly dream gig
This week - Oxbridge is hiring Real Estate Agents and property managers for full-time, remote roles servicing Surfers Paradise and the wider Gold Coast. The work includes converting warm leads, appraising and listing properties, conducting inspections, and negotiating sales.
The advertised earning range is $166,666-$249,999 per year, with salary-plus-commission and commission-only options available. Oxbridge also offers 95%-100% commission splits, prospecting support, no desk or monthly fees, training, and access to more than 500 development projects.
Have a job opening? Promote your vacancy here 👇🏼
7. Upcoming events
🎨 4 ASD Kids Art Exhibition and Auction: Friday 21, Saturday 22, and Monday 24 to Thursday 27 August, 7 am-2 pm, except Monday 8 am-3 pm; this free children’s-book illustrator exhibition at Gallery 8, Southport, raises funds for 4ASDKids through an online auction.
🤸 Pan Pacific Cup International Championships: Friday 21 to Sunday 23 August, 8 am Friday-8 pm Sunday; cheer, partner stunt, pom, jazz, hip hop and contemporary competition take place at Gold Coast Sports and Leisure Centre, with session details on the organiser’s event page.
🍜 Gold Coast Viral Food Festival: Friday 21 August, 5-10 pm; Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August, noon-10 pm; taste more than 50 trending street dishes, with DJs, wrestling, stage games, eating contests, and rides at Gold Coast Turf Club; tickets are sold here.
📚 Smallroom Reading Night, Eat Word Pop: Friday 21 August, 6.30 pm; writers and readers can share five-minute stories, poems and musings at Griffith University Gold Coast, and the $5 entry includes dinner and a door-prize ticket.
💃 Australasian Samba Competition: Friday 21 August, 6-10 pm, and Saturday 22 August, 6-9.30 pm; Brazilian dance and music fill Broadbeach Cultural Centre, with doors at 6 pm, competition from 7 pm, and live batucada drumming; 18+.
🕺 The Michael Jackson HIStory Show: Friday 21 August, doors 7 pm, show 8 pm; a full-scale tribute concert brings a live band, dancers and signature costumes to The Star Theatre in Broadbeach.
💔 Heartbreak Hotel: Friday 21 August, 7.30 pm, and Saturday 22 August, 2 pm and 7.30 pm; story, science, synth music and comedy meet in a 75-minute HOTA theatre performance, with Auslan interpretation at Saturday’s 2 pm session.
🤝 Community Connection Day: Saturday 22 August, 9 am-1 pm; Carrara Community Centre brings locals together for information stalls, activities, discussions and networking, plus a 2026 community time capsule; free.
🐕 Paws at the Park: Saturday 22 August, 9 am-2 pm; the free dog-focused community day at Mudgeeraba Showgrounds has 80+ stalls, demonstrations, competitions, off-leash zones, live entertainment, and fundraising for Animal Welfare League Queensland.
🏮 Luminous in the Regions: Saturday 22 August, 3-6 pm; HOTA hosts a free multicultural celebration with music, performances, cultural expression, and lanterns, bringing communities together.
🏃 Sea to Sky Q1 Stair Challenge: Sunday 23 August, check-in 6.30 am, waves from 7 am; participants climb 77 floors to SkyPoint’s 230-metre observation deck while raising funds for LIVIN and mental health education.
🎓 Gold Coast Open Day at Southern Cross University: Sunday 23 August, 9 am-2 pm; the free campus program at Bilinga includes tours, course panels, health-science laboratories, cyber-hacking simulations, AI activities, and virtual-reality sessions.
🛍️ Gold Coast Vintage Market: Sunday 23 August, 10 am-3 pm; browse 300+ racks of vintage, Y2K and streetwear, thousands of vinyl records, DJs and food trucks at Broadbeach Cultural Centre; advance tickets are available here.
🏉 Titans Double Header: Sunday 23 August, gates 11.30 am, NRLW kick-off 11.50 am, NRL kick-off 2 pm; the Gold Coast Titans face the Brisbane Broncos and Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks at Cbus Super Stadium in Robina.
🏊 SPARK 2026 National Conference: Tuesday 25 to Thursday 27 August, 9 am-5 pm daily; aquatic, swim-school, recreation and local-government professionals meet at QT Gold Coast for talks, practical sessions and industry networking, with day and virtual tickets available.
🛠️ RIA 2026 Conference and Trade Show: Tuesday 25 August, 8.30 am-7.30 pm; Wednesday 26 August, 8.15 am-6 pm; Thursday 27 August, 7.30 am-4 pm, gala 6.30-9.30 pm; the restoration industry program at The Star includes an AI workshop, conference sessions, product demonstrations, a trade show and networking.
🎤 Lecture Me, Dirk Yates: Tuesday 25 August, 6.30-7.30 pm; artist Dirk Yates discusses exhibitions and museum standards at Fradgley Hall in Burleigh Heads; free.
🧑🎨 Sunroom, Bold and Beautiful: Wednesday 26 August, 10 am-noon; adults with disability can shape pliable aluminium into wearable or hanging art at HOTA Gallery in a supported creative workshop; $20.
👑 Drag Queen Bingo: Wednesday 26 August, 6.30-9 pm; Beverly Kills and Ivyy Monroe lead bingo, drag performances, and DJ sets at Studio 56, Miami Marketta, with adult humour and no children admitted.
🤖 Switched On AI, Business & What’s Coming Next: Thursday 27 August, 6.45-9 am; a Southern Gold Coast business breakfast at Coolangatta Surf Club covers AI risks, useful applications, local examples and cybersecurity, with a plated breakfast included.
🎭 Laced in Shadows: Thursday 27 August, 7-9 pm; Sass and Soul Dance stage a one-night burlesque cabaret hosted by Terry Daktyl in HOTA Theatre 1; adult themes, coarse language, strobe effects, haze and smoke.