📽️ Surf Film Festival returns to the GC
Volume 123: Light Rail community survey opens | YouTube's crackdown | Missing teen surfer found on remote island and heaps more
Welcome back to a glorious Thursday for being a Queenslander.
It’s July 10, and New South Wales.. just don’t get it :)
Today’s newsletter is 1,321 words.
In today's newsletter
One Big Thing: ‘Save the Waves’ Film Festival 2025 to return to the GC
It’s a great time to be a: Queenslander
Gilmour’s rockets are not flying yet but: The deals are
Car industry couple take the: Wheel at the Titans
Trending: A Porsche outside a gym..
Around The Web (Snippets): Light Rail community survey opens, YouTube’s crackdown, 5th de-extinction species announced, Records broken at GC Marathon, Missing teen surfer found on remote island and heaps more
Upcoming Events
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Weekend Weather and Surf
Live Housing Price Index
1. One Big Thing: Save the Waves Film Festival 2025 returns to the GC
What’s Happening: The world’s only international surf and environmental global film tour and fundraiser, the Save The Waves Film Festival (STWFF), returns to Australia this July with Gold Coast locals able to catch the screening at Tom Atkin Hall, Tugun, on Saturday 26 July 2025, from 6:30 pm to10:00 pmm.
Why It Matters: Co-hosted by Gold Coast World Surfing Reserve and GC Surfrider Foundation, the night offers more than dreamy line-ups and distant beaches on the big screen; it’s a rallying cry for protecting the coastlines we live amongst and love.
By the Numbers
8 films spanning California, Portugal, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Greenland and more will be on display
$15 is the entry price with tickets purchased online or (if you’re lucky) at the door
1 local legend: Rabbit Bartholomew to appear after his US return, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bill Delaney’s Bustin’ Down the Door movie.
Local Impact: The event once again cements the GC’s global role in surf conservation culture, building momentum for the World Surfing Conservation Conference at Southern Cross Uni next year.
Reel waves, real change: This year’s movie lineup features:
Land of Sea by Will Bendix
Rebirth by Annie K Fergerson
The Ocean is my Road by Christian Habberstad
180° South: Reloaded by Lukas Olesinski
Echoes by Nicolas Pina
Devenir Agua by Jesús Salazar
Zabalo by Benjamin Soto
One Shot: Glacier Surfing by Jordyn Romero
What The People Say
As Nik Strong-Cvetich, CEO of Save The Waves, explains,
“Our film festival is more than just surf films that transport you to dreamy point breaks and far-flung beaches. STWFF is also about inspiring, teaching and sharing how we protect our surf ecosystems and how real change is made when passionate people work together.”
“On behalf of GCWSR and GC Surfrider, we are delighted to co-host this amazing collection of short surf movies from the Save The Waves that help strengthen the message of protecting our surfing ecosystems,” said Andrew McKinnon, Chair of the 2026 World Surfing Conservation Conference and President of GCWSR.
“It is a universal theme we will follow up with at next year’s World Surfing Conservation Conference at Southern Cross University Gold Coast Campus.”
2. Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble
By King Cane Toad
It’s a great time to be a Queenslander.
The sun is shining brighter, the colours of the flowers seem more vivid, the weather a little warmer and, oh, did I mention that the Maroons won Game Three in the State of Origin.
State of Origin was born in 1980, and in 45 years of Origin history, Queensland have now held up the shield 27 times. The Blues, who it seems go into each series as the perennial favourites, have held the trophy aloft only 18 times.
To steal a line from a Mac Davis song from the year of the first Origin match, “Oh Lord, it’s hard to be humble, when you are perfect in every way”.
And that was the case in Game 3 this week. What a win it was. In case you were locked in Donald Trump’s dungeon, Queensland didn’t just win, we treated the Cockroaches like Trump treats illegal migrants.
The final 24-12 scoreline was, in fact, flattering to NSW, with the Cockroaches slinking over in the corner for a consolation try in the final minute while the Queenslanders were discussing what champagne they should be ordering.
Queensland’s performance was sublime. Queensland showed the “State of Origin spirit” that Andrew Johns argues does not exist. In defence the Queenslanders swarmed like flies on a turd. Half-back Tom Dearden was the chief of the flies. He was buzzing around everywhere in an incredible man-of-the-match performance.
Dearden stands just 1.77cm tall, but he clearly stood the tallest of all the players on the paddock and deservedly won the Wally Lewis medal for the player of the series.
In comparison, the NSW players were sometimes directionless, sloppy and stank. Nathan Cleary, who has achieved incredible feats in rugby league and is probably the greatest player in this era, now has the stench of losing three State of Origin deciders on his record.
Of special note, Lattrell Mitchell and serial pest Liam Martin both provided some in-game laughs with attempted Golden Raspberry Award submissions for over-acting in failed attempts to gain penalties for their team.
There is an old saying that the stats don’t lie but if you look at the statistics from Game 3 you would have guessed a different result. NSW outperformed Queensland in Run Metres, Post Contact Metres, Tackle Breaks, Average Set Distance, Kick Return Metres, and Offloads, but the stats don’t measure “heart”.
And the only real statistic that matters is the scoreboard, 24-12.
Weekly Dream Gig
This week: Burleigh-based Dunk is on the hunt for a part-time CRM & Lifecycle Marketing Specialist to help eCommerce brands turn one-time buyers into loyal fans.
If you’re fluent in Klaviyo, love mapping journeys and writing killer subject lines, and have a knack for uncovering what keeps customers coming back, this gig’s for you.
🌴 Flexibility to work remotely or from their Burleigh HQ.
📬 Think welcome flows, winbacks, loyalty, segmentation, and A/B testing galore.
Paying $80,000.00+ (according to Seek filters), apply now.
3.
Gilmour’s rockets are not flying yet but the deals are
Gold Coast-based Gilmour Space Technologies is yet to successfully test launch its Eris rocket but its commercial opportunities are already flying.
The Yatala-headquartered company has this week announced a partnership with Japanese company Space BD.
Space BD has supported more than 90..
4.
Car industry couple take the wheel at Titans
Gold Coast business titans Brett and Rebecca Frizelle have taken full ownership of the city’s National Rugby League team.
5. Trending
🕰️ In Case You Missed It
6. Around The Web (Snippets)
YouTube prepares to: Crackdown on ‘mass-produced’ and ‘repetitive’ videos, as concern over AI slop grows
A colossal Moa, one of the biggest: Birds ever to walk the Earth becomes 5th de-extinction species
Archaeologists discover Roman army camp in the Netherlands, but 20 kilometres: Beyond the empire’s northern border
Missing teen surfer, Darcy Deefholts, 19, has been found on a remote island after: Going missing from One Tree Trail beach near Wooli in New South Wales
Three teenage girls have been charged after police detected a: Stolen vehicle travelling from Carrara to West Burleigh in the Gold Coast on July 7.
Moonvalley has launched its AI video generator, Marey, for public use, where users purchase credits to create clips up to five seconds long. Importantly, the model was trained using openly licensed data to minimise the risk of legal issues
The Gold Coast Light Rail Stage 3 Community Survey is: Now open for you to have your say (and go in the draw to win $150)
7. Upcoming Events
🎭 The Lord of the Rings - A Musical Tale: July 10 to July 20; a breathtaking, critically acclaimed theatrical production at HOTA
🎉 Kalwun NAIDOC Week Celebration March: July 11 from 10 am; a powerful, respectful and uplifting march honouring First Nations culture and history at Queen Elizabeth Park
🏈 Gold Coast SUNS v Collingwood Magpies: July 11 at 7:40 pm; AFL Round 18 at People First Stadium
🏀 GC Rollers v Brisbane Capitals: July 12 from 5 pm onwards; NBL1 - Round 11 at Carrara Indoor Sports Stadium
🏉 NRL Titans v Broncos (Round 19) and NRLW Titans v Broncos (Round 2): July 13 at 6 pm onwards; an afternoon of non-stop action you don't want to miss at Cbus Super Stadium
🎨 Surface: The Miami Street Art Festival: June 29 to July 13; watch as Miami transforms into an open-air gallery with live mural paintings and street art installations
☁️ Wonder 2025: Cloud Play at HOTA: Now through July 13; experience “Cloud Play,” a 530sqm kinetic sculpture made from community-contributed ribbons, floating above HOTA’s lawn as part of the Wonder 2025 program
🎭 Mamma Mia! Musical Theatre: July 17 from 7:30 pm onwards; a fundraiser in support of Journey 2 Learn at the Spotlight Theatre
