Stand-up Comedian
Which suburb do you call home?
I’m Māori and I was born in Aotearoa New Zealand, so naturally I live in Upper Coomera.
What makes that suburb the best on the GC?
Coomera has the largest Māori and Kiwi population outside Aotearoa New Zealand because it sounds like the Māori word for sweet potato. We people of the Pacific have very healthy appetites (just ask Captain Cook!).
Favourite place to stop, relax for 20 mins and enjoy a morning cuppa? And what treat is on the plate next to it?
With only 20min to spare – it’s not fancy, but the staff at Brumby’s Upper Coomera are as warm as the fresh cinnamon donuts that come out of their ovens around 9am!
The best place to grab a low-key lunch or dinner on the Gold Coast? What’s the best thing on the menu?
I could eat Mexican all day long, so nothing beats a chilled Sunday arvo catching some live music over a spicy margarita and a couple of tempura prawn tacos at Pablito’s Sanctuary Cove. Great vibes and top value.
You’re planning a fun, local night out with your mates: Which three locations top your list and why?
I’d start with sundowners at the Eagle Heights Hotel with its spectacular views from Tamborine Mountain, watching the skyscrapers of Surfer’s Paradise change colour, followed by dinner at the nostalgic bush restaurant Stanley’s Barn – Upper Coomera’s best kept secret right next door to the Gold Coast Motor Museum. And to finish the night off, I’d hit up one of our local open mic comedy nights and check out the new talent. They’re on nearly every night of the week, in a variety of venues right along the coast, but my top pick is The Henchman in Miami.
Your Saturday morning is totally free: How are you spending it?
I’m a man of extremes, so with my season pass, I’d pop in to Warner Bros. Movie World as soon as it opens to beat the crowds to the DC Rivals Hypercoaster for a quick adrenaline shot, then grab a Krispy Kreme (yes, I have a donut problem) and a freshly-squeezed juice (for balance) on my way to find a quiet spot along one of the endless stretches of uninhabited beach, and just take in the fresh sea air while letting the waves wash the worries of the world away. Luther Vandross and Janet Jackson were right: the best things in life are free!
Favourite Gold Coast shopping destination?
Hands down, it has to be Harbour Town Outlets – I can’t go past a good bargain, and their 24hr fruit and veg market is the best value fresh food around (apart from stealing fresh homegrown rocket and lettuce from my cousin’s garden).
You need to rest and recharge: Where do you go/what do you do?
If a day at the beach still hasn’t taken the edge off, I head to City Cave Coomera for a floatation tank – I’ve got ADHD and autism so I’m easily overstimulated and complete sensory isolation provides a whole new level of relaxation. Plus, the salts in the water relieve my tense muscles like nothing else. It’s like returning to the womb for an hour.
Complete this sentence: Only a Gold Coast local knows…
Elly Eldridge at Next International Salon in Upper Coomera is the most talented – and best value – hair colourist in town! She keeps my signature blue/green/purple hair on point.