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It’s been a stressful week for Queenslanders, and for one particular sister act it was all too much. WE’VE GOT THE SCOOP
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It has been a scary week to be a newbie to Queensland, with the arrival of Tropical Cyclone Alfred – and for one particular sister act, the stress was seemingly too much.
Both SWEAT founder Kayla Itsines and her food influencer sister Leah promptly took off back to the safe, comforting arms of their parents and grandparents in Adelaide before Alfred was due to hit.
Totally fair, we think! Kayla and her husband Jae Woodroffe, having just returned from Queenstown in New Zealand, seemed to bypass their new hometown completely, while Leah and husband Mitch Caon made the last-minute decision after deciding to postpone daughter Gigi’s third birthday party, telling Scoop insiders that it “worked out better” for them to be with family anyway.
Regulars on Leah’s Instagram would be all too familiar with the extravagant affair she had in mind for the birthday girl, and at one point before deciding to head home she had considered putting in the hard yards to redecorate the house onto a fairy kingdom. Either way, it seems they are now having the best (and driest!) of times back in South Australia.
Star at home on the Goldy
Vampire Diaries star Nina Dobrev has been making herself at home in Queensland. The actress has been spending time down under in recent weeks as she stars in Russell Crowe’s Bear Country.
Putting some of the Gold Coast and Northern NSW’ best hospitality, tourism and fashion brands on the global stage, Dobrev took to Instagram with an Aussie photo dump of epic proportions.
Eagle-eyed Scoop insiders spotted some of our faves, and can confirm she has some great taste!
Dobrev’s fiance, Shaun White, an Olympic gold medallist snowboarder, flitted on over for a visit and the two dined and stayed their way around the coast.
Dining
Blending in among tourists and locals, Dobrev and White took full advantage of the three stunning venues at the Burleigh Pavillion, sharing photos from the Pavillion Bar, The Tropics Restaurant and cult-favourite Rick Shores.
A secret Scoop source says the star had enjoyed a very private evening at one of the venues and that she ‘had a great time’. Etsu Izakaya in Mermaid Beach, Neptune Kiosk at Currumbin and Light Years just over the border in Byron Bay also made a feature.
Staying
While not technically in the Sunshine State, the pair enjoyed a romantic trip just across the border, posting some VERY distinctive snaps of the boutique guesthouses at Raes Wategos Beach as well as from a balcony at Mantra Circle on Cavill.
As with most celebs visiting the Goldy, Dobrev was rumoured to be based at The Langham Hotel, and seems to have taken a quick trip up to qualia on Hamilton Island. We are exhausted just thinking about the travel!
Wearing
Embracing the warm weather and relaxed coastal fashion so beloved here in Queensland, Dobrev has been repping some quality Australian brands, including high-end St Agni and Mister Zimi, with each brand giving the star a shout out on Instagram.
She hit up the Pavillion decked out in what looks to be St Agni’s Pinstripe Wool Pants ($629) and Vest ($499) in the latte colourway. Clearly a fan of the funky, crochet style pieces from Mister Zimi, she’s also been spotted wearing the Poolside Mini Dress ($179) and Ibiza Set ($279)., although whether she snapped them up at the Brisbane or Byron Bay boutiques is under wraps.
Showing influence
Some of the Gold Coast’s biggest influencers have teamed up for a content creation challenge to spruik products ranging from luxury cars to an energy drink made by billionaire The Block buyer Adrian “Lambo Guy” Portelli and his influencer mate Troy Candy.
Four influencers, including one of the stars of the controversial Netflix “reality” show Byron Baes, Kevin Jade Foster, joined forces for The Ultimate Creator Challenge organised by Burleigh Heads-based creative studio Focal House.
With more than two million followers between them, the influencers took on a team of professional videographers and camera experts in a livestreamed 24-hour challenge to create content for businesses including Portelli’s and Candy’s Flipside energy drink brand, Burleigh Brewing and Queensland Luxury Car rentals on the Glitter Strip.
The creators are due to present their pitches at a function at Burleigh Brewing this weekend, Cyclone Alfred permitting, before the “Ultimate Creator” is crowned.
Seeing red, not green
Green Day fans have been left fuming after the last-minute cancellation of the band’s Gold Coast concert, with insiders claiming industry professionals knew about the cancellation well before an official announcement was made. Despite days of warnings from the government and the Bureau of Meteorology that conditions would deteriorate from Wednesday, when the show was scheduled, the public announcement that it was cancelled was just 24 hours before the event. Some angry fans had already travelled to the Gold Coast from hours away.
Cbus Super Stadium posted at midday on Tuesday with a statement that they were “monitoring weather conditions and forecasts closely” and would provide a further update at 2pm, which came and went with no news. Fans took to social media to express their frustration saying “the safety of thousands of people is relying on clear communication and decisiveness from organisers”.
“The event needs to be cancelled and tickets refunded to ensure people don’t try to travel and attend in unsafe conditions,” one commenter said.
Another said: “Logistically I can’t even get there now as they have cancelled our ferries.”
“Just make a decision. You are adding to everyone’s anxiety,” another wrote. At 5pm, the band, CBus stadium and Live Nation made the official announcements of the cancellation. Comments have flooded the stadium’s social media accounts, calling them out on keeping revellers in the dark, with many saying they had seen the venue ‘packing up’ well before the announcement or knew staff who had confirmed it was off. One commenter claimed they lived next door to the stadium and had spoken to crew who allegedly confirmed the show was cancelled hours earlier in the afternoon.
Coombes goes dark side
Former Channel 7 news director Michael Coombes has cemented his role on the ‘dark side’ of comms, after almost 30 years in news media. After spending just four months as a Media Specialist with Brisbane-based Elevate Communication, Coombes has had a cushy role developed just for him. Posting on their social media accounts the strategic marketing communication agency announced Coombes would become their Media and Communications Director, which they described as a “newly created role.”
Coombes said he was looking forward to using his experience in media to offer strategic advice.
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