Glitter Strip bartender spills on school leavers’ worst antics on the last night of Queensland schoolies

Knife-wielders, Tasmanians and the weirdest conversation ever. A Surfers Paradise bartender tried her hand in reception and tells all. Read her account of events.

Being behind the bar during Schoolies is challenging but it’s structured - you know exactly what you’re going to have to deal with every night.

In part one of my diary as a Glitter Strip bartender I revealed I’d never had so many vodka raspberry requests, heard the worst pick up lines going but am endlessly entertained by the mostly harmless antics.

In reception, however, it’s a completely different story.

Behind the bar, I’m usually met with endless cocktail orders, the smell of sparklers in my hair and complaints about the vodka-covered bar but I never know what to expect when I’m working to bring people inside the club.

On Friday night, I started work on the door at a cringe-worthy 4pm, opening for an underage Schoolies-hosted party.

Needless to say we didn’t get many people coming at that time and those three hours were nowhere near enough to prepare me for what was to come later that night.

Schoolies teens being chased with knives, one claim that Tasmania was the best Australian state and by far the weirdest - being hit on by a security guard.

After a white-faced teen raced down the street towards police, we were tasked with looking after him while the officers left to deal with the knife-wielders.

I, luckily, got a blow-by-blow recount of a group of “big guys” threatening then chasing this scrawny kid down the street.

While I’m sure the kid must have done something to provoke the guys “probably pumped full of roids”, I, being nosy, listened very intently as he described the ordeal in great detail.

I thought that would be the craziest the night got - it only got weirder.

Standing on the door there’s not a lot to do when there are few people on the street. So those who are dressed to the nines like I was and trying to get the attention of people passing to come into the club, always find time to have a chat with security guards in the precinct.

I was having what I thought was a lovely chat with a security guard, discussing their partner, kids and my job.

You can then imagine my surprise when they asked whether they “had a shot” with me.

Offered flowers and handwritten poetry, I was shocked into silence, not even given a chance to respond before they walked away.

Well, I guess it makes a change from last week’s endless string of requests by Schoolies to return to their accommodation.

Finishing at 1am, the rest of my shift was met with drunk patrons promising me they’d return with a tip - coupled with quickly shot-down requests for a “drink with the girl on the door”.