The Smash Pit at Southport offers Gold Coasters a room to safely smash crockery and electrical equipment with a baseball bat
These Gold Coast locals have been seen smashing household items to pieces with baseball bats. And nobody cares. HERE'S WHY
Gold Coast
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LOOKING for a legal way to release some rage?
The Smash Pit at Southport is unique to the Gold Coast and offers a room where you can safely smash crockery and electrical equipment with a baseball bat for 10 minutes.
“It’s definitely a lot cheaper than therapy and you’re guaranteed to walk away happy,” said co-owner April Hard, who opened the business with her mother Cynthea Wilson last year.
“When people walk in some are a little nervous because most have never experienced something like this before. But when they leave they walk away with big grins on their faces,” she said.
“Most of our clients are female and many are looking for a place to release their anger and just break a few things. Women in their 60s absolutely love it, way more than the younger ones.
“We’ve even had a few people bring in personalised photo mugs to smash and if anyone wants to bring in a photo we have frames they can put them in to smash.
“I find it’s the quiet ones who don’t often speak up for themselves love that they can take it out on some crockery and just enjoy themselves.”
Smashes can either be done in groups, a pair or as a solo, with a range of packages available for events such as Christmas parties, divorce parties and anniversaries or birthdays.
Ms Hard said she fell in love with The Smash Pit when she did it on the Sunshine Coast a few years go. It hit the spot so much she bought the business and brought it to the Gold Coast.
The business, that’s open late on weekends, is on social media or call 0422 155 528.
INAUGURAL CAR MEET AT YALATA - Sept 2020
HARLEYS, Hondas and Holdens will converge alongside Mustangs, Maseratis and Mazdas during the inaugural Cars and Coffee event at Yatala on Saturday, November 21
Thousands of motoring enthusiasts are expected to attend the free Gold Coast event, with owners vying for 13 trophies in a variety of categories.
Organised by Brisbane Car Meets And Cruising Inc, the Gold Coast event will run on the third Saturday of each month and complement the Nerang gathering on the first Saturday every month.
Co-ordinator Peter Freeman said the meet was unique in that every make and model of car and bike was welcome to take part, including vintage, muscle, sports, luxury and super cars.
“We’re the biggest club in Queensland and only a few others across Australia host events such as this where all car and bike enthusiasts, no matter that their preference, is welcome,” he said.
"If it has wheels, it's welcome.
“This is an afternoon event that finishes early enough for people to go for a cruise after it.
“Council has given us COVID approval but we don’t need it now so there’s no limit on how many people can come, we’re expecting a decent turnout.
“Judges will be walking around from 4.44-7.20pm so the earlier people arrive the more natural light judges will have to their pride and joy.
“There’s 13 awesome trophies up for grabs including some custom 3D trophies and a grand champion cup thanks to our sponsors GC Restoration in Arundel and ANNVID Auto Upholsterers in Capalaba.”
Presentation of trophies and lucky door prizes start at 7.30pm outside On The Run Cafè on Link Road. For more details visit here or search XstremeCarCruising on Facebook.
Owners can enter in 13 categories, they are:
- Best engine bay
- Best paint
- Best unrestored
- Best restored
- Best hot rod
- Best motorcycle
- Best ute
- Best Interior
- Best modified
- Encouragement award
- Best overall pre 90
- Best overall post 90s
- Grand Champion
ONE-ARMED MECHANIC'S INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT - August 2020
THE Gold Coast’s likeable one-armed mechanic Alex Lees has been announced as a state finalist in two categories at the Queensland Training Awards.
Mr Lees, a 23-year-old TAFE Queensland student from Pacific Pines, took out top honours in the Apprentice of the Year and Equity VET Student of the Year for the south east region. He'll now go head to head at the state finals on September 18.
“Yeah I was very surprised to win any of them, let alone to win them both,” said the Pacific Pines mechanic, who had a near-fatal motorbike accident at 18 that left his right arm completely paralysed.
Mr Lees, who works at Von Bibra Auto Village, said he was humbled by the award but was still on the hunt for a sponsor to help him tune-up his beloved Volkswagen Golf R.
One company offered to help the mechanic but pulled out after a local TV news channel cut Mr Lees plugging the business from the news story. The tune-up is expected to cost between $900-$1500.
“They would have done the free tune because a mention might have got them more business in the future but due to not getting the mention they can’t just give away tunes for free,” said the apprentice.
“But that’s life right.”
At the time of Mr Lee’s accident in 2015 he was an apprentice mechanic and only had three units to complete. It took him three-and-a-half years of physical and mental recovery to find his way back into an apprenticeship at Von Bibra in 2019.
Other regional winners from the Gold Coast are Frizelle Sunshine Automotive in the Large Employer of the Year category, Kidz Foodz in Community Training Initiative of the Year category and Colin Thompson from Molendinar-based Building Industry Training, who is in the running for VET teacher or Trainer of the Year.
Committed to excellence in training, Frizelle Sunshine has invested in a dedicated Training Excellence Centre, the only one of its kind owned and operated by an automotive industry business in South East Queensland.
Kidz Foodz is a non-profit that gets unemployed, disengaged or disadvantaged Gold Coasters engaged in meaningful community contributions through the preparation, production and distribution of health meals to local disadvantaged youth and the homeless.
Mr Thompson was recognised for passing on his vast trade knowledge to apprentices for more than 35 years, he currently manages nearly 140 students and is described as ‘using old-fashioned experience with new technology’ to enhance all aspects of training.
The state winners in each category will be announced on 18 September.
EARLIER...
DID you hear the one about the one-armed mechanic from Pacific Pines?
His name is Alex Lees, he’s 23, and he survived a near-fatal motorbike accident so he can work under the hood.
He’s also been chosen as a finalist in the Apprentice of the Year and Equity VET Student of the Year for the south east region Queensland Training Awards announced on Tuesday during National Skills Week.
“I had a motorbike crash when I was 18 and I spent my 19th birthday in a coma. It was a pretty quiet night,” he said.
He lost all feeling and movement in his right arm but he thankfully didn’t lose his way.
ENROLMENTS AT GOLD COAST TAFE RISE DESPITE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The self-confessed “rev head” said he knew he had two choices, sit down and sulk or get up and move forward. He chose the later and continued on with his apprenticeship through TAFE Queensland Gold Coast at its Ashmore campus.
“My friends call me Nemo for a laugh and I’ve got a one-arm bandit sticker on my car and toolbox. Everyone says I’m the best one-armed mechanic on the Gold Coast.”
A mate managed to get him a start at Von Bibra Auto Village as a trade assistant and they asked him to make them $20,000 in a month. He made them $35,000 and scored himself a permanent full-time job as a mechanic.
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In the long term he wants to own his own business, but short term: “I’m hoping to find someone to sponsor me so I can tune up my Volkswagen Golf R.”
He’d also love to win Apprentice of the Year and get some recognition for how far he’s come but he’s up against two other worthy TAFE Queensland students. One is a fellow automotive apprentice from TAFE’s Ashmore campus, Jeremy Drabsch from Titan Automotive, and the other is Sarah Hunt, a cookery student, of Brisbane.
Mr Lees is also nominated for Equity Student of the Year alongside fellow Gold Coast TAFE student Annika Strand who studies graphic design at the Coomera campus, and Workplace Training Strategies student William Platz, who is employed by Gold Coast Health.
Meanwhile, Southport campus student Tiesha Martin-King is up for two categories; Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year and Vocational Student of the Year for her study achievements in education support. Also, high school student Hayley Martin who studies individual support is up for School Based Trainee of the Year.
The TAFE students were selected as finalists from more than 600 nominations from various registered training organisations across the region.
Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman congratulated the 221 Queensland finalists and wished them luck for the awards in September.
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“During National Skills Week the role of the Gold Coast’s vocational education and training sector is crucial in the COVID-19 recovery for the state,” she said.
“Now more than ever we need young Queenslanders to take up an apprenticeship or traineeship. We know having a skilled workforce will be vital to our state’s economic recovery post COVID-19.
“That’s why we have invested around $40 million in the Ashmore and Southport TAFE campuses for a new trades training centre, upgrades to trades, automotive and healthcare training facilities.
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“And our free TAFE and apprenticeships initiatives are already supporting almost 2500 young people on the Gold Coast to gain a valuable qualification.
“The 165 courses on offer under these initiatives are in the in-demand industries where we know there will be jobs.”
Winners from the seven regions will be announced September 11, with the state winners a week later on the 18th.
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