Surfers Paradise Fireworks: ‘It’s cool but a bit odd’, writes Ryan Keen

If fireworks burst above Surfers Paradise but no one is pre-warned, does it have a point? According to the tourism boss behind it, yes. But I think it was a bit odd, writes Ryan Keen.

It’s been a brainteaser for eons. “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

To give that modern local recent context: If fireworks burst above Surfers Paradise but no one is told about them, does it have a point?

Fireworks were set off to honour our healthcare workers and celebrate the easing of restrictions in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Glenn Hampson

According to Surfers Paradise Alliance CEO Mike Winlaw, the man behind them on Monday night, yes. Lots of points. Never mind the $4500 cost.

It was a thank you to health care workers. It was a signal that some Surfers traders are still trading. It was a morale boost for those same bleeding operators. It was to mark the minor easing of restrictions last weekend. It was to put a smile on the faces of a cooped up population who have had few reasons to do so these past six weeks.

Mayor Tom Tate’s view? “Bit odd”.

Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek was blunter: “A big waste of money”. One veteran trader concurred.

‘It’s cool but it’s a bit odd’, writes Ryan Keen. Photo: Supplied.

They didn’t mind the simultaneous lighting up of the Q1 bright green. But fireworks? It wasn’t New Year’s Eve, It wasn’t SeaFire. Mr Winlaw couldn’t tell anyone or it would have risked inspiring a mass gathering and incurring social distancing fines.

I knew about it because the promotional team told me off the record days prior for Monday’s paper to promote it – except we couldn’t mention the fireworks, just that Q1 would turn green.

Bit odd.

To cut some slack to Mr Winlaw – who is behind some very successful activations – ­ it’s been a weird time. A lot of weird stuff has happened and is going to continue to happen.

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To cut some slack to Surfers Paradise Alliance CEO Mike Winlaw – it’s a weird time. Picture: Tertius Pickard

You can play golf on the Gold Coast. But not in Victoria. When authorities were telling everyone to stay at home, some idiot Minister in NSW was off holidaying in his bach. The Ruby Princess landing. Oops. For a while, soaking up rays on the beach was being heavily cracked down on. Excuse me?

And then US President Donald Trump raised the weirdness bar pretty high by musing on whether injecting disinfectant or “blasting” the body with UV light might be potential cures.

But for weirdness, nothing has quite eclipsed standing on a balcony on Monday night watching spectacular fireworks shells explode and light up the night sky like it was New Year’s Eve again.

Don’t get me wrong. The show was awesome. I applaud the pyrotechnics crew. Who doesn’t like fireworks. However it’s a bit like Neapolitan ice cream – I love the stuff but there is a time and a place. I don’t eat it for breakfast … y’know, that often.

But for weirdness, nothing has quite eclipsed standing on a balcony on Monday night watching spectacular fireworks shells explode. Photo: Supplied.

Standing next to my house mate, feeling weirdly unified with those around us appreciating the display, and watching other residents caught off guard sprinting to the beach for a view, I said ‘It’s cool eh … but it’s a bit bloody odd too isn’t it?”

I texted Mr Winlaw that it had been cheered and whistled aplenty from tower folk. It’s true. It had. I’d joined them. But I was also thinking there is going to be a backlash about this and it’s entirely understandable.

Fireworks in Surfers, not sure why? Labour Day perhaps? Seems a little odd. Wait! I have been told it is in support of...

Posted by Andrew Meadowcroft on Monday, 4 May 2020

And thus it came to pass. I couldn’t help but nod when my fellow All that Glitters columnist and Bulletin gossip contributor Andrew ‘Squirrel’ Meadowcroft posted soon after to Facebook that it was a nice thought but surely money could have been better spent on hampers for healthcare workers and their carparking fees.

Plenty felt it was great. We all needed a bit of cheer. One remarked his wife was a nurse and it was the first time she’d smiled in weeks.

Mike Winlaw’s heart is in the right place and he would have only had good intentions – and it cannot be argued that it did not bring smiles to people’s face, many who needed it.

Mike Winlaw’s heart is in the right place and he has orchestrated some awesome events in the area, like the Magic Millions Barrier Draw on Surfers Paradise Beach. Photo: Luke Marsden.

He has overseen and helped grow some seriously impressive and effective events. This is a man who took an approach about how to bring the Magic Millions barrier draw from out of the sales yard at Bundall to the midst of Surfers Paradise and helped turn it into the world famous horse race down the beachfront which we have today. The successful activations and events under his Surfers Paradise Alliance banner are many – impressive free concert sessions Surfers Paradise LIVE, the VIVA Surfers Paradise Elvis Presley impersonation and nostalgia fortnight, Sea Fire – spectacular by any measure – and the deal with Village Roadshow to bring characters like Batman into the precinct regularly to give kids a thrill. The list goes on.

The list goes on. Picture: Mike Batterham

It’s people like him who are going to help get this city back on its feet. We’ll need them to be bold, innovative, probably suggest things that are “a bit odd” and not fear having said ideas shot all to hell.

Because out of that will come recovery and the necessary pivots and a uniquely Gold Coast way forward.

But maybe let’s leave the fireworks until we really do have something to cheer about.