Thousands of Victorian schoolies to descend on holiday hot spots
Holiday hotspots are preparing for hordes of partying students when schoolies kick off. See where Victorian students will flock to this year.
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Thousands of Victorian school leavers are set to descend on prime party locations for this year’s schoolies celebrations.
After VCE exams wrap up next week, students are expected to pack the Gold Coast, an infamous schoolies hotspot, in numbers that will top 2021 attendance rates for the first schoolies celebration unrestricted by state border closures since the pandemic began.
Police and volunteers will be out in force across the state to make sure Victorian students can ring in the end of their formal schooling safely as local councils brace for the arrival of scores of year 12 students from November 26.
The Herald Sun has compiled a list of this year’s most in-demand locations for Victorian school leavers.
Rye
A two-day foreshore festival in the heart of the Mornington Peninsula will bring almost 10,000 schoolies to Rye and neighbouring beachside suburbs, such as Rosebud, Tootgarook and Capel Sound in late November.
The state election will seem a world away for Victorian school leavers on Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27 when an All-Australian line-up of DJs and artists takes over Victoria’s most popular schoolies destination this year.
Peking Duk, Hermitude, Late Night Tuff Guy, Northeast Party House, Ruby Fields and Teenage Dads are set to attract scores of teens over that weekend, after 7000 students attended last year’s festival.
Food trucks and local markets will also be on offer for this year’s school leavers.
According to official schoolies organiser schoolies.com, the Rosebud Motel is the top accommodation choice for school leavers descending on Rye, with booking completely filled for this year’s holiday period.
Victoria Police and Red Frog volunteers will patrol the area to ensure school leavers party safely, after teens caused one Airbnb owner up to $40,000 in damage last year.
Schoolies have already been hit with heavy bonds or locked out of accommodation entirely this year.
But Mornington Peninsula Shire mayor Anthony Marsh said the council was working with local businesses and residents to ensure this year’s celebrations went off without a hitch.
“With another bumper line-up of music we hope all attendees have a safe and enjoyable event,” he said.
Gold Coast
Queensland authorities are urging teens to steer clear of balconies and hotel rooms ahead of bumper schoolies celebrations in the Sunshine State.
About 20,000 school leavers are set to celebrate the end of their exams on the Gold Coast this year – up from 16,000 teens in 2021.
Police will also monitor the popular northern schoolies destination while volunteers remain on standby to walk students home for free when festivities wrap up each night.
From November 19 to November 25, the Queensland government and City of Gold Coast council will run a dedicated Schoolies Hub, a free outdoor space with nightly entertainment in Surfers Paradise, in a bid to keep teens safe.
A new silent disco will replace last year’s movie nights at the Schoolies Hub after the space last year failed to draw in large crowds of year 12s.
Safer Schoolies Project Director Anna Hanson said the safety of young people and the local community was “the highest priority”.
“The Schoolies Hub is a proven diversion away from the streets, beaches, hotel rooms and balconies for legitimate year 12 school leavers of all ages,” she said.
“Gathering in a secure outdoor space from an overall health and wellbeing perspective, is far better than the alternative for school leavers and the Surfers Paradise community.”
It comes after a teenage boy high on ecstasy climbed on to the fifth-floor balcony of a high-rise apartment building in Surfers Paradise in 2019.
He was not injured during the stunt, but the incident prompted stern warnings from authorities.
Bass Coast
Phillip Island has remained a key schoolies hotspot for decades, and businesses are gearing up for a much-needed cash injection when students flood the area this year.
Figures on accommodation websites such as booking.com and Stays estimate that more than 80 per cent of rentals and apartments in the area have already been snapped up ahead of the annual tradition.
Security is set to be brought in to patrol the area with police during the holiday period, while drug, alcohol and sexual health counselling will be available to teens.
Police last year admitted they were outnumbered by schoolies when they were forced to deploy capsicum spray on a group of about 700 teens gathered on Phillip Island’s foreshore.
A representative from the Bass Coast Shire Council urged students to be respectful of local residents throughout this year’s schoolies.
“Council wants School Leavers to stay safe, to make good choices and enjoy the beauty that is Phillip Island,” she said.
“Be respectful of the locals and their spaces, remembering that families use the same areas during the day that School Leavers use at night time.”
Entertainment and activities offered by the local council are in the works with details to be announced in the lead-up to when the official party period begins on November 26.
Torquay and Lorne
Almost 1500 schoolies have chosen to celebrate the end of their final exams on the Surf Coast this year.
With figures slightly down on 2021, several hundred teens will spend their schoolies in Torquay, while about 1000 school leavers are expected to arrive in Lorne from late November.
But the Lorne Hotel is expected to remain a fixture of the annual tradition in the area, offering nightly entertainment.
Surf Coast mayor Libby Stapleton said schoolies would be eager to celebrate finishing school after several years of schooling were hampered by remote learning and the lockdowns.
“It’s been a challenging few years for school leavers, and we know they’ll be keen to get out and celebrate the end of their school years and final exams. We want to support them to do that in a fun, safe and respectful way,” she said.
“We welcome school leavers to the Surf Coast and encourage them to have a good time, stay safe and look after themselves and their environment.
“We also know that it’s been a tough few years for our local businesses and we hope that our Schoolies visitors support them during the day, whether that’s having a meal or hiring a surfboard or enjoying other activities on the Surf Coast.”
Byron Bay
Alcohol-free zones will be enforced across Byron Bay’s CBD by NSW police when schoolies kicks off this year.
Additional lighting in parks and late-night gathering spots, such as Apex park will be installed by Byron Shire Council to keep teens safe at night.
A popular getaway location for cashed-up Victorian schoolies, Byron Bay was last year struck by a major Covid outbreak as scores of students began to arrive for schoolies.
A youth hostel was forced to close down after it was revealed that a positive case – an unvaccinated staff member – had visited every room, forcing more than 80 schoolies to remain trapped in isolation inside their rooms.
The council’s corporate and community services director Esmeralda Davis said a range of initiatives would help keep kids safe this year.
“Byron Youth Service will be delivering the Street Cruise program, supported by Council, a street-based harm minimisation program which connects with young people and provides support, information, and referral. Street Cruise will run on Friday and Saturday nights during schoolies,” she said.
“Red Frogs will be delivering support services to young people during the shoolies period, providing information to help keep young people safe, in collaboration with NSW Police.”
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