Good morning, Robina.
It’s a packed week in Robina, and some of it is genuinely hard to make up.
A Gold Coast MP has reported being threatened, part of a wider national pattern of hostility toward elected representatives that is worth understanding. An 18-year-old has been charged after an alleged assault at a Varsity Lakes party left a 16-year-old seriously hurt. And a 173-apartment twin-tower complex has been lodged right next to Robina Station.
On a brighter note, the Rugby League World Cup triple-header is at Cbus Super Stadium this Saturday, with three international matches from just $19. Someone in the southern Gold Coast corridor may also be sitting on an unclaimed $100,000 lottery ticket from Elanora. And a local café in Varsity Lakes is selling something called a fridge cigarette, and it is exactly as good as it sounds.
Plenty to get across. Let’s get into it!
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THIS WEEK IN ROBINA
Something Disturbing Is Happening to Australia’s Politicians
Paul Edbrooke says the incident marks "a new low". Image: https://www.abc.net.au/
Gold Coast councillor Brooke Patterson revealed this week that two people have been convicted in separate cases involving threats against her, her family, and her staff. It is a local story - but it sits inside a much wider one.
In Victoria, independent MP Helen Haines was struck by a vehicle outside her electorate office. Labor MP Paul Edbrooke found a bullet marked “RAT” on his car alongside his former firefighter ID. Federal minister Anne Aly reported receiving 19 death threats in a single week.
These are separate incidents with no proven shared motive or connection. But the pattern is hard to ignore. Elected representatives across party lines, at federal and local level, are facing a level of hostility that goes well beyond political disagreement.
What is driving it, and what - if anything - is being done about it, are questions without clean answers yet.
Patterson’s case is the Robina-adjacent part of a national story worth paying attention to.
Think Christmas Is All About Presents? This Book Might Make You Think Again.
Christmas can be a whirlwind of shopping, celebrations and last-minute gift hunting. But what if you made a little room for something more meaningful this year?
50 Days of Christmas, from Fifty Days Press, offers 50 reflections designed to bring a spiritual dimension to the festive season.
You can start on 5 November and follow the full 50-day journey, or read morning and night from 1–25 December as part of the traditional Advent season.
Whether you're a devout Christian, a casual observer or simply curious about the deeper meaning of Christmas, this book invites you to pause, reflect and discover something meaningful along the way.
Looking for other thoughtful Christmas gifts? Fifty Days Press also offers titles like Rusty the Tractor Who Never Gives Up and A Bully Named Nightmare!
Sometimes, the best gifts give us more than something to unwrap.
Yowies in the Hinterland. Sure, Why Not.
Image: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
With Halloween around the corner and the Yowie Country Music Festival approaching, accounts of alleged yowie encounters in the Currumbin Valley and Tweed hinterland have been doing the rounds again.
The stories are old. Some go back decades. They involve enormous footsteps, an overpowering smell, and something large moving through the bush at speed. None of them are verified. All of them are entertaining.
The Gold Coast hinterland is dense, relatively remote in parts, and full of wildlife that can produce genuinely alarming sounds at night. Whether any of that explains the accounts is a question each reader can answer for themselves.
What is not in dispute: the Yowie Country Music Festival is a real event, the hinterland is genuinely atmospheric around Halloween, and the stories have been circulating long enough that someone keeps bothering to retell them.
That counts for something. Probably not a yowie, but something.
Struggling with everyday tasks at home? An occupational therapist could help make life easier.
Getting in and out of the shower, moving around the house or managing daily routines can become challenging. But sometimes, a few practical changes can make a real difference to how comfortably and safely you live.
Life Solutions OT helps people across the Gold Coast and Northern NSW find ways to stay safe and independent at home. From home safety assessments and helpful equipment to recommendations for grab rails and ramps, their occupational therapists work with you and your family to find solutions that suit your needs.
Whether you're looking for support for yourself, a parent or someone you care about, you don't have to work it all out alone.
A simple conversation can help you understand what support is available and where to start.
A Local Café Is Selling Something Called a Fridge Cigarette
Image: www.couriermail.com.au
Side Piece Coffee at 2 Capital Court in Varsity Lakes has added a “fridge cigarette” to the menu, and it is exactly what TikTok made it sound like: an ice-cold Coke with salted vanilla bean cold foam on top.
The name comes from a viral trend comparing the ritual of cracking open a freezing cold Coke to stepping outside for a cigarette break. Instant satisfaction, very cold, slightly antisocial to drink alone. The café has leaned into it fully.
Whether you find this genius or baffling probably depends on your relationship with both coffee culture and TikTok. Either way, it is sitting on the menu at a café five minutes from Robina Town Centre, and it costs less than most things you would spend money on this week.
Worth going in just to see what the fuss is about.
Side Piece Coffee is at 2 Capital Court, Varsity Lakes.
Still Buying “Back to School” Supplies From the Big Retailers? Here’s 3 Reasons to Shop Local Instead!
With another school year around the corner, here’s why Gold Coast families should consider EZI Office Supplies before heading to the big retailers.
1. Support local businesses.
EZI is a family-run business, meaning your money supports local families rather than another major corporation.
2. Great prices, even better service.
With a 4.9-star Google rating and thousands of products available, EZI specialises in supplying local businesses with everything their offices need, all at competitive prices.
3. Your entire school booklist, sorted!
Got your child’s school booklist? Simply email it to EZI and they’ll organise everything for you! No running around finding individual items. Just pick it up when it’s ready or have it delivered straight to your door.
Why leave it until after Christmas? Get the boring stuff out of the way now so you can actually enjoy the holidays without another chore hanging over your head.
Just send through your school booklist and let EZI take care of the rest!
Email Your School Booklist to EZI Here: [email protected]
Website: https://eziofficesupplies.com.au
Then come straight back. We’ve got more juicy local stories for you!
Someone on the Gold Coast Could Be Sitting on $100,000 and Not Know It
A $100,000 Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot ticket from draw 11057, sold at The Pines News & Gifts in Elanora, had not been claimed as of late September - eight months after the January 21 draw.
No subsequent public announcement of a claim has surfaced, which means someone in the southern Gold Coast corridor could still be holding a winning ticket without knowing it.
It happens more often than you’d think. Tickets go through the washing machine, sit in a jacket pocket, or get buried in a pile of old mail. A $100,000 prize does not expire immediately, but claiming windows close.
If you bought a Lucky Lotteries ticket in early 2026 and never checked it properly, now would be the time.
Check old tickets at thelott.com or at any registered lottery outlet.
Man Charged After 16-Year-Old Allegedly Stomped at Varsity Lakes Party
An 18-year-old Nerang man has been charged following an alleged assault at a gathering on Rina Court, Varsity Lakes, on September 26.
A 16-year-old boy was allegedly kicked and stomped while on the ground following a dispute over a stolen vape. His father described the attack publicly, and footage reportedly circulated online after the incident.
The 18-year-old has been charged with assault occasioning bodily harm in company and affray. A 17-year-old Hope Island boy was separately dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.
The 18-year-old is scheduled to appear at Southport Magistrates Court on November 19. All charges are alleged at this stage.
This is a separate incident from the Robina assault covered in last week’s edition. Different suburb, different victim, different accused.
The pattern of serious youth violence at social gatherings in the southern Gold Coast is becoming harder to overlook.
| 22 Lacerta Avenue | $2,175,000 |
| 16 Collingwood Avenue | $1,700,000 |
| 6 Nardoo Street | $1,360,000 |
| 890 Medinah Avenue | $1,300,000 |
| 1 Dandenong Terrace | $1,255,000 |
| 20 Florabella Drive | $940,000 |
| 441 & 443/25 Lake Orr Drive | $400,000 |
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What's on this week
World Cup rugby on home turf, the Gold Coast Greek Festival, two farmers markets, and an Australian Crawl headline concert closing out the weekend.
Three international pool matches on home turf: Fiji v France Women (12:20pm), New Zealand v Fiji Men (2:30pm), and New Zealand v PNG Women (4:45pm). World Cup rugby league 1.2km from the Town Centre is a rare treat. Tickets via Ticketmaster Australia.
Returning to the Gold Coast for the first time in over a decade. Authentic food stalls, traditional folklore dancing, live music, Saturday night fireworks, and live cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs Helena, Vikki and Anna Polyviou.
Farm-fresh produce, organic fruit and vegetables, artisanal bread, specialty coffee, and hot food stalls. Free entry and ideal for an early Sunday walk or relaxed family breakfast.
Organic growers, artisan craft stalls, local food trucks, and live acoustic music alongside Evandale Lake. If you finish the Robina market early and want a change of scenery, this makes an excellent second stop.
Australian Crawl and Men At Work share a stage for the first time in 40 years at an open-air oceanfront concert. The lineup also includes Birds of Tokyo, Vika and Linda, Eskimo Joe, Boom Crash Opera, and Ella Hooper. Tickets via the Red Hot Summer Tour site.
Trivia, board games, and lawn bowls, all within 20 minutes of Robina Town Centre.
Spring dining guide in Robina venues right now.
RQ's Tavern — Weekly Specials
361 State Route 7 (cnr Robina Pkwy and Markeri St), Robina
Monday Steak Night from 5:00pm. Daily Lunch Specials Monday to Sunday, 11:30am to 4:00pm, with a Nothing over $30 value guarantee across the entire daytime menu. 50% off the Sea every Friday from 5:00pm, consistently one of the busiest nights at the venue.
Club Robina — Midweek Specials
263 Ron Penhaligon Way, Robina · clubrobina.com.au
Tuesday Rump Night from 5:30pm to 8:00pm. Wednesday Night 2-for-1 Parmys: buy one Chicken Parmigiana and get the second of equal or lesser value completely free. A steady midweek gathering spot for local families and bowls members alike.
Estate No. 6 New
Shop 6, 116 Laver Drive, Robina
A sleek new boutique specialty coffee bar on the busy Laver Drive commercial strip, pitched at the surrounding office, legal, and health sector crowds. Direct-trade single-origin Colombian coffee alongside a curated artisanal breakfast menu.
Services Robina Locals Recommend:
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DEBATE OF THE WEEK
World Cup at Cbus Super Stadium this Saturday - local economic win, or just a parking nightmare for residents around it?
The triple-header brings three international matches, thousands of visitors, and real spending into Robina's local businesses. For the suburb, that is a genuine benefit.
But if you live on Stadium Drive or Riverwalk Avenue, you already know what a sold-out match day looks like from your front window. Is the World Cup a net win for Robina, or does the suburb absorb all the friction while the gains flow elsewhere?
Hit reply and let us know.
LEGEND OF THE WEEK:
The Robina VIEW Club
Sixteen years of consistent, unannounced work. The Robina VIEW Club has been raising funds for The Smith Family's Learning for Life program since 2010 - supporting disadvantaged Australian children with educational assistance through local community fundraising. No fuss, no fanfare. Just steady, good work.
Know someone quietly doing good in Robina? Hit reply and nominate them for next week.
Grow your business with Robina Locals
To keep this newsletter going and the coverage improving, we are opening a small number of paid features to local businesses. If you offer something genuinely useful to Robina residents, we would like to hear from you.
Reply to this email to find out more.
That is a wrap for this week, Robina. Get amongst the debate, have your say in the community corner, and we will catch you next Thursday with more of what is happening around the traps.
Thanks for reading. See you next week.
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