GUTTED COAST MAYOR TATE’S DIDGERI-DON’T

Coast Mayor Tom Tate was just starting to make some progress eight weeks into didgeridoo lessons when his cancer surgeries forced a rethink on that

GOLD Coast Mayor Tom Tate has revealed a major personal disappointment caused by his recent surgeries – he had to give up didgeridoo training.

He had been getting lessons from a young Aboriginal tutor for eight weeks before his surgeries which included having part of his intestine removed.

Cr Tate emerged from Pindara Private Hospital in good spirits late last month from the successful bowel cancer operation. But he tells ATG loss of strength from his health drama had put a halt to him getting back in the gym and indulging in his regular weightlifting sessions.

Learning the didgeridoo was also now on hold.

“It hurts too much. It’s too physically demanding, it’s all in the diaphragm,” he said.

“But I will get back into it.”

He took it up to get more in touch with indigenous culture, approaching a Yugambeh elder who advised him the instrument originally hailed from Northern Australia.

“He said you’re really meant to get permission from the elders up there. I said ‘OK, I’ll fly up and get permission’,” Mr Tate recalled.

“They sent a message back and said ‘Don’t worry about flying up, we’ll come down’.

“They wanted to come to Gold Coast. Elders from around Australia came to Tallebudgera Creek, did a ceremony and gave the permission. They made a special didge for me.”

Aboriginal men from the Larrakeyah clan based around Darwin hosted the handover.

Mr Tate also revealed to ATG he had immediately dropped eight kilograms after surgery, going down to 92kg.

It prompted his right-hand man Wayne Moran to remark: “And I’ve dropped five kilos worrying about him.”

It’s too physically demanding, it’s all in the diaphragm