LET’S JOIN REST OF WORLD AND GET CULTURE ON OUR BEACHES

I’M crusin’.

No, really cruising – like right in the middle of the Arabian Sea as I pen this. Total bliss – on holiday and working extremely hard, taking as long as possible to do as little as possible. I think I’m succeeding.

For people who travel an awful lot, we actually don’t get many holidays like this with no work thrown in, so it’s nirvana! There’s something about an expansive ocean, you really are a dot out here in the middle of nowhere. Sometimes it’s great to just be a dot. Tranquillity. Bliss.

Time to get into even more books than home life allows. I have just finished reading my new-found favourite writer – Mark Manson. His poignant and confronting novel hits the target with its title. The Subtle Art of not Giving a F…… – nothing much left there to the imagination.

Chris Hemsworth calls it a “good kick in the arse”. It certainly is that and a whole lot more, subtle it’s not. If you want to be challenged it’s certainly worth the read.

Anyway, this trip has got me thinking (always dangerous) about tourism, holidays et al and I set myself a promise to come up with one good idea for the Gold Coast. Now I have failed because someone else has been pushing this concept, but having seen it working so well in Muscat, Oman, of all places, it must be possible on our beachfront. If not, why not? And please, spare me the garbage that it’s difficult politically; it’s hard for council to implement etc etc. If it can happen in a strict Muslim country, then we must be capable of overcoming whatever PC, bureaucratic, namby-pamby rules some government type has wasted copious hours dreaming up. Got your attention?

It’s giving beach access on our stunning beaches, to private operators to have hospitality on the actual beach. Simply stuff like providing a quality tourist service like umbrellas, deck chairs, creature comforts, food and drinks service and drastic ideas like music. It is not radical on many famous beaches throughout the world – actually the norm – so it’s about time we provided it. From the French Riveria, to the hot spots of the Greek Islands, even to Muscat. We keep telling ourselves we are a sophisticated tourism product that holds its spot with the rest of the world, so what’s stopping us? Even greenies like a good time. (Actually, that was a guess – I don’t know what the hell they like.)

It certainly can’t be taking over too much beachfront. I’m only talking maybe two sections of 30-50 metres of beachfront and certainly well short of any high-tide mark. We have kilometres of beachfront, so as a percentage, I’m talking a dot again. Impact, almost zero.

Sure, you must make certain the operators have proper security in place, yes you have to have it for only over 18 and all the other normal licensing regulations. But that’s hardly a challenge – any restaurateur, nightclub operator will sort that out and comply. And here’s the thing – why not make the fees for this beachfront activity be repatriated to every surf lifesaving club operating on the famous Gold Coast beaches. Give them a guaranteed annual – and growing – source of income.

Everyone wins. Maybe a licence to operate is somehow connected to a surf club?

They are always looking for income – so let’s get proactive in this debate and help them. And here’s a tip for our political types at government or council level – you can’t go wrong helping our much-loved and muchneeded surf clubs. It’s a surefire vote winner. Even Malcolm Turnbull couldn’t have stuffed this one up!

So, one of you, I don’t mind who, get off the fence and run with this. Make Bruce Small proud.

So, let’s fire up – let’s join the switched-on rest of the global beach culture and give our tourists yet another reason to come and play on the fabulous Gold Coast.

Time to order another cocktail, time to go back to being a dot. But a word of caution before I return to nirvana – I’m not going to stay silent on this concept; I’m going to continue to agitate for real progressive change. Our tourism industry craves it – The Sultan in Oman can make it happen, so we are a certainty.

Two Margheritas, salt on the rocks, for the lounge by the pool thanks.