UTE BEAUTY! FRIENDS DO SCHOOLIES ON THE CHEAP

SLEEPING on a ute tray in the middle of busy Surfers Paradise wouldn’t be ideal for most people – but it sure made a group of schoolies happy campers.

Six friends from Brisbane wanted to join in on the Schoolies celebrations but didn’t have anywhere to stay.

Instead, they saved themselves hundreds of dollars each as they spent the night on a mattress on the ute tray and set up a tent on the roof.

Jordan Thomas, 17, said rough enough was good enough just as long as they got to experience the end-ofschool celebration.

“I picked up the tent for only $100. Two of my friends are sleeping up there but it doesn’t even have a mattress. They’re just sleeping on metal,” he said.

The other four crammed in the back of the tray after spending the night running amok on the streets of Surfers Paradise.

People illegally camping in a vehicle could be fined $150, but it would have still been cheaper for the teens than paying for accommodation.

His mate Lawson Ittensohn, 17, said it wasn’t that bad but they don’t have anywhere to charge their phones.

“I’ve been waiting until 9am until we can go up to friends’ places and charge our phones,” he said.