100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

100% Locally Owned, Independent and Free

Ashley Robinson: a wild ride to Melbourne and a strange set of engagements

Do you have a news tip? Click here to send to our news team.

Residents call for action at ‘hotspot for speeding vehicles’

Residents in a beachside neighbourhood are calling for a safety upgrade along an increasingly busy road. Almost 80 community members around Wurley Drive have signed More

‘Blood moon’ set to thrill stargazers

Sunshine Coast stargazers are poised to see the longest lunar eclipse since 2022 on Monday morning. The full moon will pass through Earth’s shadow, turning More

First park opens in estate’s latest precinct

Australia’s largest master-planned community has opened its newest park. Hilltop Park in Aura’s new Acacia precinct features a play structure atop a two-metre-high mound with More

Police sergeant charged with child exploitation offences

A Queensland police sergeant has been charged and suspended following allegations of accessing, possessing and distributing child exploitation material. The 40-year-old man from the North More

New tourism campaign promotes Coast ‘sickie’

“Don’t fake it, take it” is a local tourism body’s cheeky new slogan urging workers to take a "Sunshine Sickie". Visit Sunshine Coast's bold statement More

Jane Stephens: The stamina for setting goals

The most effective goals in life are big and juicy – and just a touch audacious. They are the kinds of targets that you have More

Trains, Planes and Automobiles was a great movie, and I starred in my own version just a few weeks ago.

I was invited to ex-Sunshine Coast Falcons/Melbourne Storm footy player Chris Lewis’ wedding in Melbourne, where he was marrying his beautiful partner Jill (and just quietly punching way above his weight).

Foz, from the Foz and Brooke Big Breakfast on Sea FM, is getting married later this month but had his bucks’ party in Melbourne the same weekend as I was down there. We were on the same plane out of Maroochydore, down and back.

Brooke was scheduled to take us to the airport until I found out there was a tornado in Melbourne.

The flight was delayed by an hour, but as she is a celebrity and had other engagements, we had to go at the original time.

We got there, my bag received the whole security check minus a cavity search, and I sort of knew what my day was going to look like.

Melbourne Storm player Chris Lewis talks to school students.

A further two-hour delay coincided with quite a few overpriced schooners and a stale packet of chips.

The only bright side was an announcement that economy passengers were encouraged to eat something before departure as there was no catering because of the weather.

I had upgraded myself on points to business class, but Foz was in economy.

So, the only joy I had was sending him photos of champagne and the menu when we got seated. It was a bumpy ride, but we got there and parted company.

A Sunshine Coast Airport arrivals and departures board.

The wedding was in Fitzroy Gardens at 2pm – women in their best attire and men in retro rugby league jerseys, which sums up the groom’s sense of humour – and then by tram to the reception.

Did I mention he married a Scottish bride, so he wore a kilt?

Let me tell you about Chris. When I ran for mayor, he donated some cash which came up in conversation with my support staff, asking me who I knew from the Bandidos Motorcycle Club (he was trying to be funny).

It was a weird weekend, probably summed up by the reception, after a 30-minute train ride, where I made a joke about kilts and no underpants.

You guessed it, there weren’t any underpants and I will live with that image forever.

No automobile of note but some wonderful memories (apart from one).

Ashley Robinson is chairman of Sunshine Coast Falcons and Sunshine Coast Thunder Netball and a lifetime Sunshine Coast resident.

Subscribe to SCN’s free daily news email

This field is hidden when viewing the form
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
[scn_go_back_button] Return Home
Share