Last week we had another joint meeting with the Broadwater Southport club, held at the Southport Yacht Club. Andy Bell helped at the door. We had apologies from Ray Higgs, Larry Murray, Gerald East, Mario Fairlie, Richard Smith and Neil Thurlow. Good to see Karen Holland safely back from Switzerland, and one of our freshly baked Corporate members, Todd Cole from Wilsons Advisory joined us. District Youth Exchange Chairman Chris Thurtell brought our new YE Student Ayana Sadaka (see separate article) along as well - looking forward to greeting Ayana again at one of "our" meetings soon!
In view of this really being a Broadwater Southport meeting, there wasn't much Surfers Sunrise business discussed. Your editor invited all to participate in the upcoming Welcome Bar-be-que for the incoming Rotary Friendship Exchange team on Friday 1st November, and Charles Thomasson elaborated further on the Surfers Sunrise Golf Day on 25th November (see separate article).
We had an excellent Guest Speaker too: OK, with a headline "Speed Date an Architect", if presented by somebody of the calibre of Pia Willemsen (picture left), the Principal of Willemsen Architecture, many of the gentlemen present found it catchy all by itself... [no Henrietta, this it not a sexist comment, this is a compliment! ☺ Ed.] Pia presented on the upcoming Gold Coast Open House event coming up in October. Various private, corporate and public venues of particular architectural attraction and merit will be open for viewing by the public. Some are quite obvious, such as the newly opened Kurrawa Surf Club, to well known heritage buildings such as the Gold Coast Light Horse Museum in Mudgeeraba. But hey! Did you know that there is a Railway Tunnel in the Ernest Junction region of Ashmore? It is a remnant of the former South Coast Rail Line, which closed in 1964. 140 metres long, it is a walk way, but also is used for... a Concert Hall... There is far too much going on to list on this report, but you'll find it well worth your time to visit their website: www.goldcoastopenhouse.com.au. In total, you'll find well over 50 properties which can be visited, many of them only at specific times, by appointment.