July 28th 2026: The GC

We have 11 motocross riders competing in the 2026 Australian ProMX Motocross Championships, and they're all very competitive. Seth Morrow, of Invercargill, won both his motos in MX3, and Hayden Draper, of Karaka, is leading that championship. It's exciting to be here documenting it all. The final round is this weekend. 

This job has landed me squarely on the Gold Coast, and so I've had a few spare mornings to slip out and see for myself just how good a winter escape is here in this part of the world. The surf is packed, of course, and I arrived after a multi-day solid swell had quenched the locals' thirsts. Snapper appeared to me to be a longboarder's dream at 1-2 foot. Mobs of swimmers eased their way into the brine. Fitness freaks galloped across the boardwalks and aged surfers rode up on bikes to eyeball the conditions. 

I popped the drone up to look for sharks, but not much there. I did see whales breaching off in the distance, which was a buzz. I really like the southern end of the Gold Coast where it rubs up against the less glitzy wave-rich New South Wales coastline. 

On my way north to cover the motocross, I stopped in to see a friend at Noosa. It has been a few years, but that place always appeals to me. It has a stunning national park with waves that wrap right around it and a town that's beachie yet classy all at once. The sunsets and sunrises were amazing, and seeing my mate living his incredible life with his young family high on a hill near the township was pretty cool. 

This trip has reminded me once again why I spent so many years living and working in Sydney. It's a pretty cool part of the world, and they're so welcoming to Kiwis. 

See you at the beach, Derek

PS Getting to the Gold Coast is so easy for Dunedin surfers. It takes three hours to get there, and you can fly directly to Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. Jetstar offers regular flights, and they're great value. I was surprised how easy the whole trip to get here was – not much more laborious than a domestic flight. 
*Note: I do not get paid to endorse Jetstar (although I would welcome Jetstar's ad spend), but it does make strike missions very doable. Just sayin' ...