Despite the media reporting health scares and violence at this year’s Gold Coast schoolies week celebrations, Dubbo teenager Yolanda Hodgsin and friends couldn’t have reported having a better time celebrating the completion of school.
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Schoolies headlined several national news programs last week with reports that a student had contracted the meningococcal virus at the event while authorities wrestled with ‘toolies’ (non-Year 12 leavers) who were causing fights and disturbing schoolies events.
“We didn’t see anything bad or wrong at all, we had no problems,” Yolanda said.
The 18-year-old Dubbo College Senior Campus student attended this year’s schoolies week with six of her girlfriends, and despite the warnings to women to stay in groups to avoid trouble, the girls said they couldn’t have felt any safer at the event.
“There were schoolies volunteers everywhere and police were only ever five steps away from you wherever you went,” Yolanda said.
“We all felt really safe,” she said.
According to Yolanda the days were full of beach activity while the nights were alive with parties and celebrations.
“Although it was very busy, the people weren’t as crazy as I was expecting,” she said.
“We all had a great time, even those of us who were under 18 were included with organised underage beach parties.”
With thousands of volunteers on hand to make sure students were well fed and hydrated, Yolanda said the event looked after the huge crowds well.
“We had the Red Frog volunteers come and make us dinner in our apartment one night for free to make sure we were eating properly,” she said.
Yolanda and her friends returned home from schoolies on Saturday.
The second week of schoolies on the Gold Coast kicked off on Monday.
anna.yeo@ruralpress.com
