Tradie wins $20m in lotto, quits job immediately and other top stories.

• Tradie wins $20m in lotto, quits job immediately

  

  A GOLD Coast tradie walked off site this morning when he got the life-changing news that he had scooped the entire $20 million Oz Lotto prize pool.The man plans to hang up his tool belt for an early retirement, pay off his mortgage, complete some big renovations and spend his days perfecting his golf swing.He bought his 50-game QuickPick from Paradise Point News, which has now reached a trifecta of division one winning entries within 14 months.The ecstatic winner, a construction worker, was alre..

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• Gold Coast surfers 'heroes of J-Bay'

  

  THREE Gold Coast teens, two of them just 15 years old, are being hailed as heroes of J-Bay, after plunging into shark-infested water at the spot where Mick Fanning was attacked, to rescue a drowning local boy. Nate Searle 15, Luca Stevenson 15, and Mitchell Ellis, 19, are the talk of the World Surfing League tour, which kicked off in South Africa yesterday, after risking their lives at Jeffreys Bay to save the boy who hailed from the gold mining city of Welkom in the Free State province.Gold Coa..

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• 'Idiot' fines make millions of dollars

  

  IF you go out in one of the Gold Coast’s party hot spots of Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach or Coolangatta and act like an fool, then expect to pay an “idiot levy”.In the 12 months from May 2015 to May this year, partygoers were slugged with almost $3 million in on-the-spot penalties for being stupid.media_cameraRevellers at Surfers Paradise on New Year’s Eve.Fines for bad behaviour topped $2 million in Surfers Paradise, $500,000 in Broadbeach and $334,000 in Coolangatta with police vowing to keep ..

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• Has weather sent Migaloo east?

  

  AUSTRALIA’S most famous whale is likely missing in action because of the wild weather that’s lashed the east coast, an expert says.Rare white humpback Migaloo is usually cruising past the Gold Coast around this time of year but may have been pushed away from the coastline due to dirty river run-off caused by wild weather in NSW, according to White Whale Research Centre founder Oskar Peterson.“He’s gone out wide because of the east coast lows,” he said.GOLD COAST MECHANIC’S WHALE VIDEO STUNS WORL..

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• Hills star names baby after Coast beach

  

  HOLLYWOOD socialite Audrina Patridge has named her first child after a Gold Coast surf break.The 31-year-old, who made her claim to fame on hit reality show The Hills 10 years ago, welcomed her baby girl Kirra Max Bohan into the world last Friday with partner of seven years, Brisbane born BMX dirt bike rider Corey Bohan.Partridge put a blog on her website telling her thousands of followers Kirra was the name of ‘an amazing surf spot here in Australia’.“I have loved the name Kirra for a while now..

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• Gold Coast set for net injection

  

  THE Gold Coast economy is set for a significant financial boost when almost 2000 youngsters hit the city this weekend. A total of 175 teams involving 1925 players, plus officials and parents, will be here for the state age championships.The titles will be played on 15 courts at the South Coast Netball Association headquarters in Melaleuca Drive in Palm Beach from tomorrow to Sunday.Teams from as far north as Cairns and Mareeba will be here to contest titles in age ­divisions from under-13 to und..

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• Tragic grinder accident claims father

  

  A MUDGEERABA father and cricketer who played 200 games in England has died after an horrific work accident. Jeffrey Wharton, 37, was left in a critical condition, fighting for life for more than two weeks after being struck in the face with a grinder while working at a house at Worongary on June 10. He died in hospital on June 25.Family and friends have been left reeling over the loss.His sister, Tracey Cash, described her brother as “kind-hearted, easy-going and a friend to everyone.”media_came..

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• Warmer weather, swell on the way

  

  GOLD Coasters have warmer conditions and bigger swells to look forward to this week, say meteorologists. The forecasts excited junior surfers battling in tiny surf at the final day of the Occy Grom Comp at Duranbah Beach yesterday.Tweed talent Alyssa Lock managed to find two waves that competition judges awarded nine points out of a possible 10 for yesterday to make it into the finals.“They’ve been pretty hard to contest in,” Alyssa said. “It’s funny how they’re saying the swell’s going to rise ..

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