Tips on how to survive schoolies and avoid toolies

Thousands will flock to the Gold Coast to get the party started for Schoolies Week, a time to celebrate the end of high school and get their first taste of freedom.

But it’s not all fun and sun, with toolies, foolies and droolies also weaseling their way in to the ritual. Foolies are people who haven’t yet left school and stay up well past their bed times to try and be a part of the action. Droolies and toolies are those trying to relive the golden days of teenage youth, and they’re the ones teens have to be wary of.

WHAT IS SCHOOLIES?

It’s a tradition which started in the 70s after a group of friends left the classroom behind for a week at the beach. They chose Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, making the Broadbeach International Hotel their main meeting place. The Gold Coast is now the largest schoolies party in Australia but school leavers also head to Byron Bay, the Sunshine Coast, Airlie Beach and Lorne in Victoria.

It was a lot quieter on the beach during schoolies week back in the 70s, but it’s now become a rite of passage where thousands of teens flock to the Gold Coast night-life.

The ABC reports the general manager of the Broadbeach International Hotel in the 70s, Geoff Lewis, was looking to attract more business in the summer months, and was inspired by America’s Spring Break tradition after visiting the country.

“It was all about putting boys and girls together with music and promotions around the pool and wet T-shirt contests,” he said.

“The first real serious schoolies was in 1976 ... the word got out that something was happening in December at the broady.”

WHAT IS A TOOLIE?

A toolie is somebody who has a bit more experience partying than school leavers, so they crash the post-school party. According to Andy Gourley, chief executive of youth support group Red Frogs, 90 per cent of problems at schoolies are because of toolies.

Police will crackdown again this year on toolies, who have a reputation for looking for drugs and sex. The NSW Department of Education and Communities released a warning on their website about the dangers of toolies who are “men in their 20s looking for a good time with school leavers”.

Toolies are known to give schoolies a bad name and the department said it was important for school leavers to know how to avoid toolies or get rid of them quickly.

“Some toolies come to schoolies very drunk and want to start fights and steal IDs to get into beach parties. We encourage schoolies to stay in groups,” Mr Gourley said.

HOW TO SPOT A TOOLIE

Mr Gourley said schoolies had wristbands so if you’re moving through a crowd and spot somebody without one, he suggests leaving them alone.

“You don’t know what their intentions are,” he said.

“You still have to beware of predators so don’t go away with someone without a wristband.

“A lot of toolies are uni students trying to relive the dream from a couple of years ago and trying to relive the past.”

Mr Gourley said toolies were attracted to schoolies because there were a lot of young people luring them to a certain destination, like the Gold Coast.

Unleashed Travel managing director Jot Lyans said toolies were often bigger and older than schoolies and they tended to lurk in small groups.

Phil Sylvester, from Travel Insurance Direct, said toolies were predominantly men and could be fairly predatory.

“The main draw for them is the extremely cheap drinks and the 17 and 18-year-old girls,” he said.

HOW TO AVOID A TOOLIE

The NSW Department of Education and Communities suggests keeping toolies at arm’s length. The department advises schoolies to ignore them and not encourage them, even if it seems like harmless fun.

Schoolies are warned to not get sucked in and to walk away from toolies bothering them.

Mr Sylvester had a creative technique if those ideas failed.

“Just ask them which questions they answered in this year’s compulsory English exam. That should see them off,” he said.

The department recommends a buddy system so friends can look after each other and if a fight breaks out near you, leave the area as quick as possible.

Schoolies should also be wary of how much alcohol they consume because they can become easy targets.

Teens are encouraged to decide on a meeting place in case people get lost or separated, transport should be organised ahead of time, walk on well-lit streets, tell somebody where you’re going, never accept substances as you never know what’s in them, don’t put yourself in a position where you are alone with a stranger and don’t ever let toolies into your room. You can also call the Red Frogs to help out and Mr Gourley said the volunteer presence deterred toolies.

SAFETY TIPS

Police are warning teens about the perils of the Surfers Paradise night-life.

Drug use among schools is always a focus for police, and Detective Inspector Mark Slater said schoolies should stay away from illicit substances.

“If you are caught with drugs ... it can have an impact on terms of a conviction, which can have an impact on things like employment, whether you can travel overseas,” he said.

“So outside of the health issues there’s a range of different impacts you need to consider.”

Mr Gourley said parents should make sure their teenagers are heading to schoolies with lots of food and a slab of water. He also encouraged teens to call an ambulance if there was a problem.

The NSW Department of Education and Communities warned teens not to drink and drive or get in the car with a drunk driver. Constantly monitor your drink and know your limits so you don’t get too intoxicated.

— with AAP

The Red Frogs’ safety hotline for schoolies is 1300 557 123

Originally published as How to expose a toolie