A Gold Coast Guide With Aussie Rugby Stars Maddison and Teagan Levi, Ahead of Do It for Dolly Day

Maddison and Teagan Levi are Aussie sports stars. Gold Coast-raised, Sydney-based, the sisters play for the national rugby sevens team. They’re Olympians. Maddison was crowned World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2024. They’re also both anti-bullying advocates, and ambassadors for charity Dolly’s Dream.

“I feel like [bullying] kind of shaped the people that we are,” Maddison says. “People always go, ‘Oh, you’re so nice, you’re so kind, you go out of your way to talk to people’. And it’s because you never know what someone’s going through – you never know the day people have had. And if I can, [I want to] use my platform to spread kindness.”

Team dynamics and camaraderie are inherent to the Levi sisters’ work lives, but Teagan has personal experience with bullying. “It’s something that I hold very close to my heart,” she says. “Being a victim of bullying, I want to make sure that no one is alone in this. We can do more about it, because it’s a lot physically and mentally. As a kid growing up, you feel like the whole world’s collapsing when people are nasty. It’s stereotyped that bullying is just a normal part of society, and if you have reached for help you’re considered weak. Not everyone’s lucky enough to have support systems.”

The charity was started to provide this very support, in honour of Amy “Dolly” Everett, who took her own life when she was 14 after experiencing bullying in person and online. On Friday May 8, Australia is turning blue for Do It for Dolly Day. The annual event is a chance to spread awareness and raise money to support those experiencing bullying – by wearing blue, hosting a blue-themed event or simply starting a conversation around bullying.

“As a community, as a nation, we can do better, help spread awareness,” Maddison says. “There are people who are available to talk and to listen. Bullying is something that should be spoken about more often – whether it’s females, males, young kids, adults. We might be at the top of our game at the moment, but we also went through troubling times, and we had to get through that.”

Ahead of Do It for Dolly Day, the Aussie sport stars share their top recommendations on the Gold Coast.

Favourite suburb
ML: Nobbys. The beaches there, I love, and then I love my food – so just the fact that all the new cafes and all the new food places are near the area. And then Broadbeach Waters, because it’s where my family home is.

TL: Tallebudgera and Palm Beach area. The coastal line there is beautiful. Lots of people want to live there – really chill-style living.

Best beach
ML: I love North Burleigh. It’s got the rock face – so you can swim and then just park up for the day under the rocks.

TL: I don’t like a too-busy beach, I would rather just relax and listen to the ocean. I’d have to say in between Broadbeach and Nobbys – you go down and have the beach to yourself.

Day out in nature
ML: I used to go to Currumbin Rock Pools and Talley Valley all the time. I feel like not many people know about it, but it’s crazy that you can drive 30 minutes inland, and it’s just a different feel. Like, it could be sunny on the Gold Coast, but then raining in there. There are little rock pools, hidden swim spots and hike trails.

TL: I think the waterfalls in Currumbin, as well. Not many people know about it, but it’s a beautiful spot to go – and all of a sudden there’s just this beautiful waterfall.

Best coffee
ML: The Holliday Coffee in Nobbys. They do a really good jaffle. And then Sun Devil – probably not on the Gold Coast but we’re going to claim it. It’s borderline Tweed Heads. It’s a cowboy vibe, and there’s always a 30-minute line, but the coffee and cold brew is excellent.

TL: I’m not a coffee snob, I’ll drink anything. But Alfred’s coffee is delicious – get the cold brew. There’s also a shop, so when you’re getting your coffee, you can have a look at the clothes.

Brekkie
ML: The jaffle at The Holliday – they’re OG, puffed up, with flaky sea salt and spring onions on top. And I love Palm Springs, they do little breakfast sliders. If you go too late, they’re always sold out – that’s how popular they are.

TL: Rafiki toasties. You wouldn’t believe the flavour in them. Like, it’s not a normal toastie, they taste unreal.

Lunch on the go
ML: Freddy’s, a chicken shop in Burleigh. I get a classic: chicken, mustard and gravy on a roll. I literally crave it every time I’m home.

TL: I’m obsessed with sushi at the moment, it doesn’t matter where from. Or a yiros in Burleigh, they’re unreal.

Celebration spot
ML: Siblings in Kirra. Especially if you can get a sunset booking, overlooking the beach. Or you can’t go past Rick Shores at the Pavilion, into a celebratory cocktail or two at the Burleigh Pav.

TL: Etsu Izakaya, a really nice Japanese place in Mermaid Beach.

Pizza
ML: My number one is Franc Jrs. I always get a deep-dish pizza.

TL: I would say the same. But also, if you want a quick takeaway, Three Kings Pizza – the slices are massive.

Something sweet
ML: Public Supply, they do really yummy cinnamon scrolls. Or Tarte Bakery in Burleigh for their pastries.

TL: Waffle & Bean in Burleigh.

Rainy-day activity
ML: Stay in! Nah, even on a rainy day, the Gold Coast scene is amazing. Like, hit a cafe, just yarn. I tend to just go and sit down with friends at a coffee shop and get lost in conversation.

TL: Maddi has a shopping addiction, so she would go shopping.

ML: Yeah, it’s terrible. I would end up at Pac Fair, wandering around.

TL: The Hijinx escape rooms or the movies.

Dining with a big group
ML: North Burleigh Surf Club. It’s on the beach – you can’t go wrong with a good pub feed if you’re going to get everyone around. 

TL: The Miami. There’s only one street in between you and the beach. The set-up’s really nice – it’s like a nicer pub feed. 

Hiking
ML: Springbrook National Park, it’s a really awesome trail. You walk through waterfalls, and then when you get to the top you have an amazing outlook. And Mount Tamborine – it’s not so much a hike, but it’s an ultimate picnic spot for a sunset. It’s just this massive grassy hill, and you park up there to watch the sun go down on the west side, over the trees and the bushland. 

Underrated area on the Gold Coast
ML: Dreamtime Beach, down south. It’s not overpopulated, and it’s so cool during whale season. You can just park up and see dolphins and whales playing in the ocean. And South Stradbroke, on the other end. It’s a ferry to get to it, but it’s so untouched. Not many people go there, but it’s so beautiful, off the coastline. I’m a water baby – I love the ocean, I love nature. 

TL: Broadwater Parklands, in Southport. It’s a beach, across from the shops. There are swimming spots, kids’ activities, a park and a walk.