Meet Carla Tooma — queen of the mic. With a vibrant career spanning over a decade, Carla has been the trusted voice on 1029 Hot Tomato, keeping locals in the loop about all things Gold Coast on air and online. From covering red carpet glam at the Logies to bringing you the latest buzz from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, she’s been there, done that, and still rocks the mic. Not just a radio sensation, Carla is a go-to MC for events across southeast Queensland, effortlessly transitioning from business forums to glam events. And this festive season, she’s taking the GC by storm as part of the 9NEWS Gold Coast team.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
I am a proud born and bred Gold Coaster.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
Absolutely everything! From the beaches to the laid-back lifestyle, the family-friendly atmosphere, and don’t even get me started on our thriving food scene. Living here is like being on a permanent vacay – every day feels like a weekend. Both my husband and I are hometown enthusiasts and can’t wait to watch our own family grow in this fantastic place we call home.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I would describe myself as a mix of news, family, community, and events!
In the news realm, you’ll find me as a presenter and journalist at 9NEWS Gold Coast. Before that, I had a blast at 1029 Hot Tomato and myGC.com.au.

Off camera, I’m a proud mum to an adventurous 15-month-old son, navigating the joys of parenthood alongside my wonderful husband.

My love for the Gold Coast and the performing arts extends to serving as a Board Director for the Gold Coast Eisteddfod. Prior to that, I spent 5 years on the YPGC Board.

I also moonlight as an MC and am fortunate to host some amazing events across our sunny corner of the world. If it is Christmas Carols – I am known to sing a tune or two!

You are joining 9NEWS Gold Coast this festive season. Tell us a bit about that.
I am so thrilled to join the 9NEWS Gold Coast team and fill in while Eva Milic and Paul Taylor enjoy some holiday time.

The legendary Bruce Paige joins me from Boxing Day too which will be so much fun! I grew up watching 9NEWS Gold Coast, so it’s definitely a pinch-me moment to be behind the desk.

How did you get started in journalism and what inspired you to become a presenter?
From a young age, I was captivated by the news. I also had a passion for public speaking and loved the exhilaration of addressing a crowd. This is what led me to pursue a journalism degree at Bond University. Internship stints at the TODAY Show in Washington DC and Cosmopolitan Magazine UK solidified my commitment to a career in the media industry, but I really wanted to work a little closer to home.

I landed my first job at 1029 Hot Tomato and myGC.com.au, and spent over a decade there as a presenter and journalist. After becoming a Mum, it was time for a change and I am loving every minute of my new gig at 9NEWS Gold Coast.

What do you love most about your job?
Keeping Gold Coasters informed about the latest happenings in our city. It’s an absolute privilege to be the voice that connects people to vital information. I am also so lucky to work with an amazing team – everyone is passionate, dedicated and a daily source of inspiration. Plus, I am not going to lie, it’s pretty awesome having a glam squad to do my hair and makeup every day!

What advice would you give to aspiring journalists who are looking to enter the field?
My advice revolves around two power moves: intern like your career depends on it and network like there’s no tomorrow. Dive into newsrooms, soak up the hustle, and put your hand up to give it a go – that’s where the real learning happens.

As for networking – it’s not just about schmoozing; it’s about building relationships. Attend events, connect on social media, and don’t be shy about reaching out. Who you know can be just as important as what you know. So, intern hard, and network harder.

What are your Gold Coast favourites:
Favourite café: BSKT
Favourite restaurant: Hachi Japanese Restaurant
Favourite bar: At home – with wine thanks to Somm!
Favourite beach: Miami Beach

How do you choose to spend your days off?
On my days off, it’s all about soaking up the sun at the beach or pool with my favourite squad – my husband and son. Before hitting the sand, we usually kickstart the day with a stroll into Nobby Beach for a caffeine fix and acai bowl!

We always try to squeeze in a catch-up with friends and family too, usually at a surf club with a great view.

This local legend has won the hearts of the community with her vibrant energy and irresistible charm. From reporting on the waves as a surf enthusiast to gracing our screens as a TV presenter Liz Cantor needs no introduction (but we’ll give her one anyway). You can see her on Creek to Coast, Weekender, Powerball and presenting weather for 7 News Gold Coast. You can also hear her beach and surf reports on 102.9 Hot Tomato. We chatted to the delightful Liz about why she loves her job and the Gold Coast.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
After finishing school I moved to the coast in 2001 (My family are from Noosa).

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
Hands down the lifestyle. I live for the outdoors and we have the best of it in every direction we turn. But also the people. It’s never lost on me that Gold Coasters hand out smiles so freely. In recent years I’m also loving the emergence of an arts and culture scene – from musicals to festivals!

Tell us a bit about yourself.
From 16 years I was a competitive surfer for Billabong which enabled me to travel the world. Following this I made history as the first ever female surf judge to sit on the World Tour panel. Judging the likes of Layne Beachley and Lisa Anderson. This forged the way for women to participate in determining the world’s best surfers today. After a whirlwind year in 2005 which saw me win Channel 7’s reality show ‘The Mole’, I became a familiar face on Network Seven. These days I present the weather on 7News. The national Live Powerball draws, and on lifestyle shows Creek to Coast and Weekender. In 2016 I got married to Ryan and now my greatest job is as mum to two boys Kit and Fin and daughter Sky, and my dog Bear Grylls. When I’m not working I’m surfing or horse riding!

How did you get started in journalism and what inspired you to become a news presenter and reporter?
Finishing school it was a toss up between studying Marine Biology or Journalism, but I chose the later as my need to share stories and information is hard to suppress! I come from a family of storytellers. My mum was an English teacher and my relatives include camera operators, sports reporters, teachers, writers, authors and journalists. I guess you could say it’s in my DNA! I finished a degree in Journalism at Griffith University here on the coast. I did work experience at all the networks for years, before getting a foot in the door with Channel 7 through my competitive surfing on show Creek to Coast in 2005. I did a course with the Bureau of Meteorology before moving across to weather presenting.

Can you share any memorable experiences or stories that have stood out to you during your time as a news presenter and reporter?
From a news perspective presenting weather during the 2011 Brisbane floods is etched in my mind. I will never forget the pictures and how much impact the information I was sharing had during that time. On Creek to Coast swimming alongside Humpback whales was unforgettable. On Weekender my first time visiting outback Queensland was life changing. Seeing towns such as Winton and the way they live out there opened my eyes to a whole other side of Australia. I loved it!

What do you love most about your job?
Interviewing people. Especially everyday people! I get such a kick out of being able to draw out information and stories from others and then share it! EVERYONE has something to tell if you ask the right questions.

What advice would you give to aspiring journalists who are looking to enter the field?
Be ready to be married to the job for a few years! It’s a hard industry to break into, but if there is no other job option for your soul, if you’re there with passion and love for what you do, you will make it with persistence and a humble ego.

What are your Gold Coast favourites…
Café/coffee spot: I love coffee from Liquid Things, Miami
Restaurant: Date night for Ryan and I is preferably at Piatto
Bar or place for a drink: A spicy margarita at The Tropic, Burleigh because of the ocean view!
Beach: Like asking me to choose my favourite child… but cough, Rainbow Bay

How do you choose to spend your days off?
If it’s a weekday and the kids are at kindy/school, I’ll be horse riding with my best mate Tegan in the Gold Coast Hinterland. If I have the family with me then we’re surfing or at the beach and in the ocean in some form! If it’s an overcast day – my boys have me at Pizzey Park!

Bern Young is used to being the person doing the interview, but we’ve switched things up here and Inside Gold Coast is asking the questions! We’ve all heard her on our airwaves as an ABC Gold Coast radio presenter, now we delve a little deeper and find out what Bern loves about presenting, what a bout of long COVID taught her and where to get the best pastries on the Coast.

How long have you been a Gold Coast local?
12 years (this time) – I moved here with my partner and two, then very young, children in January 2011 but I also lived on the Gold Coast in the late 1990’s when I was a TV reporter for Channel 9 and 7.

What do you love the most about the Gold Coast?
To be walking distance to the beach is amazing. I still pinch myself that I get to live in Burleigh, a place I spent so many summer days as a child. I love the growing cultural sector – the HOTA precinct is one of my favourite places. I love that there’s something for anyone and everyone – if you love fishing/boating or working in movies or hiking in pristine national parks or learning higher skills or seeing world class music acts or watching top athletes in AFL, NRL, swimming, surfing, netball and so much more, you can do it here. I do think there’s phenomenal pressure on the city as it continues to grow and I often reflect on how that will inevitably change the things I love, some for the better, some admittedly for the worse.

Tell us a bit about yourself.
I love to chat! I’m the person who talks to random strangers on a bus or in a queue. I really do love hearing peoples’ stories. I know lots of people say this but I have a terrible memory for names/faces and before I go to any event I scroll through my phone where I keep notes for different parts of my life eg soccer parents, arts events, politics, etc – I do a quick revision on my way and (mostly) get away with it. I am immensely grateful to have two healthy children and a loving partner and I take care to nurture my family because they are by far the most important thing in my life. And while I am a person with drive and passion, I equally seek to attain and recognise contentment.

What’s the best thing about working on the radio?
I basically get paid to chat to people, which as I mentioned, I love! I’ve always been a curious person, even when I was a child, my Mum will tell you that if I had a school project, she’d find me on the carpet surrounded by encyclopedias researching way more than any teacher expected. I really enjoy delving into information and issues but I was never going to be the kind of journalist who became a foreign correspondent or political reporter, even though I do love a good accountability interview. I really enjoy the breadth of a radio show – from weather and traffic to music or city issues to slice of life. One of my pet subjects is local history because in many ways, radio interviews are like oral history records and some of my most important interviews have been capturing lived experience from times that would otherwise be undocumented. 

What has been the biggest career opportunity and/or challenge so far for you?
I had two paths that presented themselves at the same moment – I’ve sometimes called it my Robert Frost moment in reference to his poem, The Road Not Taken. At the end of 2019 I was asked to host Weekend Nightlife on ABC Radio. I had been lobbying for several years to have the chance to present a national program from a regional city and it would have been the first time this show had come from outside of Sydney or Melbourne.  When I turned it down I couldn’t even tell them why because unbeknownst to most, I was about to put my hand up to run for Division 13 in the 2020 local government elections. That campaign is by far the biggest challenge I’ve ever undertaken and it taught me many things. Crucially I discovered that while I’m dogged, I don’t have the mongrel quality politics seems to demand.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

What’s on the cards for the rest of 2023?
2023 is going to be so much better than 2022! After contracting COVID in early January last year, I ended up with Long COVID and it was heartbreaking to miss so much of the life I love. I had no energy to take my kids to sport or visit friends or bake cakes or sew or exercise or visit friends or even hold a conversation sometimes. I barely scraped through my job, only managing to work four hours a day, four days a week. This year I want to burst out of my Burleigh bubble. It’s too easy to stick to the things you know and love so I want to see places I either haven’t seen or don’t see often enough. Whether that’s the northern reaches of the cane fields around Cabbage Tree Point, the western outlook from Tamborine or the swimming holes and waterfalls of the hinterland. 

What are your Gold Coast favourites…
Café/coffee spot: Tarte at Burleigh Heads – everything is good but their baked goods are ridiculously delicious.
Restaurant: Rabbath’s Lebanese restaurant, also at Burleigh. There’s a pattern here isn’t there?! Patrick Rabbath is the ultimate host, matching drinks with the finest food. Highly recommended.
Bar or place for a drink: I’ve had some memorable nights at Stingray Bar at the QT. And then why not stay the night!
Beach: Oh wow, save the hardest question until last. We have so many amazing beaches – can I go Top 3? 3. Miami – It’s such an amazing expanse of sand with that open beach feel. 2. Burleigh Heads – The cove is wondrous. 1. Tallebudgera Creek – I’ve been swimming there since camping holidays when I was only 1 or 2 years old and my beautiful Mum calls it “God’s own creek”.

How do you choose to spend your days off? 
It’s funny having a weekend that’s Sunday/Monday because my second day off can easily become a day of family/life admin with appointments, etc so where possible I prioritise rest and relaxation for at least a few hours when the kids have gone to school and Fletch has gone to work. After being forced to rest for hours and days on end while suffering Long COVID, you might think I’d now run a mile (or walk!) to be active but instead I’ve come to value the importance of restorative rest. It’s impossible to explain to my “busy” friends but I wish they could learn the lesson without having to do it the hard way via illness.