When Lara Fugazza swapped the red desert of Alice Springs for the Sunshine Coast, she never imagined she’d end up in a different kind of red and yellow. Now she and her daughter Zoe patrol the beach together at Kawana Waters SLSC — and neither of them would have it any other way.
Eight years ago, the Fugazza family made a significant change. They left Alice Springs behind and settled in Buddina, trading the outback for the ocean. It wasn’t long before they found their way to Kawana Waters Surf Life Saving Club — and from the moment they arrived, something clicked.
For young Zoe, the journey started in Nippers. She worked her way through from the green cap days, building her skills and confidence alongside the friends she made on the sand. For Lara, it took a little longer to find her place in the club — but a few years ago, she took the plunge and started her own lifesaving journey.
“I’ve really enjoyed learning new skills, meeting amazing people, and challenging myself,” she says. It’s a quiet kind of pride in her words, the kind that comes from stepping into something new and discovering you’re capable of more than you expected.
What drew them both in, beyond the obvious pull of the ocean, was the people. Kawana SLSC has a reputation for exactly the kind of environment that makes a club genuinely great — not just the training and the rosters and the carnivals, but the culture that sits underneath all of it.
“From the moment we joined, everyone in the red and yellow made us feel welcome,” Lara says. “It quickly became a place where we felt at home. There’s always someone willing to help, encourage you, or have a laugh with you.”
That sense of belonging matters, particularly when you’re new to a community and still finding your feet. The club gave the Fugazzas a ready-made network of people who looked out for each other — on the beach and off it.
Patrol days have their own rhythm. The early starts, the briefings, the scan of the water, the steady hum of a team working in sync. For Lara and Zoe, those hours on the beach have become some of their most treasured shared experiences.
“One of my favourite patrol memories is simply the fun and friendships that come from spending hours on the beach together,” Lara reflects. “Everyone looks out for each other, and no matter how busy or challenging the day gets, you know you’re all there for the same reason — keeping people safe.”
That clarity of purpose is part of what makes patrol so grounding. When the stakes are real, there’s no room for pretence. You show up, you do your job, and you trust the person beside you to do theirs. For a mother and daughter standing together in the red and yellow, that trust runs especially deep.
“Being involved as a family creates a strong sense of connection and support,” Lara says. “Everyone encourages each other and celebrates achievements together.” It’s not something you can manufacture. It grows out of shared experience, shared effort, and the particular kind of pride that comes from doing something meaningful together.
Outside of patrols, Lara has thrown herself into the wider life of the club — helping at carnivals, turning up to training, supporting events wherever she can.
“Lifesaving has such a strong community feel, so it’s nice to contribute in different ways and learn new skills along the way,” she says. It’s a mindset that reflects exactly what makes volunteer-based organisations like Kawana tick: people who show up not just when they’re rostered on, but because they genuinely want to be there.
If Lara has a message for other families considering taking the same step, it’s a simple one.
“Lifesaving is such a rewarding experience to do together,” she says. “It’s not only about learning important skills and helping keep the community safe, but also about creating memories, building confidence, and spending quality time together.”
There’s something in that worth sitting with. In a world that tends to pull families in different directions, surf lifesaving offers something relatively rare — a shared commitment to something bigger than yourselves, experienced side by side.
“Surf Life Saving is a great environment for people of all ages, and there’s always a role for everyone,” Lara adds, “whether it’s competing, patrolling, volunteering, or simply being involved around the club.”
For the Fugazzas, it started with a move from the desert and a daughter in a green cap. It’s grown into something that now defines a significant part of who they are as a family.
“Wearing the red and yellow represents teamwork, commitment, and pride,” Lara says. “We’re really proud to wear it alongside such supportive people.”
From Alice Springs to Buddina. From green cap to patrol. Some journeys take longer to arrive at than others — but they’re worth every step.