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Australian police - Source: Reuters
The annual invasion is about to begin as tens of thousands of Year 12 leavers flood to Schoolies on the Gold Coast for their rite of passage.
Australian police are expecting up to 35,000 Schoolies this year with a big Friday night ahead.
The officer in charge of Queensland's biggest party says Saturday night will be their most challenging with around 25,000 teenagers likely to pack into the Schoolies Hub on the beach.
Inspector Jeff James, the principal planner and night-time police commander for Schoolies week, said extra police resources had been brought in from across southeast Queensland for 10 days.
While he wouldn't reveal exact numbers, Insp James said there'd be a similar number of police on the streets as there was on New Year's Eve.
"We have significant numbers of police deployed to the Surfers Paradise CBD in particular and we also have support resources that we're quite capable of redeploying elsewhere if they're needed."
An army of volunteers also swing into gear on Friday.
"The Department of Communities are the lead agency and they put an enormous effort into ensuring there's infrastructure in place to support the activities on the beachfront.
"That includes the ambulance treatment centre and the wristband distribution system that's been in place for the last few years."
For the third year a double security fence has been erected around a "Schoolies only" zone.
James said the resources which have been put into the event in the last few years, and the security beach fence in particular, have significantly reduced the problem of older teenagers, or `Toolies' trying to crash the celebrations.
"The Toolies aren't welcome, this is an entertainment zone for Year 12 leavers, not for kids who are still in Year 11 and certainly not for those who finished school last year, or the year before that", he said.
"The older ones can go to the nightclubs and the younger ones aren't welcome and should stay home.
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