In 2022, 20-year-old Kai Kelly from the Gold Coast started the Sunset Crew. This community of youth is dedicated to building positive relationships between emerging adults. Kelly, who now lives on the traditional lands of the Yugambeh language group, saw a glaring hole in social opportunities for young adults. She found that the greatest challenges lay among those with diverse ages within friendships. She uses social media to plan common meetups and draw the community out. This provides an opportunity for participants to come together, share thoughts and experiences, and build connections, all set against the stunning backdrop of Burleigh Heads.
Kelly’s personal journey resonates with many. After skipping year 12, she started university at only 16 years old. This choice created barriers when it came to making friends with older classmates. This epiphany led her to pursue building an inclusive community—one that brings people together based on mutual experience and passion. The Sunset Crew has since become a haven for those seeking companionship in a world increasingly dominated by digital interactions.
Building Community Connections
Conceptualized and realized by the Sunset Crew, these weekly gatherings every Wednesday afternoon at sunset attract a diverse array of participants, all ready to share transformative stories and experiences. These events create a space where peers can socialize and often include interactive activities specifically meant to foster more meaningful dialogue. Tiana Storm, 27, a member of the group, underscores the significance of promoting intentional conversation. She now regularly assembles “meaningful question cards” for the meetups.
“Sometimes they’ll be really deep and sometimes they’re a little bit more playful, but either way, they’re questions that really allow us to understand a lot more about a person than ‘How was work?’ or ‘What are you doing later today?’” – Tiana Storm
The quiz ranges from silly to serious, requiring quizzers to think about what they hope for and dread most in life. Storm’s approach not only challenges and deepens conversations, but it deepens relationships between members.
“With social media and technology, the art of communication and conversation is definitely being challenged,” Storm continues. “We really wanted to create a safe space where people could get comfy with asking themselves questions that perhaps they’ve never asked themselves before or asked another person.”
Our participants really connected with the focus on developing a positive culture. This emphasis deepens the group’s goal to be a community convener.
Personal Stories of Connection
The Sunset Crew doesn’t just create cool social outings. It encourages intense, serious, and transformative friendship with one another among its participants. Through her own experience at these events, Kelly emphasizes how they have aided her in creating long-term relationships.
“I am in a relationship that stems from one of my events and I live with my best friends who I met at a community gym,” Kelly shares. “I love community and I love helping people find their crew.”
This feeling is shared by Club compadre Janine Hunt, who first encountered Tiana at university in 2019. Their camaraderie flourished during their time in study and has since flourished further under the umbrella of Sunset Crew.
“Janine and I are ‘people people’; we really value community and connection,” Storm adds, underscoring the communal spirit that defines the group.
The inclusion of so many diverse contributors helps create an expressive, open environment where all voices are welcome. Psychologist and Larrakia woman Carmen Cubillo, who coordinates the cross-cultural training provided to professionals by these community networks, looks back on the early days.
“There’s a sense of being part of the community, you don’t feel alone,” Cubillo states, highlighting the emotional support provided by shared experiences.
The Essence of In-Person Interaction
Members of the Sunset Crew are forging powerful connections. They realize that in-person connection is critical in our digital-first, if not digital-only universe. Kelly expresses this need beautifully, in terms of how that is developed by the physical presence that builds lives and develops communities.
“Being able to give someone a hug, a high five, see their smile, sit next to them, talk with them, go on an adventure together … it just doesn’t compare to anything virtual,” she explains.
To Kelly, the meetings are personally meaningful, in large part because of her appreciation for sunsets.
“I’ve always loved the sunset and any country I’ve ever been to, one of the things I love doing is watching the sunset because it brings people together naturally,” she says.
This passion underlines the essence of her initiative: creating a space where connections flourish under the warm glow of a setting sun.
