I married the DJ at Skateworld

Now THIS is a love story for the ages.
And it is a former Darwin institution – the beloved Skateworld – that brought these two together!
Read Nick and Audrey Billias’ wonderful love story.

Audrey:

I started working at Skateworld when I was about 13. I used to train and coach figure skating, skate all the time, and then I started working in the snack bar too.

Nick, of course, was the DJ there.

The ‘Hop’ on Friday nights was THE place to be. Everyone loved Nick and he was pretty well known. In fact even now – nearly 20 years after Skateworld shut down – we go places and people will go “OMG there’s the DJ from Skateworld”. It’s just hilarious.

Skateworld was just huge in the 80s and 90s as everyone knows. It was such a big part of people’s childhood and teenage years here in Darwin. It is an intrinsic part of having grown up in Darwin.

We all went to Skateworld.

***Pic is from NT Library/Lost Darwin (skateworld in 1980)***

Friendships, relationships, life-long connections were formed at Skateworld.

So our relationship started as a friendship. We started dating just before I turned 17. Our relationship lasted 9 months – Nick broke my heart! I told him I was going to take a few months to travel and he didn’t want to wait for me. I was gone for about 9 months.

When I got back life really went about as normal. I started at university, partied hard (Darbys, Circles, 1990’s and The Vic) and worked at the family business (the Knife and Fork Restaurant and later the Colonnade Restaurant). I had a good life balance going on.

Meanwhile Nick bought a house, married and had a little boy, Stephen Ross. Funny story: I was at Nick’s first wedding! He and I were still friends. I got smashed and loved it.

Nick’s marriage lasted around 18 months.

We got back together straight after my 21st birthday.

At the time I remember thinking 'what am I doing ... this guy broke my heart'.

There was a bit of trepidation at first .. but he won me over again.

Although I did have to overcome another hurdle - winning over Nick's mum.

I think she found it disappointing he had fallen in love with a German girl rather than a Greek woman!

But we bonded one afternoon on Australia Day making dolmades in her kitchen. It was all smooth sailing from there.

We had our twins Natalie and Isabelle 23 years ago. Stephen Ross is a wonderful big brother to them.

Up until Skateworld shut down in 2006 we used to take the kids there all the time. It was pretty special having them back where it all started for their parents.

When they were 3, and Nick and I had been together for 8 years, I said to him 'so isn’t it time we get married?’'. He goes 'organise the party and I'll rock up'.

And boy was it a party.

This year we'll be married 20 years.

*Skateworld opened in Nightcliff in 1979 and shut down in 2006.

I married the DJ at Skateworld

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