Thousands flock to Cairns for Masters in the Tropics
Thousands of athletes will descend on Cairns this month to run, swim and ride at masters sporting events in the Far North.
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Thousands of athletes will descend on Cairns this month to run, swim and ride at masters sporting events in the Far North.
Athletes across a wide variety of sporting fields, including hockey, netball, mountain biking and pickleball, will compete in competitions around Cairns.
Among the key events will be the Masters Trans-Tasman Challenge on May 13 to 17, which will bring 34 hockey teams from across Australia and New Zealand for the first time in the event’s history.
Hockey Australia chief events officer Simon Butterfly said he was thrilled to bring the event to Cairns.
“The fierce rivalry between Australia and New Zealand will come alive across five days in the stunning setting of tropical North Queensland, igniting an event well known for its celebration of community, camaraderie and the enduring spirit of sport,” Mr Butterfly said.
The UCI Masters Mountain Bike World Championships will return for the second year on May 14 to 18, bringing hundreds of riders from around the world, and the biennial Great Barrier Reef Masters Games are back on May 29 to June 1 with 24 sports and an anticipated 2500 athletes.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland chief executive officer Mark Olsen said it would be exciting to welcome the athletes and their supporters to Cairns in May to master the tropics in their preferred sporting discipline.
“Tropical North Queensland is recognised as a prime location for sporting events, especially for masters athletes who look forward to catching up with old friends for some rest and relaxation after the event,” Mr Olsen said.
“These three events alone are predicted to bring 41,500 visitor nights to tropical North Queensland.”
He said there had been a growth in entries from the United States, Japan, Brazil and New Zealand.
“Sporting events help to grow visitation in the shoulder season by giving first-time travellers a reason to come to tropical North Queensland outside the peak winter season, helping tourism to support one in five jobs year-round,” he said.
Cairns Mayor Amy Eden said May would be an exciting time for Cairns as the city proudly hosted not one, but three major masters sporting events.
“These events reinforce Cairns’ reputation as a world-class sports tourism destination and help to sustain local jobs by attracting visitors outside the peak season,” Ms Eden said.
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Originally published as Thousands flock to Cairns for Masters in the Tropics
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