Local paragliders campaign to open Castle Hill as a launch site

Castle Hill could be the launching ground for a whole tourism drawcard, with a pitch to see paragliders descend off the rocky icon and land in Queens Gardens. See what council had to say >>

Far North Queensland Paragliding Club is looking for council approval to use Castle Hill as a launch zone. Shaun Luke and Andrew Mills

CASTLE Hill could be the launching ground for a whole tourism drawcard, with a pitch to see paragliders descend off the rocky icon and land in Queens Gardens.

Pallarenda paraglider Shaun Luke said Castle Hill was the perfect spot for the extreme sport, hoping council will relax regulations to make it a possibility.

“Castle Hill has everything we need there; it has a nice face at the front that we can easily paraglide off and land in Queens Gardens,” the Far North Queensland Paragliding Club member said.

“It is a dream flying site, there is always a constant breeze flying up the top of the mountain.

“The compression of the wind blowing up the rock face would make it hours of fun. With the air off the ocean combined with sea breezes, it would be a hill to master and definitely for skilled pilots.”

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Currently Townsville paragliders rely on landowners to allow them to drive through their properties to reach suitable mountains and cliffs in the Hinchinbrook and Burdekin regions, including Mount Inkerman, Toomulla, Coolbie and Wunjunga beaches.

When the group arrives at the launch site they have to climb the mountain weighed down with about 12kg of paragliding gear.

Mr Luke said Castle Hill provided convenient access which made it easier for paragliders to enjoy the air sport.

“It would save us driving a couple of hours north and south to find mountains to launch off,” he said.

“There is a site up north an hour away that we normally have to walk up that takes 45 minutes if you don’t have a four-wheel drive which is about the same height as Castle Hill.”

Mr Luke has 40 hours of flight time clocked and has achieved his PG4 pilot certificate.

The experience paraglider said allowing the sport in Townsville would add a new dimension to the city.

“Opening Castle Hill to paragliding would be beneficial to tourism and attracting new paragliding pilots to the region,” he said.

“We could offer tandem flights and that would definitely boost tourism and we have checked out potential launch sites at Cape Pallarenda too.”

In its Castle Hill Concept Plan the Townsville City Council highlighted the benefits of allowing adventure based activities from the hill to boost visitor numbers.

Although the plan does not highlight paragliding as an option, the council did not rule out the idea.

A council spokesman said it reviewed any requests for activities on Castle Hill against a range of criteria.

These include ensuring activities are done safely and meet all applicable regulatory requirements.

Originally published as Local paragliders campaign to open Castle Hill as a launch site