Families flock north for a taste of sunshine

Thousands of families have migrated north for winter school holidays, flocking across the newly reopened Queensland border at the weekend.

The first commercial flight leaves the Brisbane airports’ new runway, a project which took 16 years of planning and eight years of construction. Picture: Peter Wallis

Thousands of families have migrated north for winter school holidays, flocking across the newly reopened Queensland border at the weekend as Brisbane Airport’s long-awaited second runway began taking its first flights.

The mass migration, mainly from NSW, came after the state’s border reopened on Friday to interstate travellers from every state and territory except Victoria, where one-fifth of the nation’s population spent a first weekend under lockdown restrictions following a second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks.

The hordes of sun-thirsty holidaymakers have come as a welcome relief for scores of tourism operators struggling through months of lockdown, with a surge in hospitality business already recorded in Cairns and on the Gold Coast

While it was still too early to know precisely how many people headed north of the state divide, Queensland police data showed at least 314,000 border passes had been downloaded before Friday’s reopening.

The busy weekend of travel coincided with the opening of Brisbane Airport’s long-anticipated second runaway, which is expected to become a key part of the state’s economic recovery post-coronavirus.

Sixteen years of planning and eight years of construction resulted in the 3.3 km stretch of runway, which can more than double the airport’s operating capacity during peak times from 50 flights an hour to 110.

Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind said the interstate visitors would provide a much-need boost to the state’s ailing tourism industry. “These have all been signs of hope for our struggling sector,” he said.

While thousands were drawn to Queensland’s beaches, others opted for a frostier holiday option. Despite restrictions limiting patrons on the slopes and social distancing, Caroline Brauer, Thredbo marketing manager, said visitors were revelling in the new-found space.

“Our revised model has meant we have been able to avoid the usual school holiday crowds and manage the number of guests on the mountain each day,” Ms Brauer said.

Read more on Brisbane’s new runway and how it will double capacity in The Australian’s special report.