Chart a course for Maggie

Island regatta provides fun finish to Queensland season of sailing.

Island regatta provides fun finish to Queensland season of sailing.

TEQ IT’S LIVE! | NATIVE CONTENT | JUNE | NORTH

Chart a course for Maggie

Island regatta provides fun finish to Queensland season of sailing.

Angela Saurine

We partnered with IT’S LIVE! in Queensland to discover the state’s best events

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aidback Maggie, as the locals call beautiful Magnetic Island, off the coast of Townsville, is where those in the know come for a fun finish to the Queensland Season of Sailing. Sealink Magnetic Island Race Week (August 29-September 4) brings together Olympians, Sydney to Hobart race winners and recreational sailors to race with family and friends on the waters of Cleveland Bay. Following on from the Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island Race Weeks, the regatta is hosted by Townsville Yacht Club.

“People say it’s the funnest regatta on the east coast,” event manager Jodie Kennedy says. “It’s really laidback. It’s a nice place for competitors to come at the end of the Season of Sailing. They love the water and the weather up here and the friendly atmosphere of Magnetic Island.”

It is the largest event held on the island, a 20-minute ferry ride from Townsville, and it all began in 2007 when a group of passionate yachties banded together and decided to start an annual regatta.

More than 60 yachts are registered for this year’s event so far, with more than half coming from interstate.

Peppers Blue on Blue Resort at the marina at Nelly Bay is the regatta’s main hub, with participants gathering on the deck daily to share the stories of the day’s sailing, celebrate the day’s winners, and party with crowd pleasing local bands including Shots Fired, Dr Jack and Cranky Pants.

The Beach Retreat at Picnic Bay Surf Lifesaving Club will also attract a crowd with Townsville band The Godfathers of Funk performing, a bar, mud crab races and a fundraising barbecue for the surf club.

One of the Race Week highlights is the Townsville Airport Father’s Day at Picnic Bay on Sunday, September 1. There will also be market stalls, the Rotary Magnetic Island Beer Can Regatta and free kids’ activities including jumping castles, face painting, a treasure hunt and tug-of-war.

This year will also feature a new charity lunch with money raised going towards Liptember, which supports women’s mental health.

If you’re more of a landlubber then another Townsville event might be your cup of tea. The McDonald’s Townsville Running Festival attracts crowds to the coastal city on August 4 each year.

Competitors can watch the sunrise over Magnetic Island and the Coral Sea as they make their way along the foreshore at this annual running extravaganza, which began as the Townsville Marathon in 1972. It is now the second-oldest marathon in the country, after Victoria’s Traralgon Marathon, expanding to become a running festival in 1999.

The fun begins with a welcome dinner under the stars the night before the run at Jezzine Barracks – a 15ha heritage precinct that includes parklands and coastal boardwalks. Participants return bright and early the next morning, with the Mike Carney Toyota Townsville Marathon kicking off there at 5.30am. The course takes runners past Breakwater Marina and the Ville Resort-Casino and along The Strand walkway to the beachside suburb of Pallarenda before returning to Jezzine Barracks.

The festival also includes the Daikin Half Marathon, XRX Business Centre 10k Classic, Townsville Airport 2.5K hero run/walk, the Townsville Bulletin Junior 5K fun run/walk, the Shadeview 5K fun run/walk and the Queensland Country Health Fund 5K corporate challenge.

Scott Piper, from event manager Piper Promotions, says the festival is one of Townsville’s most iconic events.

“It’s an opportunity for serious runners to challenge themselves as well as the average day runner to get out and have some fun with their family and friends,” he says. “The atmosphere is electric as they come down the finishing chute.”

Townsville Road Runners provides free tea and coffee to all competitors after the race, which is suitable for all ages and abilities, and massages are offered in the expo area.

Trophies are presented to the first, second and third placegetters in each race. A ‘Big Person’ trophy is also given to the first marathon competitor who weighs over 86kg to finish the race. Cash prizes are also awarded to the first, second and third male and female in the Marathon, Half Marathon, 10K Classic and the 5K Junior Fun Run/ Walk, as well as for course records in all races.

Whether sailing or running is your thing, any visit to Townsville is an opportunity to explore more of the state’s spectacular north.

Cairns is a good starting point for such a journey, and the perfect base from which to explore the Tropical North Queensland coastline, iconic Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage rainforest. In Cairns itself you’ll find a thriving bar and dining scene (craft beers are a recent specialty), the foodie’s paradise that is Rusty’s Market, and friendly, laidback locals.

For exploring the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system, there are plenty of options out of Cairns, including snorkelling, diving or viewing the reef through glass-bottomed boats. If time is short, beautiful Fitzroy Island is a short boat trip from Cairns and offers easily accessible snorkelling and pristine walking trails.

Back on land, Port Douglas is an easy hour’s drive north - make a day trip of it or stay for a long weekend. Don’t rush it though, the bitumen connecting Cairns and Port Douglas offers some of Queensland’s most sublime views.

The region is increasingly on the radar of gourmet travellers - Cairns is known for its fresh seafood, but it also has an established coffee scene, and those seeking a caffeine hit will find many trendy cafes on Grafton and Spence streets.

On the city’s northern fringes lies Palm Cove, a chic, sleepy getaway perfect for romantics looking for a relaxed, sophisticated stay. Nick Holloway’s Nu Nu restaurant is an award-winning drawcard.

Nature lovers are spoiled for choice in the tropical north, with its many waterfalls hashtagged on Instagram accounts the world over. Majestic Barron Falls can be seen from a lookout or from the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway, but there are many others that are easily reached a short distance from Cairns.

Passionate hikers and adventurers should not miss the Daintree National Park, part of the world-famous Wet Tropics World Heritage area. David Attenborough called it “the most extraordinary place on earth” and there are many guided tours available, from river cruises and 4WD tours to full three-day stays.

MORE EVENTS IN 2019

Planning ahead? Make one of these events the focus of a holiday in North Queensland this year:

Yarrabah Band Festival, Tropical North Queensland, June 15

The community of Yarrabah on Tropical North Queensland’s beautiful coastline will come alive with some of Australia’s hottest musical talent when the Queensland Music Festival returns to Bishop Malcolm Park in June. Now in its seventh year, the festival showcases visiting musicians and provides a platform for local artists to welcome visitors to the community.

Cairns Indigenous Art Fair, Tropical North Queensland, July 10-14A red letter calendar date for art lovers across the country, CIAF offers an opportunity to engage with Tropical North Queensland’s unique heritage. CIAF is a celebration of Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ distinctive art and culture, with visitors getting the opportunity to meet artists and connect with other art lovers.

Airlie Beach Race Week Festival of Sailing, The Whitsundays, August 8-15The Whitsundays' own blue water racing regatta takes place around the breathtaking islands of the Whitsunday Passage and in Pioneer Bay. After humble beginnings 31 years ago, the regatta now attracts more than 100 boats each year, with competitors, friends and families enjoying a week of on-water and on-shore activities, including the popular Long Lunch on the Lawn and Festival Fun Run.

The Gulf Country Frontier Days Festival, Tropical North Queensland, August 15-18This four-day event at Gregory Downs, about four hours’ drive north of Mount Isa in northwest Queensland, is a celebration of indigenous culture. Centered around the Frontier Days Rodeo - which doubles as the National Indigenous Rodeo Championships - it features cultural performances, country music artists, workshops, presentations and, of course, plenty of rodeo action.

Learn more about Queensland's best events here.

Originally published as Chart a course for Maggie