Celebrate Australia Day in 2017
Posted on January 25th, 2017
Yeppoon Main Beach
All ages are invited to join in the bare-bottom boats and beach games fun at the Great Australia Beach Party held on Yeppoon’s Main Beach since its inception in 1994. Nominate your team of four people on the day to race in the free competition with great prizes on offer. There will also be other beach games and the popular Great Australia Day Egg Tossing Championship. All competitions are fee to enter with great prizes from Crave Surf Industries, Keppel Bay Sailing Club Restaurant, Beaches Bistro Parella, and Rosco’s Pizza to be won.
Cash and prizes for the Mirror Sand Sculpture Competition on Main Beach Yeppoon have doubled to a total of $1500 this year. With sculpture themes up to the participants’ imagination, they can range from Australia Day themes to marine animals, environmental, abstract art, and traditional sandcastles. The only limitation is sculptures must be made with hand tools only and predominantly using materials found on the beach. The competition gets underway at 1PM and there will be three categories – Midgets (up to 7 years), Juniors (8 to 14 years) and Open (all ages). Entry to the competition is free. Contestants have up to three hours to complete their masterpieces and are allocated an area of beach of approximately 6x6m in the Open section, and 4x4m in the Midget and Junior sections.
With excellent weather forecast for this year’s Great Australia Day Beach Party organisers are reminding everyone to be sun-smart on the day and to ‘slip, slop, slap’.
Event program available online here
The Heritage Village
Celebrate Australia Day on Thursday 26 January, 2017 with a step back in time to the region’s pioneering days at the Rockhampton Heritage Village. Gates open at 8am and for the first 500 through the gates, there’s a free sausage sizzle.
One of the drawcards for the day is the Heritage Village Australia Day True Blue Bushman’s Beard Competition. If your chin is a distant memory and you could pass for Ned Kelly in a dimly lit bush pub then the Heritage Village wants you! Register on the day to be in the running for a great prize. There will also be categories for best adult fake beard and best child’s fake beard.
There is also a Bush Poet’s Breakfast from 7.30am. Enjoy a traditional Aussie breakfast while being entertained by Bush Poet, Bob Pacey. (Adults $15, concessions $10. Tickets on sale from Pilbeam Theatre Box Office or seeitlive.com.au ).
There will also be the crowd pleasing rides on vintage vehicles including vintage cars, stage coach and Bren gun carrier, as well as market stalls and live entertainment. There will be plenty of refreshments with cold drinks and ice blocks expected to be the order of the day.
The Rockhampton Heritage Village Australia Day Markets will be held on the Australia Day public holiday, Thursday 26 January 2017 from 8am to 1.30pm. General entry is $2, with under 14 year olds free. Rides on vintage vehicles are an additional cost. You must wear enclosed shoes while on the rides.
Tickets to the Bush Poets Breakfast are $15 for Adults and $10 for concessions. Bookings essential from Pilbeam Theatre Box Office, phone 4927 4111 or www.seeitlive.com.au.
