ChannelWhitsunday.com Recyclable Regatta reminds and entertains.
Sat 22 Oct 2011
Reef protection is a subject close to the hearts of all Whitsunday residents. The ChannelWhitsunday.com Recyclable Regatta is aimed at celebrating and reminding everyone of the importance of this fact.
Featuring 8 rafts for the 2011, the Recyclable Regatta is in its second year and appears to be inspiring increased interest. Part of the spectacle this year was definitely holding the event at the Airlie Beach Lagoon courtesy of the Whitsunday Regional Council and with the assistance of the lagoon Lifesavers.
"Its about protecting the marine environment", stated event organiser John Nayler. "There is no doubt that the islands, reef and beaches of the Whitsundays are our most precious asset for locals, and perhaps for Queensland." This is naturally true as the Great Barrier Reef extends over 3500 kilometres along the majority of the Queensland coast and is a key reason for visitors to come from interstate and overseas.
Comparitivily we have excellent protection, but increased population and tourist visitation combined with increased use of plastics and poor practises create pressure on our pristine environment. Volunteers like "Eco Barge Services" with Libby Edge and the GBRMPA and Queensland Parks and Wildlife all have a role to play along with EVERY INDIVIDUAL to protect and preserve our natural asset.
The Recyclable Regatta was a great event with 2 laps of a triangle course in each of the Childrens and Adults events.
Winners of the Childrens event was the "The drum-kit" and adults were the Couchsurfing french guys on "Kick the kangaroo".
All rafts presented ingenious design, with popular crowd vote awarding the best raft design to "The Roman Galleon".
