Thirst for prime viewing spots

ager Ash Graetz said the staff have had practice dealing with an event rush thanks to the Commonwealth Games festival earlier in the year, as well as last year’s Ironman.

“The staff have kept up with the pressure well, the patrons have been buzzing and there’s been a good vibe throughout,” he said.

Cairns Regional Council closed off traffic along the Esplanade to allow athletes to pass through, with Ironman volunteers directing the flow of pedestrian traffic along the track.

The Courtyard approached council for 60 extra seats out the front of the restaurant.

After opening an hour earlier than normal on Sunday to prepare for the rush, The Courtyard went back to normal opening hours today, starting at 11am.

But Mr Graetz said they would still be dealing with the Ironman before the bulk of visiting athletes and tourists return home.

“We made friends with a few of the athletes from the Red Dog team and we’ll be having some of them over for a few drinks,” he said. IRONMAN gave sporting goods merchants the chance to show off the latest gear.

Market stalls lined the Esplanade along the lagoon, with many finishing athletes and curious spectators dropping by to check out what was in stock.

Narelle Ash (right), an exhibitor from the Cairns Lifestyle Expo was running a Skirt Sports stall showing off sport skirts and a quirky new item called a Flip Belt.

A recent addition, the Flip Belt is a zip-up tubular belt similar to a satchel that could be worn around the waist, making it appear similar to the band on a pair of sport pants.

“The beauty of this belt is unlike a bumbag, you don’t load everything into a pouch, so you can evenly distribute the weight around your body,” she said.

Other items of gear on display around the Esplanade included water bottles, tennis racquets and full one-piece Lycra bodysuits.