Getting ready for a feast of festive fun
WITH only hours until the man in the big red suit comes to town it’s go, go, go for festive preparations in Far North Queensland.
From purchasing the final Christmas presents, to a visit to the seafood shop to pick up the freshest of produce, the finishing touches will come together today.
Toni Babich, of Great Barrier Reef Tuna, expected to sell about two tonne of cooked prawns in the lead-up to Christmas as well as an array of other seafood.
She said the average sale was about $65-$70 per person.
“If (today) is anything like that last few days, it’s going to be fantastic,” she said.
“On Friday, we cooked about 160kg of prawns and I have on order for (today) for people that have placed orders, and I’m still getting orders, 190kg of Endeavour prawns.
“Prawns, crayfish, mud crabs, oysters are the main orders, but people are splashing out a little bit with squid rings and things like that.
“A lot of people are also coming in a buying 5kg boxes of green prawns this year.”
The hospitality industry is also run off its feet, with restaurants busy decorating tables and whipping up a festive feast.
Spirit of Cairns is taking Christmas Day to the water this year, offering a lunch cruise on their catamaran.
“We’re fully booked, we’ve got 85 people,” Sandy Ambard said. “It’s a great way to spend Christmas Day lunch.”
Weather forecasters are expecting a wet day with 30mm to 80mm predicted for Cairns across Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
“There is a chance of heavy falls … and possibly thunderstorms,” BOM meteorologist James Thompson said. “We’ll see slightly cooler temperatures with about 30 degrees … forecast for Christmas Day.”
And it’s not a great day to go out on the water as Mr Thompson said strong winds were predicted for Cairns coastal waters.
Lakes Church – Christmas Day service at 9.30am. Cairns Presbyterian Church – Christmas Day at 9am Good Shepherd Anglican Church, Edge Hill – Christmas Eve 5.30pm & 11pm. Christmas Day 9am.
St Monica’s Cathedral – Christmas Eve Children’s Mass 7pm, carols 6.30pm. 10.45pm Night of Miracles followed by Midnight Mass. Christmas Day 6.30am & 10am. Our Lady Help of Christians – Christmas Eve 6pm & 8pm. Christmas Day 8am.
St Therese’s, Edmonton – Christmas Eve 5.30pm & 7pm. Christmas Day 8am. Sacred Heart, Freshwater – Christmas Day 7am. St Michael’s, Gordonvale – Christmas Eve 7pm. Christmas Day 8am. Mercy Place, Westcourt – Christmas Day 10am. Mother of Good Counsel – Christmas Eve 5.30pm. Holy Cross, Northern Beaches – Christmas Eve vigil mass 6pm. Christmas Day 8.30am. St Joseph, Parramatta Park – Christmas Eve – 5.30pm. Indian Christmas vigil mass 7.30pm. Christmas Day mass 8.30am. All Saints Chapel, Redlynch – Christmas Eve mass 10pm. St Augustine, Stratford – Christmas Day mass 10.30am. St Francis Xavier, West Cairns – Christmas Eve 6pm. Christmas Day 8am. Calvary Cairns – Christmas Eve 6pm