Reptile enjoys tee time as golfers play through
A CROCODILE lurking near the water at Half Moon Bay Golf Club gave Masters Games competitors a tropical hazard to contend with on course at the weekend. The reptile, just metres from where golfers tee off, added to the thrill for visitors like Kevin Reynolds (right) from Nambour. “It’s all part of the excitement,” he said.
THE Great Barrier Reef Masters Games wrapped up a weekend of sporting achievement yesterday, but the Far North is set be the big winner.
More than 2100 athletes and supporters converged on Cairns for the event, and those Australian and international competitors used the trip to explore our region.
Cairns North tennis participant Nicky Mayer said it was good to mix with people who had travelled from down south to compete.
“We were at the International Tennis Centre on Saturday, they made sure to keep it inclusive with the visitors from out of town,” she said.
“We all got to meet new people and help them have a good experience.”
Ms Mayer said they were lucky the good weather allowed athletes to experience the best of the region during their visit.
“A lot of people I know that come from interstate have gone out to the Reef, been to Port Douglas, Kuranda, done the tourist things,” she said.
“That’s what part of the games are about, getting people to come for the sport and experience the region.
“Getting to meet new players from other clubs … is always good for the region.
“Anything for the region that helps promote our sporting facilities is good, it’s good for everyone in the region to come together and have that interaction between the clubs, which this type of event does.”
Ms Mayer worked as an organiser for the past two Masters’ Games tennis events, but this year attended purely as a participant.
“This is my first time playing in them, which was pretty good,” she said. “I won my first medal, and it was a gold, undefeated in the mixed doubles.”
There was a chance to meet a different kind of local at Half Moon Bay golf course, where a croc has evaded capture.
Course manager Greg Ferry said the Department of Environment had been trying to trap the croc since it moved in a couple of months ago.
“So far, he hasn’t taken the bait yet,” he said.
Mr Ferry said the croc has become a talking point for visitors around the course.
Nambour golfer Kevin Reynolds said he had been looking forward to catching a glimpse of the croc.
“We’d already heard that there could have been a croc around before we got here, so we were looking forward to seeing it,” he said.
“When we saw it over there on the island, I don’t know if I’d call it a thrill, but it was good knowing where it was.”
Councillor Brett Olds, who also managed to snag a gold medal in the mixed doubles tennis, said it felt like the start of Cairns bouncing back from a difficult tourism season.
“With around 1300 people from out of town, Cairns put on a good show, and apart from a bit of light rain (Sunday), the weather’s been beautiful,” he said.
“With Ironman coming up in a couple of weeks, everything’s looking up.”