Plan to exploit course’s success
MOUNTAIN bikers were praising clear blue skies as they raced along the twists, turns and jumps of the tropical landscape during the annual Reef to Reef race.
More than 900 bikers participated in the second annual FNQ mountain bike stage race, which finished up in Port Douglas yesterday afternoon.
The four-day event led riders on a series of trails through the Tablelands, down through rainforest at Mt Molloy, and then to picturesque Four Mile Beach.
Crossing to the finish line in first place was off-road teammates Brendan Johnston and Jon Odams, who defended their title and cemented their place as the masters of fourday MTB stage racing.
Reef to Reef race director Nick Christopher said the combination of amazing scenery and challenging terrain was proving to be a major drawcard for the event.
“It’s not often that mountain bikers from across the country get the opportunity to ride from the Tablelands, on dry tracks, and then go through the rainforest and finish on the beach,” he said.
He said riders were blessed with exquisite weather with nary a cloud in sight.
“In recent years, we’ve been fortunate enough and this year, it’s been absolutely fantastic.”
The race will return to the Far North next August with PURE EXCITEMENT: Bendigo’s Tas Nankervis in the Reef to Reef race. many entrants already promising to try and beat their personal best records.
Mr Christopher said they would sit down and examine the layout of the stage race with local mountain bikers.
“We’re always looking for opportunities to find new trails, maybe a firebreak here to link up with a trail there,” he said.
“We’ve got a fantastic team that helps us with these courses, from the Cairns Mountain Bike Club and the Mareeba Mountain Goats.
“Between their expertise of the local trails and a few site visits and a few personal trips up to hop on the bike, I think we’ll come up with something to attract the bikes in 2020.”
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TOURING Queensland singing about death doesn’t sound like that much fun. But it’s a hoot, according to Queensland opera singer Jason BarrySmith, who is one of the funsters on Songs To Die For.
Opera Queensland is touring this show around regional Queensland and it comes to Cairns Performing Arts Centre studio on Sunday August 25 as part of Cairns Festival. So how did people like the company’s usually dour subject matter?
“They loved it,” BarrySmith said. “It gives us an opportunity to talk about death in a way that is not depressing. And at rehearsals we have a lot of laughs.”
He said the program, designed by Opera Queensland artistic director Patrick Nolan, features all the usual operatic fare from Cosi fan tutte, Don Giovanni, Rigoletto and La traviata (all of which feature dramatic death scenes) alongside reimagined hits from the likes of The Doors, Billie Holiday and Nirvana.
“There’s even some AC/ DC,” Barry-Smith said. “Without giving too much away, there is a game show element.”