Cape York Peninsula Holiday Events Qld
              Barramundi 
                                                                              Open 
                                                                              Season(Gulf) 
                                                                              February 
                                                                              One 
                                                                              of 
                                                                              Australia's 
                                                                              most 
                                                                              unique 
                                                                              delicacies, 
                                                                              and 
                                                                              a 
                                                                              prize 
                                                                              catch 
                                                                              if 
                                                                              you 
                                                                              can 
                                                                              hook 
                                                                              one 
                                                                              of 
                                                                              these 
                                                                              tasty 
                                                                              beauties. 
                                                                              The 
                                                                              season 
                                                                              opens 
                                                                              at 
                                                                              noon 
                                                                              with 
                                                                              the 
                                                                              Queensland 
                                                                              Gulf 
                                                                              country 
                                                                              proving 
                                                                              to 
                                                                              be 
                                                                              the 
                                                                              perfect 
                                                                              location 
                                                                              for 
                                                                              amateur 
                                                                              and 
                                                                              professional 
                                                                              fisherman 
                                                                              the 
                                                                              world 
                                                                              over.  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
                World 
                Barramundi 
                Fishing 
                Championship(Burketown) 
                April 
                In 
                its 
                22nd 
                year 
                of 
                competition, 
                the 
                World 
                Barramundi 
                Championship 
                continues 
                to 
                be 
                a 
                competition 
                everyone 
                can 
                enjoy. 
                Over 
                20 
                different 
                categories 
                to 
                choose 
                from, 
                with 
                great 
                prizes, 
                and 
                entertainment 
                during 
                the 
                weekend 
                and 
                has 
                proved 
                to 
                be 
                a 
                highlight 
                of 
                Barramundi 
                fishing 
                season.  
                
                Anzac 
                Day 
                Races 
                Diggers 
                Cup 
                (Mareeba) 
                April 
                A 
                great 
                day 
                for 
                the 
                whole 
                family 
                to 
                come 
                and 
                enjoy 
                a 
                day 
                at 
                the 
                races, 
                whilst 
                remembering 
                the 
                great 
                spirit 
                and 
                courage 
                our 
                Anzacs 
                showed 
                in 
                all 
                the 
                wars.  
                
                Fitzroy 
                Classic 
                Yacht 
                Race 
                (Cairns) 
                May 
                An 
                exciting 
                yacht 
                race 
                run 
                from 
                Cairns 
                to 
                Fitzroy 
                Island. 
                This 
                annual 
                race 
                attracts 
                a 
                large 
                number 
                of 
                colourful 
                crafts 
                vying 
                for 
                cup 
                honours.  
                
                Gregory 
                River 
                Race 
                (Mareeba)May 
                The 
                43km 
                canoe 
                race 
                down 
                the 
                Gregory 
                River 
                attracts 
                hundreds 
                of 
                competitors 
                and 
                spectators. 
                
                Torres 
                Strait 
                Cultural 
                Festival 
                (Thursday 
                Island) 
                June 
                 Join 
                in 
                a 
                festival-style 
                celebration 
                with 
                Torres 
                Strait 
                Islanders 
                on 
                magnificent 
                Thursday 
                Island. 
                Handicrafts, 
                indigenous 
                music, 
                and 
                exhilarating 
                dance 
                are 
                all 
                part 
                of 
                this 
                insight 
                into 
                a 
                unique 
                local 
                culture.  
                
                Cooktown 
                Discovery 
                Festival 
                (Cooktown) 
                June   
                An 
                historic, 
                family 
                oriented 
                event 
                featuring 
                a 
                re-enactment 
                of 
                Captain 
                Cook's 
                landing, 
                complete 
                with 
                a 
                32 
                person 
                cast 
                decked 
                out 
                in 
                authentic 
                costumes. 
                Participate 
                in 
                the 
                soap 
                box 
                derby, 
                raft 
                races, 
                and 
                fishing 
                competition, 
                and 
                view 
                the 
                fireworks 
                and 
                the 
                grand 
                parade.  
                  
                Normanton 
                Rodeo, 
                Show 
                & 
                Gymkhana 
                (Normanton) 
                June 
                The 
                biggest 
                social 
                event 
                on 
                the 
                Normanton 
                calendar. 
                Children 
                can 
                particpate 
                in 
                gymkhana, 
                adults 
                can 
                play 
                in 
                the 
                show 
                and 
                the 
                rodeo, 
                and 
                the 
                lovely 
                ladies 
                in 
                the 
                Rodeo 
                Queen 
                competition. 
                
                Mareeba 
                Cup 
                (Mareeba) 
                June 
                Racegoers 
                travel 
                miles 
                for 
                a 
                punt 
                on 
                the 
                Mareeba 
                Cup. 
                A 
                great 
                day 
                for 
                locals 
                and 
                visitors 
                alike 
                and 
                you 
                never 
                know, 
                your 
                luck 
                in 
                a 
                small 
                friendly 
                town.  
                
               Mareeba 
                Rodeo 
                (Mareeba) 
                July 
                The 
                Mareeba 
                Rodeo 
                is 
                one 
                of 
                the 
                biggest 
                rodeo 
                events 
                in 
                Queensland, 
                and 
                competitors 
                will 
                come 
                from 
                all 
                around 
                Australia 
                to 
                pit 
                their 
                skills 
                against 
                a 
                variety 
                of 
                wild 
                beasts. 
                Thousands 
                of 
                spectators 
                will 
                gather 
                to 
                see 
                the 
                ensuing 
                spectacle.  
                
                Atherton 
                Tablelands 
                Jazz 
                Festival 
                (Atherton) 
                July 
                Jazz 
                music 
                aficianados 
                and 
                part 
                time 
                enthusiasts 
                gather 
                in 
                the 
                pituresque 
                and 
                peaceful 
                surrounds 
                of 
                Atherton 
                to 
                enjoy 
                a 
                foot 
                stomping 
                jazz 
                experience, 
                from 
                North 
                Queensland's 
                finest. 
                
                International 
                Marbles 
                Competition 
                (Port 
                Douglas) 
                August 
                Got 
                all 
                your 
                marbles?... 
                Then 
                pack 
                up 
                your 
                bag 
                and 
                head 
                for 
                this 
                unique 
                World 
                Championship 
                and 
                test 
                your 
                thumbing 
                skills 
                against 
                the 
                best.  
                
                Herberton 
                Tin 
                Festival 
                (Herberton) 
                September 
                This 
                event 
                has 
                been 
                held 
                to 
                raise 
                money 
                for 
                northern 
                communities 
                since 
                1965. 
                A 
                great 
                day 
                for 
                the 
                wjhole 
                family 
                and 
                features 
                a 
                street 
                procession, 
                sports 
                day, 
                dance 
                and 
                ball. 
                
                Cairns 
                Amateur 
                Turf 
                Club 
                Races 
                (Cairns) 
                September 
                The 
                North's 
                version 
                of 
                a 
                Melbourne 
                Cup. 
                Gala 
                Ball, 
                a 
                full 
                racing 
                program 
                featuring 
                top 
                Australian 
                horses, 
                fasion 
                parades 
                with 
                beautiful 
                local 
                and 
                international 
                ladies 
                and 
                the 
                chance 
                to 
                win 
                and 
                grin 
                all 
                on 
                the 
                same 
                day.  
                
                Clipper 
                Cup 
                Yacht 
                Series 
                (Cairns 
                & 
                Port 
                Douglas) 
                September 
                This 
                annual 
                international 
                yachting 
                series 
                is 
                held 
                for 
                a 
                week 
                and 
                comprises 
                around 
                60 
                yachts 
                in 
                match 
                racing 
                series 
                off 
                Port 
                Douglas 
                and 
                Cairns. 
                The 
                races 
                are 
                held 
                from 
                a 
                variety 
                of 
                yacht 
                clubs 
                in 
                the 
                region.  
                
               Great 
                Barrier 
                Reef 
                Dive 
                Festival 
                (Cairns) 
                October 
                This 
                unique 
                festival 
                of 
                the 
                dive 
                once 
                again 
                comes 
                alive 
                to 
                show 
                visitors 
                around 
                the 
                world 
                the 
                beauty, 
                magnificence 
                and 
                harmony 
                that 
                exists 
                in 
                this 
                protected 
                wonder 
                of 
                the 
                world 
                .  
                
                Atherton 
                Tableland 
                Folk 
                Festival 
                (Atherton) 
                November 
                Folk 
                music 
                buffs 
                will 
                be 
                in 
                heaven 
                in 
                this 
                two 
                day 
                music 
                festival 
                extravaganza. 
                Come 
                and 
                soak 
                in 
                the 
                tranquil 
                surrounds 
                of 
                the 
                Tablelands 
                area 
                while 
                enjoying 
                the 
                delights 
                of 
                belly 
                dancing, 
                circus 
                acts, 
                Middle 
                Eastern 
                singing, 
                blues, 
                jazz 
                and 
                acapella.  
                
               Fisherman's 
                Ball 
                (Karumba) 
                December 
                31 
                  If 
                  your 
                  in 
                  the 
                  area, 
                  this 
                  is 
                  one 
                  ho 
                  down 
                  you 
                  won't 
                  want 
                  to 
                  miss. 
                  For 
                  one 
                  night, 
                  trade 
                  your 
                  rod 
                  for 
                  dancing 
                  shoes 
                  and 
                  get 
                  down 
                  with 
                  the 
                  locals. 
                  A 
                  fantastic 
                  way 
                  to 
                  end 
                  the 
                  old 
                  and 
                  bring 
                  in 
                  the 
                  new 
                  if 
                  your 
                  a 
                  long 
                  way 
                  from 
                  home.  
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