A uniquely freaky production inspired by a Hollywood blockbuster is bringing its imagination defying, tantalising, and mystifying performances to Whitsunday audiences next week.

The World’s Greatest Freakshow is set to highlight the peerless talents of some of the most powerful, enchanting, and miraculous ‘freaks’ from across the country when it rolls into the Reef Gateway Hotel on August 25.

An all-new, Aussie-made production, The World’s Greatest Freakshow is a rotating roster of one-of-a-kind acts in a unique showcase of exquisite mastery ranging from the likes of contortionists to the pain-proof, from the satirical to the incandescent.

World’s Greatest Freakshow producer Darren Sutton – who himself has a long and storied career in entertainment - brought together his acts with one goal in mind: to amaze.

“I was watching the World’s Greatest Showman. It’s my favourite movie; an absolute blockbuster. In that, Hugh Jackman started a normal show – and it failed,” Sutton said.

“So, he said, ‘let’s get the freakiest people and make this the freakiest show on earth. So, I thought, why can’t we do that? We searched the whole of Australia to get the very best.”

And they did just that, collating a menagerie of ostentatious and freakish performers for their first travelling show up the east coast.

But there’s none in the show’s five-piece set of freaks like the mind-blowing Samora Squid, who leaves audiences questioning the bounds of human dexterity as a “natural contortionist.”

“My bones have the consistency of a jellyfish,” Samora said.

“I love what I do. But I think what I love most is our team: it’s like the X-Men, and our powers combined sort of thing. One minute you’ll see someone lay on a bed of nails, then while they’re still reeling from that, they’ll see someone lift a bowling ball with just their tongue.

“People have just had their mind blown and that just keeps happening; it’s a cavalcade of extraordinary people doing extraordinary things.”

Samora said he was excited to be bringing the show to Airlie Beach.

“For people in the city they’re a lot more likely to see something like this. You go to Vegas, that’s what it’s known for. It’s not what Bundaberg and Rockhampton are known for – or Airlie Beach,” he said.

“What I want from the audience is the response to the intrinsic part of being human: spectacle. People connect through shared spectacle; they are absolutely essential to the human condition.

“I can’t wait to bring that visceral, involuntary reaction to Airlie Beach.”

What: World’s Greatest Freakshow

When: Thursday, August 25 at 7pm

Where: Reef Gateway Hotel

Tickets: $69.90 at OzTix

Samora Squid is just one of five freaks coming to Airlie Beach as part of The World’s Greatest Freakshow next week

World’s strangest strongman The Great Gordo Gamsby is another set to amaze during the show at the Reef Gateway

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We seem to be in an era of quaint, British everyman films. Films where men like Maurice Flitcroft stand up to a stuffy establishment and – politely, mind – say “I’ll have a crack.” Often delightful films where we’re whisked away to a simpler time (persistently set in post-World War Two) where hope and change are inseparable.

Director Craig Robert’s ‘Phantom of the Open’ is just one such a tale. A biopic based on an incredulously true story that warms the heart. And, unlike its referential namesake, is no musical, but instead an optimistic vignette of one man’s dream-chasing.

Maurice Flitcroft, that dreamer, was (at least in the real world) a chain-smoking, shipyard crane-operator from Barrow-in-Furness, a small port town close to England’s Lake District.

In Robert’s true-to-life rendition of Flitcroft (played in earnest, lovable and daffy fashion by Mark Rylance), we follow a man of aspiring dreams who has put those dreams on hold for his family. In an occupational ennui, Flitcroft decides upon a late-in-life charge to finally meet his lofty ambitions. He endeavours to participate in the British Open Golf Championship – much to the ire of the golfing upper crust.

The crux of the matter is that he’s never played a round of golf before. But this is an extraordinary story of an ordinary man.

With the support by his family and friends, he manages to gain entry to the 1976 British Open qualifying, and with pluckiness and unwavering self-belief, Flitcroft pulls off a series of stunning, hilarious and touching attempts to compete at the highest level of professional golf – becoming likely “the world’s worst sportsman” and a cult hero along the way.

Uplifting and moving, The Phantom of the Open manages the balance between comedy and drama deftly, all the while illuminating a man who pursued his dreams and shot for the stars, no matter what hand he was dealt.

You can watch the hole-in-one film Phantom of the Open (M) at Bowen Summergarden Cinema from August 20.

Marky Rylance is a delight in the whimsical comedy, Phantom of the Open

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Airlie Race Week Wraps Up

www.mackayandwhitsundaylife.com/social-pics/the-great-barrier-reef-festival

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Look into these Angeleyes, because you ain’t seen nothin’ yet; The Pub is set to turn into a Summer Night City of synth, high energy, and soprano when SOS – A Tribute to the Songs of ABBA rolls into the coastal town.

Voulez-Vous, come dance with me, Fernando? I can hear the distant drums and bugle sounds closing in on the Airlie Beach Hotel. Bjorn, Benny, Agnetha, and Freda are back and As Good As New in this perfect recreation of the Swedish supergroup.

SOS are armed to the teeth with fantastic costumes, incredible vocal talents, animated ABBA dance moves, and even crazy Swedish accents.

For years these band members have been leading a double life; by day, they’re mild-mannered Australian musicians, but by night, they’re crazy ABBA fans with a healthy love of all things Swedish and an obsession with 70’s disco music.

They banded together to obsessively re-create the sound, music and look of the Swedish pop sensation they loved so dearly. Now, they walk out on stage, leaving behind their everyday lives and transform into rock stars as The Australian ABBA Tribute Show.

Sam Bennet, who fills the shoes and takes up the pick as SOS’s Bjorn, said that audiences in the Whitsundays should “Bring their Chiquititas”.

“This will be the furthest north we’ve ever been and, being from Melbourne with the cold and rain, I cannot overstate how excited we are for some sunshine,” Sam said.

“I’ve been with SOS for the past eight years, and what I love about ABBA is that it’s multi-generational and it reaches everyone.

“You can tell how much it means to people – there’s always a song in the set where there’s a twinkle in their eye that they’re remembering a moment in their life. Whether that be heartbreak, love, it’s a real honour to perform that music.”

Sam said the group doesn’t just perform to emulate the records, they match the energy that audiences saw when ABBA played at Wembley or the Sydney Mine Music Bowl.

“We match that energy and the arrangements we use are often based on those live performances rather than the records,” Sam said.

“The one thing we try and do is give the audience an experience of what ABBA was in the 70s and 80s.”

Patrons at The Airlie Beach Hotel are in for two free shows (that’s right! For absolutely no Money, Money, Money): one on Saturday August 27, and (Mama Mia, here we go again) another on Sunday, August 28, when SOS take the Bar Top stage one last time!

Put On Your White Sombrero for their afternoon shows from 2.00pm to 5.30pm!

What: SOS – The Australian ABBA Tribute Show

When: Saturday and Sunday, August 27 and 28, from 2.00pm to 5.30pm both days

Where: The Airlie Beach Hotel

The Airlie Beach Hotel is eagerly awaiting the Arrival of SOS – The Australian ABBA Tribute Show in late August

They faithfully recreate not just the sound, but the look and theatrics of the Swedish supergroup

Make sure to “bring your Chiquititas” for the show at The Pub

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Whitsunday Christian College, a local Prep – Year 12 school is inviting the community along to celebrate its 25th anniversary in late August with ‘A Night Under the Stars’ event.

Whitsunday Christian College will open its doors on Friday, August 26, bringing together families and the wider community to enjoy an event where music, market stalls, Eat Street, fireworks and a movie under the stars will celebrate the school’s special anniversary.

“We would like to use this special event to open up the College and connect with the local community, offering a family experience” Whitsunday Christian College Principal Kylie Langshore said.

A Night Under the Stars will be held across the campus and invite families to weave through the school both geographically and interactively, enticing people to explore the grounds and meet the school community.  

A petting zoo, inflatables zone, an art exhibition, book fair, and sideshow amusements will be spread out across the campus, lit by festoon lighting to capture the Eat Street atmosphere.

The event will also see students hosting fete and market stalls, and even performing on the big stage. Iterations of songs like Wherever I Go, Wakka Wakka, and Footloose, will be performed by classes from Prep up to Year 12.

Stalls developed and run by staff and students will include games like Pie Face, Chocolate Bed, The REEL Deal, Balloon Darts and even a Donut Bake Sale.

To showcase the night theme, families will be given the opportunity to enter the ‘Star Gazers Lucky Stars Competition’ where they will need to find and collect stars from around the College to go into the draw to win a Nintendo Switch Lite.

“The whole concept of building community is important to us, and that’s what we want to achieve with this event. Come by, stick around, enjoy some fun, have a meal, watch a movie, and enjoy the winter weather.

“We’re honouring the past, celebrating the present and looking towards the future with this community event.”

Starting at 4.00pm, A Night Under the Stars will run until 8.30pm, with food stalls, sideshow amusements, fireworks, and will conclude with a movie from 8.30pm – 10pm.

WHAT: A Night Under The Stars (Family Event)

WHERE: Whitsunday Christian College

WHEN: Friday, August 26 from 4pm

Whitsunday Christian College Principal Kylie Langshore and students are looking forward to their Night Under the Stars event in late August.

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It’s been billed as a part-concert film and part-road movie, showcasing “stunning local landscapes, remarkable people and amazing stories”. Lee Kernaghan: Boy From The Bush, comes from the minds behind “Slim and I”, the famed documentary-style story on Slim Dusty’s life.

Poignant, in a way, seeing as Kernaghan has equalled Slim’s record of 37 Golden Guitar Awards, and has certainly had a celebrated country music career that might even rival the Australian icons.

Lee may well have picked up the pick, just where Slim left it. He’s shaped a generation and made a huge impact on the country music scene both in Australia and around the world. He has become a part of the outback; something he calls “more than a setting” in the film.

“It’s a character in our shared story,” he says. “But when you take a place, a person, a time, a story and wrap it up in words and music, that’s magic.”

And it certainly is magic. The film features live performances of some of Lee’s greatest hits and even a brand-new song. It also details the local landscapes, people and stories that have inspired him throughout his 30-year career.

It’s a film not just for the urbanites, but for everyone; it pushes the format of concert-films before it by being interspersed with documentary vignettes, filled with sweeping shots across the outback and countryside, as Kernaghan takes audiences on the road and speaks to the rural life and community that colours his lyrics.

It’s a “tone poem”; a love letter to rural Australia, as seen through the prism of Lee’s songs and stories.

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The week-long regatta will come to a close next Thursday evening with live entertainment, food vans and a fantastic firework display at the Festival Village.

Happy yet weary sailors will raise a glass to the week’s activities and the winners of each division will be officially announced, as well as the overall winners.

Two special awards will also be handed out – a prize going to the best local boat and the Boss Hog award which is given each year to a sailor that has gone out of his or her way for others and best embodies the true character of the event.

This year for the first time, there will be a lucky draw with over $3000 dollars’ worth of marine electronics up for grabs thanks to Twenty 16 Communications.

Bring the family along to the celebrations, enjoy some hot food from one of the food vans and listen to some reggae beats from ‘The Feels’ who kick-off at 6.30pm.

The fireworks will illuminate the sky at 8pm, a worthy finale to a huge week of on-water action and on-land festivity.

Airlie Beach Race week is not just for sailors, this is also a community event and everyone is invited to come down to the Festival Village, enjoy the atmosphere and get an insight into the friendship and camaraderie that exemplifies our vibrant local boating culture.

When: Thursday, August 18

What: Airlie Beach Race week closing ceremony

Time: From 6.30pm

Fireworks: 8pm

Soak up the vibrant atmosphere of the Festival Village

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There’s no need to get the lay day blues when there’s plenty to explore in the Airlie Beach area – here are our top picks for a fun filled day!

• Set sail on a skippered yacht charter – put your feet up and let the skilled hosts of popular local charter boat ‘Wings’ guide you around to the best snorkel spots, Whitehaven Beach or perhaps for a sunset cruise.

• A day of comfort and style awaits aboard the stately MV Nancy Wake, Sealink’s new Whitsunday Island Day Cruise which includes a guided tour of the islands, delicious lunch and Whitehaven Beach.

• Eat, drink and be merry in Airlie Beach. Enjoy bistro classics and sea views on the balcony at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, delicious Italian cuisine at La Tabella, tasty pub classics and free live music at the Airlie Beach Hotel, succulent seafood at Fish D’Vine and finger-licking chicken wings at Mika.

• Treat yourself to a luxurious night on-land at the stunning Toscana, Italian inspired self-catered apartments perched majestically on the hillside with aerial sea views, just minutes’ walk from the heart of Airlie Beach.

• Addicted to nautical gadgets? Head to Twenty 16 Communications and browse their diverse range of items to enhance your boating experience. From chart plotters to thermal imaging, mobile phone boosters and marine radios – they’ve got you covered!

• Discover the road less travelled with Ocean Roads who have recently launched a Creek to Cape tour which encompasses Cedar Creek Falls and Cape Gloucester. Explore nature and enjoy a relaxed day travelling in comfort and style on their brand-new Iveco bus.

• Need a ride? Heart of the Reef Shuttles meets every flight arriving and departing from Whitsunday Coast Airport.

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Renowned for its vibrant social scene as well as on-water action, the Airlie Beach Race Week is a party-goers paradise, and the evening atmosphere at the Festival Village promises to get the crowd moving to the beat, serenaded by a host of live performers.

From the sweet reggae beats of ‘The Feels’ to the dramatic drum sets of the Mason Rack Band and the acoustic wizardry of Matt Angell, the live music boasts both huge variety and quality entertainment.

Overlooking the Coral Sea, the Festival Village offers 180-degree views of the ocean, an ideal place to watch the sunset over Pioneer Bay.

Delicious Treats

Inside the sailing club you will find the bistro open every day, offering pub classics like burgers, pizzas, steaks, pasta and of course seafood. Dine inside the spacious restaurant area or head outside to the large al fresco balcony with views of the sea.

Throughout Race Week, the Festival Village will host a variety of food vans who will operate under the stars. Both community members and sailors are invited to gather and soak up the atmosphere, enjoying the festivities while sampling the array of delicious treats from the food vans while moving to the beats of the live music band.

Dine on the lawn and watch the boats bob on the water nearby while mingling with nautical folk who love sharing a good time and a good story.

What: Live Music every night aside from Lay Day

When: 6.30pm onwards (from 4.30pm on Sunday)

See full event schedule on page 18

Jazz vocalist Emma Pask

The Mason Rack Band

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Race Week veteran Jason Ruckert, known to everyone (including his daughter) as “Goggles”, is celebrating almost 20 years competing in the event alongside his three dedicated crew members.

Earlier this week, they drove his seven metre trailable boat, Mister Magoo, up the coast from Brisbane and will be competing in trailable division this year.

Previously the team have competed with some of the biggest fleets including the sports boats and performance divisions.

Since 2016, Mister Magoo has won their division four times with the crew adept at understanding both the vessel and each other, having sailed together for over 13 years.

Based in Manly near Brisbane, Goggles first came to Airlie Beach in 2004 when he competed for the National Sports Boats title, taking home second place.

From that moment, the Whitsundays became an annual event for him and his sailing buddies who brought the sailing boat ‘Gone Troppo’ here in 2006 and then continued competing with Mister Magoo in future years.

“We love the mixture of passage races round the islands,” said Goggles.

“That, and you guys have a massive beer tent! We love the social side and meeting all the North Queensland guys!”

A ‘wharfy’ by trade and turning 50 this year, Goggles has enjoyed a lifelong passion for the sport having initially taken it up with his dad who was a skiff sailor.

Together they sailed at Skiff Clubs around the country, and it wasn’t long before they purchased a trailer sailor.

Spending most of the year competing in regattas in Southeast Queensland, the Airlie Beach Race Week is their favourite “big event” and one they look forward to each year.

Make sure you look out for them over the week and wish them luck in sailing home with a winner again this year.

Look out for the bright orange sail of Mister Magoo

Goggles and his crew navigating the course

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Earning his stripes sailing Skiffs from a young age and graduating to Lasers more recently, Joshua King has just been nominated for Queensland Youth Sailor of the Year having achieved a series of successes at both state championships and local regattas over the past two years.

At just 13-years-old, Josh is proving he has the mettle and determination to compete and often pop out of the fleet to dominate a race, showing his worth against other sailors of all ages.

“It’s the competition side of it I love,” explained Josh.

“I am quite competitive myself and the fact that everything with sailing is really close all the time is really cool.

“Anyone can win and it’s super competitive – the difference between first and second can be only a point or less which makes it a really exciting sport.”

Contending in the Laser division of the Queensland State Championships in his first regatta in Bowen last year, Josh came 11th place.

His following competition in Yeppoon later that year, however, was Queensland Youth State Championships and, incredibly he sailed away with second place.

Gaining confidence with every race, Josh went on to compete in as many regional regattas as possible throughout Queensland and consistently achieved top three placements.

Earlier this year at the North Queensland Championships, which were held on his home turf at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, Josh won the entire event with a day to spare.

Bringing this success to the 2022 Queensland State Championships in Brisbane, Josh took out the competition, coming in first place, just one point ahead of the nearest competitor.

“It was light winds so not as many races in as we hoped, but it was really good to get a win at that event, I definitely wasn’t expecting it!” he said.

Josh has recently returned from Youth Sail Queensland in Brisbane with the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron where, despite being in the lead going into the last race, narrowly missed out on a win, coming in second place.

Celebrating achievements and learning from losses, Josh is focusing on fine-tuning his skills, participating in training clinics and preparing himself for the next Youth Championships.

Discovering a love for sailing from a young age when he would jump aboard his dad’s trimaran, you will find Josh part of the crew on M32 competing in this high performance catamaran in the multi hull racing division at this year’s Race Week.

Josh King was recently nominated for Queensland Youth Sailor of the Year

Josh King in action sailing his Laser

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One of the most popular social events of Airlie Beach Race Week is back this year and organisers are pleased to bring a Pacific Island extravaganza to the Tropical Island themed Long Lunch and Wine Tasting.

Held on Sunday, August 14, the lunch is set to be one of the region’s best culinary events of the year and features five courses which are each paired with matching wines.

Enjoy a lime and lemon sorbet to cleanse the palette, followed by marinated baby octopus, beef carpaccio, baked coral trout and then finished with a vanilla bean panna cotta.  

All dishes are prepared utilising the best local produce, showcasing the various cuisines from the islands, including tropical fruits, seafoods and other delicacies.

Each course has been specially designed by the head chef and inspired by her Fijian culture.

This fragrant festival of food is set to the backdrop of the Coral Sea with the elegant long table setting located on the Sailing Club balcony which overlooks Pioneer Bay and the racecourse with the opportunity to see colourful sails glide by on the horizon.

The afternoon kicks off at noon and guests are welcome to stay on into the evening festivities with Emma Pask and the All Stars playing on the Festival Village lawn directly below the balcony from 4.30pm.

What: Tropical Island Long Table Lunch

Where: The balcony at Whitsunday Sailing Club

Time: 12pm until late

Price: $115

Book: Whitsunday Tickets

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Yachts of every shape, size and style have been sailing into the bustling nautical town of Airlie Beach for the past few weeks, arriving from all over the country to fill marinas and moorings, dotting almost every inch of the horizon with masts and beaming white hulls.

The Whitsundays is now hosting 180 boats with 1,400 crew and a total of 2,500 race week attendees when you include the boat’s support teams and this year is set to be the biggest yet.

Dating back to 1988, Airlie Beach Race Week was started by Don Algie, owner of the Australian franchise of Hogs Breath.

Beginning as the ‘Hog’s Breath Cruising Classic’, the event was part of the annual Whitsunday Fun Race until its popularity saw it branch out on its own to become the regatta we know and love today.

By 2000 the Airlie Beach Race Week was regularly attracting 70 entries annually and a record-breaking 132 boats competed in the 2003 regatta.

In 2020 the Airlie Beach Race Week was one of the only regattas in the country to host an event despite the pandemic limiting numbers.

This year, organisers say they are looking forward to the biggest year in the event’s history.

Separate column – photo 2

Message from the Race Director

Welcome to the 34th Airlie Beach Race Week Festival of Sailing at Whitsunday Sailing Club.  After the highs and lows of the past couple of years, it is great to finally see a record fleet here in Airlie Beach.  The large fleet has thrown the organising committee some challenges, particularly securing sufficient berthing for the fleet, but once again our team has done a wonderful job in fitting everyone in.

Once again, the on-water team will be working hard to ensure 6 days of fantastic racing around the waters and islands of the Whitsundays.  A fleet in excess of 180 boats makes for exciting sailing on the water and a great experience on shore. The fleet has been split into 15 divisions (another record) to ensure that similar boats are in direct competition.

As in recent years the regatta will start with the mass start race out to Double Cones Island.  This has become a regatta tradition, and with the large fleet will provide a wonderful spectacle for competitors, spectators and media alike. The spectacle of 180 boats, mostly under spinnaker, heading off together is really something to be experienced.

On shore, the festival village has again moved back to its traditional location on the lawns of the club, with the marquee, entertainment and plenty of food vans and bars.  Upstairs, the club’s bistro and bar will be open, with the balcony overlooking the village.  The Long Lunch on Sunday will also be held on the balcony, providing guests with an opportunity to look out over the racing area.

We look forward to seeing you all on the water and at the social events ashore.

Ross Chisholm

Regatta Chairman and Race Director

Airlie Beach Race Week attracts record number of yachties to biggest year yet!

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A record number of yachts from as far afield as Western Australia and Tasmania have sailed into the Whitsundays in recent weeks to compete in the 34th annual Airlie Beach Race Week.

Following on from a challenging few years with state borders closing just days before the 2021 event, last year saw 102 entries cancelling within a week.

Back better than ever before, organisers are now excited to see the regatta reinstated to its former glory in 2022, with an impressive 180 boats competing across 15 divisions.

“It’s been wonderful to get so many boats this year and we are thrilled to see the event return to this size at last,” said Robin Ross, General Manager of Whitsunday Sailing Club.

“To put an event of this scale on for the town and for Queensland is pretty awesome!”

Whitsunday Sailing Club General Manager Robin Ross, Race Director Ross Chisholm and Sailing Club Commadore Heather Sutton aboard Airlie Beach Race Week’s start boat

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