By Margaret Maccoll
Noosa Waters boat owners have been decking out their watercraft in best party dress this week in readiness for tomorrow’s annual Christmas flotilla – Noosa’s best-loved, and most colourful, nautical event.
The waterborne pageant regularly sees up to 100 brightly-decorated boats of all shapes and sizes lining up at the start point at the Saltwater Avenue bridge before joining in the festivities and vying for a place on the roll of honour for the best-dressed-boat.
Tomorrow’s event marks the flotilla’s 20th anniversary and Noosa Waters Residents’ Association convenor Frank Matus said he and his team were looking to make this year’s nautical parade the biggest-ever, bettering the record turnouts of previous years.
“Noosa has one of the country’s best waterways and our goal is to provide a special Christmas treat to the thousands of spectators who are expected to flock to Noosa from all over the coast to watch,” he says.
“We want this to be the Coast’s best-ever Christmas flotilla.”
The event traditionally attracts big crowds from Noosa and all over the Sunshine Coast, with spectators lining canal banks, bridges and parks throughout the canal estate. Best vantage points from which to watch, and photograph, the brightly-lit ensemble will be the two Saltwater Avenue bridges, the footbridge linking Mermaid Quay with Seahorse Place, or at one or other of the many public parks dotted throughout Noosa Waters.
Boats will assemble at the Saltwater Avenue/Masthead Quay bridge from 6.45pm, with the parade scheduled to start at 7pm Noosa Coast Guard boats will lead out the parade after signalling the start with two blasts from their air horns.
For more details visit www.noosawaters.org/events.html or phone Frank Matus on 0400 225 381.
