The Festival of the Wind is one of the most popular family kite festivals in Australia. It is held around Easter when the winds are favourable and the large tides with the full moon lay bare large stretches of sand allowing room for both kite flying and beach activities. The Festival began in 1999 and now attracts internationally known kite designers from South Australia, Tasmania, New South Wales, Canberra and Queensland. These professional kite flyers are supported by enthusiastic members of the Queensland Kite Flyers Society from Brisbane, Bundaberg, Gladstone and Rockhampton.

Literally hundreds of colourful kites of all shapes and sizes launched from Fisherman’s Beach fill the sky to provide a thrilling spectacle, parents and grandparents transported back to memories of childhood flying kites when technology was simpler.

The team from Sydney-based Kite Magic are available to provide expert tuition for anyone interested in learning to fly dual-line kites rarely seen in the Rockhampton area. The dual-line kites may be purchased at the festival. The Kite magic team demonstrates the Rokkaku fighting kites where kites are launched simultaneously and the aim is to be the last kite flying. Flyers manoeuvre with stealth or bravado around their competitors to cut or snare their kites causing them to plunge from the sky. The last kite flying is the winner.

Children from toddlers up can learn to assemble and decorate their own kites with the assistance of Lions club volunteers before going down to the beach to join the fun of launching their new kites alongside the professionals.

There is no charge for entry to the Festival which is an alcohol free day for the whole community. Apart from kite flying, there are activities for everyone in the family. On the beach, there are sand sculpture competitions, wacky team games with prizes and kite repair facilities for those accidents or you can try out the blokarts or sail boats under expert tuition. The local Coastguard also puts on a great flare demonstration. Off the beach in the adjacent park, there is a large market with numerous stalls, carnival rides for the young and young at heart, live entertainment, face painting, competitions, and food stalls serving your favourite snack.

Emu Park Lions Club provides a food stall at the Shack. Enjoy a beaut aussie style hamburger or steak-burger with all the goodies stuffed inside a traditional bun. The good old sausage “sanga” will be also available. Wrap your hands around this after you douse it with a good dollop of tomato sauce and you’re good to go. There will also be our famous hot chips with the cooking recipe that has been handed down for years in the club. Crisp and delicious, these are a must have treat. Wash it all down with a cool clear water or your choice of various soft drinks.

Soon after the sun goes down the fireworks go off with a bang filling the sky with colour and noise. A grand finale to a huge day out at the beach. Hopefully all the kites have reeled in before the fireworks begin! You can take your tired little people home to bed for a well earned sleep.

The Emu Park Lions Club organizes and conducts this Festival as a family oriented event to strengthen community ties and display the beautiful environment of Emu Park with its sandy beaches and green parks. We thank all our sponsors and volunteers for supporting the Festival, including Triple M, Bendigo Bank, Livingstone Shire Council, JRT, Keppel Bay Sailing Club, Fun Time Amusements & Absolute Waste.

Have fun and come fly with us!!

Source: www.festivalofthewind.com