Australia Day on the Sunshine Coast
Australia Day is all about celebrating the birth of our great nation and appreciating our freedoms and way of life, right?

Nah, who are we kidding. Australia Day is really all about lying on a beach in your boardies with a beer in one hand and a snag in the other, while you listen to the cricket on the radio and sing Waltzing Matilda while watching a kookaburra sit in an old gum tree laughing at a bloke who's pet kangaroo just stole his sausage.

But in case that's not your idea of a good way to spend Australia Day, here are some great events that are sure to make for a bonza day.


Party in the Park
Kings Beach Park, Caloundra (map)
Monday 26 January, 10.00 am to 9.00 pm

Caloundra will be putting on one fair dinkum party this Australia Day with a full day and night of celebrations in Kings Beach Park.

Join in the Aussie celebrations with a full day of live music, markets, food stalls, street  
performers, children's activities and movies under the stars, and best of all, it's all free!

There will be free shuttle buses running from the Transit Centre in Cooma Terrace so avoid any  
traffic dramas and park and ride.


Havianas 2009 Australia Day Thong Challenge
Noosa Beach (map)
9:00am - 4:00pm, in the water at 1:00pm

If you look out over the shores of Noosa Beach on Australia Day and see hundreds of inflatable thongs, don't freak out, it's not a giant pod of alien sea monsters, it's just the 4th annual  
Havianas Australia Day Thong Challenge.

Each year, hundreds of people join in on the fun and take to the water in over-sized inflatable Havianas thongs, lapping up the beautiful sunshine and warm water of Noosa Beach.

The event is free and usually lasts all day with punters hitting the water at around 1pm.




Australia Day at the Ettamogah Pub and Aussie World
Aussie World and Ettamogah Pub (map)
73 Frizzio Road, Palmview
From 10.00am

Ettamogah Pub
Entry: Free

What Australia Day celebration would be complete without an old fashioned Dunny Race.

Held in front of the famous Ettamogah Pub, the eight team races are a hotly contested battle, with the winners scoring $1000 and the all important bragging rights of being the Dunny Race Champions of the World.

Corporate teams of five are encouraged to enter, so if you think you stand a chance, why not throw your hat in the ring.

There will also be a patriotic flag raising ceremony and signing of the national anthem. Once your vocal chords are warmed up, why not head inside the pub where legendary one man band and country rock guitarist Bo Jenkins will be playing from 11am to 3pm.

Upstairs, Bluey's Bar & Grill will be serving up some of their customary giant steaks with a side of their world renowned friendly service.  

Aussie World
Entry: $25 or $80 for four person pass.

After the fun and frivolity is finished outside the pub, Aussie World will keep the celebration going with plenty more Australia Day activities for the whole family.

In addition to over 30 rides and games, there will be a range of fun kids competitions including hula-hoop, kids thong throwing, sausage roll eating, vegemite art and the messy but fun  
watermelon eating competition.

Caloundra Air Museum will have an aircraft cockpit on display where the kids can sit in and  
pretend to be a fighter pilot.  

There's also a workshop area set aside for the kids to draw their very own Australian flag, or  
they can decorate their own Australia Day hat and will receive a free return pass to the park.

To keep the belly from grumbling, there will be a true blue Aussie BBQ in The Shed with live  
music by Aussie duo "Me and Mrs Jones".  

FJ's Café will also have plenty of tucker available all day long including their famous foot long hot dogs, steak sandwiches, hamburgers, sandwiches, ice cream and coffee.  

Other entertainment during the day includes roving performers, circus entertainment, craft mania, funny clowns, face painting and loads more. 


Sunshine Coast Australia Day Awards Ceremony
Noosaville Lions Park (map)
Sunday 25 January, sunset

The inaugural Sunshine Coast Australia Day Awards will celebrate those special individuals, businesses and community organisations whose extraordinary contributions to the region have helped make the Sunshine Coast such a great place to live.

The awards will pay tribute to people from all facets of the Sunshine Coast community across seven different categories: Community, Creative, Economic, Environment, Sport & Recreation, Senior Citizen of the Year and Young Citizen of the Year.

The sunset awards ceremony will take place along the Noosa River at Noosaville Lions Park and will include Aussie food catered by community groups and performances by local musicians.


John Williamson at Australia Zoo
Australia Zoo, Beerwah (map)
10.30am

There are few more distinctive or well known voices in Australian country music than John Williamson.

With his acoustic guitar and a pocket full of stories, John will entertain the crowd at Australia Zoo in true-blue Aussie style, singing tales about our land and our people, with a dash of Aussie humour thrown in for good measure.

The show will start at 10.30am at the Crocoseum and entry is included in the price of admission.

Want to know more?
Australia Day 2009
Toowoomba's Australia Day Celebrations, 2009
Advance Australia Fair lyrics
Aussie Flag flies high over Picnic Point
Local pollies hop to it at the Coolum (toad race) Cup