Page 46 - Tropic Magazine Issue 16

INDUSTRY • REGIONAL HISTORY
Rise and Flash back to a 6 TNQ hosts first Targa Car
point 12 months
shine? ago when you Rally
might’ve been
reading the
cover story of Targa Great Barrier Reef was deemed
a huge success by drivers, organisers
REPORT CARD Tropic’s 10th and motorsport fans alike and will be
edition. Titled returning to Tropical North Queensland
Did Cairns have 41 reasons “41 reasons in 2019. The event contributed more
to shine in 2018? We put our Cairns will than $2.5 million to the local economy
cover story from February shine in 2018”, and was broadcast to a national
the feature article gazed into a crystal
last year to the test. ball to conjure up a list of upcoming audience in November.
projects, trends and ideas that would
Words Renee Cluff
fuel the city’s economy in the year
ahead. Now, here we are, a year on. As
we race headlong into 2019, we thought
it timely to produce a report card of
that 41-item checklist to gauge what
unfolded, and note what’s still to come.

1 First Crystalbrook 3 Hotels to rollout refurbs

and upgrades
Collection to open
As planned, Crystalbrook Collection Shangri-La Cairns Marina upgraded
opened the first of its three Cairns its rooms as well as its kitchen, dining
hotels last year, with guests welcomed area and waterfront deck and bar 7 Direct flights
at the $130 million Riley Resort, which and held a relaunch in November. The from China
replaced Rydges Tradewinds. It’s heritage-listed Hides Hotel also got
the city’s first five-star hotel in 20 a makeover, with refurbishments to This has been a mixed bag. Hong Kong
years and kicked of the beginning of its rooms and iconic balcony done Airlines suspended its service to
Crystalbrook’s $370 million investment and dusted by mid-year. A $2.5 million Cairns in October, but China Southern
in Cairns. of the Fitzroy Island Resort is also and China Eastern increased their
underway. seasonal schedule, to bring more
visitors into Cairns over Chinese
New Year. At the same time, Silk Air
4 Construction to start on announced it will begin a daily service
Nova City
to Cairns, beginning in June 2019.
After getting development approval
early in 2018, pre-construction 8 Speculation about more
works have now commenced on the international flights
first of seven towers, the 17-storey
“Nova light,” which is scheduled for A new deal was struck with Air New
completion in mid 2020. Zealand to open up more flights
between Cairns and Auckland. A
Middle Eastern carrier, though, is yet
to announce any direct services to
Cairns. Qantas has resumed flights to
2 Port Moresby and also opened up more
flights between Cairns and Brisbane.

Other Crystalbrook Collection
hotels ramping up 9 Cairns Performing Arts

Construction on Crystalbrook’s 5 Brand Centre to open
second and third Cairns hotels, Bailey Cairns The Cairns Performing Arts Centre
and Flynn, are both scheduled to be (CPAC) officially opened in December,
completed this year. Bailey, in Abbott Over the past 12 months, our team with the Cairns Regional Council
Street, should open its doors in mid- at Tropic pushed this topic hard, shrugging off concerns the party
2019, while Flynn on the Esplanade is identifying the need for a marketing coincided with the second arrival of
on track to complete the Crystalbrook campaign for our city to attract new Tropical Cyclone Owen. Performances
trifecta, by welcoming visitors at the residents. We understand Cairns this year include comedians Lano and
end of the year. Regional Council may be working on
such a campaign - we look forward to Woodley as well as Judith Lucy and
seeing it come to life. Denise Scott, plus international and
domestic music and theatre acts.
46 • Tropic • Issue 16