by Mat Churchill

A new adventure tourism event is heading to Port Douglas, hot on the heels of the recent Challenge Cairns announcement.

A mountain bike festival will be run in conjunction with the Challenge Cairns triathlon in 2012 according to Geoff Meyer, the managing director of major sporting events company USM Events.

Mr Meyer said Port Douglas will host the festival which will include live entertainment and a number of mountain bike races.

"We'll use Port Douglas as a base for the three or four day festival. There'll be a tour event which will head up into the Atherton Tablelands, a cross-country, and a trials event."

Mr Meyer said the festival will be one of a number of adventure activity festivals around the region that will kick off in the second and third years of the five year Challenge Cairns agreement.

Others may include kite surfing at Palm Cove, white water rafting and kayaking, kids races, and a community fun run.

"Challenge Cairns will always be the pinnacle event," Mr Meyer said, but added that the plan was to create a ten day festival incorporating a number of activities in varying locations.