Over a quarter of a million kilometres have been travelled on the Variety Jet Trek over the past 15 years and on Sunday 28 April, over 60 personal water crafts (PWC) will add to this incredible tally, as they arrive in Port Douglas for the first night of the adventure.

A total of 150 participants, including 60 PWCs, will arrive between 3pm and 5pm on Sunday 28 April and depart between the hours of 7am and 9am the next day, from Wharf Street Boat Ramp, Port Douglas.

The PWCs will take to the east coast in Cooktown on April 28, as they embark on the 2013 ‘Cooktown and Down’ Yamaha Variety Jet Trek, raising money to empower sick, disadvantaged and special needs kids, to live, laugh and learn.

Over 60 skis will be on the water at any one point in time, followed by a road crew tracing along the coast line, loading the skis on and off the water at each overnight stop.

Participants will converge in Cooktown from New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, Queensland, Tasmania and New Zealand.

A total of over 150 participants will make it the biggest Yamaha Variety Jet Trek to date and is expected to raise thousands of dollars for Variety – the Children’s Charity of Queensland.

The trek will commence in Cooktown on Sunday 28 April, travel over 600 kilometres south over six days, to arrive in Townsville on Friday 3 May 2013 for the finale.

Participants will travel through towns and communities, visiting children and schools along the way. Towns include Cooktown, Ayton, Port Douglas, Yorkeys Knob, Cairns, Green Island, Etty Bay, Mission Beach, Cardwell, Lucinda, Magnetic Island and Townsville.

Motoring Events Director, Rob Goodwin, said the 2013 ‘Cooktown and Down’ Yamaha Variety Jet Trek is an adrenalin packed adventure, raising much needed funds for Queensland kids.

“The Yamaha Variety Jet Trek is an ideal event for like-minded people to come together and enjoy the open water in areas that may be difficult to access independently, while raising money for a great cause,” Rob said.

Rob also speaks of the extensive logistics involved in organising an event of this magnitude.

“We’ve got a marine biologist on board with us and have put countless hours into configuring safety precautions and systems for moving the Personal Water Crafts on and off boat ramps and limiting our effect on the environment,” said Rob.

Proceeds raised from the 2013 ‘Cooktown and Down’ Yamaha Variety Jet Trek will assist in empowering Queensland children who are sick, disadvantaged or who have special needs, to live, laugh and learn.

For enquiries please visit www.variety.org.au/jettrek or email erint@varietyqld.org.au.