The eyes of the Commonwealth will be on Cairns next month when the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay takes on a tropical flavour ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Scotland.

The baton will arrive in Cairns on Sunday, November 3 and will be the focus of a community breakfast on the Esplanade the following morning.
Mayor Bob Manning, who will carry the baton into the breakfast, is calling on past and present Games athletes to be a part of the event.

“We’re looking for athletes who have competed in either the Commonwealth or Olympic Games and who are residents of the Cairns region,” Cr Manning said.

“We’d like to invite former Games athletes to represent the Cairns community by carrying the baton along the Esplanade.”

The Cairns leg of the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay will start at the northern end of the Cairns Esplanade near Muddies Playground at 6.30am. It will travel along the Esplanade boardwalk toward the lagoon and end at the Sister Cities barbecue area, where a free breakfast will be served to the public.

From there, the baton will be transported to the Great Barrier Reef, before boarding a Skyrail gondola and finally stopping in at Tjapukai Aboriginal Culture Park.

“The baton’s time in Cairns will be fleeting, with the relay to move on to Papua New Guinea that afternoon,” Cr Manning said.

“But there will be opportunity to showcase our most prominent features – the reef, rainforest and our indigenous culture – to the accompanying film crews.”

Prior to visiting Cairns, the Glasgow 2014 Queen’s Baton Relay will touch down in Perth, the Gold Coast, Canberra and Townsville.

The relay was launched at Buckingham Palace last week and will visit all 70 nations and territories of the Commonwealth over 288 days, culminating with its arrival at the Opening Ceremony of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games on July 23, 2014.

Former Commonwealth and Olympic Games athletes who are residing in the region are invited to contact Council on 4044 3044.