St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend 2024 - DEMO EVENT

St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend will tantalise your taste buds, invoke creativity, and teach you about nationally significant coastal wetlands on 23-25 June 2023.

Trek through the bush for an immersive experience as you tour the wetlands and learn more about endangered birdlife, turtles, and the reef. Tour one of Queensland’s oldest towns with a historical tour of St Lawrence and experience the Koinjmal First Nations People’s cultural heritage. 

General event information

Your general admission ticket provides entry to the multi-award-winning St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend. It will allow you to experience an immersive three-day nature, culinary and cultural experience set against the breath-taking backdrop of St Lawrence’s world-class wetlands. You can enjoy local market stalls, enjoy workshops, bush poets, arts, and cultural heritage experiences, and delight in our localised culinary sessions while exploring the wetlands and learning about the region's broader environmental ecosystem.

With so much to see and do, why not make a weekend of it? Spend your nights in St Lawrence with amazing sunsets by the wetlands, where you will enjoy the morning bird songs. You can choose between the comfort of glamping tents in our tent city for those who just want to turn up or bring your own tent or caravan and stopover in the unpowered campsite area. Toilet and shower facilities are available at the St Lawrence Recreational Grounds which is a five-minute walk to the event activities, or take the bus.

Come, stay and enjoy the Isaac region a little longer with all the elements of a laid-back and relaxing holiday; stunning coastline and pristine beaches, mouth-watering food, and experiences. Did we mention that you must try the St Lawrence mud crabs?

Friday night

Start the weekend with a Welcome to Country and a Smoking Ceremony set against the magnificent sunset to celebrate the start of this 2023 event. Isaac Regional Council acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, the Koinjmal First People, with a Sunset Cultural Experience at the Recreational Grounds. Three indigenous cultures will come together to immerse visitors in a mix of dance, song, and fire connecting the land through dance and showcasing customs and cultures.

Chef Nik Flack from The FLACKYARD and Koinjmal cooks will share some culinary secrets of the region’s bush tucker and test some of the delights. Nik will offer up a delightful kangaroo stew and damper as well. Come along to mix and mingle with Costa Georgiadis from Gardening Australia and Dan and Steph from My Kitchen Rules. Enjoy Indigenous singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lloyd Saunders’ smooth-flowing melodies and warm vocals. A variety of food vans will be on-site or you can try camp oven cooking to make your own dinner. For those seeking to continue deep into the night, a visit to the century-old Sportsman’s Arms Hotel is a must with the courtesy bus running to make sure everyone returns to their camping areas or accommodation safely.

Saturday

Saturday is the day to immerse your five senses in a learning and participatory environment. Be sure to book one of the many arts, crafts, or culinary workshops and food experiences on offer. There will be multiple food stalls, local art, children’s activities, workshops, and historical town tours to learn about St Lawrence’s rich and colourful past. The wetlands are part of Australia’s listing of wetlands of significance, so don’t miss the walks, talks, and birdwatching tours. This will keep you entertained along with bush poets, belly dancers, and a variety of food vans, cooking demonstrations, and cocktail classes. Costa will be out and about sharing his gardening tips and with the region’s environmental partners taking up residence over the weekend. There will be lots of fun activities for the kids, including the great environmental race. Kids and adults will be able to get hands-on in a regenerative replanting experience at the wetlands with plants cultivated from local seeds. Book for one of our signature events and join Dan and Steph as they delight your taste buds by attending a luncheon featuring local produce, including King River Beef, or visit their ‘streEAT’ food van for some more foodie experiences. There will be a range of great food vendors with local prawns and crabs featured on the menu, smokalicous and traditional treats like crocodile, kangaroo, and emu available from the local Koinjmal stall.

*Prices for experiences such as food experiences and workshops are in addition to general entry costs.

Saturday Night

Warm country hospitality and local bush poetry take the stage to get you in the mood as the event continues under the stars. Vixens of Fall are set to entertain the crowds with local musician Jessica Cash opening. A product of north Queensland's sugar cane fields, hot summers, and cyclones, the Vixens of Fall reflect their homeland. Sweet, hot, and a little bit crazy! Winners of the 2020 Tamworth Country Music Festival Battle of the Bands and runners-up in the Aristocrat Entertainer of the Year 2020, they released their new single – And Then We Dance – in that year. Vixens of Fall ooze the country rock ethos of their predecessors. They have a very sassy disposition and you can’t help but be enchanted by their glowing smiles that draw you in and dance. Our food vendors will continue on-site to expand on your food experiences and fill up those hungry bellies.

Looking to continue the gourmet gratification and wanting something a little more exclusive? Nik Flack’s very special fine dining experience is just the ticket for you. The FLACKYARD team are renowned for their skill in the creation of diverse flavour profiles, plating and pouring the most unique bush flavours and sharing them with guests. This unique experience is for only 22 guests. It features a six-course degustation experience paired with their exclusive alcohol or non-alcoholic drinks.

Sunday

As the festival winds down, enjoy a relaxed morning breakfast at the Recreational Grounds and be entertained by some bush poets. Enjoy billy tea and damper as well as the classic bacon and eggs. The activities continue with morning wetlands tours, regenerative planting and amazing artistry workshops. Grab your scoreboards and help judge the finale cook-off with Costa, Dan and Steph, and Koinjmal First People as a fun and entertaining wrap-up of the activities at lunchtime.

The lucky remaining visitors will continue to enjoy the beautiful setting and serenity of St Lawrence and can join the locals as they wind down with an afternoon of lawn bowls at the nearby club. The Sportsman’s Arms Hotel will have evening entertainment and dining options.

Monday

While the formal part of the St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend has wrapped up, there is still lots to see and do around the Isaac coastal region. Fish off the St Lawrence Creek bank, take a trip to Schneiders Lookout (4WD recommended for the steep gradient incline), visit Brandy Bottle for golf, bar, dinner and camping and the famous Barracrab at Clairview. Spend a night or more at the Carmila Beach campgrounds and caravan park or rest up in style at the Carmila Sands Motel. Don’t forget to duck into Cape Palmerston Holiday Park and check out Notch Point.

If you missed out on the culinary delights of Nik Flack on Saturday, you can still join him for an eight-course degustation at the Lotus Creek Homestead and the home of King River Beef.

The FLACKYARD

An exceptional dégustation dining experience showcasing awe-inspiring Australian native ingredients. Six unique courses paired with alcohol or our exclusive no-alc beverages. Immersed in a special location and intimate with only 22 guests.

For information and tickets, please contact the FLACKYARD Team directly at 0491 278 971 or email theflackyard@gmail.com 

St Lawrence Wetlands Glamping

St Lawrence Wetlands is back in 2023 and is set to be larger than ever with a jam-packed schedule of events and we are back with our Bell tents with more options than ever before! Wake up to a view of The beautiful Wetlands from your comfy Bell Tent!

For information and tickets, please copy & paste this link into your browser: https://www.trybooking.com/CELSH

Rent A Tent

Leave the camping gear at home, and come and stay with Rent a Tent City at the St Lawrence Sportsground, Railway Parade, St Lawrence Qld. Choose from our 1, 2, 3, or 4-person tents with all the extras you need, set up and awaiting your arrival. There will be showers, toilets & car parking, all exclusively available to Rent a Tent patrons.

For information and tickets, please copy & paste this link into your browser: https://www.rentatent.com.au/rentatent/events/page/85

REFUNDS

The 2023 St Lawrence Wetlands Weekend has a no-refund policy. The festival is under no obligation to provide refunds on any event tickets except as required by law.

Follow Isaac Regional Council’s Facebook page for updates or call 1300 ISAACS (1300 472 227) for more information.

View Event Terms & Conditions

Supported by the Regional Arts Development Fund, a partnership between the Queensland Government and Isaac Regional Council to support locals arts and culture in regional Queensland