Cane cutting comp comes to Mourilyan

Event co-ordinator Wayne Thomas, is very pleased to announce local business Cumic Steel as the major sponsor.

“Frank and Lorraine Cutuli are very good supporters of local events and were quick to accept the offer to be the major sponsor,” Mr Thomas said.

The Cumic Steel-Men of Steel Hand Cane Cutting Championships will have three age groups; Under 35 years, 35 years to 55years, and over 55 years. The North Queensland Hand Cane Cutting Championship will be contested by the best 10 results of the day from all three age groups.

The cash prizes for the Cane Cutting Competitions are:

All age groups: $200 for winner, $100 for runner up and for the North Queensland Championship; $300 for the winner and $150 for the runner up. The winner will also receive the perpetual trophy to hold until next year and a trophy to retain.

Also included on the day is a cut and load competition where a team of four must cut and load approximately one and half tonnes onto an old cane truck on portable rails, which the team must also move to complete the task. This is a spectacle of a bygone era when all cane was cut by hand and then loaded onto cane trucks for transport to the mill.

The winning team in the Cane Loading will receive $300 and the runner up $140. The winning Tug-of-war team will receive $240.

There will also be other novelty events that anyone can enter, such as a relay with competitors carrying 12 long sticks of cane, pitch-a-billet where competitors must throw a billet of cane in to a target and a tug-of-war which is being sponsored by Austafe Super. There will also be Tractor Pulls where human muscle will be pitched against the weight of a big tractor.

On the day there will be a BBQ and licenced bar as well as other refreshment stalls.

Anyone interested in competing in any of the events can contact the Australian Sugar Industry Museum – 4063 2477 or down load nomination forms from the website www.sugarmusuem.com.au

Nominations for all events is $20.