Beef Week and Great Keppel Island
- Carmen Friend
- May 16, 2018
- 2 min read
We arrived into Rockhampton and got ourselves setup. Georgia was going to have a sleepover so we could head to Beef Week. Beef Week is a beef farmers conference in essence which happens in Rockhampton once ever 3 years. The beef farming community from around the world congregates to view farms, animals, discuss best practices, any organisation involved in the beef industry come to sell their wares whilst the town folk come to enjoy what is on offer to view.
Beef week is described as: "Australia’s national beef expo is one of the world’s great beef cattle events and is held just once every three years in Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia. Beef Australia 2018 is a celebration of all facets of the Australian beef industry. It will facilitate new trade and export opportunities by exposing the local supply chain to the international industry leaders; it will feature more than 4500 cattle from over 30 breeds; a trade fair promoting more than 500 businesses; a symposium, seminars and property tours to deliver new research information to producers; and restaurants, celebrity chefs and cooking demonstrations for visitors to appreciate the quality and flavour of Australian beef."
There are celebrities here cooking, singing and if you are lucky you might get to see a rodeo or a live stock auction like we did at the Great Western Hotel. We had dinner here one night - Wagyu Rump Steak - OMG it was devine! Whilst at the show we saw the standard beef breeds - Angus, Hereford, Charolais, Simmental, Brahman, and then cross breeds of Brahman as well which I had not seen or heard of. There are also competitions of best on show for the animals which in some cases is judged by the local kids. These kids are the next generation of farmers who some say are here to also continue the locally farming procreation of their own!!
Whilst we were in the Rockhampton area we visited Great Keppel Island. Unfortunately we were greatly disappointed with the island as it is extremely run down. There are very few facilities including toilets and many of the buildings have long been claimed by the bush that grows here. The roads or whould I say tracks that were muddy and full or big boggy holes were pretty unpassable on foot.
In having said that, there are some nice walking tracks which take you to some secluded beaches. We walked for what was described to me by my guide (that would be Trent) it would take 15 minutes, it took 45 and was up mountians and down dales!! We did some to Monkey Beach which was pristine and were able to snorkel out to some coral - all be it in poor condition with few fish.
It is only a 30 minutes boat ride from the mainland and about 45 minute drive from Rockhampton to the ferry terminal. If you are looking for a place that is almost original then this is it!
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