Annual Duck Race

Each year Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Cairns Mulgrave Inc. can be seen in the streets of Cairns busily selling plastic ducks for the annual Cairns Rotary Duck Race.  Club members are known for their highly visible "duck shirts" and the Club is known locally as "the Duck Club"!

This event has been held for the past twelve years in Cairns and has raised well over $300,000 for local community projects. The Rotary Duck Race is one event that the local community really get behind and support each year.  Monies raised from this event are used to support selected causes within the local community as well as humanitarian projects worldwide.

Duck Race Event

The initial Rotary Duck Race was run in Cairns Inlet, but for the next ten years was run within the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon.

A new race format was trialled in 2014 with the race held at the beach at Palm Cove as part of the 3-day Palm Cove Reef Feast Festival (9-12 October 2014).  Weather conditions prevented the race being held at Palm Cove in 2015.

In 2016, the Rotary Duck Race returned to the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon  as part of a Combined Cairns Rotary Community Family Day.

The 2017 Rotary Duck Race and 4CA/Star FM Corporate Duck Race will again be held at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon as part of a Rotary Family Fun Day.  Duck Race tickets ($5 per duck) will be available for purchase from Club Members at community events during August and September 2017, and at the Cairns Esplanade Lagoon on Duck Race Day, Saturday 23 September 2017. Tickets are now also available online via Cairns Tickets cairnstickets.com.au