Whether it was turtle sand sculpting or creating recycled jellyfish, The Milbi Festival Family Fun Day at Bargara was a hit for all ages.
Five stations along the Bargara foreshore were set up with an assortment of activities to raise the inner artist in everyone.
The Milbi Festival Family Fun Day celebrated all things turtles with an emphasis on recycling and craft while participants had the opportunity to spend time walking along the beautiful Bargara foreshore.
Mosaic turtles created at Milbi Festival Family Fun Day
Local artist Paul Perry, one of the facilitators at the mosaic turtle station, said it was a popular event with a crowd turning up almost immediately to take part in creating a turtle inspired piece of art for the Bundaberg Region.
Paul said participants made tile turtles which would be placed on the turtle trail from Bargara through to Burnett Heads.
“The little milbis were created to go along the trail at Burnett Heads,” he said.
“They will just start appearing and I said to the children, you’ll go for a bike ride and may be lucky enough to see the turtle you have created, which they were all proud to know!”
Young and old were inspired by sand shaper Arron McCormick’s large sand sea turtle at Jayteens Park and tried their hands at creating miniature versions.
Arron has been sand sculpting for 16 years and said it took six tonne and nine hours on Friday and one more extra hour Saturday to have the grand masterpiece ready for the fun day and art walk.
Coming from England Arron said sand shaping was a hobby he picked up here in Australia and it gave him an opportunity to grow into a business which now allows him the freedom to travel to some amazing places.
“I love doing it, I get to work outdoors in beautiful places like here in Bundaberg,” he said.
“It’s a sense of freedom and less structure I guess, and I really enjoy it.
“Bundaberg is a lovely region – just look around it’s beautiful.”
Arron loved the local families interacting with sand around the sea turtle mimicking his creation in a smaller form.
Turtle-inspired activities entertain at Milbi Festival Family Fun Day
Burnett Mary Regional Group (BMRG) were also set up at the last Milbi Festival Family Fun Day station involving children and their parents in creating a keepsake to take home.
BMRG’s Dean Collins said the family-based day had the young and young at heart taking part in the turtle inspired activities.
“We have face painting and plasticine and find the turtle egg,” Dean said.
“It’s a really good day out and we are all having fun.”
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