Putting Beachmere on the map: one step at a time

I've walked all over Beachmere, push scooted its roads and paddled and waded along its shoreline. When you do that  you get to know the local landscape intimately.

In logging these distances the obvious is confirmed over and over again:Beachmere's core routine is the tides. Day in and day out they visit our shoreline  only to withdraw before coming back again.  While 'low tide' is a  common occurrence, in our section of bay,  low tide is usually a long way out and when it goes out -- along with the soldier crabs -- we occupy the sand flats and do stuff before being chased ashore by  rising waters and  Estuary Stingrays keen on a feed of crustaceans.

The tidal flats define this community so much.

So imagine  me, out and about, gambolling  along the shoreline at low tide, communing with nature, heading north or south, with sand at my feet and the big bit of bay to my eastern shoulder ...when it occurs to me that  this community asset is not being celebrated.

So I start thinking...

This is where the what if? kicks in  -- so I'll cut to the main proposition:

The Beachmere Sand Flat Challenge

• what if Beachmere organised an annual 'fun run and walk' along the sand flats at low tide?
• we could hold it in the Winter months under conditions of prevailing Westerlies (no onshore surges) and move the date and time of the event  about to suit the low tide and weekends.
• it happens that the distance from the drain at the end of Beachmere Rd to the end the Caboolture River mouth and back is roughly 5 kilometres...and the distance from the drain to the end of Bayside Drive and back is roughly 10 kilometres. These are readymade  'fun run' distances.

So we hold this annual event that garners the whole community. You could walk -- or run or jog-- either distance as it suits you. Age doesn't matter. You could team up. Dress up. Even paddle it if you had the floating wherewithall.

Throw in a few awards. Stagger the lines so those who want to seriously compete step off first.

The only constraint is that we'd need to do our running about and whatever-else business before the tide comes in.

I'm sure folk will come from all over to run  or walk our tidal flats. Families. Joggers.Keen walkers.

It puts Beachmere on the map.(Assuming that's a good thing....) Pomona may have its 'King of the Mountain' but we're so laid back we don't need to leave sea level.

One of our local community groups sponsors the event and makes money by charging a participation fee.

[A few flags + officials + St Johns Ambulance + water stations...whatever the drill. Here's some organising DIY.]

To add to the thrill and festivities the event could conclude with a promenade of local horses and riders cantering from Bayside Drive to the Beachmere Rd drain and back. 

What a finish!

Seriously folks -- this ticks a lot of community boxes and it's an easy put together...especially  for any club experienced in organising sporting events.