12:00a.m. 12th October 2008

| Mark Bode

Despite the rain hundreds of people turned out to the annual Coolum Kite Festival. 6 year old Danika Prevolsek made the trip up with her family from Brisbane. Photo: Jason Dougherty/178820o

Michelle Prevolsek’s six-year-old daughter, Danika, woke at 6.30am yesterday and watched preparations for the annual Coolum kite festival from her bedroom window. She was entranced.

The family of four travelled from Brisbane to sample the two-day event, having been advised to do so by Mrs Prevolsek’s parents.

They will be back today – and next year as well.

“Mum and dad kept saying how wonderful it was,” Mrs Prevolsek said.

“But I never expected it to be so wonderful.

“They’re truly spectacular.”

Mrs Prevolsek said she was amazed the bigger kites could get airborne.

“We can’t even get our small one in the air at the moment,” she said.

When the sky cleared yesterday morning, hundreds of people descended on Stumers Creek for the eighth edition of the IGA Coolum Kite Festival.

“It’s been fantastic – there’s been huge crowds,” festival chairman Noel Mooney said.

“We’ve had really good weather and it’s looking like it’s going to be a good night.”

Organisers have targeted attracting more than 40,000 people over the two days and Mr Mooney said there was a realistic chance of that figure being achieved.

“The crowds have been very steady,” he said.

“We’ve had six buses arrive with each one three-quarters full.”

Mr Mooney said he was hoping for a bit more wind today as some kites struggled to get airborne yesterday.

Nevertheless, he said people had been blown away by the kites.

“We are confident that the festival will attract the rave reviews it has received in the past from the thousands of visitors who make the pilgrimage down the beach to the creek,” he said.

The festival concludes today.

FACTBOX

Free Parking facilities and frequent bus services will make the road closures hassle free for tourists and locals.

Motorists have been urged to take advantage of the free services because of road closures in the area.

The festival runs from 10am to 4pm today.

Kite-flying displays all day

Free buses run every 10 minutes between Beach Road and Stumers Creek, with pick-up points at Coolum Sports Complex, Jack Morgan Park, Tickle Park and Elizabeth Street.