The 2019 Yamaha Variety Jet Trek – an annual ocean ride for charity – has raised a record $404,000 to help sick and disadvantaged kids in one of the longest events to date.
The week-long, 850km ocean ride from Bundaberg on the mid-north coast of Queensland, to Hamilton Island off the coast of Airlie Beach, ran from 25 March 2019 to 30 March 2019.
Up to 95 Jet Skis and personal watercraft from across Australia took part in the event, which is not a race, rather it is a test of endurance.
The riders – split into nine teams to ease congestion on the water and on the boat ramps – were supported by more than 100 road crew and organisers.
The support group went ahead of the convoy to meet the riders at their destination, and to retrieve and refuel the watercraft at the end of each day.
For the first time, the Yamaha Variety Jet Trek covered a remote section of the Queensland coastline it has not navigated before – and to get there, riders had to cover 180km in a single day.
Day One, a 100km leg from Bundaberg to Agnes Water, was incident-free and all riders were able to cover the distance on a single tank.
However, one team spotted a Toyota LandCruiser bogged in sand on a remote stretch of beach. The driver had left the vehicle and attempted a long and dangerous walk back to civilisation to get help.
But thanks to the efforts of half a dozen Jet Ski riders, the four-wheel-drive was able to be recovered and the driver could continue his journey. Without help, the driver could have been stranded for days.
Day Two comprised of two 90km legs back-to-back, from Agnes Water to Gladstone for a lunch and refuel stop – and then to Yeppoon, near Rockhampton.
Day Three was a rest day that turned into an easy 55km run from Yeppoon to Great Keppel Island and back, to give road crews a rest and an opportunity for some of the local kids in need to have ride on a Jet Ski.
It was a much-needed break before the biggest leg of the trip – and the longest single-day ride in Jet Trek history.
Day Four was a 180km run from Yeppoon to the crocodile-infested waters of Stanage Bay.
The remote Stanage peninsula north of Rockhampton is a 100km detour by dirt road, heading east off the main highway.
The water is only accessible by boat ramp for a few hours either side of high tide, so there was no time for stragglers on the water or on the road.
After a day of patchy rain, dark clouds, and big swells, everyone made it back to dry land for a well deserved rest.
Day Five was a 160km run from Stanage Bay to Mackay, that required riders to refuel on the water.
Everyone was weary from the 180km ride the day before but most riders backed up for the second big day in a row.
Day Six was the final run, a 130km leg from Mackay to Airlie Beach, followed by a 33km stretch to the picturesque Hamilton Island tourist resort.
By the end of the week, the 2019 Yamaha Variety Jet Trek had raised a total of $404,708 – after costs – the highest ever recorded for the event.
By comparison, in previous years Jet Trek raised $380,000 (in 2018) and $270,000 (in 2017).
Over two decades the Jet Ski event has raised more than $2 million – after costs – to buy computers and other special equipment that goes towards helping sick or disadvantaged kids.
