Buried Treasure Ahoy!

Now in its second year, the full-day event will see pirates of all ages batten down to dig for buried treasure deep in the sands of Newport Beach.

The beach will be divided up into age groups, and for $10 young maties can search for numbered tokens hidden in the sand that can be redeemed for age appropriate prizes. Every child will take home a prize.

There will also be sideshow games, a jumping castle, face-painting and arts and crafts for the kids set up around Newport’s Bert Payne Park.

Rotary volunteers will be cooking up a tasty sausage sizzle for all, while older seadogs are encouraged to try their luck at ‘Message in a Bottle’. For $25, they will be given a bottle with a note inside and be in the running to win an array of awesome prizes, including the opportunity to drive a BMW for the weekend.

Sand sculpture artist Newtown Bishop will be back for his second year and will this time host a workshop and competition, where locals can go head-to-head to create the ultimate sand masterpiece.

Pirate posses are encouraged to band together and dress in their pirate best to compete for the Best Dressed Pirate award.

“It’s a beach community, so this event is completely appropriate for the Northern Beaches,” Doug Elliott, media spokesperson for Rotary Club of Upper Northern Beaches says.

“People have been probably been away from the beaches through the winter, so by September they’re looking for an opportunity to get back to the beach again. What better way to return than playing in the sand for a Sunday afternoon?”

Funds gathered from the event will go towards the Rotary Club of Upper Northern Beaches’ charity efforts in the local community. This year, the club has a major focus on supporting mental health services, with the Big Dig raising money for the Be Centre, which offers counselling and play therapy to trauma affected children; Lifeline Northern Beaches and the Veterans Centre Sydney Northern Beaches, located in Dee Why.

“The idea of Rotary is to make the world a better place and we’re trying to do that a little bit a time, starting with our local area,” Doug says.

Registration begins at 9.30am on the day, with the fun continuing until 3pm. Tickets to each of the events can be purchased on-site at the park on the day or in advance at www.trybooking.com (search for ‘Big Dig’). Entry to the park is free.

The Rotary Club of Upper Northern Beaches’ Big Dig will be held on 15 September at Bert Payne Park, 394 Barrenjoey Road, Newport. For more information, phone 8005 0711 and rotaryuppernorthernbeaches.org