Noosa Jazz Festival

1ST-4TH September 2011

The 2011 Noosa Jazz Festival will celebrate 19 years of bringing the cream of Australian and international jazz talent to Noosa. This year's theme will be "Jazz Party", with a bevy of Australia's best jazz musicians coming together in a spontaneous combustion of traditional jazz at Bicentennial Hall, followed by a stream of swing, modern, funk and blues in Hastings Street and the Festival Village. With open-air concerts, exclusive performances, jazz feature-shows and daily free gigs, visitors can experience a huge variety of jazz.

Events include the Welcome Night in the tradition of the Noosa Jazz Party, Tastings on Hastings, Legends Lunch, Youth Jazz, Jazz in the Woods and a Fringe Music program. Performers include Bob Barnard, Dan Barnett, Jo Bloomfield, Allan Browne, Geoff Bull, Dave Burrows, Derek Capewell, Jason Downes, Peter Gaudion, Mike Hawthorn, Brett Iggulden, Peter Locke, Michael McQuaid, Harry Price, Ian Smith. There are river cruises with Satin Bowerbirds & The Blue Pegs, Paul Robert Burton Trio, Feel the Manouche with George Washingmachine, Jazz Factory & Friends and Fem Belling & The Joe Ruberto Trio. (www.visitnoosa.com.au)  

Australian PGA Championship 

24th-27th November 2011

Greg Norman and fellow Queenslander Jason Day will join big-hitting international player world #13 Bubba Watson at the 2011 Australian PGA Championship at Hyatt Regency Coolum on the Sunshine Coast from November 24-27. In what is shaping up as the biggest season yet for the PGA Tour of Australasia, the world-class trio makes up the first of many player announcements for the annual event. Hyatt Regency Coolum has been home of the 106-year-old tournament since 2002.

The 72 par course has challenged many champions, including Peter Senior who currently holds the Kirkwood Cup after his thrilling win in a play-off with Geoff Ogilvy in 2010.  And you can tee-off behind the greats. Golfers have the chance to play Hyatt Regency Coolum's 6137m golf course, designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr. Tee-off immediately after the 2011 Australian PGA Championship, on Monday November 28, with the tees and pin positions in place from the previous days final round. Cost is $170 per player and includes a shared motorised cart, competition entry and BBQ after the round.  Following Monday's round, golf fanatics can re-live all 4 days of the championship tournament by playing a special course set up from Tuesday November 29 to Friday December 2. The course will feature the same tee and pin configurations confronting the pros in the PGA Championship. (www.visitnoosa.com.au)