The Carnivale is over for the captivating Wonderland Spiegeltent, the powers behind the authentic 1920s Spiegeltent at Dixie Park, saying the fallout from Cyclone Jasper and road closures on the eve of their 2024 season delivered an unrecoverable hit.

“This year, while fulfilling the last year of our contract for the Port Douglas Carnivale 2024, we were significantly impacted by the repercussions of Cyclone Jasper, as were all businesses in the Shire,’’ Wonderland Presents’ Melissa Head said.

“We were down 70 per cent in presales in February, and road closures announced to begin on May 8 forced us to cancel eight shows, resulting in a loss of 2000 tickets.

“The road closure on May 8 worsened this severe life-changing blow to our business and the 2024 season, our heavy reliance on customers from Cairns and beyond, especially for the shows we programmed outside of Carnivale week, leaving us with a hit from which we could not recover.’’

She added that as this was the last year of the Wonderland contract, they were deemed by powers to be ineligible and unworthy of the Tourism Recovery Package funded by the Queensland and Australian governments. This package was allocated to Port Douglas Carnivale and all future Port Douglas events and to drive ticket sales to Savannah in the Round in October.

 “On September 19, five months after our new proposal was submitted, we received an email stating: ‘We have considered your proposal for the Spiegeltent Port Douglas Carnivale and concluded that we will not be pursuing your proposal or offers further’.

“No reason was provided, and there was no consultation regarding our proposal,’’ Melissa said.

“So, after eight years, the Douglas Shire deemed this one-line email a sufficient response.’’

Wonderland Presents suggested the economic impact the production brings to the Douglas Shire region annually is 4000 people in 10 days and more than $1 million in the economy for accommodation, overnight stays, and restaurants.

“Although we successfully navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 years, the exceedingly harsh economic climate we've faced over the past 12 months and the hit from Cyclone Jasper in Far North QLD have made it impossible to continue our operations,’’ Melissa said.

“As a result, we have decided to pause and reset our activities.

“We are based in the Far North and are seeking sponsorship from the arts and tourism sectors in Queensland and Interstate for when we return, landing in a city nearby in the future and a regional tour, Wonderland Under the Stars, so we look forward to seeing our patrons again to enjoy the Magic of Wonderland.

“We wish Port Douglas Carnivale all the best. Thank you to the Port Douglas community, businesses, artists, local and interstate patrons, and all our Port Douglas friends. The past eight years have been incredible because of you. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.’’

Raine & Horne, one of Australasia’s most prominent real estate networks, has been honoured with the prestigious 2024 Innovation Award at the inaugural APAC RE:Visionary Awards, presented by MRI Software in Sydney on Thursday, 8 August, were held at the prestigious Hilton Hotel.

Founded in 1971, MRI Software is a global leader in real estate software solutions. It is backed by over five decades of experience and a deep commitment to helping clients achieve a competitive advantage through cutting-edge technology and a strong partner ecosystem.

The awards recognise MRI Software clients and partners who have harnessed the software provider’s open and connected software ecosystem to drive innovation and elevate their businesses. The awards cover four categories: PropTech Influencer, Innovation, Ambassador of the Year, and Partner of the Year.

Raine & Horne’s recognition as the 2024 Innovation Award recipient highlights the super brand’s commitment to embracing cutting-edge technology to address industry challenges and enhance its operations. The real estate super brand has been a long-standing MRI Software client and has experienced significant recent growth, adding over 90 offices to its office networks in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji in the last 18 months.