The unique Unfenced Asylum Challenge obstacle course is just one of the must-see entertainment events for visitors to watch – or participate in – during the 2025 Cooktown Discovery Festival. Photo: Facebook (Cooktown Discovery Festival).
It is one of Cape York’s most unique events, but a Cooktown Discovery Festival challenge bringing together the most random of activities is set to bring in a bumper crowd when the lid is lifted on pies, beers and a lot of running around on 21 June.
The West Coast Hotel’s Unfenced Asylum Challenge is a spectator highlight of the annual festival – we can’t say the same for some of the competitors who have come off second best against some of the challenge events – in which mixed teams of three take on an obstacle course on Charlotte Street, including a variety of activities designed to take down any who dare to challenge.
Hotel manager Tony Holmes said the inclusion of hobby horses would make this year’s instalment of the challenge more head scratching and hilarious than ever before.
“To start off, they have to skol a beer, and they have to pick up a rock and carry it, and then we have some pretend fishing rods and they’ve got to catch some fish in a barrel, and we’re going to make them run with hobby horses,” he said.
“They’ve also got to eat a pie, which is the Beef Destroyer; it really knocks them around, eating the pie, and then they got to skol a beer at the end again.”
Mr Holmes said with the beer skolling and running around, the Beef Destroyer often came back up, but it was all part of the fun.
“The girls, especially, are not good at it; after they eat the pie and run around and skol a beer, they’re the main ones that throw up,” he laughed.
Registrations are still open for the 2025 Unfenced Asylum Challenge, which can be done at the West Coast Hotel with a $30 team registration fee.
The annual Unfenced Asylum Challenge always draws a big crowd of both challengers and spectators. Photo: Facebook (Cooktown Discovery Festival).
