Permit me a few words on the choices Bill has made and to add a local's perspective!
With casual Friday lunch, very casual Sunday dinner and group buffet (Saturday cruise) already set, a sit down meal would appear to be a balanced option within the Ozfest agenda. However, not many places in Cairns offer both consistent value and the capacity to accommodate a relatively large group. The choice of venue meets the obvious selection criteria:
- ease of access to Hilton/Holiday Inn
- somewhere to enjoy the local Cairns surroundings
- consistently good food
- attractively priced drinks
- flexibility for those not dining with the group to join for pre-dinner drinks
The logistical realities of dealing with the number of people indicating interest in the dinner (provisionally about 40) both for the organisers and restaurant, encourage a balance between menu choice, price and payment arrangements.
Obviously, this is a different situation to a casual "bistro' style venue like Mondos (Friday lunch) where individuals can pay and order for their own food at the food counter.
Whereas this may not satisfy everyone's tastes, preferences or budget, it should enable the majority to enjoy a great night out! As a local, I think Bill has made some excellent choices in the face of a challenging "juggling act".
I might add that Bill has taken time out visiting Cairns (a 3-hour flight plus long drive for him) to sample different restaurants and bars to master the necessary local knowledge (with a bit of local facilitation from myself and Michael, especially where any eaqting and drinking research was involved!).