Drowning under the chaos of three small children, I often use social media as a form of escapism (not for too long, I promise).

It’s easy to sink into my couch during midday naps and get away from nappies, crying two-year-olds and two little boys who set up a WWE on the trampoline with my couch cushions.

This weekend, it was hard to miss the glitz and glamour of Hamilton Island Race Week. So much so, I wondered if the rise and rise of this event is North Australia’s answer to the glitz and glamour of events like the Melbourne Cup, F1, and the Australian Open.

If you haven’t been living under a rock, the commercialisation of the Australian Open has been phenomenal to watch. New and youthful sponsors, fashion and entertainment has created a culture well beyond the interest of tennis, and people head there just to seen drinking Aperol Spritz with their friends and get a photo for Instagram. Australia’s retailers are designing entire capsules around the Australian Open, and ‘tennis core’ flooded our feeds and shopping centres.

Hamilton Island Race Week © Salty Dingo 2025

So this weekend watching the cleverly curated and executed feeds of Hamilton Island Race Week felt all too familiar.

We saw Australian influencers like former Miss Australia Olivia Molly Rogers travel to Hamilton Island and flaunt a series of gorgeous outfits to suit not just the occasion but our incredible weather. Her sheer polka dot maxi and matching headscarf was resort wear at its finest, and we saw long tables decorated with tropical motifs against the backdrop of North Queensland.

Similarly, makeup giant Mecca activated the space, and flew up influencers like TikTok fashion star Mattie Gouman whose online coverage of the event was second to none. Her style, more often suited to the streets of Melbourne perfectly translated to the tropics. The theme of her first night was ‘Elegant Resort’ and she donned a gorgeous Roame strapless sequin maxi dress. A quick dash to the beach saw her wearing a Soleil Soleil dress with a straw bag and Gucci slides. On a sea plane trip, she wore a vibrant pink Zara set. Head to her TikTok and you can see the full and fab lineup.

Mecca set up shop at this year’s Hamilton Island Race Week.

Long gone was the black and beiges of Melbourne, and it’s like the colours of North Australia that we wear and love year-round is finally being discovered by the rich and famous of Melbourne, and I welcome it with open arms.

The injection of money into North Australia by the likes of mega sponsors like American Express and Mecca is a great sign, and it brings money and awareness to our regions. Sure, Hamilton Island has visitors like Elton John but these events open up spaces for a more youthful crowd willing to spend their money and travel even with no interest in the actual sport.

Mark my words, this event will just keep growing and growing, and it won’t be long before every influencer in Melbourne and Sydney will want a ticket to this event to get them out of dreary, cold Melbourne and tell us what we already know – North Australia is the place to be.

So, where do I get my 2026 media pass?

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