Targa Great Barrier Reef Rally
Targa Great Barrier Reef is not only one of the easiest tarmac rally events you can participate in, but a perfect holiday destination. It runs over three days around Cairns where each day starts and ends in the same location. Simple for logistics and a great holiday break in Far North Queensland with coastal and hinterland driving stages.
Targa tour or competition entry for any level of experience
Targa Great Barrier Reef is one of the newest tarmac rally events in Australia. The first rally was in 2018 and it delivers a spectacular mix of coastal roads, lush rainforest runs and hinterland mountain passes. It is one of the best targa rally events for beginners. This tarmac rally runs for three days driving a diverse mix of roads from flowing mountain passes to challenging hill climbs. This event has really easy logistics to manage as it starts and ends in Cairns each day
If you are interested in trying a Targa Great Barrier Reef Rally for the first time we make it really easy for you by running an exclusive tour for Lotus owners. You drive on the same closed roads as the competition cars but in a controlled speed with our tour leader.
For those interested in the competitive classes, we provide support for TSD, GT Sports Trophy and open GT2Â classes. We can help with your vehicle build through to roadside rally support.
Fun and inclusive
“Just wanted to say what an awesome time I had over the weekend. Great to meet so many nice people and hear all your stories.
The Lotus team were simply amazing and made the whole Targa experience even better knowing they are there to help with everything.”
Winning pedigree
We have helped numerous crews achieve amazing results at Targa rally events in all classes. A Lotus is considered one of the best cars to use at Targa and has won TSD, GT Sports Trophy and GT2 classes in recent years.
"What can I say that hasn’t already been said .... thanks to Richard, Lee and all the guys from Lotus for the hard work.
The catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, awesome roads in great cars.
A special shoutout to the flat mates in K2-05 and lastly to Graham and Margarita for their company and generosity in sharing the car with me.
To living the Lotus Lifestyle."
"Great few days. Great company. Great support.
Your more than welcome back Lucas. And as a driver I can't put it too lightly how much we rely on the Nav. Awesome job from my Nav, Scott. Hats off to the Navs."
TARGA GREAT BARRIER REEF RALLY EVENT DETAILS
WHAT MAKES THIS EVENT UNIQUE?
- Easy to manage 3 tarmac rally event
- Amazing closed roads & scenery
- Roadside support during the Rally
- Logistics & accomodation managed for you
- Group dinner functions
- Drive together with other Lotus enthusiasts
LOCATIONS
Cairns, Queensland, Victoria, Australia.
You start and finish each day in Cairns which makes rally logistics very simple.Â
WHAT IS REQUIRED?
Lotus Tour – For those doing the Lotus Tour you basically need a road registered vehicle, CAMS license, a few safety items & a sense of adventure – it is that simple.
Targa Competition – there are different requirements for each class & we can help step you through the requirements.
EVENT COST​
Lotus Tour from $5,950 INC GST
To reserve your place a $600 application fee is required
TSD, GT Sports Trophy & GT2 pricing will vary depending on the requirements.
HOW DOES TARGA RALLY RUN?
- We meet together in Cairns on the day prior to sort out event registration & pre-event vehicle checks.
- There is a group welcome dinner on the night before the rally begins.
- The rally runs the following 3 days to and from Cairns.
- There is a group dinner each night and lunch provided during the day.
- Accomodation is in Cairns.
- When the event is finished some people stay on to visit the Daintree Rainforest or the Great Barrier Reef.
ITINERARY
Targa Great Barrier Reef will travel through unique landscapes around Cairns from lush rainforest, wide open farmland, rugged coastlines and amazing mountain passes. These are sure to become iconic rally stages in some of the most picturesque parts of Australia where the reef meets the rainforest. All your accommodation, meals and logistics will be handled by our Tour Leader. We will follow the Competition Classes and stay in the dedicated rally locations, so you get to soak up the atmosphere of the event.
A typical itinerary will look like;
Day 1| Travel & arrive in Cairns, Welcome dinner
Day 2| Docs & scrutineering, Group dinner
Day 3| Rally – Overnight in Cairns, Group dinner
Day 4| Rally – Overnight in Cairns, Group dinner
Day 5| Rally – Overnight in Cairns, Farewell dinner
Day 6| Return home
ELIGIBILITY
Each entry is for 2 people consisting of Driver & Co-driver. Both must have a minimum of a Level 2 non-speed event CAMS licence, available online.
Not required for the Tour Class: Driving suits, helmets, special apparel, roll cages, and slick tyres.
Generally speaking, a road registered vehicle can participate.
All vehicles must have:
First aid kit
An oil spill kit -1kg of kitty litter will suffice
2 x Safety triangles
Working OBD port to use the Rally Safe Unit
INCLUSIONS
– An exclusive group of Lotus sportscar owners driving together
– The Lotus Tour packet will be led by a Tour Leader
– Lotus Tour Manager to assist with the logistics
– Lotus Cars mechanics to assist with the car
– Targa Tour class entry for Driver and Co-Driver
– 4 nights’ accommodation, twin share including breakfast
– 4 night dinner & beverage package for Driver and Co-Driver
– Lunch on each full day of the competition (Fri, Sat, Sun) for Driver and Co-Driver
– Tour Drive Leader who drives all the stages and will aid if needed
– Road Books for all stages and touring stages
– Rally safe rental (all vehicles must have)
– Targa Competitor Lanyards and official ‘Invitation to compete’
– Participation of each stage of the event
– Targa finishers Medallion for Driver and Co-Driver (upon completion of the event)
A detailed itinerary and daily update information sheets to accompany your road notes. This will include destination addresses for car nav systems, fuel service plan and a complete contact list of all fellow Lotus Tour competitors
BOOKING ENQUIRIES OR QUESTIONS
VIDEOS ABOUT TARGA RALLY EVENTS
See what other people think about Targa
Learn more about a Targa Tour with Lotus
How to go from Tour to Competition
Targa competition driver interviews​
"Thanks to all in the Lotus family. It’s not just the driving, although that was fantastic.
The boys at Lotus are a class act. Cheerfulness and professionalism never flag.
We are lucky to have such a solid support team."
"Congrats to the Lotus Cars team.
This is the sort of activation and involvement from which much larger brands could and should take inspiration.
Fantastic opportunity for owners to enjoy their cars and use them as they are meant to be..."
TARGA GREAT BARRIER REEF TOUR BOOKINGS
Doing the Lotus Tour at Targa Great Barrier Reef is one of the easiest ways to experience this event. Everything is taken care of for you & you don’t need a roll cage, helmet or any experience – just come along and drive on amazing closed roads with other enthusiasts.
TARGA GREAT BARRIER REEF RALLY RACING COMPETITION ENTRY
If you are interested in trying the competitive rally racing classes at Targa Great Barrier Reef we can help you. Our team can get you & your care prepared for TSD, GT Sports Trophy and GT / Outright classes. Our team can do everything from vehicle modifications to event management so you can compete in Targa.
REVIEWS ABOUT OUR TARGA TARMAC RALLY EVENTS
“Hi all. Just wanted to say what an awesome time I had over the weekend. Great to meet so many nice people and hear all your stories. The SSC team were simply amazing and made the whole experience even better knowing they are there to help with everything. The dinners and accommodation were perfect. And lastly to Justin. Mate I had a ball. Not once was I worried about your driving or speed and you did a amazing job. I have caught the bug and will be back whenever you want me. As I said, it is the most fun you can have with your pants on.”
– Lucas
“What can I say that hasn’t already been said …. thanks to Richard, Lee and all the guys from SSC for the hard work. The catching up with old friends and meeting new ones, awesome roads in great cars. A special shoutout to the flat mates in K2-05 and lastly to Graham and Margarita for their company and generosity in sharing the car with me. To living the Lotus Lifestyle.”
– Leigh
“Bit disappointed to find my windscreen still covered in (cheap) champagne this morning. For that reason I can only give the SSC team 11 out of 10 for the weekend. Brilliant, brilliant holiday. Thanks everyone for being part of it. See you next year!”
– Mike
“And do you know Lee and the boys also fix spectacles as well as Lotus’ ? Mine broke on the Jamieson stage, we pull into the SSC van beside the road in a panic and within 30 secs they have my specs fixed and we are back in the rally !!”
– Giles
“i would love to thank everyone for their ongoing appreciatiation and smiles. Its my first targa since first listening to my old man rave about it all in a bmw team, then watching several crews go out without me since working for ssc. But ive had an absolute blast watching everyone come in to my stations with massive smiles and minimal problems. Its almost a holiday for me so thank you to everyone for being the people and the community you are that makes weeks likes this beyond imagination for the lil mechanic apprentices like myself. I dont have enough appreciation cookies to go round but thank you and congradulations to the lotus family. This community is truely a dream come true and we’re gonna all keep going till we’re at the top.”
– Alastair
“…thanks a million again for such an awesome weekend. Giles (Dad) sends his best from the drivers seat!!”
– Ashton
“Many thanks to the SSC team for another incredible THC event. Thanks to everyone for the wonderful company, we look forward to doing it all again next year.”
– Mel & Gino
“Thanks all, especially my mate and driving instructor, Honkie. Margarita and I had a great time with great people”
– Graham
“Great few days. Great company. Great support. Your more than welcome back Lucas. And as a driver I can’t put it too lightly how much we rely on the Nav. Awesome job from my Nav, Scott. Hats off to the Navs.”
– Mark
“I think I will sleep well tonight after such a top weekend.”
– Giles
“It’s been a great weekend. Look forward to next time.”
– Vicky
“I don’t think I’ve ever had so much fun, every one was awesome!”
– Gemma
“Vicky and i thoroughly enjoyed the Tour but even more, everyone’s friendship and company. Looking forward to next year.”
– Eddie
“Thank you SSC crew, fantastic experience with amazing people!”
– Chris and Sonia
“Thanks to all in the Lotus family. It’s not just the driving, although that was fantastic . The boys at SSC are a class act. Cheerfulness and professionalism never flag. We are lucky to have such a solid support team.”
– Hartley
“From Maria and I, Overwhelmed at how awesome the Lotus community is. Massive thanks to our friends at SSC, will miss you all until next time, be safe.”
– Carl & Maria
“…just a quick note to say it was such a pleasure to drive with so many spirited Lotus owners. A real privilege to be amongst you all, very pleased we have returned with straight cars and some extra ballast.”
– Brett
“Congrats to the Lotus Cars team. This is the sort of activation and involvement from which much larger brands could and should take inspiration. Fantastic opportunity for owners to enjoy their cars and use them as they are meant to be…”
– Mike
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TARGA RALLYS
Targa Australia events are tarmac road rallies that use closed public roads for each stage. In between each stage all participants drive on public roads to reach the next starting point. Some dirt or debris may be on the road in some sections depending on local conditions.
Yes, we bring our Mechanic & Engineering Crew to the rally and have them placed at strategic locations to provide assistance as required. The team are also available at the end of each day at the overnight stops.
Targa Australia allow spectators at specific locations on the rally during the event. It may be difficult to reach those locations depending on the timing of road closures.
Using a navigator is a requirement to enter. For the Lotus Tour the driver and navigator can share the driving. The Tour doesn’t require any experience when it comes to navigating and we provide a Tour lead car that everyone follows so that you don’t get lost.
In competition classes a navigator is a crucial element to how well the team performs. For TSD they will be calculating time, speed and distance calculations. In GT Sports Trophy or GT2 they will be calling pace notes which are critical for safety and speed.
No experience is necessary to do a Targa Rally. We would recommend all first timers to participate in the Lotus Tour for your first rally so that you get a feel for how it all works. Then you can progress to TSD or GT Sports Trophy. Many people do the Tour multiple times as they enjoy it so much.
The safety requirements for Targa rally events will very depending on which class you are participating in.
We would suggest contacting your Insurance Provider and checking the details of your policy. Some providers may provide coverage for a single event.
No, unfortunately it isn’t, but we organise our stops to ensure you don’t run out of fuel. Our service crew will carry fuel for emergency situations.
In the Tour you can wear casual clothing as long as your legs and arms are covered. For competition classes there are different requirements and typically you need a helmet & race suit which we can easily help you source.