Queensland Cricket sailed into the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) First Nations Round, stepping onboard SeaLink South East Queensland's Minjerribah vessel, the vehicle bridge to North Stradbroke Island, hosting Australia's first ever floating big bash.

It was a cricketing spectacle like never before, ahead of the first WBBL First Nations Round at Allan Border Field on Friday, 17 November, with Brisbane Heat players, including Jess Jonassen, Grace Harris, and Mignon Du Preez, tackling a new skill - smashing a ball for six while floating in Brisbane's Moreton Bay.

A jetskier collected the stray balls that made the splash for a six off the vessel, with SeaLink South East Queensland General Manager, Ben Renwick perfecting a few swings himself.

“I am a huge fan of the Big Bash and so are many of our team and island community, so we all enjoyed seeing a big bash session in full swing while we floated across the bay.

“I think it was good practice for the team to have a crack under new training conditions, with a moving vessel testing their focus, stability and skills,” he said.

Queensland Cricket CEO Terry Svenson said the team were excited and proud to wear the newly designed First Nations jersey for the very first time.

“Being onboard Minjerribah, with its stunning Indigenous artwork, is a real highlight as we revealed the new First Nations uniforms, which have been curated by Brisbane Indigenous artist, Delores McDonald (“Aunty Delly”), and one of our own players, Mikayla Hinkley.”

SeaLink Marine & Tourism CEO Donna Gauci said it was important to contribute back to the local community and boost team morale after the lasting impacts of COVID.

“For us, fostering sustainable tourism is more than transporting people to brilliant experiences - it is also about investing in the local community while respecting the local culture and its rich history.

“What an honour it was to bring the women's big bash team to the Redlands and our crew had an incredible time watching the players in action onboard.

“It also marked a significant highlight for us, with the collaboration taking place on our beautifully decorated Minjerribah vessel that connects to Quandamooka Country,” said Gauci.

The Weber Women's Big Bash League is currently underway with the Brisbane Heat third on the table with three games remaining, two points behind top-ranked Perth Scorchers. They are level on 14 points with second-ranked Adelaide Strikers. The Heat next play the Stars in Melbourne on Sunday 26 November.

Visit www.sealink.com.au for more information.

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SeaLink Marine & Tourism is part of the Kelsian Group, Kelsian is Australia's largest integrated multi-modal transport provider and tourism operator, with established bus operations in Australia, Singapore, London and the Channel Islands. Kelsian provides essential journeys for our customers by delivering safe and intelligent transport solutions designed to improve the sustainability and liveability of the communities we serve.

Kelsian has over 30 years' experience delivering tourism and passenger transport services. The Group is a leader in sustainable public transport as the operator of Australia's largest zero emission bus fleet and Australia's largest electrified bus depot.

As at 30 June 2023, Kelsian directly employs over 11,000 people and operates over 4,800 buses, 113 vessels and 24 light rail vehicles that delivered more than 274 million customer journeys over the last year. (www.kelsian.com).