There aren’t too many open water swims where you get to line up surrounded by the lush rainforest of the Atherton Tablelands. The Crater Lake Classic Open Water Swim returns to beautiful Lake Barrine, bringing swimmers together for a morning of freshwater swimming in one of North Queensland’s most picturesque locations.

Hosted by the Cairns Mudcrabs Masters Swimming Club, the Crater Lake Classic has become a much-loved event on the North Queensland swimming calendar. With 750m, 1.5km and 3km distances available, there’s an option whether you’re looking for a shorter morning dip or keen to settle into a longer swim.

All three distances use the same 750m loop course, so it’s simply a matter of choosing how many laps you’d like to take on. Swim one lap for 750m, two for 1.5km or four for the full 3km.

And then there’s the location. Lake Barrine swaps ocean swell and salt water for the calm surrounds of a volcanic crater lake, with rainforest reaching almost to the water’s edge. It makes for a very different open water experience and a pretty spectacular backdrop for a Sunday morning swim.

Whether you’re coming up from Cairns, travelling across the Tablelands or making the trip from further afield, the Crater Lake Classic is a great excuse to gather your swim mates and make a morning of it.

Come for the swim, stay for the Tablelands.