Experiencing the NRL Magic Round

On Thursday, 16th May, Civic’s first long-distance road trip left Sydney, heading to Brisbane for a weekend of footie!

In the latest adventure in Civic’s Get Away Program, the 14 holidaymakers were on their way to experience the NRL Magic Round – a football festival like no other. Over three action-packed days, eight Telstra Premiership games were set to light up Suncorp Stadium.

The road trip was full of laughter as they took in the sights along the way. A walk in Newcastle, dolphin spotting in Port Macquarie, and dinner in Coffs Harbour broke up the long drive.

After a good night’s sleep in their Brisbane hotel, it was time to get ready for the festivities. First up – breakfast. Damo, Keegan and Billy shopped for ingredients and cooked delicious breaky burgers for everyone.

Then, it was off to cheer on the Raiders and the Broncos in the opening games of Magic Round.

And Doc had come prepared, putting on the first of eight football jerseys he’d packed for the weekend!

The day was spent soaking up the atmosphere in the stadium, dancing and singing between games and enjoying friendly banter with other spectators.

Day three started with exploring Suncorp Precinct, where, to everyone’s excitement, some NRL greats were making their way around.

Once the group found their seats, Civic Staff member Damien pulled out a surprise Roosters Jersey for the Roosters vs. Sharks game, to the shock and laughter of Keegan, Dane, Billy, and Doc.

Who would come out on top? The Sharks were victorious, and there were many cheers from the group (well, most of them).

Sunday kicked off with a visit to Brisbane Markets, followed by breakfast in the sun at South Bank Beach.

Back at the stadium, it was time for the headline game: Wests Tigers vs. Dolphins.

As a Wests Tigers fan, Keegan was thrilled to find himself sitting next to the player tunnel. He was able to get photos with his favourite Wests players before watching them take the field.

Then, at halftime, Damo, Doc, and Keegan were invited for a once-in-a-lifetime experience: to go onto the field and do a lap, waving to the crowd. What more could a footie fan want?

The journey back to Sydney was spent recapping an unforgettable weekend and counting up the key stats.

Picking the winning team: