B Kinder Day took place across Australia on the 22nd June, with local schools and businesses across the region participating in events over the last few weeks.
B Kinder Day celebrates the life of 12-year-old Billie Kinder, who tragically lost her life in a horse-riding incident in May 2016. Billie is known as an extraordinary girl who had the gift of giving.
Billie’s legacy has become one of kindness. Billies mum and CEO and Founder of B Kinder, Danny Mason-Kinder, created the foundation and B Kinder Day to empower and inspire others, spread kindness and combat bullying within schools.
This year, every school in the Whitsundays celebrated B Kinder day, with the recent additions of Proserpine Kindergarten, Proserpine High School and now Proserpine Primary School.
The Lions Club got involved again this year, providing B Kinder cards for Cannonvale State school, for the children to write messages of kindness:
Some of the businesses and groups that got involved were Fat Frog Cafe, Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network, Proserpine Vet, Subway (who provided cookies for the Under 8’s day in Bowen), Milwaukee, BIG4 Adventure Whitsundays and Tennis Whitsunday.
When speaking about Tennis Whitsundays, Danny mentioned how it was “fantastic to have a sporting club” involved this year.
Danny also mentioned all the individuals who celebrated the day personally:
“We have a lot of friends up there, so I know a lot of people did it personally.”
B Kinder Ambassador, Tessa Jolley, visited Proserpine High School, where Danny said Tessa had a “really good talk with them.”
Danny said it was hard to pick a highlight from the year as, “the level of engagement every year gets better and better.”
“I think it's become something that's really embedded in the calendar now every year, and the schools look forward to it, it's a really nice day for the kids to engage and connect with each other, and it's just a really lovely, positive day.”
Individuals in the schools and businesses have started dressing up in rainbow colours and being creative with the photos they take:
“This year it's become a little bit of a thing that all the kids dress up in different colours in their classes and then they make human rainbows.”
Some of the community has been using drones to take their pictures while others have positioned themselves to write the “words B Kind or made human rainbow colours,” Danny enthused.
Danny wanted to thank everyone who got involved this year:
“The support of B Kinder and Billie’s legacy, is huge, especially in her home town, it means so much to us that everyone still thinks of Billie and keeps getting involved, it's amazing”

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B Kinder Day at Fat Frog Café over the weekend
B Kinder Ambassador, Tessa Jolley, visited Proserpine High School
Children get involved at Tennis Whitsundays
B Kinder Day at BIG4 Adventure Whitsundays
Prossie High love getting involved with B Kinder Day each year

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Photos supplied

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An impressive 49 local tourism operators have taken part in the Whitsunday Healthy Heart Project (WHHP) and committed to measuring their operational carbon footprint, gaining an understanding of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions sources, and adopting a plan to reduce emissions where possible.
A major source of emissions from the tourism sector is via the consumption of electrical power, and as of May 2024, almost 50% of all emissions measured in the tourism sector are from electricity.
Tourism businesses have been investigating practical ways to reduce their electricity consumption or offset their emissions and one of the simplest ways is via the purchase of clean renewable energy certificates.
While many tourism businesses would like to use an onsite clean energy solution, such as solar to reduce their emissions, the capital upfront cost, limited capacity to satisfy required power needs and the difficulty of installing solar systems on leased properties make the potential of purchasing clean renewable energy an attractive proposition.
Climate Change Resilience Officer Lee Hawkins, “Choosing to invest in renewable energy provides several benefits to tourism businesses including supporting Australian renewables, reducing operational emissions, and increasing their green ratings.”
In the Whitsundays, clean and renewable energy certificates can be purchased from Ergon Energy. The purchase of the certificates enables funds to be directed towards renewable energy projects located all over regional Queensland.
Tourism businesses that subscribe to purchase 10% or more of clean energy, may also be entitled to tell their customers that they are doing their bit to reduce GHG emissions by displaying the GreenPower logo on company signage and marketing material.
To purchase clean energy certificates only takes a few minutes and you can cancel at any time without penalty- simply contact the Ergon Clean Energy team on 1300 135 210

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From the 7-14th July, the Whitsundays will be full of festivities to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The week of fun includes the Welcome to Whales Festival inclusive of a traditional formal welcoming to the whales by the traditional owners. Also included in the itinerary is a flag-raising ceremony and march that will take place on Monday in both Bowen and Proserpine.
Festivities will conclude with a NAIDOC family fun day in Bowen, which is set to be a day of celebrations with food, music, art, traditional dance, games, recognition of local indigenous leaders and achievers, arts and crafts, face painting and market stalls.
In addition to the week of events organised by NAIDOC, the Whitsunday Regional Libraries are also hosting NAIDOC week activities.
In Bowen library you can pick up your free bracelet activity pack from Monday 8 July to Saturday 13 July. They encourage you to take one home and enjoy a fun activity connecting with nature.
Collinsville, Proserpine and Cannonvale libraries are all hosting NAIDOC story times. Collinsville Library is hosting theirs on Wednesday 10 July at 9:30 am, Proserpine on Tuesday 9 July at 10:30 am and Cannonvale on Thursday 11 July at 10:30 am. Proserpine library is also putting on a ‘Little Library Play,’ as part of their story time.
Head along to any of the events to celebrate with NAIDOC and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is set to be a fantastic, enlightening week of activities.
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WHAT: NAIDOC Week
WHEN: 7-14 July

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NAIDOC Week celebrations at St Catherine’s Catholic College last year. Photo credit: Mackay and Whitsunday Life Newspaper

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Last week the annual Coffee with a Cop event was held in Cannonvale. The event takes place to encourage the community to talk to local police officers and share a coffee with them. The officers encourage locals to come and speak about any police matters or even just general day to day issues they may have.
The police were giving out free vouchers for the community to grab a coffee from a selection of vendors at the plaza. The coffees were sponsored by the plaza management. The event ran from 10am to 12pm and Sergeant Billy Li mentioned by 11:30am they had already given out 100 coffee vouchers.
“We started at 10 o'clock and it finishes at midday. So, we've been talking to a lot of people,” Billy stated.
There were eight police officers available to talk to at the event, and also some members from Police-Citizens Youth Clubs (PCYC) an award-winning charity providing youth and community programs, services and facilities.
Billy wanted to also mention PCYC, and promote the programs they currently have with them. Including ‘Braking the Cycle,’ a volunteer driver mentor program designed to support learner drivers without access to a supervisor or registered vehicles to complete their logbook hours. The aim of the program is to provide young people with increased employment opportunities, community connection and driver education.
Lots of people gathered at the stalls to speak with officers while having a cup of coffee, and taking pictures of the police cars they had on display.

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Local Police Officers were ready to have a coffee with the public at a special event held in Cannonvale this week. Photo supplied

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The Bowen Community Centre is thrilled to announce the overwhelming success of its very first Gala, an event inspired by the urgent need for funding to sustain the Tucker Box Shop and Tucker Box Kitchen programs.

These vital services feed approximately 2,000 singles and families annually without any government support or fees and they are essential to the Bowen community.

The idea for the Gala was sparked by the Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre's release of their Investment Guide, which highlighted innovative fundraising strategies.

This motivated the Bowen Community Centre to not only raise funds but also secure pledges from local businesses for the next four years, ensuring the sustainability and growth of these crucial programs.

The event surpassed all expectations, raising significantly more than their initial goal.

The generosity and support from the community was truly remarkable and demonstrated a shared commitment to helping those in need.

With this success, the Gala is set to become a biannual fixture, further solidifying its role in supporting the community.

Bowen Community Centre would like to extend their deepest gratitude to North Queensland Bulk Ports for their sponsorship and for sharing their vision, making this night not only successful but now a regular occurrence.

Their support has been invaluable in ensuring the continued operation of the Tucker Box Shop and Kitchen.

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Mayor Ry Collins with his wife Melanie
Greg Pollard, Mark Steen, Stephanie Cora and Anne Steen, Sue Shearing, Jill Brabon, Star Lowry, Lauren Miller, and Councillor John Finlay who was the Emcee for the night.

Photos supplied

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Mark your diaries for Whitsundays Chamber of Commerce and Industry business events for August.
 
Connecting businesses and job seekers
10am-12:30pm Thursday 1 August, TAFE Whitsunday Campus, Cannonvale
Held in conjunction with the Chamber, TAFE Queensland, and the Queensland Department of Employment, Small Business, and Training this free event will showcase workforce and training programs and services available to local businesses, school leavers, and job seekers.
 
Pop Up Chamber with Porters Mitre 10
9am-11am Thursday 8 August, 2 Carlo Drive, Cannonvale
Drop in and share morning smoko BBQ, coffee, giveaways, and more at this Pop Up Chamber co-hosted with Porters Mitre 10. This is an informal gathering of business owners and the Chamber and Porters Mitre 10 team where you can drop in, learn more about businesses in the region, get up-to-date on Chamber developments.
Pop Up Chamber is a free event for all.
 
Vision for the Whitsundays key findings launch
7:30am-9am Thursday 15 August, TAFE Whitsunday Campus, Cannonvale
Last year the Chamber engaged the region’s trades, small business, commerce and industry to articulate an economic vision for the Whitsundays that is shaped ‘for business, by business’.
Join the Chamber for the release of their Vision for the Whitsundays project, where key insights and recommendations for our economic future will be discussed.
Registrations open soon. Visit the Chamber’s website for more information: www.whitsundaycoastchamber.com.au

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As we navigate through the complexities of a post-COVID-19 world, the importance of domestic tourism to our region cannot be overstated.

With the latest figures indicating that domestic tourism numbers are experiencing a slowdown nationally, it is even more crucial that the Council owned and operated Whitsunday Coast Airport (WCA) remains a crucial gateway for driving tourism into our beautiful region.

Under the guidance of our Director of Commercial Businesses, Craig Turner, Whitsunday Coast Airport (WCA) has been instrumental in delivering record numbers of visitors to the Whitsundays providing key connectivity and access to our world-renowned destinations.

It is exciting that the growth has been consistent over a number of years since 2021 where 280,000 passengers passed through the terminal to a record 477,490 in 22/23 and we are tipped to crack the magic 500,000 barrier for 23/24.

The strategic importance of a high functioning airport cannot be overstated, as it not only supports the tourism industry but also boosts our local economy and creates jobs for our community.

The Whitsunday Coast Airport's role extends beyond just tourism. It is a vital link for business travel and freight, ensuring that our region remains connected and competitive.
WCA opened its Freight Distribution Centre in April 2023, and the volume of freight has grown significantly as other airlines commenced freight up lift.

Freight includes live seafood and produce, pets and animals, unaccompanied baggage, valuable possessions or custom cargo, and everything in between!

The airport's ongoing expansion and upgrade plans are set to further enhance its capacity and facilities, positioning it as a leading regional airport in Australia.

Whitsunday Regional Council recently conducted community consultation to seek input to update the WCA Masterplan from 2015 to support the development and expansion of the airport following significant growth in passenger numbers and aircraft traffic.

This updated masterplan is now complete, has been quantity surveyed for costings and is now a shovel ready project which I will be advocating for at Federal and State Government levels.

The last terminal upgrade was completed in 2019 and was designed to cater for a decade of growth but such has been the rapid growth of passenger numbers the terminal has hit capacity in less than 5 years.

Our focus as a Council must be on leveraging the strengths of the Whitsunday Coast Airport to attract more visitors. The WCA team have been proactive in this regard leveraging their partnership with Bishopp Advertising to deliver strategically placed billboards promoting flights to region in key CBD locations in Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba giving our airport exposure to domestic and international tourists.

The airport's commitment to excellence in service and its strategic importance as a transportation hub are key drivers in maintaining the airport's operations and ensuring that our region remains accessible and attractive to visitors.

A big pat on the back to Craig and his dedicated team at Whitsunday Coast Airport for their hard work and commitment.

As we look to the future, it is vital that we continue to support and invest in the Whitsunday Coast Airport. Together, we can ensure that our region remains a top destination for domestic and international tourists alike, driving economic growth and prosperity for our Whitsunday region.

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Last week Industry Development & Trade Manager of Tourism Whitsundays Cait Fleming, travelled all around the East Coast of Australia and Adelaide to educate retail travel agents and product managers all about what the Whitsundays has to offer.

She had the privilege of travelling all over the East Coast and Adelaide with 17 other Whitsundays operators.

“We were on the road to educate retail travel agents and product managers on the variety of experiences and accommodation on offer in The Whitsundays,” she explained.

“As a collective we visited Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Gold Coast and Brisbane in four days, speaking to nearly 300 agents and product managers in each location.  
 
“At every event, it was great to see agents we've worked with extensively as a region and new agents who have never been to The Whitsundays.  
 
“As a region, it's essential for us to do these trade engagement activities both in Australia and overseas to ensure agents stay familiar with The Whitsundays, keeping us as a prime destination in people's minds when planning their holidays.”
 
If you are interested in working with Trade, please reach out to me on cait.fleming@tourismwhitsundays.com.au - I want to help you grow your business and help to promote your products to a wider audience. 
 
Contributed by Cait Fleming, Industry Development & Trade Manager  

17 Whitsundays operators participated in the East Coast Trade Show and spoke to 300 agents in four days. Photo supplied

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When you choose to bank with Bendigo Community Bank Cannonvale-Proserpine good things happen in our community.
Over the past eight years, the locally owned and operated Bendigo Community Bank has supported a range of regional not-for-profit organisation activities by investing just over $201,500.
This year alone, the Branch has provided nominal sponsorship funds to sporting clubs, community groups, and regional events. Most weekends, Whitsunday locals will also see the Branch’s fully equipped BBQ Community Trailer out and about.
“Our ability to invest back into the community that supports us is based on our unique Bendigo Community Bank ‘profit-with-a-purpose’ model. A percentage of profit generated by our branch goes back into the Whitsundays community. The more the community banks with us, the greater the investment back can become” said Community Bank Cannonvale-Proserpine Chairman Mark Henry.
The Branch recognises and celebrates our volunteers, the lifeblood of our local sporting clubs, community and not-for-profit groups, arts and culture scene.
“Volunteers are the driving force of our community. Often unsung heroes, putting in the hours and freely giving their expertise so the rest of us can engage and enjoy the activities and programs they provide.  We acknowledge their passion and commitment and encourage everyone to consider volunteering – there are so many opportunities available to get involved, find a meaningful role, and make a difference,” said Mark.
Bendigo Community Bank Cannonvale-Proserpine are proud sponsor a number of up-and-coming events and look forward to seeing everyone there:
   • Airlie Beach Triathlon (27 & 28 July, Coral Sea Marina).
   • The Great Barrier Reef Festival (1-4 August, Airlie Beach).
   • The Great Barrier Reef Festival Arts Exhibition, curated by Creative Connections. The Branch has sponsored the People’s Choice Award (1-5 August, Whitsunday Sailing Club).
   • Whitsunday Writers Festival and their closing event, the Local Author Long Lunch (6-8 September).
   • Paul Bowman Challenge junior rugby league non-competitive under 9’s carnival involving 70 teams (14-15 September).
   • Australian Senior Dirt Track Championships, organised by Whitsunday Dirt Riders (5-6 October).
Applications for sponsorship and the Community Trailer are now open. Sponsorship funds are limited, and the application process is competitive with clear criteria. Email the Branch’s Board Secretariat on secretary@whitsundaycel.com.au for more information.

Caption: The Show Whitsunday exhibit. Photo supplied

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Lightning Comms is a cutting-edge security service for your home or business. Opening in 2014 the business specialises in telecommunications and security; providing security solutions that are efficient and affordable for everyone.
Speaking to Sarah Watson, owner, and operator of Lightning Comms, she says, “We offer specialist advice and stand by the products we know and trust.”
Sarah added that a lot of the security you can buy in stores you need to install yourself and do not always come with the after-sales service. Lightning Comms are fully insured and licenced to advise and install security systems & offer alarm monitoring on alarm systems.
So, while the business usually deals with commercial customers, Sarah said they often also get a lot of residential jobs, and they are always happy to help.
Sarah mentioned a few big projects they have been working on consisting of state schoolwork from Proserpine, Bowen, and Moranbah to large projects in Mackay, which they are doing alongside their normal service work and island work.
Sarah stated that they offer a couple of different products, depending on the client's needs.
“People like the idea of cameras, but an alarm system might suit their requirements better, and we can advise them towards the best option to suit their needs.”
“Sometimes an alarm is better because as soon as someone enters a property, the alarm goes off and it scares them off. Whereas, when you have cameras, you are not always alerted at the time that someone is in your residence or business and then you find yourself reviewing footage when it is too late.”
Lightning Comms has a security solution for everyone and can provide in-depth and widespread knowledge to suit your security needs.

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Members of the Whitsunday business community have now taken part in a second ‘Speed Networking’ Business Breakfast following the success of the inaugural event which was held in Cannonvale last month.

A free networking opportunity open to anyone in the community, the event was organised by Kath Barker from Compass Realty who has been in the Whitsundays for two years and recently started her new business.

She said that working alone or being in business can be quite lonely, so she has started a ‘Speed Networking’ event to help business people in the community meet each other.

Kath said she aims to help create a community of business owners.

“What I’m trying to do is create a community of local business owners, so that we can support, encourage each other in business and help when times are tough - we can support each other through that and also celebrate the wins that we have in business,” said Kath.

“It's tough being in business, it's really quite lonely, so what I wanted to do was create community environments so that we can all support each other.

“We talked about our own businesses and what we're looking for, our target markets so that we can help promote each other's businesses.”

Local business owners, Berny O’Connor, Ildi Eadie and Deanna McKeowen thoroughly enjoyed the first networking breakfast, describing it as “Brilliant” and “It was easy going, no pressure and you felt comfortable.”

Kath welcomes all small business to attend and join the community with their focus being to help and support each other.

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Kath Barker organises free ‘Speed Dating’ Business Breakfasts and everyone is welcome! Photo credit: Daniel Heggie

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Whitsunday winters are usually clear and dry, this is the perfect weather to get your carpet, lounge suite, mattress and rug steam cleaned with Protect and Sanitise.  

While most people think that hot and humid summer months are the best for cleaning their carpets, cleaning them in the wintertime, in the cooler climate, allows you to open your windows letting fresh air in. The drier, cooler air will dry your soft furnishings faster. The faster your furniture and carpets dry, the less likely they are to get mould and mildew. Therefore, the current climate is ideal for drying soft furnishings, and specialists Protect and Sanitise have you covered.

Purchasing the business in 2013, owners Jess and Mike Hope have been running the company for a decade and have a wealth of knowledge and experience. The pair pride themselves in the fact they are a small, locally owned business who give back to the community, offering personable customer service.

“Our staff and clients are like family,” Jess emphasised.

Protect and Sanitise’s largest client base is their residential customers. This includes people looking to have a spring clean and tenants vacating their rental property. Jess also added that they also service a lot of resorts and commercial properties in the area.

“It's a great time to spring clean your carpets and soft furnishings,” Jess confirmed.

Protect and Sanitise use the hot water extraction method of cleaning, which is the deepest carpet and upholstery clean available in the industry. Their staff are highly trained and educated. Jess confirms that they have the “best equipment, chemicals and cleaning methods.”

Protect and Sanitise specialises in upholstery cleaning, and in the current winter months urge you to take advantage and get your house cleaned ready for spring.

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Cool La La, located in the heart of Airlie Beach, serves mouthwatering Asian Modern Cuisine and drinks, alongside some classic cocktails.
The Asian inspired restaurant offers a delectable range of non-vegetarian, vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options and substitutes, and is open six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday) from 5:30pm – 8:30pm.
Abbi Gatdula, the owner of Cool La La, bought the business six years ago from a couple in the Whitsundays who have now left the area. Growing up in the Philippines Abbi mentioned how owning a restaurant there influenced her decision to open Cool La La. Abbi enthused how she loves being able to “interact with people”. The restaurant celebrated its 6 years last week.
When asked what her favourite part of owning a restaurant was Abbi told us it was getting to know all the locals in the area.
“The locals and the social aspect, I like connecting with them”.
The restaurant also serves an array of cocktails, mocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks. Abbi highlighted the fantastic offer they have on their Espresso Martinis. The martinis are available to buy at the restaurant for a sensational $10.
“We have the cheapest espresso martinis in town,” Abbi expressed.
Abbi wanted everyone to know that Cool La La is open and encourages everyone to come and get a taste of the Asian cuisine that the restaurant has on offer.
“We’re indoors and we’re open”.
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What is your favourite dish on the menu?
The Sweet and Sour Chicken and Sacha Sauce Pork Fried Rice. Especially for people who are who haven't been there before or are a first timer I always recommend them.
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What are the most ordered dishes on the menu?
Pad Thai, Beef Cheeks, Green Curry or Garlic Butter prawns are customers most ordered dishes.

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Abbi Gatdula, the owner of Cool La La. Photo supplied

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Santi Lera is from Argentina and was drawn to the country because he fell in love with the Australian lifestyle and also at the opportunity to improve his English.

He and his partner moved to Australia in 2018 and Santi jumped at the opportunity to work in one of the most beautiful resorts in the Whitsundays.

Having worked at restaurants in Argentina, Santi has brought a wealth of skills and experience to Airlie Beach.

In 2019 Santi came to Coral Sea Resort and worked in the then called Clipper Restaurant, he travelled down to the Gold Coast and returned to Airlie Beach in July 2020 at another restaurant.

In 2022 Santi returned to Coral Sea Resort into a supervisor role and has since been gaining promotions.

“Our main goal is the customer service for sure you know, customer service and the service we provide here as a restaurant.

“I want the people who come here to have a nice experience in the restaurant, and I want them to come back, everyone is welcome, whether they are a guest at the resort or if they are locals, I want to give them a good impression and give them a good experience.

“My favourite thing about hospitality is the relationship with the customer, I like to hear the feedback and all feedback is important to be able to grow as a team.”

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Food and Beverage Manager at Coral Sea Resort Santi Lera, Photo credit: Daniel Heggie

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Growing up on a farm in Brazil, Igor Mafra has worked his way up to becoming the Head Chef at Whitsunday Sailing Club.
Whilst on the farm, Igor grew up around animals, with his mother asking him to collect milk from the coral. During his childhood, he connected with his father in the kitchen and went on to open his first restaurant in Brazil alongside his brother.
Igor became a professional chef at 19 years old after graduating in Brazil and has 16 years of experience in the kitchen.
After deciding to seek new opportunities and wanting to grow personally and professionally, Igor decided to pack up his life and move to Australia in 2016.
Despite not speaking English when he arrived in Australia, Igor has worked in restaurants in Sydney, the Gold Coast and then Airlie Beach.
Aspiring to become an Executive Chef, Igor explains how he really enjoys working at the Sailing Club, where he has now worked for six months. Igor added that he really enjoys working with his five other colleagues in the kitchen.
“The people in general, the boss, the manager, the person coming to clean the floor, the customers coming in for beer, everyone!”
When asked what his favourite dish on the seafood-based menu was, Igor stated that it was the scallops, a dish he created back in his university days.
Whilst scallops are the Head Chef's favourite dish, diners at the restaurant often opt for the succulent pork belly. Igor highlights that the Sailing Club's menu stands out due to his Brazilian influence, offering unique dishes such as chicken hearts.
When away from the heat of the kitchen, Igor likes to warm up a different way, participating in many different sports, such as Jiu Jitsu, cycling, kite surfing, soccer and handball.
Don't drift past, head on down to the Whitsunday Sailing Club to try some of Igors delicious dishes.

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