An over 50s estate comprised of 402 demountable dwellings in Mt Gordon was approved by Whitsunday Regional Council last week at an Ordinary Council Meeting.

Developers Grumpy Capital Pty. Ltd. were successful in their application to build the home park on Lodge Road, Mount Gordon - a site south of Bowen and along the Bruce Highway.

The master-planned development will home 402 “relocatable dwellings” sites – a mix of three- and two-bedroom single-story demountable homes with outdoor alfresco living areas and open spaces, kitchens, laundry toilets, shower amenities, and double garages.

Whitsunday Regional Council Director Planning and Development Neil McGaffin said this development was part estate part caravan park: “It’s a mixture between the two and is something very exciting.”

“This is a ‘relocatable home park,’” Mr McGaffin said.

“The construction methods are concrete slabs on the ground but are built so that, if it is needed, they can be relocated. This is normally what you would see in a caravan park, but the dwellings are there a lot longer than a park. It will resemble a residential estate in respect to fences and private areas.”

Aside from homes, the Mt Gordon estate will have a sales office, residents workshop, RV washdown facility, community gardens including a mango orchard, a dog park and 2.3-kilometres of walking trails.

Whitsunday Mayor Julie Hall said she wished that residents of the Whitsundays were privy to private Council documents which illustrate the homes as “They don’t look like normal relocatable homes, they’re actually quite beautiful.”

Grumpy Capital documents state the project will be completed over seven stages with stage one comprising the supply of reticulated water, sewerage and road infrastructure.

The company – trading under Tactica Planning and Development - estimate a potential for more than 1000 residents to live at the site.

Discussions are ongoing with Transport and Main Roads regarding the implementation of public transport for the estate, which will be over seven kilometres from the nearest shopping centre.

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A master-planned 402 relocatable home estate  for over 50s will be built south of Bowen after receiving Whitsunday Regional Council approval

With April just around the corner, that’s the third quarter of Financial year 2023 done and dusted.

How have you performed? Have you met your goals? Or have you just been tied up in the busy-ness of getting through the day to day life? How much personal development have you done? How much training? Workforce is changing and clearly we all need to work smarter, more efficiently and be more inclusive of your team. Take some time to reflect over the mini breaks coming up in April.

Speaking of school holidays and the multitude of public holidays in April, whilst disruptive for a lot of businesses, it is a boom period for tourism. A great time of year for many local businesses coming out of a traditionally quiet time.

A period of change for Chambers across Queensland with the rebranding of CCIQ. It is not just a name change, although the new name Business Chamber Queensland is certainly indicative of the focus and sole purpose of the organisation – it’s about putting business first at all times. New CEO Heidi Cooper is committed to supporting the state’s networks of chambers.

More change for your local Chamber as we embark on an unprecedented period of reinvigoration and expansion. Before we welcome the new recruits, a huge thank you to outgoing Secretary Kerrie Southee – tirelessly working in the background organising events, filtering correspondence and keeping the wheels turning. Thanks Kerrie.

The chamber is looking to vastly improve its engagement with members and decided to expand the role of secretary to include an active member liaison role. We were extremely lucky to have several quality applicants and even luckier to retain the services of Dr Julia and Richard Evans who bring a wealth of experience through their business consultancy firm and roles on other Boards. Welcome Julia and Richard.

In addition, the interview process has bolstered our committee further with a couple of strategic appointments tying into one of the announcements to be made at our next networking function, Thursday 20th April at 7am.

From Alan Milostic, Whitsunday Coast Chamber of Commerce.

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At Wednesday’s Council Meeting in Bowen, I put forward a notice of motion in regards to the proposed duplication of the Proserpine River Boat Ramp at Conway.

I asked that Council authorise the CEO and the Director of Engineering to seek an update from the Department of Main Roads and Transport (DTMR), and advocate for the long-awaited proposed expansion of the Proserpine River Boat Ramp on Conway Beach Road.

On the 23rd October, 2016 there was a State Country Cabinet Meeting held in Proserpine.

A press release was put out by DTMR stating that there was going to be a duplication of the existing boat ramp on the Proserpine River. Six and a half years later - we are still waiting.

Fishing and boating are two of the most popular recreational activities in our region. One in ten people in the Whitsunday/Mackay region own a boat.

I’ve been contacted many times over the years regarding this since it was first raised by the Minister in 2016. I have asked the question many times and haven’t really received a satisfactory answer. Our residents have been waiting six and a half years for this to happen, hopefully raising this will finally help it come to fruition.

DTMR is also undertaking a planning project for future improvement to the flood immunity of the Bruce Highway at Goorganga Plains and Myrtle Creek.

The project will plan and preserve the road corridor and investigate options to flood proof the highway during our wet season.

TMR would like to know about your experience of wet weather impacts on the Bruce Highway between Goorganga Plains and Myrtle Creek and your feedback on preferred future flood immunity upgrades.

Your feedback will be considered as part of the planning process and will help TMR finalise the business case.

My concern is that like the boat ramp, the project is not currently funded for design or construction.

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Hi Rach,

Long time reader, first time emailer.

Firstly I wanted to say thanks for sharing your coffee chat with Julie.

Secondly & the reason for my email is that I had no idea about what happened to Luke! My heart goes out to his family & I am outraged to hear this stuff happens here in Australia let alone in our own backyard. The amount of police force used is shocking, I don't blame the mother for seeking justice, this is simply not right.

Thank you for sharing her story & supporting her. I am only 1 person but I want to sign her petition - can you please share these details or publish in next week's paper & please keep the community posted on how this progresses.

Many thanks,

Jasmin Bedford

Eimeo, Mackay.

Hi Jasmin, thank you for your email. You can access Luke’s petition by going to the family’s Facebook page ‘Justice for Luke (Luke Gilbert)’ and click the pinned link to the petition. Or you can head directly to change.org and look him up there.

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Letter to The Editor,

I am writing about two articles, that appeared in your paper on February 17 & February 24, 2023.

Both of these articles are NOT factual and are very misleading to the public. It was very distressing to read them.

I personally witnessed the attack on the steer, and along with a neighbour John, had to fight off 3 DOGS that were mauling a steer. In the first article posted on 17/02, the owner of the dogs claimed “three of her dogs escaped and ALLEGEDELY attacked cattle”. The truth was, all 7 of her dogs had escaped. Although, some were not directly involved in this horrendous attack, they were barking and yapping at the 3 steers. They had 1 steer on the ground, biting him and dragging him and all he could do was bellow in pain and was defenceless against 3 dogs.

I have attached a photo taken the morning after the attack by Christina’s dogs in the stables of the neighbour’s property. The 3 steers fled their property and ran through barbed wire fences in terror. The 2nd photo is a few days later after the steers were calm enough to come back to their own paddock. They were and still are, very skittish.

In the second article posted on the 24/02, the owner claimed that only 2 dogs escaped “and one of them bit a cow on the neck”! This is in vast contrast to what happened. I am aware that there were 3 witness statements provided to the council.

Contrary to the owner’s claims, this was an unprovoked attack to the steers by her dogs. I am aware that 1 dog was put down.

Since the incident at no stage has the owner of the dogs apologised for their behaviours, inquired about the health of the steer attacked or asked after my wellbeing in regard to this horrendous and vicious attack.

I hope that this letter serves to provide a more balanced view of the facts.

Angela Herschel

The author of this letter is referring to an incident where some dogs escaped a local residence and subsequently attacked a cow. She was looking after the property at the time and was first on the scene. After receiving this email, I called Angela and we had a good conversation. She was clearly traumatised and wanted to ensure that both sides of the story were understood by the community. If you wish to read the full articles you can view them here: bit.ly/3GgW8px and bit.ly/3LTjHs3

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While we do not always have space to publish a regular Letters to the Editor column, we will endeavour to ensure readers have the opportunity for their voice to be heard and messages to be conveyed to the community through the newspaper. Please send your letters, concerns and compliments to rachael@mackayandwhitsundaylife.com, we will publish as many as we can.

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Proserpine Lions Club Youth of the Year and Proserpine State High School student Scarlett Foti competed in the district final of Youth of the Year, representing the Proserpine Lions club on Saturday, March 18.  

Having won both Overall Winner and Public Speaking awards at first Club level in Proserpine, and then again at Zone level in Home Hill, Scarlett headed to the Townsville Lions Club for the district level competition.

Five accomplished teenagers from across North Queensland took part with their speaking performances ranging from “polished and persuasive to charming and humorous.”

“It made for an entertaining night for the audience, albeit a very difficult one for the judges. It was an extremely close result again this year,” Proserpine Lion’s Youth of the Year Chair Jane Betteridge said.

The Overall winner was Yaseen Al Kahlout from Malanda State High School. Yaseen also won the Community award for participation in his community.

Proserpine Lions congratulated Scarlett on her excellent performance and her response to the impromptu topics, "There is no such thing as normal" and "We know artificial intelligence is presenting fantastic possibilities, but what do you see as its downsides?" was articulate, well timed and thought-provoking.  

“Congratulations Scarlett; another great effort,” Ms Betteridge said.

“Proserpine Lions Club is proud to call you one of our own.”

Scarlett now moves on to her next project - establishing a programme to help neurodivergent children within the Proserpine community study effectively and cope with stress during high school.

Youth of the Year (YOTY) District Chair Pat Young, Townsville Ignatius Park College student Daniel Mosch, St Patricks College Mackay student Megan Connolly, St Augustines College Cairns student Darcy Oates, Proserpine State High School student Scarlett Foti, and Malanda State High student Yaseen Al Kahlout at the YOTY District Final

Home to 80 per cent of on-water tourism in the Whitsundays and most awarded marina in Australia, Coral Sea Marina Resort is a beacon of light and the glimmering jewel of first impressions as visitors drive over the hill to Airlie Beach.

Over the past 10 years it has steadily been transformed from a run-down and dated port to now being known as the ‘Monaco of the South Pacific’ for visiting superyachts, having been crowned with a slew of superyacht awards in recent years.

This transformation has been the vision of one man who inspires a dedicated workforce to aim for the best and achieve only the highest of standards.

Avid boating enthusiast Paul Darrouzet had been visiting Airlie Beach for 26 years prior to purchasing the marina.

During that time, he noticed the deterioration of the physical infrastructure and service standard within Abell Point Marina.

When the marina went into receivership, he saw an opportunity to create not only a world-class marina but also an inspiring destination that global visitors would flock towards.

Within the first eighteen months of ownership, Paul invested in a complete visual overhaul – pouring 21,000 square meters of concrete, creating 305 car parks, and building a new arrival and departure plaza.

Buildings were demolished, new ones erected, the marina was dredged to allow access for larger vessels and the entire precinct underwent significant beautification.

Paul managed to create a bustling marina village feel and a hive of boating activity – the new standard of facility was quickly reflected in the quality of visitor, attracting a more discerning guest, while reinvigorating a sense of pride in current tenants.

The overall feel and vibe of the marina was transformed, but Paul did not wish to stop there.

Over the years he tackled the arduous task of addressing the muddy parkland which lay adjacent to the marina.

It had become an eyesore to passing motorists, reducing the stunning first impression of the marina that he was trying to create.

A labour of love, it took Paul and his team several years to revive the area which has now become a manicured grassland and garden space which has hosted several large-scale events.

Determined to create a smooth flow within the precinct and the ultimate destination offering for his guests, Paul made the astute business decision to purchase the adjacent Coral Sea Resort.

He invested substantially in completely renovating the dated accommodation facility, creating a flagship and a new benchmark in the local accommodation offering which continues to this day.

At the same time, he renamed the entire precinct to Coral Sea Marina Resort, a complete lifestyle destination where guests can stay, play, and explore.

With arguably the best views on the Australian coast, the lovingly developed marina precinct now has two marina villages, a dedicated superyacht arm, a 26-metre floating customer lounge, a relaxing on-shore lounge area, a luxury resort, and a diverse range of tourism and hospitality experiences.

This multi-million-dollar investment has not only transformed the marina, it has also raised the bar for tourism across the Whitsunday region.

“A rising tide lifts all boats” John F Kennedy

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The Marina Family

Attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to its vibrant precinct, Coral Sea Marina is a magnet for quality tourism and home to dozens of family-owned businesses that operate successfully and independently under its safe-haven.

The two marina villages offer a range of tourism and hospitality experiences and services, with many tenants and operators arguably the best in the business, boasting both Queensland and Australian Tourism Award winners amongst them.

Whether it be a relaxing poolside getaway, overnight sailing adventures, bareboat charters, scenic flights from the private helipads, jetboats or jetskis - Coral Sea Marina Resort acts as the gateway to the stunning Whitsunday Islands and Great Barrier Reef.

A camaraderie, loyalty and family feeling exist between everyone in the marina, each business complimenting the other and offering a service that directly supports the cohesion and overall success of the marina network.

Under the supportive guidance of the marina, this united community of family-owned businesses have proved to resiliently overcome challenges over the years, both in the immediate aftermath of the 2017 Cyclone Debbie and in the ongoing Covid-19 recovery.

In 2023 they are embarking on a new era of success, one where international tourism is kicking back into gear, the cruise ships are once again a common sight on the horizon and domestic tourism is fully engaged with visiting the region.

It is an exciting time to be operating at Coral Sea Marina.

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With a desire to provide guests and visitors with a deeper, more meaningful experience of boating and the environment, Coral Sea Marina has launched a dedicated Eco Tourism pillar to their tourism offering.

The Coral Sea Academy aims to transform the ways people think and behave about the environment and encompasses the four key pillars of sustainability, better boating, wellness and culture.

By introducing a range of special events, workshops and experiences, the Coral Sea Academy takes people on a journey that inspires them to be part of something bigger, to be changed and to make change happen.

Coral Sea Marina does not just preach sustainable behaviour; they also live and breathe environmentally conscious practices.

They are an accredited Clean Marina Level III/ Fish Friendly marina and in 2018, it became the first marina resort in Australia to have all its food and beverage outlets become plastic straw free as part of The Last Straw Campaign.

The marina has also pledged to become free of single-use plastics by 2025.

By partnering with CQ University and Reef Catchments the marina has developed a test site for seagrass nurseries.

They are also working on the Healthy Heart Reef Project, with the Whitsunday Climate Change Innovation Hub, to decarbonise the Whitsundays tourism sector and achieve a sustainable destination accreditation for the Whitsunday region.

In addition, they are an ecoBiz Star Partner for their commitment to waste management.
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The Coral Sea Academy teaches about boat safety

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For Animal Conservation

When Rose-Marie Dusting née Ecenarro was growing up in the western Queensland town of Richmond, she would frequently run into the bush to play, explore and build cubby houses.

One March night in 1968, when a nine-year-old Rose-Marie had run away in tears after getting in trouble at home, she experienced a surreal encounter that set her on a course of animal conservation.

“This little bilby came up, a baby bilby, it was limping, and it came up and snuggled into me underneath my arm,” Rose-Marie recounted.

“I couldn’t believe it because they’re wild animals.

“I picked him up and looked at him, kissed him on his long snout and I said, ‘You look like a bunny rabbit, so I’m going to call you Billy the Aussie Easter Bilby.’”

The encounter inspired Rose-Marie to write about Billy the Aussie Easter Bilby, and his best friend Bob the Kangaroo, for a school essay for which she received an A+.

“The teacher who taught me, I had the same teacher for seven years, she kept the story because she thought, ‘That girl is going to be a famous author one day,’” she said.

Rose-Marie moved to Mackay years later as a 12-year-old before moving to Adelaide to pursue nursing.

It was in 1979 while living in Adelaide that she self-published Billy the Aussie Easter Bilby, a book that would cement the bilby as Australia’s alternative to the Easter bunny worldwide while crowning Rose-Marie as the “bilby lady”.

“I was told nobody knows what a bilby is and since then, I’ve been educating the public about the bilby,” Rose-Marie said.

“I’ve had so many people come up and say to me, ‘We grew up with Billy Bilby and we want to teach our kids the same thing.’”

Rose-Marie’s characters have become mascots for animal conservation.

Her name and characters were used for the Save the Bilby Fund, and she is continuing to work with Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park and Taronga Zoo, while chocolate Easter bilbies can be found lining the supermarket aisles.

“That says to me that the bilby hasn’t died and it’s coming back,” Rose-Marie said.

Now in her 80s, Rose-Marie is rewriting the original Billy the Aussie Easter Bilby, due for release next easter, and has been working on a swag of other characters to bring attention to Australia’s growing list of endangered and extinct species.

“I just love animals, especially Australian species,” she said.

“They’re so unique and we’re so blessed to have them.

“We need to take action now.”

She’s hoping Paddles the Playful Platypus will deliver that message while putting Mackay on the map.

“What I want for Mackay is to use Paddles the Playful Platypus, it would put Mackay on the world market,” she said.

“He’s a good friend of Billy Bilby’s so it’d be a perfect platform for Mackay.

“I want to use my God-given talent and gift to save endangered species and to write books for children, not just about our wildlife, but about kindness and bullying.”

Rose-Marie has been hard at work over the last few years, creating hundreds of books and characters, and she is looking for local illustrators to get involved.

“I’m looking for a couple of illustrators and I’d like to give the people of Mackay a chance to be able to illustrate the new books,” she said.

Anyone interested is asked to contact Rose-Marie at radusting@outlook.com.

With the support of her husband Anthony, her two children Chloe and Samuel and her three grandchildren Levi, Gatlin and Henry, Rose-Marie Dusting’s mission is far from over.

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Rose-Marie Dusting (middle) holding Billy the Aussie Easter Bilby at Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park, New South Wales. Photo supplied

Billy The Aussie Easter Bilby became a much-loved children’s book character

The ‘bilby lady’ encourages everyone to celebrate the endangered bilbies instead of bunnies at Easter

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At the forefront of community events and charity drives, Coral Sea Marina is both generous and instrumental in assisting a variety of local causes that actively help in meaningful ways.

They are major sponsors of Whitsunday Voluntary Marine Rescue, funding vessels that are called out on multiple missions per week and have saved countless lives over the years.

Coral Sea Marina Resort is also a sponsor of multiple local sports clubs and Sailability Whitsunday, which helps people living with a disability get out on the water and enjoy recreational boating.

The marina also enjoys coordinating and contributing towards fundraising projects, they organise the yearly Big Aussie BBQ and are supporters of the Shag Islet Cruising Yacht Club’s (SICYC) annual rendezvous, both of which raise much-needed funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Through the Coral Sea Academy, they also partner with boating professionals, environmental organisations and not-for-profit groups to encourage better boating practices and the preservation of the marine environment.

In addition, they are passionate about bringing community events to the region.

From the Airlie Beach Triathlon Festival to the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race and the Great Barrier Reef Festival, many events are supported by the generosity of the marina.

Committed to creating a community-focused recreation hub in which guests can feel part of the Whitsunday community and enjoy the many groups, Coral Sea Marina Resort is dedicated to ensuring there are regular activities and events on offer throughout the region.

The Big Aussie BBQ is an annual community event raising money for charity

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With big dreams and solid ambitions, over the past 10 years, Paul Darrouzet and his team have transformed a small regional marina into a global flagship and key player in the luxury yachting world.

In a dedicated effort, Coral Sea Marina has managed to attract some of the largest yachts in the South Pacific, including 75-metre Lady E and 73-metre, Dragonfly.

Spending upwards of $25,000 a day on provisions and services, the superyachts make a big impact on the local economy.

During their stay, they also use the marina as their home port from which to explore the Whitsundays and every experience travels far and wide among the yachting community as word travels across the world to reinforce the reputation of the marina and broader region.

Known for providing a seamless professional service, superyacht captains and crew from around the world now hold the marina in high regard.

“The aim throughout the development process has been to create the Monaco of the South Pacific for superyachts,” said Paul Darrouzet.

The marina’s dedication to the industry was formally recognised last year when it officially became the Best Superyacht Marina in the international ACREW Superyacht Business Awards, after two years consecutively of being Runner-Up.

The role the organisation plays in the Australian superyacht industry has also been recognised in recent years with the marina being awarded Superyacht Industry Service Provider of the Year in both 2017 and 2021.

In addition, Paul Darrouzet, was recognised in 2017 as Australian Superyacht Industry Champion for his commitment to the growth of the industry in Australia.

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An Award Winning Marina Precinct

5 Gold Anchor Platinum Global Marina Accreditation

ACREW Superyacht Business Awards - Best Superyacht Marina 2022

Australian Marina of the Year 2017/18, 2019/20 and Hall of Fame 2021

Superyacht Industry Service Provider of the Year 2017, 2021

ACREW Superyacht Business Awards - Best Superyacht Marina (Runner-Up) 2021

ACREW Superyacht Business Awards - Best Australasian Marina (Runner-Up) 2020

Superyacht Industry Champion 2017 - Paul Darrouzet

2021 Australasian HM Awards for Hotel and Accommodation Excellence - Upscale Hotel Category (Highly Commended)

MIA Best Community Engagement by a Marina 2019/20

MIA Innovation by a Marina 2017/18

Major Tourism Attraction (Gold) - Queensland Tourism Awards 2017

Major Tourism Attraction (Finalist) - Australian Tourism Awards 2017

Major Tourism Attraction (Gold) - Whitsunday Tourism Awards 2016, 2017, 2018, Hall of Fame 2019

Best of Queensland Experiences 2018, 2019, 2021

TripAdvisor Travellers Choice 2020

ecoBiz Star Rated Partner 2021

Clean Marina Level III / Fish Friendly Marina

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Amy Nichols, Guest Services Manager

For 12 years, Amy Nichols has been the parallel smile for Coral Sea Marina guests - when they beam, she beams; the happiness of the customers is her own.

In her role as Guest Services Manager, Amy is the gentle hand of the Marina, the welcoming gesture for its guests, guiding them back on boats or by foot “like old friends.” In the more than a decade she’s been with Coral Sea Marina, she’s seen its community grow and been a key part in cultivating its culture of exceptional service.

Like almost all those who call the Whitsundays home, Amy found herself here by chance, moving from Canada in her backpacking days of yore – the early 2000s. She arrived with experience in the service and hospitality industry, and – as is the same old story - soon fell in love with the region, but not just the place, the people: Amy met her husband in the Whitsundays’ land of sun-bleached sand.

“We started our amazing journey together nearly 18 years ago,” Amy said.

“Now, we’ve built our own home just outside of town and have two young beautiful children. I have a whole family unit here: my brother and sister-in-law moved here from Canada so we could be closer to each other. This is my home.”

In her almost two decades of time in Airlie Beach, she has seen it change – and nowhere has that change been more dramatic than at Coral Sea Marina.

“The services and facilities we offer have changed and since Paul [Darrouzet] arrived it has changed completely,” Amy said.

“He made it an entirely different experience to what staying at any normal marina would be, and as the Guest Services Manager, it has been rewarding to have assisted him in achieving this. Because of that, the Marina is a lot busier than it was when I started and the demand we have seen for berthing – even since Covid – is incredible. It is keeping the guest services team on their toes!”

The personal highlights of Amy’s career are almost daily – they’re the interactions with guests: “When loyal guest returns each year for their annual cruising holiday and they come into the marina office and greet the team like old friends, that’s special,” she said.

“Seeing the smile on a guest’s face or even hearing a smile over the phone by providing a level of service that exceeds expectations is not only rewarding but heart-warming.”

Coral Sea Marina, busy and bustling, is in great part the way it is because of Amy’s work. Of her tireless efforts, of her ability to welcome guests, of her love for her job.

“The marina feels – to me -like its own community,” Amy said.

“All its commercial operators and tenants, the cafes, the restaurants, day tourists, locals, and sailors – there’s something here for everyone. I think the Marina plays a big role in this community, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”

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For Artspace Birthday Project

Artspace Mackay has enlisted the assistance of Crossroad Arts to help celebrate its 20th birthday in a big and bright way.

Crossroad Arts, along with local artists Donna Maree Robinson and Kate Brunner, facilitated a series of workshops teaching participants the skill of stop motion animation.

The animations will then be compiled into one piece of work to be projected onto the façade of Artspace Mackay, celebrating the gallery’s 20th birthday and Mackay Festival of Arts.

“We came up with a partnership to allow those members of our community that don’t always get opportunities like this to partner and give them some skills in creating their own digital animation films,” said Artspace Director Tracey Heathwood.

Students from Sarina State High School, Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School and Crossroad Arts participated in weekly digital animation workshops throughout the month of March to create the work, titled ‘Time of Our Lives’.

“The theme of ‘time of our lives’ means what happens in our lives, what we did, things we’ve faced or things we’ve gone through,” said Kutta Mulla student Echo Hankin.

“Me and Elena put flowers because, in my culture, we have to dance with flowers in our hair.”

“I loved working on the animations and learning how to use the app and it was fun meeting all the new people,” agreed fellow student Theresa Malayta.

Crossroad Arts Director and CEO Alison Richardson said students have taken their own drawings and collage creations and used an application to create animations.

“It’s been very hands-on, very practical and the app that we’ve been using is very user-friendly,” she said.

“They’ve been looking forward to seeing what a largescale projection of themselves and their work will look like.”

Contemporary visual artist Donna Maree Robinson, who has had her work displayed Iceland, New York, London, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Kingaroy and Mackay will take the students’ work and edit it into a cohesive piece before projecting it onto the Artspace building.

“It’s always amazing to see what people create,” Ms Robinson said.

“I think it reflects a lot about their personalities or their experiences in life.

“Once they get the skills, they roll with it, and you can see some of the really beautiful aspects of people’s creative minds and abilities and talents.”

Time of Our Lives will be projected onto Artspace Mackay for all to see every night from Monday, July 3 to Friday, July 9.

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Kutta Mulla Gorinna Special Assistance School students Echo Hankin and Elena Murray Larrance

Crossroad Arts Director and CEO Alison Richardson leading the digital animation workshop. Photos supplied: Mackay Regional Council

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Jacqui Henderson, Guest Services Agent

If there is a throughline for each of Coral Sea Marina’s longest-serving staff, it is their devotion to the ocean; their affinity for the big blue.

Jacqui Henderson is no different: her career in the Marine Industry began in 1991 in her home country of New Zealand, where she operated a power boat and trailer yacht business. And ever since, it’s been one long love affair with the sea.

Traveling to Australia from New Zealand in the early 2000s, Jacqui and her husband were on a mission to manoeuvre the country, planning to circumnavigate it with their own trailer yacht, having sold their business back in their homeland. Having heard that Airlie Beach was a sailing destination – that familiar story - they made it their first stop, intending to be here for no more than six months. That was 22 years ago: “We never left”.

“When we decided to stay in Airlie, I first worked on the overnight Skippered Charter Yachts for a couple of years,” Jacqui said.

“Then land-based working for a Bare Boat Charter Company - which was seasonal – and in the off season I joined my husband who was looking after a private 48’ Bavaria yacht and sailed the vessel to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne where we did corporate day trips for the owners then returned to Airlie.”

After years in the marine industry, Jacqui felt she needed a change, and sought a position working for a local Landscape Architectural firm. “Only, I came to the realisation that I needed to be close to the Ocean,” Jacqui said. “I then applied for a position at what was Abell Point Marina [now Coral Sea Marina] and have been here ever since.”

It was Jacqui’s passion for excellent customer service – as well as her expert sailing experience – that lent her the perfect credentials for her perfect position at the Marina; one she’s held for 12 years. And it’s changed markedly since her arrival: the Marina was soon to be invested in heavily after she began. It became one of Airlie Beach’s most iconic sailing ports and recognised as a world-class destination – something the little town she arrived in 22 years ago could never have imagined.

“When Paul [Darrouzet] purchased the Marina in 2013, he had a vision,” Jacqui said.

“And he has been able to achieve it. I am very proud to be part of this team, and the recognition of continually taking out world standard awards, that’s just the icing on the cake.”

When she’s not working weekends at the Marina in her role, her weekdays are spent in the arts of peaceful solitude, connection with nature and self: yoga, art, paddle boarding, kayaking. In fact, once a month, Jacqui teaches an Art Class at the Ocean Club at Coral Sea Marina, bringing all her passions together.

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Year 10 students from St Patrick’s College Mackay recently spent a productive week exploring their career goals and interests through Work Experience.  

With the guidance of the College’s Careers & VET Head of Department Cherie Hess and Teacher Assistant Vikki McGrath, some 249 students secured placements in an array of occupations with the diversity of the locations demonstrating the variety of students’ career interests.

Placements were found locally and in the wider community with some students travelling as far as Brisbane, Sarina, Hay Point, Eton, Mirani, Leap, Dumbleton and Seaforth and were processed by the local KP Placement Agency.

“Work experience is a valuable opportunity for Year 10 students to gain insight into the world of work and understand the expectations of the workplace,” said Mrs Hess.  

“It gives students an opportunity to explore connections between their school studies and career pathways, while also assisting them to become more aware of the realities of the workplace and to develop skills, knowledge, and experience that will benefit them in their future careers” she added.

The St Patrick’s students spent time experiencing workplaces including trades, tugboat operators, daycare centres, outdoor activity camps, hair salons, law firm, optometrist, pharmacies, fitness centres, allied health, real estate agents, vets, dance teachers, diesel fitters, builders and many more varied forms of employment.  

As a result of seeking Work Experience places, four students – Billy Cruden (HPHFM); Elliott Hamilton (Mac’s Engineering) and Zed Stickland (Ryan Scott Building) have been offered school-based apprenticeships while Rebekah Papavasiliou was offered a part-time administrative position at the Mackay electorate office of Dawson MP Andrew Wilcox.          

One female student will be completing her Work Experience in Week 10 from March 28-30 at the Army Aviation Familiarisation program with Defence at the Swartz Barracks in south-east Queensland.                                                                                              

Fifty students completed their Construction White Card.

“Each student was contacted by a staff member in person to speak to both the employer and student to ascertain how the student was coping in the world of work, “ said Mrs McGrath.

“Students also completed a log book as a way of reflecting on their Work Experience and employers completed an assessment of the student” she added.

The College received positive feedback from employers who commended the students on their work ethic, punctuality and people skills with many bosses keen to obtain their services on a permanent basis.

“We would like to thank each employer for the valuable contribution to students’ career planning and research provided through work experience,” said St Patrick’s College Principal Janelle Agius.

“Our Year 10 students are to be commended for their initiative to seek out Work Experience in these challenging times and the Careers Team hopes they have enjoyed and benefited from their week,” Mrs Agius added.

By Chris Karas

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St Patrick’s College Year 10 student Gabrielle Roberts (left) completed work experience at the Peak Family Chiropractic in West Mackay

St Patrick’s College Year 10 student Billy Cruden (left) with Heath Paton Hair For Men (HPHFM) barber shop owner Heath Paton. Photos supplied

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Gemma Mee, Finance Administrator

Picture it: plate glass water around mountainous islands, like impressionistic green dollops of paint on plates of golden sand, surrounded by blue swirls. When anyone ventures on the seas, the tranquillity of it calls imagination to stretch its legs, and no one knows that better than Gemma Mee.

Born in Brisbane and growing up in the Redlands, Gemma would soon fall in love with the sailing lifestyle after her family moved to the Whitsunday region in 1981. She had little choice: her family lived and worked in a yacht on the water, her first real job was with Yachting World – a bareboating company at Shute Harbour – and every few years she would sail south to Mooloolaba and work for Tourism Queensland at Alexandra Headland. Love for the ocean was the perfect response.

If any of Coral Sea Marina’s staff has an expertise in the ocean, it’s Gemma. From ’92 to ’96, she circumnavigated the globe on her family’s 35-foot yacht, and on her return, she found her appreciation for her “own back yard.”

“After all that - believe it or not - one of my passions now is sailing around the Whitsundays when we can,” Gemma said.

Working at Coral Sea Marina was a job brought to her on the tides; it was meant for her. So, when Coral Sea reached out 12 years ago, Gemma dived in, head first.

“What I love about it most is how busy and diverse every day is -- there are no ‘groundhog’ days at Coral Sea Marina,” Gemma said.

“I have experienced huge changes here over the past decade. I believe our most significant milestone at the Marina was when Paul purchased it in 2013. He had the vision and was prepared to finance the upgrading of the marina, and although it has been a busy time, it has also been very satisfying and rewarding to see the changes.”

Although her role as Finance Administrator doesn’t see her out on the water too much professionally, Gemma still heads for the seas with her husband on wooden vessels.

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