Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
The Whitsunday Game Fish Club (WGFC), together with its junior arm “Reefies,” is set to host its popular Sweeties & Squires Ladies and Kids Fun Fishing Weekend — a celebration of family, fishing, and fun on the water. Festivities begin on Thursday, April 9, with registration and briefing from 4 pm at the club. The afternoon opens with an important presentation from Maritime Safety Queensland, followed by a weekend overview, registration, pizza, and family activities. Fishing will take place at anglers’ leisure from Saturday morning (April 11) through to lines out at 2 pm on Sunday, April 12. The final weigh-in will be held at 3 pm Sunday, with fish either weighed or measured. Photos of released catches are encouraged and will count toward results. All Queensland size and bag limits apply, and fishing is restricted to rod and reel only. Sunday afternoon will feature presentations and a wide range of prizes awarded on merit — not just size or quantity — ensuring everyone has a chance to win. Highlights include a mystery prize, lucky door prize, raffles, fun activities, great food, and a prize for the best-dressed team. The event is free for WGFC members, with memberships available at the briefing. WGFC and Reefies are also official Play On providers, offering sports vouchers for juniors aged 5–17, covering membership and event entry through to July 2027. What: Sweeties & Squires Ladies and Kids Fun Fishing Weekend When: April 9th–12th (briefing April 9th from 4pm; fishing April 11th–12th) Where: Whitsunday Game Fish Club, Altmann Avenue, Cannonvale Captions Photo source: Facebook
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Gentle, sensitive, and incredibly loyal — Maisie is a beautiful girl who just needs the right home to help her continue building confidence. • Age: Approx. 2–3 years • Breed: Dalmatian x • Sex: Female • Size: Approx. 25kg • Energy Level: Medium Good With: Children: Yes Dogs: Yes Cats: No Livestock: Yes Chooks: OK under supervision Personality: Gentle Loyal Affectionate Sensitive Bonds closely to her people Ideal Home: Secure fencing required Calm, patient household Someone willing to build trust and continue her confidence Family environment preferred Health: Desexed Vaccinated Microchipped Up to date with vet care Adoption Fee: $400 To apply, please message us Bowen Collinsville Pet Resuce Inc.
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Immediately prior to 1930, Long Island was held by Mrs Frances Altmann under a special lease but following her death in 1930, the island was subdivided into three sections and offered for sale. The central section (240 acres) was bought by William Lewis Grant who eventually sold it in 1935 to Mr Timothy Croft. The following is an extract from “The Queensland Annual” (November 6 1934) On the western boundary of glorious Whitsunday Passage is a dot on the map which close at hand becomes an island five miles long running almost due north and south, separated from the coast by a stretch of water about a mile wide for the most part and as calm as broad river – Long Island and its Sound. Early in October 1931, a steamer called at the island, and from it disembarked W.L. Grant and the folk he had chosen to help him. A motor launch, a flattie, building materials, tools and provisions were unloaded also, and the steamer went on her way. Grant often smiles now when he looks back on the seriousness with which he tackled the problems of those few first weeks. He had got himself a long lease of a rich scrub area on Clear View Bay, and now faced the job of building an island home. In those first few months, he lived some of the chapters of the Swiss Family Robinson. They chopped a clearing in the scrub; built a temporary shack; planted paw paws, tomatoes and vegetables and they started to grow prolifically. Grant decided that was one department that would run itself. But he was no vegetarian, and days of more hand blistering and muscle wearying toil followed in the scrub, as young saplings were cut and hauled to the beach. They were to be part of the fish-trap and had to be sturdy to carry the heavy gauge wire netting. “It’s a lot of work and expense,” Mr. Grant says, “but a trap is a good investment, for we have had plenty of fish of great variety, and we always keep a stack of smoked fish which is our standby when spring tides prevent our getting fish.” Days slid into weeks, weeks into months. Each day had its problems, each its discoveries, each its triumphs. The man whose life had been lived at the grueling pace set by modern business slowed his gait. The pocket handkerchief of a clearing expanded to a green tablecloth upon which stood all manner of trees and scrubs and vines – bananas, custard apples, figs, mulberries, jackfruit, pomegranates, avocados, Queensland nuts, lychee nuts and citrus; sweet and English potatoes and a dozen other vegetables, maize and kaffir corn. Another clearing was made, and netted, a thatched shelter was built, and one day from opened crates two score Leghorns and Orrington emerged. In the beginning, all effort had to be concentrated on food and shelter, but once assured, attention was turned to flowers. The story of the orchard was repeated and Clear View Bay became Clear View Gardens. Roses, hardy annuals, ferns, coleus, hibiscus, frangipani, aralia, asparagus, poincianas, crotons, regia, bougainvillea and scores of others flourished side by side. In time, the island home began to pay its way as cultivated acres yielded ever increasing surpluses which the coast would buy. The idealist in W.L. Grant was strong enough to sever the bonds of humdrum life – the businessman in him organised his own romance. Some of that camping party on Nor-West Island had shaken their heads in doubt, but Grant knew that it could be done – and he did it! Story sourced from “The Queensland Annual” (November 6 1934) and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum Society. Captions Mrs Croft holding Keith Holmes and Pam Holmes at Clear View Gardens Long Island in the late 1930s
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Sophia Cross of Shute Harbour Marina Sales is bringing energy, expertise and a genuine passion for the region to the Whitsundays property market. Originally from Perth, Sophia and her family relocated from New Zealand, where they managed a large-scale sheep and beef farm, to embrace the tropical lifestyle and opportunities of the Whitsundays. Alongside her two energetic young boys, she has quickly immersed herself in the local community. Before entering real estate, Sophia built a strong professional foundation in civil and structural drafting and electrical estimating. Her experience spans a range of projects in Perth, from smaller developments through to major landmarks such as Fiona Stanley Hospital and Perth Arena. This technical background has given her a keen eye for detail and a solid understanding of construction and development. In early 2020, Sophia made the move into real estate and hasn’t looked back. Combining her engineering knowledge with her growing industry experience, she has found her niche in project sales, playing a key role in the Shute Harbour Marina Resort development. The position has proven to be a natural fit, allowing her to guide clients with confidence and insight. Sophia is passionate about contributing to the continued growth and revitalisation of the Whitsundays. She is committed to delivering the high level of service the Taylors name is known for, while helping both locals and newcomers find their place in this vibrant coastal community. Captions Photo sourced
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Exodas Pty Ltd commenced their operations in 2001 with just two prime movers. Since then, the fleet has grown enormously, now consisting of approximately 120 prime movers and 260 trailers, with a mixture of both fridge vans and tautliners.
Exodas services the east coast of Australia, running from Brisbane to Mackay and Whitsundays, Townsville, Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne, daily and return.
Specialising in the transportation of produce, refrigerated products, general freight and green life with depots located in Mareeba, Tully, Townsville, Bowen, Yatala and Warnervale.
With a diversified customer base ranging from food wholesalers, tourism operators and produce farmers to carpet wholesalers and more, Exodas believe that customer service and reliability are the key to operating a successful transport and logistics company.
Satisfied customers return to Exodas knowing the business offers a great service at competitive rates, with clients regularly referring the business to those who require the top-of-the-line services. The Exodas team are passionate about safety, reliability and service, striving to live by the company motto – ‘Excellence through perseverance and diligence.’
With such a diverse fleet, the business is allowed to service a variety of customer needs, along with the ability to utilise different combinations for different load requirements.
Exodas can operate with single trailer, B’Double, B’Triple or road train configurations, having just recently completed a delivery of their first 10x40 pallet B’Doubles. These combinations allows them to be flexible and meet varying volumes for their customers.
Is it crucial for customers’ to consider the timeframe for their delivery, as well as the weight, size and temperature required for their freight. Exodas ensure to cover these aspects with their diverse fleet, to ensure quality standards are met and customer satisfaction is guaranteed.
With a new installment of 7 Volvos to the ever-growing fleet and an increasing workload demand, Exodas are seeking drivers for both local and linehaul work. The business strongly believes in providing opportunity and training to willing individuals within the transport industry.
Current job vacancies can be found via Seek or by contacting the employment team by phone on 07 3382 7507 or by email at employment@exodas.com.au
One of many from Exodas’ diverse fleet
Time is running out to apply for the 2024 AgriFutures Rural Women's Award, a program celebrating and empowering the inclusive and courageous leadership of women in Australia's rural and emerging industries, businesses, and communities.
Applications will close on Wednesday, 25 October 2023, at 11.59 pm AEDT.
The Award acts as a springboard, inspiring and nurturing Australian women to harness their skills for the betterment of their industries and communities, while simultaneously unlocking doors to crucial funding opportunities for existing projects and businesses.
Beyond recognition, the Award also provides a pathway for personal and professional growth, offering not only access to vital funding but also a doorway to extensive professional development opportunities and a cherished Alumni network.
State and territory winners are awarded a $15,000 grant generously sponsored by Westpac. Importantly, the program welcomes applications from women across Australia, irrespective of their location.
AgriFutures Australia, Managing Director, John Harvey said AgriFutures are committed to the future growth and advancement of the Award as a means of identifying, celebrating and empowering women.
“If you are passionate about creating impact, innovating, and making a difference in rural and regional Australia, we want to hear from you,” Mr Harvey said.
“By participating in this program, you will become part of a dynamic network of over 350 accomplished women who have been acknowledged for their exceptional contributions to rural industries and rural and regional Australia.”
Emma-Louise Gibbons, the founder of Huds and Toke, is a trailblazing entrepreneur who is passionate about sustainability and reducing carbon emissions by utilising produce grown on farms which can’t be sold and insect protein in her pet treats.
Her dedication to sustainability and innovation has earned her global recognition, including a recent partnership with Krispy Kreme to offer dog-friendly doughnuts in their UK and US stores.
Thanks to the QLD AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award grant, Emma-Louise will be able to purchase highly specialised equipment that can process alternative proteins and ensure all production remains on site at her facilities.
AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant
AgriFutures also runs a program called the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration grant. While this runs separately, it compliments the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award.
The aim is to provide a leadership and development opportunity to women who are not quite ready to apply for the Award.
Each year, seven Australian women will be granted with a learning and development bursary of up to $7,000 for professional development to enable them to bring their idea, cause, or vision to life.
The Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant is one of many AgriFutures Australia initiatives ensuring our rural industries prosper now, and into the future.
For more information and to apply for the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award, visit our website at https://agrifutures.com.au/opportunities/rural-womens-award/.
For more information on the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Acceleration Grant visit http://agrifutures.com.au/opportunities/acceleration-grant/
2022 Queensland winner Rebecca Bradshaw
Emma-Louise Gibbons
Alison Richardson, the Artistic Director/CEO of Crossroad Arts, has made the decision to leave her role at the prominent inclusive arts organisation. She stepped down from her position on October 13th to return to her hometown of Sydney for personal and family reasons.
The organisation, board and community acknowledge Alison's artistic vibrancy and
advocacy for a more inclusive community through her commitment to the Crossroad
Arts vision of Arts for All. Her work over the years on the many projects and productions established unique relationships and connections within the community and uncovered many untold stories. Alison's dedication to developing meaningful access initiatives was instrumental in raising the profile of Crossroad Arts as a leader of inclusive arts practice.
Some notable highlights of Alison’s time at Crossroad Arts include collaborating with
Brenden Borellini and Georgia Cranko on the recent major production Breathe In, which pioneered multilingual storytelling and new embedded access initiatives. During her time with the company she developed partnerships with Dancenorth (Townsville) and La Boite Theatre (Brisbane) resulting in the annual national contemporary dance and theatre making intensive C.R.U.S.H .
Alison leaves a legacy in the numerous productions and programs developed in collaboration with artists with disability from the Mackay region and beyond. These programs enacted social change and celebrated the wider impact of the Crossroad Arts vision of Arts for All.
Alison reflects on her time with Crossroad Arts and shares a message of farewell to the community;
“Being involved in an organisation such as Crossroad Arts you can’t help but get swept up in the community’s enthusiasm, humour, creativity and genuineness. So to lead such an organisation and play some part in creating that culture has been a real privilege and one that I never took for granted.
“My time has now come to return to my hometown of Sydney but I will always look back fondly at the new connections made, the untold stories shared and the assumptions challenged during my time at Crossroad Arts.
“It has been extremely rewarding and satisfying to see such significant growth, stability, vibrancy and impact the company has enjoyed and I will always live the vision of the company and will be cheering everyone on from the sidelines for a long time to come.”
Brian Tucker, Chair of Crossroad Arts Board expressed the board’s gratitude.
“We will miss her inspiring presence and leadership, but understand and support her need to relocate back to Sydney and the personal nature of her decision.
“The organisation is working through a recruitment process to ensure an exciting and prosperous future for Crossroad Arts”
Crossroad Arts Artistic Director and CEO Alison Richardson
Residents are once again being asked to think about the value of water as we celebrate National Water Week this week (October 16 to 22).
This year’s theme is “United by Water” which encourages everyone to think about the vital role water plays in connecting us all.
Water touches every aspect of development. It drives economic growth, supports healthy ecosystems, and is essential and fundamental for life.
Council’s Director of Engineering and Commercial Infrastructure, Jason Devitt, said council was committed to supplying the Mackay region with some of the best water and water services in Australia.
“This year our water from Nebo Road Water Treatment Plant (WTP) was victorious over NSW’s Shoalhaven, in the WIOA Water of Origin taste test, making it two years in a row of holding the title,” Mr Devitt said.
“This win adds to our winning streak, with water from Marian WTP taking the crown in 2019 and 2021 and Nebo Road claiming the title in 2018 and 2022,” he said.
“We have previously taken out the National Ixom Best Tasting Tap Water competition in 2019 and 2020 and even won silver at the 2020 International Water Tasting Competition in Berkely Springs USA.
“These achievements are a testament to our highly professional team as well as the beautiful river we have right on our doorstep. Council couldn’t get that great tasting water to homes without the fantastic water network and infrastructure that supplies it.
“We all need to ensure we are doing everything we can to conserve this precious resource.
“As always, we strongly encourage residents to sign up to myh2o (myh2o.qld.gov.au), to help keep track of how much water they are using each day, how much it’s costing them and how they can better improve their behaviours around water usage.”
National Water Week is the perfect opportunity for everyone to monitor their water use and think of ways to save.
Some simple water saving tips include keeping showers to four minutes or less, turn off taps when washing your hands, fix dripping taps and only water outdoors every second day before 10am after 4pm.
Mr Devitt said we are also reminded daily of the significant role water plays in uniting us as a community.
“We are lucky enough to be surrounded by beautiful natural waterways - the iconic Pioneer River running through our city and the beautiful beaches that allow access to so many amazing water activities such as swimming, fishing and boating,” he said.
For more water saving tips visit council’s website mackay.qld.gov.au/water.
Alexander Blanch and Brian Woods oversee the day to day operations of the Nebo
Road Water Treatment Plant
The 75th Anniversary Service for the Walkerston- Pleystowe RSL Sub-Branch Inc will be held on Saturday 18th November 2023 in ANZAC Memorial Park, Walkerston.
The Walkerston-Pleystowe RSL sub-branch invites all members of the Walkerston-Pleystowe community to the 75th anniversary of the formation of the sub-branch in 1948.
A commemorative service will commence at 5.00pm, at ANZAC Park in Walkerston.
Dress is jacket and tie, with medals for veterans.
Walkerston’s Mirani High Graduates of 1993.
Last weekend there was a great reunion held at Walkerston’s Duke Hotel.
People came from the north, the south and the west of the country to meet up with each other where they grew up some 30-plus years ago.
The small township of Walkerston welcomed these ‘Scrubby’ kids who graduated from High School in 1993!
Even though many of them, somewhat sporadically, keep in touch with each other via social media; there were lots of ‘Remember when…’ occasions.
Indeed, some reminiscing moments came from right back in pre-school days where many of the long friendships were first formed – carrying through primary school, then onto high school. Some of the young people even went on to attend university together.
Enduring special connections and friendships were formed when these young people from ‘Scrubby’ were small children. This group kept in touch and checked up on each other wherever they may have ended up in this big world…and here they were - back in the familiar, but ever-changing surroundings of years ago - catching up for a few hours face-to-face joined by other school friends.
Reunions rekindle the best of friendships.
Contributed by Bente McDonald
Graduates from Mirani High, class of 1993. Photo supplied
As we lead up to the warmer part of the year, many are left wondering how to prepare their gardens to beat the summer heat. Have no fear, native plants are here!
Bush flowers, wildflowers, natives - whatever you call them, these plants are adaptable, hardy and a perfect choice to create a majestic and authentic Australian garden.
Not only do native plants attract and provide shelter for local wildlife, they stand up to challenging climates and they look beautiful too!
Establishing a native garden starts with considering your site. You will need to check the soil fertility, structure and drainage systems around your property, as well as the climate conditions (sun, wind and shade) of the chosen area.
It is suitable to group plants with similar requirements and study their root systems. Keep in mind that plants growing too large for their location can damage plumbing and sewerage pipes and be costly to remove.
Establishing layers of vegetation in your garden will not only look great, but each layer will provide habitat for different animals.
Leaf litter and mulch are important as habitat for wildlife and to help retain moisture in the soil.
Plants that are local to an area are well-equipped to handle the conditions (soil, rainfall, temperature) and will generally require less attention and perform better.
The following list encompasses non-invasive plants that are best-suited to Mackay’s tropical climate:
Lily varieties, Fig varieties, Mt. Morgan Wattle, Northern Banksia, Australian Wax Plant, Bird’s Nest Fern, Lillie Pillies, Bottlebrush, Golden Penda, Grevillea, Kangaroo Grass, Mat Rushes.
When planted in the right environment, there is minimal need for watering or fertilisation, making natives an easy choice for beginner gardeners or those who prefer the distinctive characteristics of local flora.
Now you are well on your way to creating your authentic Aussie garden!
To find out more about native plants to the Mackay region, visit: mackayregionalbotanicgardens.com.au to find a comprehensive list of our local gardening clubs.
Walkerston Hockey Premiers A3 1965.
B/R Barry Richards, Mark Kelly, Jimmy Evetts, Stephen Renton, Terry Dee, Alan Jorgensen, Johnny Jarrott.
F/R Alwyn North, Kenny Sturdy, Manix Creedy (Coach), John Belden, David Lake.
Photo supplied on the Facebook page ‘I grew up in Mackay’ by Rob Richards
Head to Walkerston’s track cycling velodrome next weekend for FREE, fun, family entertainment.
Mackay Cycling Club’s annual track cycling carnival will be held on Saturday, 28th October, attracting top riders of all ages from across Queensland.
Witness the need for speed across a variety of track cycling disciplines, from the endurance scratch and points races to the fast and furious keirin racing.
Grab a bite to eat from the canteen and enjoy a day of entertainment in Walkerston.
Photo supplied: Mackay Cycling Club
At last week's meeting of the Rotary Club of Walkerston, representatives from the Early Childhood Learning establishments in Walkerston – the town’s Schools, Kindergarten and Day Care Centres – were invited to join club members for dinner followed by each being presented with a bundle of colourful children’s books.
It is a proven fact that early literacy helps young children develop and comprehend a significant vocabulary, confident self-expression, and general reading comprehension - tools needed to become thriving readers and constant learners.
These skills also inspire a love of books and an eagerness to learn.
“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr Seuss
Contributed by Bente McDonald
Walkerston Rotary's donation of books displayed in Walkerston School's library
Book presentation at Rotary meeting. Photos supplied
As you get older, everything starts to hurt, I don’t know why, but everything hurts.
Even the simplest of injuries or soreness can lead to another bit of you being sore, and before you know it there’s a chiro leaning over you twisting your body back to where it should be.
It’s a discussion I was having with my near teenage son a few weeks ago, why does everything go wrong with you Dad? My only answer was that when you’re younger like he is, everything in your body is “rubbery”, things go back into place much easier. When you’re a kid you can fall over and you just jump back up and continue on. When you’re over 45, you can sneeze and then your neck’s stuffed for a fortnight.
You also start groaning even just bending over to pick something up, that’s the first sign of the pending age of pain and hurt.
I’ve even thought maybe I should do yoga or something like that to help with flexibility and stretching, but I’m worried I’ll get down for an exercise and not be able to get back up. That’s what happened the other day when my daughter asked me to play a new card game Taco, Cat, Goat, Cheese, Pizza … two rounds in I was in agony needing help to get off the carpet. How embarrassing to “get injured” playing a card game.
Back pain is the worst of it though, lower back pain. It hurts to stand for a long period of time, so you sit, but you have to find the perfect angle so it doesn’t hurt. Then you sit for 10-15 minutes and need to get back up, it hurts to get back up and you walk hunched over for a bit. After a minute or two it feels really good. Five minutes after that you need to sit down again, and the cycle just continues.
In Australia, as you get older, we hear more about breast screening, prostate checks, bowel cancer screening kits sent. Each of those pamphlets sent out or packages for tests should be accompanied by a wheat pack.
Scotty
I don’t like the whole “nanny state” thing. You know, governments, councils, agencies, faceless bureaucrats and the like putting their noses into our lives and creating endless rules and regulations that are usually none of their business.
Whether it’s the economy, public policy or just everyday life, I am in the camp of less is best when it comes to government interference and bureaucratic meddling.
I love the scene in the movie Wild at Heart when Nicolas Cage passionately describes his snakeskin jacket as a “symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom”. Yeah baby!
Personal freedom, freedom of speech, free economies … the less government involvement, the better. A pretentious column would make reference to a “laissez-faire” philosophy, but not this one mate.
What about road rules? Some years ago I was in Argentina in a vehicle heading south on a six-lane freeway and I could not believe the apparent lack of road rules.
There probably were road rules but no one was paying any attention to them, with cars changing lanes without indicating, swerving around traffic at absurd speeds. It was dodgem cars at 100km/h.
I had been on the roads in Nepal and Thailand as well but somehow I expected Argentina to be less chaotic and I remember thinking that it was a good thing people aren’t allowed to drive like that in Australia. We pay attention to the road rules.
Argentina’s annual road death toll is 13.9 per 100,000 people, compared to Australia’s rate of 4.4 per 100,000.
So, sometimes rules can be a good thing ... there are plenty of rules when selling real estate as well and I can tell you that this is also a good thing.
Rules keep it simple, leave little room for interpretation and guide us on what is the correct thing to do. There is an ethical and moral side to it as well, but it is a lot simpler when you have rules that will be enforced.
Take the situation with multiple offers on a property. There was a time, some years ago, when an agent who had several offers on a property would play one buyer off against the other to push the price up.
These days the rules are simple: When there are multiple offers on a property the agent must inform the buyers of that fact and suggest to them that they put in their best and final offer because they may not get a chance to make another offer.
It is illegal to tell one buyer what another buyer has offered. Submit your best and final offer. That’s it. What happens after that is up to the seller but the agent has done his or her job by enforcing a rule that, while not popular among buyers, is equally unfair to everyone.
So, on reflection, there are times when having rules and enforcing them is important and in real estate it keeps things fair, equitable and predictable when there is a lot on the line.
Of course, you can still turn up to an open house in a convertible wearing your snakeskin jacket.
I remember a while ago, myself and another councillor were labelled “conservative councillors” in a rather disparaging fashion.
I wear that label with pride.
Times of plenty can accommodate financial laxity and largesse, but in the history of this planet, good times have always been finite.
Myself and others have, for a very long time, warned against thinking that “summer lasts forever”. This has been in the face of some pretty strong headwinds, I must say.
It is unfortunate, but we were correct, and we now find ourselves in the depth of economic winter.
Interest rates up, dollar down, input costs skyrocketing, lack of workers (indeed, a lack of an ability to house them should we find them), fuel up, groceries up, electricity up – the list goes on.
It is financial conservatism that puts food on the table, and unfortunately fiscal discipline is learnt through long hard practice – it rarely occurs effectively overnight.
As we build, we create an increasing burden of depreciation which must be paid, and to fund this, an increasing cost burden is placed on our residents.
I have always felt very strongly that the desire to get a photo while cutting a ribbon should never come before the basic needs of our people.
I suggest that those whom do not recognise the pertinence of the title, should go and read the works of Aesop. His writings 2500 years ago, still ring true today.
Cr Martin Bella
Mackay Regional Council
Hi Everyone,
Tonight, our fantastic tourism industry will be celebrated at the annual Whitsunday Tourism Awards – good luck to all the local operators!
There are nine of us from Core Publishing attending the awards, with some colleagues making the trip from both Mackay and the Burdekin to attend the event.
We look forward to seeing many familiar faces there!
I caught up with Tourism Whitsunday CEO, Rick Hamilton, for a coffee last week and he was telling me that tonight is “the crowning moment of the year” for many local operators.
He explained that most entrants are ‘mom and pop’ organisations where the owners work directly in the business, and they can be so busy that they have little time to celebrate their achievements.
As a result, tonight is a night where all these dedicated people and their valued staff get the opportunity to come together, celebrate all their hard work and get rewarded for their excellence.
One in three people living in our region work in the tourism and hospitality sector, which illustrates how important this industry is to our economy.
The businesses that win an award this evening will automatically enter the Queensland Tourism Awards and, if they are successful there, they will represent our region at the Australian Tourism Awards.
Over the years several local businesses have reached this level and each time they receive such accolades it raises the profile of our entire region, both on a national and international stage.
I think it’s fair to say that the reputation of the Whitsundays as a holiday destination has been carried on the backs of all these businesses, from those nominated, right through to those that have carried the mantle all the way to the nationals.
Congratulations to everyone who is taking part in the awards tonight, both for the tourism awards and the business award – we wish you the best of luck!
Rach
Quote of the Week: “No such thing, the queen said, as too many sequins” (Monk Doty)
For the first time, possibly ever, two young people with disabilities are starring in a new accessible tourism video that is being filmed right here in the Whitsundays.
Jenny and Charlie from the Cannonvale Learning and Lifestyle Hub were thrilled to take centre-stage in the Endeavour Foundation promotional video that not only markets the Whitsunday region, but also promotes inclusivity to all.
A recent study by Tourism and Events Queensland showed holidaymakers with a disability account for 17 per cent of all tourism expenditure and, with this in mind, it is easy to see how this video will benefit the whole region.
The same study showed that the disability sector injects a total of $3.3 billion into the economy, but the last few days’ experience has been priceless for two locals who became the stars of the show.
Jenny Atkinson and Charlie Bell are both well-known faces in the area and proof that living with disabilities does not hold you back from enjoying a full life.
This is one of the reasons they were chosen to star in the video, making them the first people with a disability presenting a film of this kind.
Jenny said she was happy and excited to be part of the production.
“I like showing people with disability what they can do,” she said.
“We live in paradise!”
Charlie agreed, saying that his favourite activities are spending time at the lagoon, sailing, swimming, and snorkelling around the islands.
“Sun, sea, fun and food – we all love a good holiday!” are the lines he says in the video.
The campaign commenced filming at the Airlie Beach lagoon on Tuesday, with a luxurious picnic experience supplied by local company, Ocean Dynamics.
The next day, the team continued filming at Daydream Island.
Telling the story of an idyllic, accessible vacation, the two film stars enjoy some of the top accessible activities and accommodation sites, primarily for people with disability.
“In the year of Accessible Tourism, this is a true celebration of holiday inclusivity, and we couldn’t think of a better way than to have Jenny and Charlie lead the charge,” said Sharon Wood, Head of Fundraising, Endeavour Foundation.
“We are also excited as we believe it’s a first – not only showcasing the region’s accessibility on video but having people with disability presenting it ... and why wouldn’t they!?
“The video highlights various locations on the mainland and on Daydream Island, that accommodates all people, showcasing places with sensory spaces, mobility assistance support, accommodation options, as well as sites that cater for people on wheels – so that’s wheely walkers, families with prams, and of course people in wheelchairs,” added Mrs Wood.
“No matter what our clients want to do, Endeavour Foundation can offer the support to achieve it,” confirmed Mrs Wood.
The video will be released before the end of the month.
Kristy Puckridge, Brigette Robbiard, Charlie Bell, Amanda Crockford, Jenny Atkinson and Jody Flaherty
Charlie and Jenny were filmed near Airlie Beach Lagoon earlier this week. Photo credit: Rachael Smith
The dynamic duo kicked back and enjoyed a relaxing picnic together. Photo credit: Rachael Smith
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