Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Photo source: Whitsunday Anglican School (Facebook) Whitsunday Anglican School’s Kindy to Year 2 students enjoyed a fun-filled Athletics Carnival, with young athletes taking part in running, jumping and throwing events while showing plenty of enthusiasm, determination and House spirit. Supported by Senior School volunteers, the day celebrated participation, encouragement and the strong sense of community across the school. See more photos here: www.mackayandwhitsundaylife.com/social-pics/little-legs-big-spirit-at-whitsunday-anglican-schools-kindy-carnival
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Leading Mackay real estate business REMAX Select has announced the appointment of highly respected business professional Samantha Self as General Manager. The appointment is set to further strengthen the agency's high-performing team across the Mackay region, with Principal Nikita Kinnane describing Ms Self's arrival as an exciting step forward for the business. “We are heading in a really exciting direction with our business, and I cannot be more excited to have Samantha join our leadership team to build on that momentum,” Ms Kinnane said. Ms Kinnane said the recruitment process was focused on finding a leader whose values aligned with those of the business, it was Ms Self's shared commitment to those values and vision that made her the ideal candidate. "Samantha will play an important role in shaping the future REMAX Select, bringing exceptional experience in property, management and leadership to help drive growth and innovation, and this will flow into enhancing every aspect of our business. "Importantly, Samantha shares our core values and commitment to putting Mackay first, and we share the same drive to really make impactful change, bring big city ideas and execute them in our own country girl way.” It was the core values of respect, integrity, collaboration, excellence and trust that Ms Self aligned with, sharing her goal to continue to build on the trust and integrity the agency has established in Mackay, while supporting the continued growth and development of both the team and business. “I’m excited to take on the role of general manager and work alongside Nikita and the entire team at REMAX Select,” Ms Self said. “REMAX Select has a strong team with exceptional talent which is highly respected throughout the community and I’m excited to be part of its continued success.” Ms Self steps into the role after eight years as retail manager of the largest shopping centre in northern Australia. During that time, she was the key driver of building positive, collaborative relationships with retailers, creating an environment where retailers were genuine partners in success. Having led sales performance analysis and market insight initiatives, Ms Self said she looks forward to applying her knowledge and experience to support the continued success of the REMAX Select team. “I am dedicated to empowering our team members through training and development opportunities, ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed,” she said. “My goal is to continue to foster the team’s culture of professionalism, responsiveness and customer-first approach and I look forward to collaborating with our talented agents and staff to create a dynamic and successful environment here at REMAX Select.” REMAX Select is an award-winning real estate business, recently recognised as the 2025 REIQ Medium Agency of the Year and finalist at the 2026 REIA National Awards for Excellence. The office consistently ranks in the National Top 10 Offices in the REMAX Australia network, recognised as the #3 individual office for commissions and transactions at the REMAX Australia Annual Awards 2025 earlier this year, where they were also named a finalist for the network’s community service award and special achievement in marketing for an office award. REMAX Select is located at 133B Victoria Street, Mackay. Contact (07)4829 4612 or visit remax.com.au/select/ for an award winning real estate experience. Newly appointed General Manager, Samantha Self (Left) with REMAX Select Principal Nikita Kinnane (Right).
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In 2000, Peter and Denise Phillips laid the foundation for what would become one of Mackay’s most recognisable holistic, all in one property, insurance and financial services ecosystem. Starting as a Mortgage Choice franchise, Gardian was built on a commitment to helping people make confident financial decisions with local people in the know! Over the decades, that foundation has steadily evolved. Today, Gardian encompasses a wide range of services, including all manner of finance, general and business insurance, financial planning, real estate sales, property management, and commercial sales, management and leasing. What began as a single offering has grown into an integrated business model serving individuals, families, businesses, and community across the region. Now, the organisation enters its next chapter. After many years at the helm with her late husband Peter, Denise Phillips will step down from her role as Managing Director. Her leadership has been central to Gardian’s growth — not just in size, but in culture, reputation, and its connection to the local community. Taking over the role is Ben Phillips, Owner/Director and Head of Gardian Finance. Having been closely involved in all aspects of the business and its clients, he brings both continuity and a forward-looking perspective to the position. Leadership transitions often mark defining moments for organisations. In this case, the change represents both the continuation of a strong legacy and the opportunity to build on it. The evolution of Gardian — from a small franchise to a diversified advisory group — reflects the importance of adaptability, strategic growth, and staying aligned to core values to the community. For the Mackay business community, this transition highlights the strength of long-term vision and succession planning, particularly within locally grown enterprises. It also reinforces the impact that leadership grounded in community and relationships can have over time. As Gardian moves forward under new leadership, it does so with deep roots, a clear purpose, and a platform built for continued growth.
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I don’t know about you, but I find morning TV hosts incredibly annoying. I rarely get to see them, with their contrived laughter, over-the-top friendliness, stupid nicknames for each other, make-up and perfect hair cuts. But sometimes, if there has been some event that might interest me, or if I’m curious about what’s going on, I might flick on the TV and see what’s happening as I’m getting ready for work. I immediately regret it and start flicking channels to try to find someone bearable. It’s a challenge that usually lasts a couple of minutes before I turn the TV off and do something much more pleasant, like go to work. I did like Karl Stefanovic but he has been flicked, apparently because his employer didn’t like his podcast guests. There seemed something real about Karl but he was an island in a sea of fakery so there’s no point in me turning on Channel 9 anymore. There’s an Irish journalist/host on ABC TV, Catherine Murphy, who I also like. She’s funny and real and seems to want to stick to simply presenting a story in her slightly quirky style without imposing an agenda. But that’s about it for me. One thing the morning shows have an abundance of is “experts”. Whatever the drama that’s emerged, there’s an expert to explain it to you, pull it apart and tell you how concerned you should be. The expert needs to do it in about 17 seconds because everyone is going to get bored soon and we’ve got an ad break coming up. The more dramatic the event and the more it impacts the loyal viewers, the more vital it is that an expert is on hand. The current disaster of note it a neat combo: the economy/inflation/interest rates/housing downturn. This is the type of news drama you want when you’re planning the show because it affects the viewers, hits their hip pockets. But experts are everywhere in the media on this one, not just the morning shows. They’re out there giving their views on interest rates (some say they will go up, others say they will go down), the economy (some say it will be okay, others say we are headed for a recession), inflation (some say it will get worse and others say it will ease). Part of this blockbuster, of course, is house prices. Some experts say prices will drop in big cities like Sydney and Brisbane. Others say they will drop everywhere. Some say there will be a small, temporary drop but things will soon start going up again because there is a lack of housing supply across the nation. One group of experts that are worth paying attention to are the valuers from Herron Todd White, who put out their monthly property clock, which is a snapshot of how they see particular markets. The position on the clock face a particular city is located (we’re talking analogue here kids, not digital) tells you where it sits in the market. Twelve o’clock is top of the market, 3 o’clock is a falling market, 6 o’clock is the bottom of the market, 9 o’clock is a rising market. Things can change quickly and there a times a property can go from falling market to bottom of the market and up to rising market very quickly. HTW’s June clock would have been a challenge for them because tax changes and other events had happened but their longer-term impacts are unclear. They had Bundaberg and Toowoomba at the top of the market, Sydney at 2 o’clock and starting to decline, The Whitsundays, Gladstone and Sunshine Coast approaching the top of the market and Mackay, along with Rocky, Townsville and Cairns, in a rising market. Most agents in Mackay will tell you there has been a change but there is still activity, investors are still engaged and properties are selling. Most are being alert, not alarmed.
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Stall holders from the Lions Airlie Beach Markets were given just a few weeks' notice about the relocation of the markets to the large green vacant lot next to Port of Airlie.
Whitsunday Regional Council decided to relocate the weekly markets for a period of three months so that the grass at the current site could be treated to eradicate some troublesome weeds.
Many of the stallholders, although supportive of the works, felt it was a poor decision to conduct them at this time of year, with the upheaval scheduled to take place throughout the school holidays.
Jeff and Annette Dutton have operated a stall for the last 12 months and say that the markets are frequented by cruise ship passengers, with 13 ships carrying around 3,000 passengers each expected to arrive in the month of January.
“We were given really short notice, and this was not the ideal time to plan these works,” explained Jeff.
“The site recommended for us to move to also had no shade and we felt it would not be suitable.”
A group of stakeholders approached Councillor Clay Bauman who raised the issue with Mayor Julie Hall and discussed it with the rest of the Councillors.
A decision was then made to postpone the works until mid-January.
“We are really happy with the outcome,” said Jeff.
“Although they are still due to start on Jan 13.”
Councillor Clay Bauman said he was also pleased with the outcome and hopes that when the works commence there will also be the opportunity to address the drainage issues while they are eradicating the weeds.
“I am hoping they are going to fix some of the other issues instead of just the grass that will still be mushy and unusable at times,” he said.
The Lions Airlie Beach Markets. Photo supplied
Member for Whitsundays Amanda Camm MP is critical of the State Government’s move to reduce and limit Spanish Mackerel catches.
According to Ms Camm, while in session, the state government closed discussions prematurely regarding a Spanish Mackerel debate.
“Last night in Parliament, the Government cut the debate short, so Members like myself couldn’t raise critical issues like data integrity, lack of Government transparency or tell the story of the many fishers in my electorate and how they will be impacted”, Ms Camm said.
“I’ve sat around the table from our local fishers, many whom are about to lose their ‘super’, their livelihood, and unfortunately for some, their will to live”, Ms Camm stated.
“This government does not care about small and family businesses. Regional Queenslanders and our fishing community deserve better.”
As of July 1, recreational and commercial fisherman were hit with massive cuts to the quotas of Spanish mackerel. In particular, the local mackerel fishing industry was reduced from 600 tonnes to just 165 tonnes.
This was a governmental response to depleting mackerel numbers, however many fishers proclaim that there are plenty of stock in the waters.
The sudden departure of the Australia Post mail contractor in Collinsville caused extensive delays and frustration among the local community over the last few weeks, but thankfully a system has resumed and mail is getting delivered once again.
Last month the local postal contractor made a “sudden” departure from Collinsville leaving the local community without a home-delivery service.
At this time of year, this caused extensive disruption, but a daily delivery of express postal items has now resumed along with standard letter delivery two days a week.
An Australia Post spokesperson thanked the community for their patience while solutions are sought and said they are currently seeking interest from any interested parties who may like to take over the run.
Member for Burdekin Dale Last MP has been communicating with Australia Post and the community to help re-instate a regular postal service.
“When you live in rural and regional areas, a reliable postal service is essential at all times and especially important in the lead up to Christmas,” he said.
“As soon as issues surrounding deliveries in Collinsville were raised with me, I made contact with senior Australia Post management to ensure they were made aware of just how important this issue was to the people of Collinsville.”
“While it will take time for a replacement contractor to be appointed, we have been successful in having an interim arrangement put in place.”
“While the interim service will see deliveries of parcels and letters on alternate days, I am advised that additional deliveries were undertaken on Saturday (December 2) to clear the backlog that came about due to the loss of the contractor.”
The final Whitsunday Regional Council Community Catch-Up for 2023 took place last week, with over 20 Cape Upstart and Gumlu residents joining Mayor Julie Hall and Councillors at the Molongle Creek Boat Club.
Discussions included bushfire resilience projects, road updates, disaster and storm season preparation, Molongle Creek boat ramp and washdown area, and a budget overview.
This was the final Community Catch-up for 2023 and Mayor Hall said that, since taking office in August 2022, she has been a huge advocate of face-to-face engagement with residents in the Whitsunday region.
“At the start of this year we scheduled a series of Community Catch-ups so myself and Councillors could better connect with our local communities, build relationships, share information and gather feedback on local issues.
“The vision of the Community Catch-ups was to provide an informal setting to discuss topics important to the local community,” she said.
“Face to face catch ups allow us to facilitate a two-way flow of information, updating residents on Council projects relevant to them and listen to issues affecting the local community.
“We kicked off the Community Catch-ups on March 1 at Dingo/Hydeaway Beach and have since held similar meetings at Mt Coolon, Conway/Wilson Beach, Proserpine, Bowen, Cannonvale, Scottville, Airlie Beach/Shute Harbour and last week’s final catch-up for the year at Gumlu/Cape Upstart.
“To close the loop Council provided participants who provided contact details with a detailed report of discussion, key outcomes, and future actions from the meeting via email,” Mayor Hall said.
“All catch-up reports have been posted on our Your Say Online Engagement Portal project page for interested residents that were unable to attend.”
About 20 people came along to the CommunityCatch-Up at Molongle Creek Boat Club. Photo supplied
The executive committee of Bowen Tourism and Business has been appointed for the next 12 months.
At the November meeting of the organisation, Jenn Honnery was re-elected unopposed as Chair for the sixth year in a row.
Manager of Bowen Tourism an Business, Leanne Abernethy, was again appointed to the position of secretary and Leah Darwen was elected unopposed as treasurer.
Natalie Lydom will join the executive committee for the first time as the Vice Chair.
Bowen Tourism and Business is a not-for-profit Local Tourism Organisation with more than 200 members.
The organisation operates the Bowen Visitor Information Centre next to the iconic Big Mango as well as the information booth at Bowen’s Front Beach.
Any profit recorded is used to market Bowen as a destination, promoting such things as the fringing reefs, secluded beaches, fresh seafood, stunning lookouts and country hospitality.
In the past 12 months, the organisation has reported a record number of visitors and the Bowen Visitor Information Centre won a bronze award at State Level at the Queensland Tourism Awards
Chair, Jenn Honnery
Vice Chair, Natalie Lydom
Secretary, Leanne Abernethy
Treasurer, Leah Darwen
A familiar face in the Whitsundays, Jade Richardson has been living in the region for the past seventeen years and as a previous small business owner herself, is perfectly qualified for her new position at Tourism Whitsundays.
“In my previous business I was dealing a lot with small business owners and there is a real flow-through with the community and connection I’ve experienced over the years,” said Jade.
“One of the benefits of my new role is that I can relate to the other side of it as well, I’ve had hands-on experience myself.”
Jade is the founder of Whitsunday Creatives, a pop-up shop in Proserpine that brought together local small creative businesses and offered them a platform to shine and one central location in which to operate.
“There was a big need for the community to connect,” explained Jade.
“And I have always felt the need to support local small businesses, I was blessed to have the opportunity with Whitsundays Creatives, and I feel blessed to have this opportunity now.”
Jade started Whitsunday Creatives two years ago and recently sold the business, enabling her to now focus on her new career with Tourism Whitsundays.
She is excited for her new role and looking forward to helping small business owners in the community.
“Give me a call or an email anytime and we can arrange a catch-up!” said Jade.
On the weekend you can find Jade outdoors enjoying one of our many hiking trails, exploring the islands on a tinny and spending time with her five beautiful children.
To connect with Jade, email: membership@tourismwhitsundays.com.au
Well, to our Asset Management Improvement Team (AMI) at Whitsunday Regional Council it means an exciting challenge of implementing new and innovative software solutions to manage over $1.3B of community assets. This might seem like a headache in the making for most of us, but for our enthusiastic and motivated friendly AMI team, it’s an exhilarating adventure in waiting.
A newly initiated team within Council, the AMI team have been working on their current project for the past 6 months. The team is made up of four wonder women, Helen Pisarek - Project Manager, Sue Worsfold – Change Manager, Claire Ruffell – Business Analyst and Dianna Smith – Support Officer.
Collectively the team have over 30 years of project experience across a range of sectors ranging from private enterprise, the health sector, non-for-profits and State and Local government.
The team are all new to the region, moving to our beautiful backyard from all over QLD and Victoria for the wonderful lifestyle and the family friendly opportunities the Whitsundays has to offer.
A fun and vibrant team, they enjoy focusing their energy on delivering their project in order to benefit the wider community, whilst learning from their new colleagues and peers.
Outside of work, the team all enjoy dining in our local restaurants and taking advantage of the outdoor Whitsunday lifestyle.
We’ll leave you now with a game of guess who… one member of the team can do a mean Quickstep, whilst another is adept at pole dancing!
Contributed with thanks to the Whitsunday Regional Council.
The five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation were compiled and are practiced by Tibetan Monks to regain health, youth, and vitality. They are specific movements that focus on increasing the speed of the seven energy vortexes in the body. These vortexes slow down as we age and have a degenerating effect on the physical body. Practicing the 5 Tibetan Rites can increase the speed of the vortexes hence benefiting overall health whilst rejuvenating the body.
“The only inner difference between youth and serenity is simply the difference between the rate of speed at which the vortexes are spinning. Normalise the rate of speeds and the old man becomes a new man again.” From the book; The Eye of Revelation by Peter Kelder.
Reported Benefits of practicing the 5 Tibetan Rites:
• Increased energy
• Better sleep
• Improved strength & flexibility
• Increased mental clarity & Focus
• Improved mood
• Better posture
• Helps with transition of menopause
• Can support weight loss or weight gain (balanced weight)
• Feelings of calmness
• Reduced stress
• Improved digestion & elimination
• Helps with symptoms of menstruation
• Improved libido
• Improved self-discipline and sense of purpose
• Toning of the arms stomach and back muscles
• Increased levels of Qi (prana, lifeforce, energy)
Yoga+5 classes are now available in Airlie Beach by founder and Yoga instructor, Norma Strang.
Yoga+5 is a sequence of breathing exercises, therapeutic hatha yoga asanas, followed by the 5 Tibetan Rites. You can take advantage of the current intro offer where your first class is free.
Reserve your class at www.normastrang.com/booknow
The Christmas period is a time for celebration and merriment, where food is plentiful, alcohol is abundant and fitness regimes often fall to the wayside. Not only, however, does this lead to stacking on the kilos over the festive season, it can also lead to making the revival of a solid fitness and health regime even more challenging in the New Year.
It is almost impossible to deprive yourself of all the sweet treats at Christmas parties and boozy delights at family gatherings, but it is still possible to introduce a little balance in your life by adopting some of these ideas.
1. Maintain A Quick Fitness Routine – Instead of trying to find time for a lengthy workout why not allocate a quick 20-minutes of fitness instead? Alternatively, sign-up to F45 and enjoy a 45-minute burst of fitness to get you motivated for the day.
2. Moderate Your Treats – Every day is a holiday at Christmas, but the over-indulgence can often get too much. Try incorporating at least one or two healthy meals into your diet each day or allow for one sweet treat. Relaxed rules are better than no rules!
3. Remain Dedicated To Health – Something is always better than nothing. If you usually go to the gym three times a week, keep going at least once. If you usually eat healthy meals, keep eating at least one healthy meal per day.
4. Eat Before You Go Out – If you have a healthy snack before you leave the house you are less likely to splurge out on sugary or fatty items when in a festive social setting.
5. Drink More Water – Most of the time when you feel hungry, you are actually dehydrated and drinking some water will in fact sate any hunger cravings. In addition, keeping hydrated in the hot local climate will make you feel more alert, less sleepy and give you more energy overall.
6. Get Socially Active – Instead of arranging to meet up with friends at a café, restaurant or pub, try to meet in an outdoor setting where you will be active and less inclined to snack. Go for a swim, enjoy a bushwalk or bike ride the boardwalk.
7. Play Like A Kid – Whether you have young children or not, there is always time to unleash your inner child. Expend as much energy as you can by playing – enjoy a water fight or a game of cricket, prance along the beach and enjoy life like a child!
8. Don’t Skip Meals – While skipping a meal may lead you to think you are reducing your calorie in-take, in reality you will simply eat more food later. By sticking to a structured, healthy meal plan, you will be much better off.
9. Choose Treats Carefully – Try to pick the healthy option where possible.
10. Enjoy Christmas And Be Happy – When you are content and fulfilled more serotonin will be released into your system and you will feel more satisfied with life and less likely to give into cravings.
Early birds enjoyed free coffee and other perks at the second in a series of morning pop-up events held by Whitsunday Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday last week.
An intimate gathering of business owners, and also attended by local Council representative, Councillor John Collins, the event offered both a casual and informative opportunity for attendees to network and connect.
The pop-up was held at Fresh Fields Shopping Centre and Chamber Liaison, Julia Evans, said it was wonderful to activate this little shopping hub in the heart of Proserpine.
“It was great to engage Proserpine businesses and locals on the role and work of the Chamber at the morning pop-up Chamber event at the Fresh Fields Shopping Centre,” she said.
“Attendees enjoyed free coffee from Little Vintage Café, fresh fruit treats and giveaways from Drakes Supermarkets and Fresh Fields News and Gifts.”
The pop-up Chamber event was sponsored by Hummingbird Refrigeration, Electrical and Air Conditioning who provided practical advice to help prepare for air conditioning season.
This included a special giveaway, a free air conditioning clean to current members and new members who join the Chamber before 31 December 2023.
“Chamber will also be launching its 2024 program of events prior to Christmas,” said Julia.
“So, save the dates!”
L-R: Kim Porter (Hummingbird Refrigeration, Electricaland Air Conditioning), Bernadette Porter (Proserpine State High School),Richard Evans (Chamber Policy Officer), Denise Norder (Tropical Designs), JuliaEvans (Chamber Liaison), Barbara Cochrane (Fresh Fields News & Gifts) andCr John Collins. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge
Proserpine local and long-time resident Jack Hickmott is back at it, with his annual donation to the Proserpine Hospital.
Year after year, Jack donates electrical goods to the Proserpine Hospital annual Auxiliary Christmas Raffle, to say thank you to the hospital for the dedication and care they show when he and his family receive health care through the hospital.
While Jack does not want any recognition, he does wish to highlight the generosity and help of the IGA Proserpine staff, who helped him organise the donations he brought to the hospital.
The Proserpine Hospital Auxiliary is offering Christmas gift wrapping all through December at the Proserpine Pharmacy, as well as selling raffle tickets, for their annual Christmas Raffle.
Sandra Hobbs, Finance Officer, Jack Hickmott, andChristine Neilson, Executive Support Officer and Auxiliary Raffle Co-Ordinator.Photo supplied
Almost 100 stall holders from across the region are expected to fill the old St Catherine’s School grounds on Sunday for the third annual Proserpine Christmas Markets.
Organiser Tarnia Patton said that “the beauty is in the variety” and that everyone will be swept up in the festive spirit, with plenty of last-minute Christmas presents available to buy from small, locally owned businesses.
A lively and vibrant marketplace, the event focuses on hand-crafted, home-made products such as jewellery, soaps, health products, candles, knitted items, souvenirs and more.
There will also be a selection of home-made sweets and treats for sale, a coffee van parked outside to give attendees that caffeine hit before they enter and even a barber’s haircut or a cheeky massage to add to the experience.
For the children, there are a wide variety of activities to keep them entertained.
Any modest profits from each market are ploughed straight into the next, and Tarnia says that children can receive free balloons from Mr Poppins and an interactive wildlife experience with Whitsunday Wildlife Encounters.
There will also be face-painting available.
In keeping with the festive theme of the markets, our favourite man in red will also make an appearance. Santa will be on-site between 10am to 12pm, handing out treats and entertaining the children.
He will also be available for free photos and will welcome children to come and sit with him while the parents mill around and browse the nearby stalls.
Providing a merry serenade to the festivities will be the Proserpine Citizen’s Band which will create a “really good atmosphere”.
“This will be the perfect place to get all your last-minute Christmas bits and pieces,” said Tarnia.
“So come on down and browse the markets, there are lots of amazing things!”
There will also be opportunities throughout the day to purchase raffle tickets and donate to the charity of choice which is Cannonvale State School P&C.
The Proserpine Community Markets has been operating quarterly for the past four years, with this being the thirteenth operation of the market.
WHAT:Proserpine Christmas Markets
WHEN:Sunday, 10 December
TIME:8.30am – 12.30pm
WHERE:69 Marathon Street Proserpine
(Old StCatherine’s Junior School)
The festive spirit cruised over to Whitehaven Beach on Monday when 28 families, carers and clients from Endeavour Foundation’s Learning and Lifestyle hub in Cannonvale, were treated to an afternoon out on one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.
A kind and thoughtful Christmas gesture from Cruise Whitsundays, the trip was provided for free to Endeavour Foundation as an inclusive way for people living with disability to enjoy some quality time with their loved ones.
Jody Flaherty, Site Manager at Endeavour Foundation in Cannonvale said it was an amazing experience for all the clients, who came back with big smiles and hearts full.
“We can’t thank Cruise Whitsundays enough!” she said.
“The timing was just perfect and tied in really nicely as we continue to celebrate International Day of People with Disability.
“A lot of the people we support had never had the opportunity to do something like this before.
“One family member who is in her 70’s and has lived here all her life said that she had never swum in the ocean before!
“Cruise Whitsundays went above and beyond, they provided everything we needed, and everyone returned home safely, with smiles, and couldn’t wait to tell us all about it.”
Accommodating for all abilities, Cruise Whitsundays provided a beach wheelchair for the group, they also set-up beach cabanas to make the experience as comfortable as possible and stand-up paddle boards for those adventurous enough to give it a go.
Bringing some festive cheer to the excursion made the guests feel even more special.
Santa made an appearance and handed out little gifts to everyone.
“The whole experience really contributed to our Christmas celebrations,” said Jody.
“It was also wonderful for our clients to spend some time with their family, it was just amazing!”
Sales and Marketing Executive for Cruise Whitsundays, Liza Muller, said the company were thrilled to help create such special memories for such beautiful individuals.
“It’s so important to support local organisations and as it is the Year of Accessibility, we could see how Endeavour Foundation would really enjoy the experience,” she said.
“We’ve been in the region for 20 years and we understand how important it is to give back to the community, we love local give-backs and are thrilled the experience was so well-received by everyone who came along for the afternoon.”
28 clients, family and carers from Endeavour Foundation enjoyed a day out on Whitehaven Beach thanks to Cruise Whitsundays. Photo Credit: Reef Safari
A special beach wheelchair enabled everyone to enjoy every aspect of the experience. Photo Credit: Reef Safari
Santa joined in on the fun. Photo Credit: Reef Safari
The Great Barrier Reef Arena’s viability as an Olympic Games 2032 venue and training ground is being pushed to the forefront of Brisbane-based decision-makers thanks to the Olympic Games Senate Enquiry Committee which is currently touring regional Queensland.
Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox MP, met with the committee at the Great Barrier Reef Arena last week and spruiked the merits of regional facilities saying that they could become ‘legacy items’ with the right investment.
Senator Matt Canavan, Senator Bridget McKenzie, Senator Penny Allman-Payne and Senator Malcolm Roberts took a tour of the Great Barrier Reef Arena with Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox and Harrup Park General Manager Adrian Young last week.
The group explored the facilities and Mr Willcox was eager for them to take “a stock take on what regional Queensland has to offer” so information could be passed onto decision-makers and funds used to improve local facilities.
“We’ve got facilities like this, that are world-class, we’ve got the capabilities to hold events and we have already held international events here,” he said.
“The premier said these Olympics are for everybody in Queensland, but I haven’t seen a lot of evidence of that so far.”
Mr Willcox added that the government is spending $2.7 billion on renovating the Gabba and other facilities around Brisbane.
He said he would like to see some AFL matches and cricket games come to the Great Barrier Reef Arena while those venues are closed during the works.
He also said that he believes money is better invested in the regions as the facilities will be more meaningful to the smaller communities and become ‘legacy items’ for future generations.
“My argument is – let’s develop areas like this, the Great Barrier Reef Arena – put another grandstand here, some more facilities and they will become legacy items,” he explained.
“They will last a long time and will be used each and every day, they won’t just be mothballed after the Olympics.”
Senator Matt Canavan added that resources from the Mackay region’s key industries of mining and agriculture are being used to fund the Olympics so it is only fair that the region benefits.
“It is costing $7 billion in Olympic infrastructure in Brisbane and much of this is coming from regional Queensland,” he said.
“This is the Brisbane Olympics, but it is really being funded by regional Queensland.
“If we are going to fund the infrastructure in Brisbane, we need to make sure there is a return back to regional Queensland people too.”
It is hoped that the Great Barrier Reef Arena will host several events and the Whitsundays will host some of the sailing competitions.
Mr Willcox also hopes to see some of the training sessions take place locally and pitched venues such as the Magpies Sporting Complex for teams to have the opportunity to acclimatise and prepare for the Games.
“We’ve got a lot of submissions coming in and we are providing the Senators with good information – what current infrastructure we have, the capabilities and what infrastructure we need to hold world-class events,” said Mr Willcox.
“It’s great to have all political persuasions here to visit the facilities and we appreciate them going into bat for us.”
Over 150 countries are expected to be coming to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games and the whole of Queensland is set to benefit from the opportunity.
L-R: Senator Malcolm Roberts, Senator Bridget McKenzie, Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox, Senator Matt Canavan, Senator Penny Allman-Payne and Harrup Park General Manager Adrian Young are pushing for the Great Barrier Reef Arena to become a 2032 Olympic Games venue. Photo supplied
Harrup Park General Manager Adrian Young (far right) took members of the Olympic Games Senate Enquiry Committee on a tour of Mackay’s Great Barrier Reef Arena last week
December’s City Heart Friday will be a Christmas extravaganza with something for everyone to delight in.
City Heart Christmas celebrations will kick off on Friday, December 1, from 4pm to 8pm with free family fun throughout the city centre.
A special feature will be the Fifth Lane Christmas Markets with over 20 stalls to browse, as well as face painting, glitter tattoos, kids’ Christmas craft activities and roving performers.
There will also be late night shopping in city centre stores with plenty of Christmas specials.
The afternoon would not be complete without a visit from Santa.
Children can meet the man in red at Let the Children Play Toyshop, in Macalister Street, at 6.30pm after he’s driven through the city heart with the Holden Club.
This year, there will be The Great Christmas Scavenger Hunt, where participants can follow a list of clues to 12 different mystery shops, finding treasures along the way.
To win extra prizes, simply take a photo of yourself during the scavenger hunt and upload to www.mackay.qld.gov.au/christmashunt to go into a random draw.
You can complete the scavenger hunt in any order from December 1 to 12, during opening hours, and you don’t have to solve all the clues to be in the random draw.
Don’t miss out on all the Christmas fun in your City Heart this Friday! For more City Heart inspiration.
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