Whether you are renovating your home, embarking on an extension project or building a brand-new house from scratch, choosing the right builder is the most important choice you will make.

Changing the paint colour or the curtains can be a decision you modify over the years, but the structure, quality and workmanship involved with construction is deeply rooted and almost impossible to reconfigure. Choosing the right builder is the foundation of any project.

Here is a checklist to make sure you get it right:

• Do your research – don’t be fooled by a quick talking salesman or rely on a ‘good feeling’, make sure you check out their online reviews and ask around for other people’s experience with the builder

• Ensure they are a specialist – don’t get an ‘odd-job-guy’ to build a home from scratch. Equally if you have a unique project that involves a specific material such as wood, make sure you use a builder who has experience with that material

• Make sure you can trust them – pick someone who clearly outlines the costs and timeline upfront and details any stipulations for additional works if required. If they are honest about this, then they are likely transparent about other elements as well

• Get three quotes – always price check, but also quality check. Don’t always go for the cheapest, ensure you get best value

• Give exact specifications – when getting quotes outline measurements, materials and other factors that affect costings

• Check the builder is registered by going to the Contractor’s Board website. Here you will be able to see whether they are licenced to and can handle the work

• You can also check whether they are insured by checking if the renovation builder is a member of a locating board. This information will also be on the Contractor’s Board website

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Staging your home for sale can add thousands of dollars to the asking price, and most of the work can be achieved by you with little cost and some effort. Here’s how:

• Winning Windows - Replace tired looking curtains and heavy drapes with a more modern and breezier feel. Try sheer fabrics which allow the space to feel more open. Choose floor length curtains and hang them from the ceiling instead of at the top of the window frame, to make the room appear taller.

• Bathroom Beauty - Buy white towels to stage your bathroom – fluffy monochromatic hues will create a spa affect and give the impression of luxury. They also look clean and fresh.

• Rug Right - Find a rug that fits the space and makes the room look bigger. Avoid one that is too small and always ensure the front legs of your couch and chairs are touching the rug. This will pull the room together and make the space look larger.

• Bookcase Bliss – Remove 25 per cent of your books straight away to create a decluttered feel. Afterwards, rearrange the shelf so that some books are stacked horizontally and others are artfully slanted or vertical. Add some interesting trinkets and ornaments to act as bookends, adding character and charm.

• Polished Presentation – If you are selling your home make sure you deal with any repairs and chip marks before prospective buyers view your house and see a minefield of maintenance jobs to attend to. Get the filler out and plaster the little chips in the walls and then add a fresh coat of paint.

• Declutter and Depersonalise – When prospective buyers come to view your house they want to imagine themselves living there and a decluttered, depersonalised space allows them to do that best. Unfortunately, this means removing family photos from walls, clearing away nick-knacks and minimalizing personal effects as much as possible.

• Focus On The Three – the kitchen, master bedroom and living room are considered the most influential rooms when buyers are assessing whether to purchase a property. Use fresh, good quality linen in the bedroom, cluster up the cushions on each side of the lounge setting and wipe your sink with lemon for extra sparkle.

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Keep your garden neat and tidy with Garden Bags Whitsunday, a simple and easy-to-use service that removes your trimmings and garden waste, alleviating the stress and hassle of endless trips to the tip in your Ute.

From palm fronds to lawn clippings, a variety of green waste can be placed in your dedicated bag, including clean cardboard.

The collected items are then recycled and turned into compost.

Made from strong and durable nylon, the tough garden bags are mounted on a metal frame making them easy to fill.

They can be discreetly placed in your garden and are then serviced as required, usually every four to eight weeks.

For bulk garden waste, the friendly team are also happy to remove straight from the pile and into their vehicle.

Chris and Bec McCormack, having previously discovered the Whitsundays after exploring Queensland as a family, moved to the Whitsundays from Canberra in December after Chris had an accident and his back surgeon recommended a warmer climate, and they now love living here.

The couple purchased the long-standing business earlier this year and officially took the reins in July.

Chris now works alongside his 17-year-old son, Chev, the two of them handling the day-to-day operations of the business.

Bec works from home in a government job she was able to bring with her and they have two other boys who are 12 and 22.

“Everyone has been fantastic and really welcoming,” said Bec.

“The handover from the previous owners, Geoff and Kate, was amazing, they spent the following few months showing us how to run the business. In fact, they continue helping with the transition.”

“We deliver your garden bag and stand for free!” said Chris.

“And we are happy to come and take a look at your property first if you like.

“We love meeting everyone and are very happy to help – we can work around your schedules and explain the process clearly.”

Garden Bags Whitsunday remove:

• Grass clippings

• Small shrubs

• Twigs

• Hedge trimmings

• Palm fronds

• Weeds

• Leaves

• Loose garden waste

• Clean Cardboard

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Chris, Bec and Chev McCormack from Garden Bags Whitsunday

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The Scotsman likes his heather bell

The Englishman his rose

The shamrocks please the Irishman

But I choose none of those.

Surrounding my homestead I see

And spread far to the west

The arrows of the sugarcane

And these I like the best.

(D L Moffat)

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Many a tourist and farmer standing on a farmhouse veranda on a sunny afternoon would agree with D L Moffat, that the beauty of acres of pale mauve cane flowers waving in the breeze, is hard to surpass.

When early settlers began growing sugar cane in the district, one wonders if they realised the great wealth that sugar would bring to the Whitsunday Shire.

It was all work and no play in the infant settlement and not always smooth sailing. First attempts at establishing a fledgling industry in 1885 were strangled by government intervention. It was another twelve years before Proserpine finally gained its own mill when the government provided the necessary funds to build the Proserpine Central Mill.

The mill was christened on September 16, 1897, with farmers and graziers from all around travelling by buggy and horseback to attend the celebrations. After the ceremony, there was a picnic and cricket match followed by a shareholders’ banquet that night in the sugar room and the following evening, a grand ball (all of which were echoed 100 years later at the Centenary Celebrations of 1997).

In its first crushing season (September 16 – December 24) 10,991 tons of cane was crushed. There were thirty-nine growers in the district and 568 acres of land was under cane.

Unfortunately, the powers that be had overestimated Proserpine’s potential and recommended a mill with a capacity far in excess of local farm output. District farmers could not service the debt so asked the government to take over the running of the mill. As it transpired, the government appointees were less financially responsible than had been the inexperienced shareholders and for thirty-one years the debt mounted.  

They say that adversity builds strength and there was no greater example of this than the Proserpine farmers’ determination during the Great Depression. On May 14, 1931, in a resoundingly optimistic move, they voted overwhelmingly in favour of purchasing the then government-owned mill to form their own co-operative.  

It was a momentous day on July 1, 1931 when growers once again took charge of their mill. And so began a new page in the history of the mill.

The 1931 season yielded a record crop of 117,347 tons. Fifty years on, in the 1981 season, the first one million tonnes of cane was crushed. Then, only fifteen years later, in 1996, Proserpine Co-operative Sugar Mill crushed two million tonnes – an Australian record for a sugar mill with one set of crushing mills.

In 2011, following a series of global and local setbacks over the previous decade, the difficult decision was made to sell the mill to Wilmar Sugar (Singapore). And so, after eight decades as a Co-Operative, it was the end of an era.

This year, in its 125th crushing, the crop estimate currently stands at 1.826 million tonnes, at the time of printing.

Over 125 years, the growing, harvesting and milling of sugar cane has witnessed considerable change and development – increased mechanisation in both the harvesting and growing sectors; the shift to green cane harvesting; new and improved cane varieties; increased irrigation and other improvements in farm management practices.

Throughout this time, farmers, harvesting contractors and millers have demonstrated a willingness to embrace changes; a determination to work together and the resolve to confront challenges that arise. In the current uncertain world climate, these qualities will be more important than ever.

Story and photo courtesy of Proserpine Historical Museum.

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The fourth annual Comiskey Mining Services Don River Dash blasted across the riverbed on the weekend, with over 200 bike entries and 110 car entries from buggies and trophy trucks to side by sides and motorcycles.

The famed Bowen event saw cars crashing and skidding through sand and dirt over the weekend in one of the “best offroad races on the East Coast”.

Hitting record entries for its race across the river, the Dash was again a smash hit for the region.

This year, the King and Queen Of The River crown was claimed by a couple: Aaron and Liz Haby, a husband and wife duo from Element Offroad Racing.

The pair travelled across the country to take part, racking up a distance of 2500 kilometers over 28 hours, all before the race had even begun. They claimed the iconic, 300km crown in their NO. 1 Unlimited Class Car.

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Jack Collins and Hayden Farrier

This October, Walk For A Kinder World is back and the community are invited to join in the fundraising initiative to promote kindness while raising money for innovative school programs.

The charity flyhighbillie is organising the second ever iteration of the event, which hopes to connect people around the globe, one kind step at a time.

Its participants will decide their walking distances, source sponsorship from friends, family and other community members, and get going.

Once they reach their pledged number of steps, they send in their sponsorship to be given to the charity and used to pay for b kinder workbooks.

These workbooks cost $20 each and are used for teaching a curriculum in kindness at schools all over the country.

The inspiration for this came from 12-year-old Billie Kinder, who tragically lost her life in a horse riding accident.

After her passing, Billie’s mum, Danny, created b kinder day which is held on June 22 each year. The event was inspired by a book created from her daughter’s work, bringing together her poems, stories and artworks.  

“The feedback we got from Billie’s book ‘hope’ was incredible,” said Danny.

“Billie’s words were instigating conversations with children on deeper issues and creating a huge impact.”

Over 60,000 b kinder day cards have since been sent to countries all over the world and the movement continues to spread love, kindness, and compassion to reduce mental health issues, bullying, and suicide.

By joining forces and walking together to raise money for this worthy cause, participants can all contribute to improving the mental wellbeing of school children and overall kindness in communities.

To take part in the event go to fundraise.flyhighbillie.org.

Here are some ideas of how you can spread kindness today:

• Dropping a kindness message in someone's letterbox

• Walking someone's dog

• Picking up litter along the way

• Offering to collect groceries for someone

• Helping an elderly person go for a short walk

• Make a phone call and connect to someone that you haven't spoken to in a while

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The team from Proserpine State High School participating in Walk for a Kinder World event last year

Billie Kinder who inspires the event with her kindness

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A brave band of family and friends who have lost loved ones to suicide came together for a special memorial service at the Volunteer Marine Rescue Building (VMR) in Cannonvale on Saturday morning.

While the mood was sombre, a shared sentiment of hope and healing created solace and comfort for those grieving.

Pastor Olwyn Harris from Proserpine Liberty Church officiated the service, which was emceed by Megan Mattingley, a counsellor from Bowen.

Both women offered a powerful message that reassured loved ones that all emotions are valid and acceptable, that this is a unique type of grief that often invokes feelings of anger and pain.

During the ceremony Brendon and Jess from YWAM played a beautiful accompaniment to some poignant moments, giving attendees the opportunity to sit and reflect.

Afterwards, sunflowers, which are a symbol of hope, were given to everyone and a special moment took place at the water’s edge where everyone let go of their sunflower and watched as it drifted away.

“In no way is this letting your loved one go,” said Pastor Harris.

“This is a symbol of letting go of the pain and the anger while still holding close memories of your loved one.”

A light morning tea was then served inside and everyone had the opportunity to chat with others who had a shared experience.

There were also two counsellors present who were available to talk to anyone and help where needed.

“It’s about supporting the community and providing a way for people who have lost a loved one to suicide to honour and remember them,” said Mel Turner from Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network (WSPN).

“It’s a way to connect and express loss in some way.”

The community memorial service was an initiative of WSPN who actively help those effected by suicide here in the region.

WSPN offer free counselling to anyone impacted by suicide. If you would like to reach out you can call 07 4945 2858.

If you are worried about a loved one or this article has raised any issues for you, then reach out to one of the support services below.

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467

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Matt Stokes and Mel Turner from WSPN, Olwyn Harris from Liberty Church in Proserpine and Counsellor Megan Mattingley

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A meaningful and meditative occasion, the Proserpine Health Festival, returned to town this year and organisers said they were excited to see so many people from the community attend and support the event.

“It exceeded our expectations and it was such a great turn out,” said organiser Selena Daly.

“It shows there is a need for this sort of event and the whole weekend felt like a very supportive, inclusive environment – it’s been relaxed but was also nourished by a wealth of knowledge and wisdom from our local health practitioners.”

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP opened the festival and during her speech commented that it was wonderful to see so many Proserpine-based health related businesses that were creating this vibrant wellness culture.

Over the weekend between 40 and 50 people attended a range of seminars, workshops and interactive events.

Topics included naturopathy, nutrition, fitness, colonics, breathwork, yoga and more.  

There was also opportunity for people to interact and network, eat delicious food and spend time learning more about empowering choices around healthy living.

The biggest year so far, organisers are looking forward to growing the event next year and welcoming more guests to what is becoming a thriving local festival.

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Camille Rains from Novella Health and Selena Daly from Bottoms Up Colonics

Delicious foods and inspiring talks motivated minds and nourished the body

Organisers Melissa Jong from the Wellness Centre and Selena Daly

The region’s toughest trail running event saw over 100 participants race across the Conway National Park in a variety of distances last weekend.

Whitsunday Running Club hosted The Whitsunday Trail Fest last Sunday in another successful outing of the club’s largescale race through a Whitsundays’ national park.

The longstanding event has a 17 -year history in the region, originally beginning with a concept by the Mackay Road Runners and eventually becoming the event its known as today with the Ultru 58 kilometre, Honeyeater Challenge, and the more recent Kids Beach run.

For 2022 the race precinct transformed the Airlie Beach foreshore into a running station as competitors kicked into gear as early as 5:30am.

Sixteen children competed in the event’s second ever Trail Fest beach run, while 17 took on the Honey Eater 10.5km. The Trail Fest’s most popular event hosted 56 competitors taking on the 28-kilometre track, and 14 racers smashed out the 58 kilometre trail run to end the weekend’s festivities.

Over the Whitsunday Trail Fest 28-kilometre, local Airlie Beach racer Roland Henderson broke away as the overall winner with a great time of 2:34:07.3.

For the female category, Montana Mcavoy claimed the overall win with a time of 2:37:06.2. An exceptional and honourable mention to competitor Geoff Stanton who ran as the only 60 to 69 competitor, finishing with a time of 4:26:24.3.

Of the 14 racers who dared to crack the 58-kilometre trail run, Dale Cameron was crowned the overall top finisher with a 5:52:16.8, followed closely by Sonja Schonfeldt-Roy – last year’s overall female winner who held onto her top spot with a 6:34:59.0 and the overall second place finish.

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Whitsunday Trail Fest racers trekked across the Conway National Park last weekend in the event’s 17th year

Competitors from as young as three and up to 60 took part in the variety of distances in the Trail Fest

The successful outing saw locals and out of state racers smash personal records and claim top prizes

14 racers took on the elite distance of 58-kilometres

A combination of three motives will lead Jessica Aldred’s SsangYong Chairman to the summer Shitbox Rally travelling from Rockhampton to Hobart next year.

Two of those reasons are deeply personal, and the third is sentimental.

For Jessica - who lives between Airlie Beach and Proserpine - the strange, Korean “luxury” car has been a companion deserving of a unique send off. And there was no better than the Shitbox Rally in March 2023 – which matches with her first personal cause: cancer research.

“We lost [my partner] Alastair’s dad to cancer about a year ago. There are not many better ways to raise funds for cancer research than the Rally,” Jessica said.

“That was the first reason to take part.”

Shitbox Rally’s, which run twice per year, sees cars worth roughly $1000 dollars head across Australia, driving through dirt road and rough terrain to raise funds for The Australian Cancer Council.

The second motivation is spending time with her co-driver, her dad, Tony Aldred, who lives in Kangaroo Valley south of Sydney, and is due to retire in the next two years.

“I had said, before he’s too old, we need to do something; one last big adventure. He lost his best mate to an aggressive brain cancer five years ago. It was something for us to do together for an issue close to our hearts,” Jessica said.

“And then with the car – it’s a weird, old car. It just made sense to use the Chairman – I really love it; it has a special place in my heart. Dad and I had a bit of a chuckle and thought naming it Chairman Meow would be fitting, especially as we’ll deck it out in the Rally.”

Tony and Jessica will fit the car out in large floppy cats’ ears, pin a tail in its boot, and have already started covering it in paw print stickers, which each denote a donation.

The paw prints vary in size depending on the amount submitted by the donor, and each has a name written on it. They hope to cover the whole car.

“I find it poignant to look at sometimes; some of those names are of people who’ve died. Some are of survivors; some are in hospital currently. It’s a nice way to take those people with us on the road,” Jessica said.

The pair have already raised $5600 dollars for cancer, and with six months left to fundraise, they hope to continue to add to their tally.

Over six days, the Chairman Meow car – which only sold around 100 models Australia-wide – will cruise across the Silverton Outback Track in March 2023, driven by the dad and daughter duo.

You can donate to the Chairman Meow team directly via the link: https://summer2023.shitboxrally.com.au/chairman-meow

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Jessica Aldred with “Chairman Meow”, a SsangYong Chairman which will take her and her dad, Tony, across the country next year in the Shitbox Rally

Airlie Beach residents watched from balconies and beachfronts as a 42-foot yacht, which was anchored 200 metres offshore, erupted into flames on Friday evening.

Police received a call-out at 5.40pm and when they attended the scene shortly afterwards, they found the sole occupant, a 54-year-old New Zealand woman, had jumped into the water as flames engulfed the vessel.

Police scooped her out of the ocean and Queensland Ambulance Service took her to Proserpine Hospital in a stable condition with serious burns to her legs.

At about 7pm, a large boom was heard ricocheting around the bay, with locals reporting it was felt as far afield as Jubilee Pocket.

It is understood this could have been a gas bottle onboard.

Whitsunday Volunteer Marine Rescue (VMR) were tasked by Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) to transport auxiliary fire fighters to the scene at 7.35pm.

Rescue vessel, Coral Sea Marina Resort (VMR1) was deployed, and the teams attended with two portable pumps.

When they arrived, they identified a fully involved yacht fire and assessed whether to let the ocean extinguish the fire over time or use the hoses.

Due to smoke and swing of the vessel, it was decided to extinguish the fire, a job that took close to an hour.

By 9pm, VMR and QFES returned to the marina.

It is understood that the timber vessel was built by its 64-year-old owner who was watching the fire from the balcony of the Whitsunday Sailing Cub, powerless to do anything.

Police have arrested the woman on board and charged her with arson.

Earlier that day, in a separate incident, the man received minor injuries believed to be from the woman.

She has been denied police bail and charged with one count each of arson, assault and contravene a police protection notice (domestic violence), as well as two counts of assault occasioning bodily harm relating to earlier alleged incidents.

The woman appeared in court on September 12 and will remain in custody until her next appearance on October 10.

Maritime Safety Queensland have placed a marker buoy at the site of the vessel which still protrudes above sea level.

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The 40-foot timber yacht up in flames on Friday evening

Parts of the vessel were still protruding above sea level on Sunday morning

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When little Brutus meandered out of the open gates of the home where he was staying, he never expected his day to take such an adventurous turn.

The 12-year-old pug had been staying at the son and daughter-in-law’s house while his parents took their new caravan on holiday.

The gate had accidentally been left open and soon Brutus had wondered on the highway - lost, scared and in a dangerous situation navigating the busy school-run peak-hour traffic on Shute Harbour Road near Mount Julian.

Fortunately, local dog-lover and owner of this newspaper, Bec Douthwaite saw him and immediately stopped her vehicle.

Racing out on foot, she chased the old pup around, but he kept darting away in the opposite direction.

Seeing her plight and watching other drivers pass on by, Whitsunday Transit bus driver Edward Deakes and his co-worker Craig Toole decided to pull the bus over and Craig jumped out to help.

With two people coming from either direction, it was easy to wrangle little Brutus and he was soon safely ensconced in the back of Bec’s vehicle.

Not knowing who he belonged to, the little pug made a trip to the Whitsunday Life office where he was fed treats and water then promptly fell asleep, snoring loudly.

Meanwhile, his parents, who were holidaying in Rollingstone, saw a post saying he was missing on Facebook and started panicking.

Luckily, Brutus had been reported safe to the daughter-in-law, Nicole Camm, who informed them he had been returned home.

“The in-laws said we’re not allowed to look after him ever again!” she said.

“But we are all glad he is home safe – thank you to everyone who stopped.”

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Crissy Bottrell, Bec Douthwaite and Taylor Trewartha with Brutus the pug

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Hi Everyone,

Well spring has certainly ‘sprung’ and the warm weather feels delicious, doesn’t it?!

This week also marks the beginning of the school holidays so many families will be enjoying some time together.

For those of us who have to work, we begin the two-week ‘struggle of the juggle’, organising play dates and day care and home offices to keep our little ones looked after.

I always find this time of year full of promise and hope, the start of the warm weather where bathers are constantly drying on verandas, and everyone arranges to meet at the nearest watering hole.

Inside this issue, we celebrate another exciting beginning full of promise and hope – our new mayor Julie Hall took the lead in her first formal Council meeting at the Proserpine Chambers on Wednesday morning.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Julie on her first week in office and you can read the article in the latest issue of Core Magazine when it comes out next week.

During our interview, I found her to be a warm and open person who was happy to share stories of her life.

A country girl at heart, she grew up in rural South Australia and has worked in many industries over the years, from hosting whale watching tours to running her own personal development business for the past 16 years.

Expressing gratitude and humility at being elected to a role where she had no former experience, Mayor Julie embodies a calm confidence in being able to lead the region.

With an unrelentingly positive attitude and enthusiasm for helping the community connect with Council, some may see her ambitions as lofty, but others admire her determination to create change.

We wish her luck with her new role and look forward to helping connect the community with Council through regular news coverage.

Rach

Quote of the Week: “In a world where you can be anything, be yourself” (Albert Einstein)

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Whitsunday Regional Council’s newly elected mayor, Julie Hall, oversaw her first Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday at the Proserpine Council Chambers, which involved the induction of a new Deputy Mayor, Councillor Gary Simpson.

Mayor Hall led her first foray into local government operations under the supervision and guidance of fellow councillors, as well as Council Chief Executive Officer Rod Ferguson.

Although there were a few fumbling moments and slips of the tongue at the beginning, Mayor Hall worked her way through the first-day jitters and officiated a successful and straightforward meeting for the local council.

After a minute of silence in respect for the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Ms Hall began with her role’s customary Mayoral Minute – an opportunity to update constituents and councillors on the mayor’s movements during the time between meetings.

Mayor Hall said she would like to utilise her privilege of a Mayoral Minute to act with “dignity and grace” and start today “with a clean slate.”

“I feel it is appropriate to offer a public apology to any councillors, directors, or staff who I may have inadvertently offended during my election campaign,” Ms Hall said.

“We can now put the election behind us and instead work for the community we serve, and the Whitsunday region.”

Mayor Hall was greeted afterwards with questions from the public gallery – highlighting the scrutiny she will now be under from her constituents during her term - the most notable of which came from one of her ex-Mayoral candidate rivals, Phillip Batty.

The Questions each held an underlying theme of council accountability, markedly in reference to the Port Of Airlie Development and its much-publicised critics – Save Our Foreshore Inc.

The meeting also saw the nomination and subsequent confirmation of a new Whitsunday Regional Council Deputy Mayor, Councillor Gary Simpson.

Councillor Simpson claimed the role after a 5-2 vote in his favour. The born and raised Proserpine Local, who runs a cane farm in Strathdickie and has previously directed the Proserpine District Canegrowers Cooperative over a period of nine years, said it was an “honour and a privilege” to be elected Deputy.

“I look forward to the next 12 months,” Mr Simpson said.

He was elected after a prior nomination for Councillor Mike Brunker failed.

Councillor John Collins, in an impassioned speech on the difficulties council will face “for the next eight years”, nominated Mr Brunker for the job, but it was shot down by other councillors on a 4-3 vote – Ms Hall, Councillor’s Al Grundy, Jan Clifford, and Gary Simpson each voting against.

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Newly elected Mayor Julie Hall oversaw her first Ordinary Council Meeting on Wednesday, September 14

The meeting was a straightforward affair other than the instalment of Councillor Gary Simspon as new Deputy Mayor

These were the last words the alleged arsonist said to her ‘on again – off again’ partner, Michael George, as he left the vessel a short time before it was set alight.

The couple, who had been dating for 18 months, arrived in Airlie Beach a week before the alleged incident.

They had been sailing up the coast from Rockhampton and before that from the Bay of Islands area on the North Island of New Zealand where Michael lived.

Having built the boat by hand, spending four years (8000 hours) full-time, crafting every inch from solid timber, Michael is understandably devastated that his 42-foot yacht Lusi has now met such a sad end.

Launching her in 2015, Michael spent some years sailing all around the world and clocked-up an impressive 47,000 nautical miles on the vessel.

When he met his now ex-partner, the pair planned more adventures which brought them to anchor at Airlie Beach last week.

Michael said that unfortunately the relationship had become strained following a series of “outbursts” and destructive episodes that had seen his ex-partner visit Proserpine Hospital overnight with self-inflicted injuries on Wednesday evening.

Michael also sustained injuries following an assault which caused him to file a domestic violence order.

After this, he asked his ex-partner to move out of the vessel and had secured temporary accommodation in town for her.

On the day of the incident, Michael said he had taken her back to the vessel so she could gather her belongings and it is alleged that she started a number of small fires on the vessel which he was able to extinguish.

“She said ‘if you call the police, I’ll set it on fire’, but I had already called the police and knew they were on their way,” Michael explained.

He then left the vessel and decided to return to shore, believing the police would handle it.

Michael saw the water police drive towards the vessel, but at that moment flames started to erupt from inside.

“Then she just went up!” he said.

“I saw it on fire but there was nothing I could do.”

Michael gave all the information to the police and was given accommodation at a local hotel overnight.

Earlier this Thursday he flew to the Gold Coast to stay with friends and will then spend two weeks with his daughter in Perth while he waits for a new passport to come through.

“I’d like to say thank you to all the authorities, they’ve been brilliant.” he said.

“Ideally I’d like to see her pay me back for the vessel, but I don’t see how that’s going to happen!”

Michael lost all his possessions in the fire and the boat has since been valued at over $1 million.

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Michael George at his AirBNB before he flew out on Thursday

The 42-foot classic timber cutter that has been valued at $1 million