Discovering what type of litter is polluting our marine environment is an important part of the process of analysing our waste habits and learning how to change them.

Instead of collecting litter in the form of marine debris swept up onto the beach, The Coral Sea Academy has been working with Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership (HR2RP) to create an innovative plan to collect litter before it gets into the ocean.

Just over a year ago 15 litter traps were installed in Airlie Beach, Proserpine and Cannonvale as part of the Whitsunday Gross Pollutant Trap Project.

Since then, more than 8000 pieces of litter have been collected, sorted, and details entered into the Australian Marine Debris Initiative (AMDI) Database.

This valuable data is then used to assist with ongoing research and used to help guide source reduction programs.

Organisers are now calling out for volunteers to complete the final few audits.

“Many hands really do make light work, so we encouraged anyone who has a couple of hours to spare to come down and give it a go,” said HR2RP Community Engagement Officer Rebekah Smith.

“The information we gather from the community litter audits will help inform plans to reduce litter in the first place so it’s a great way to get involved and keep our region’s waterways healthy.”

This is just one of the EduTourism events offered through the Coral Sea Academy platform at Coral Sea Marina and Joscelyn O’Keefe, Head of Marketing and Business Development at Coral Sea Marina said that this project is a great way to help the local environment.

“The purpose of the Coral Sea Academy is to provide the opportunity for events such as these to engage with guests on themes that are relevant to the Whitsundays, such as protecting the natural assets that surround us,” she said.

“These community litter audits are certainly a great way in which any individual can help towards this goal.”

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Volunteer a few hours of your time to sort litter and provide valuable information

Sort litter with a stunning view of the marine environment you are helping to protect

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For Jessica Volker, a Bowen local and ex-dentistry student, becoming an organic farmer in the Lower Don was not in the script.

Yet the now treasurer of Bowen Gumlu Growers Association, agronomic scientist, and consultant is in her third season of owning and operating her farm: Bio Lower Don Organics.

"I did not think my husband and I were going to be farmers – I never thought that would happen but it is seriously the best thing we have ever done,” Mrs Volker said.

Mrs Volker, although growing up in the horticultural hotspot of Bowen, had no experience in the agricultural world. Instead, her expertise was as a young dental assistant in town – eventually moving to the Gold Coast to study the profession.

“The thing I loved about dentistry was helping someone who was coming to see you – to get someone out of a jam, in a sense,” she said.

“When I started studying, I had to do a lot of science subjects, which ended up being agricultural. That was when it clicked that I loved agriculture and made the switch to agronomy.

“Now I’m helping farmers out of a jam in a way. I'm the go-to when you have a problem. It's like what I liked about dentistry but very different; only it still a people-person sort of job where you’re solving a problem.”

Mrs Volker moved back to Bowen to work in agricultural consultancy before starting her farm with her husband, Luke. The pair knew they “had to do something different” to stand out in Bowen.

“That’s why we decided to go certified organic,” she said.

“What we love about farming is the lifestyle it has given us. It’s a back-to-basics job. It’s lovely being out there planting and picking, it’s cliché to say but it’s very wholesome and special.”

With eggplant, tomato, chilli, mangos, and more, Mrs Volker and her family have found their passion in the Lower Don.

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Bowen-born Jessica Volker became an agronomic scientist and local farmer after a switch from studying dentistry

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What started as a hobby when the region was struck by a severe thunderstorm has become a ten-year foray into the media landscape for a group of local meteorological enthusiasts.

Liam Leonard and his L&K Mackay Severe Weather Facebook page team celebrated their 10th birthday last week and cast their eyes back on the day when they decided to take weather warnings into their own hands.

“Ten years ago, we were lashed with a severe thunderstorm in the region,” Mr Leonard said.

“There was no Severe Thunderstorm warning from the Bureau of Meteorology. It came from nowhere.”

By the afternoon of that day, Mackay’s commercial radio stations had stopped broadcasting and no local information leaving no information to be passed by traditional channels.

“I thought, ‘Bugger it, I'm going to create a local, up-to-date, weather information page and do a much better job than our friends at BoM,’” Mr Leonard said.

As more severe weather events came and went, the followers and likes grew, and ten years on the page has gathered more than 25,000 followers and is home to four self-taught meteorological hobbyists who have managed a 99 per cent accuracy for major events.

Local businesses have jumped on board, providing key sponsorships to avoid a paid subscription service – including a partnership as the Mackay and Whitsunday Life Newspaper exclusive severe weather information source.

And the page continues to expand, covering the Whitsundays, Marian, and providing daily forecasts during the wet season with hopes to eventually become a full-time operation.

“We are still going strong, still giving the best, local, timely, accurate information with no scaremongering,” Mr Leonard said.

“The praise we receive gives us the incentive to keep doing something for the community, to help them out. I think people love that we’re here, we’re local – we go through the extreme weather with them. Pre-, during, and post-storm, we're here.”

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The L&K Mackay Severe Weather Facebook page celebrated 10 years of being there for the entire region this month

Image: Marty Strecker Photography

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Collinsville will transform into a ‘sea of pink’ for its first International Women’s Day Fun Run next month with local teams already raising $3600 to help Mater Foundation fight breast cancer.

More than 60 people will take part in the virtual iteration of the run, many from Glencore Coal’s Collinsville Open Cut operation, including organiser Alice Randell.

Ms Randell has encouraged her colleagues and other members of the community to take part and was inspired to start the virtual fun run in Collinsville by a Brisbane-based friend who had registered to take part in the 20,000-strong Brisbane fun run on March 12.

“And last year, I started my fitness journey after putting on a few kilos. When I saw Anna had registered, I thought, yes, I am doing this!” Mrs Randell said.

The International Women’s Day Fun Run supports women with breast cancer and raises vital funds for breast cancer research and services at Mater hospitals across Queensland.

Others who want to join the event need to simply complete a five-kilometre virtual fun run in their communities from March 6-12.

Across Queensland, almost 3000 participants have already signed up to take part in the virtual event, with teams running in Townsville, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Mackay, the Gold Coast, Toowoomba, and the Redlands.

Ms Randell is calling on other residents to join or copy her 'Collinsville Sea of Pink' team.

“I want others in small rural towns to join the fight against breast cancer,” she said.

“It’s important to get people moving and be active – and we all know someone who has been affected by breast cancer.”

She said the event was a great way to celebrate International Women’s Day while promoting a healthy lifestyle.

"Embracing a healthy lifestyle isn't always easy and I'm hoping that this event can show people that it can be done and that it can be fun too," she said.

“It can be hard to be focused on health and fitness in a small community, particularly when we don’t have the same state-of-the-art facilities that are available in metropolitan areas,” Ms Randell said.

Mater Foundation Chief Executive Officer Andrew Thomas said the fun run had been a much-loved event for more than 30 years and had been expanded to allow Queenslanders to participate wherever they live in the state.

Last year’s fun run was cancelled due to the 2022 Brisbane floods, but fund-raisers and virtual runners still managed to raise an incredible $1.75 million.

Participation in the previous 2021 fun run was capped at 13,500 and has now been increased in response to public demand.

“The response from the community this year has been overwhelming,” Mr Thomas said.

“We’re delighted that 20,000 Queenslanders will be joining the sea of pink in Brisbane this year and that so far another 3100 will be running in their own virtual events.

“If you live in other parts of Queensland, you can still be part of this fantastic celebration. Register with us and walk or run in your own community – every dollar you raise will help women fighting breast cancer.”

This year, Mr Thomas said the event organisers aim to raise more than $1.75m to provide personalised support services and state-of-the-art equipment to better diagnose and treat patients, as well as investing in life-saving breast cancer research at Mater.

“Please join us and show women with breast cancer that we’re right beside them during their most difficult time,” he said.

To learn more, visit: fundraise.mater.org.au/event/funrun-2023/virtual-how-it-works

WHAT: Virtual International Women’s Day Fun Run

WHERE: Anywhere in your neighbourhood (that’s safe!)

WHEN: March 6 to 12

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Collinsville Local Alice Randell is joining the Virtual International Women's Day Fun Run in early March

Mrs Randell and her ‘Sea of Pink’ team – which comprises community members from Collinsville and other employees from Glencore Coal’s Collinsville Open Cut operation

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Technology running amok, creation turning against its creator, and TikTok dancing – there’s nothing new in M3gan to surprise audiences. Perhaps that is its great strength. In this world of comfort-watching, Gerard Johnstone’s film is a perfect child of the times. What you see is what you get: expect a murderous android to murder and it will murder, oh boy, will it murder.

Not to disparage M3gan in any way, no: It’s Chucky reborn for a new generation, an uncanny valley version of Frankenstein’s monster. A robotics engineer at a toy company builds a life-like doll that begins to take on a life of its own – I’ve read this one before, or, better yet, I’ve seen this one before.

The difference, though, is instead of a creepy dolly being played for straight horror, M3gan is a dark comedy and a successful one at that. It’s absurdly cheeky, it knows what it’s doing at every step. The cynic would chalk much of its clueing into trends up as a sort of advertising ploy – and undoubtedly there is a degree of correctness to that sentiment. What we see in M3gan is a film that capitalises on a new audience for horror with an old affection. Johnstone’s film is the ridiculous, funny horror of films like Freddy Vs Jason mashed with a TikTok twist.

Give the kids a four-foot-tall Barbie seemingly possessed by Satan, and they’ll eat it up. The cynic says: “This is why the film is rated a shy PG in America (though it’s stamped with a mature in our more sensitive country).” But the pessimist misses the point.

M3gan is exquisitely fun - by design - and its writer, James Wan, knows how to craft a creepy moment or two, so the horror is horrific, the humour humorous. For what it is, it is what it is. Temper your expectations for anything transcendental, and arrive to M3gan with this in mind: a manic murder toy of the moment who will have you laughing from between your fingers

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One hundred years ago, the tourism potential of the Whitsundays was “not even a twinkle in the first developer’s eye.” Those beautiful islands were just 74 secrets kept by several families who had taken out residential or grazing leases. The idea of spending a holiday on Hamilton or Hayman was yet to crystallise. Only one family lived near Cannon Valley Beach as it was then known. By the 1920s, the dirt road from Proserpine still took two very bumpy hours to navigate, although the beach was becoming a popular picnic destination.

However, after World War One, scientific interest began to be attracted north and, in 1922, The Great Barrier Reef Committee was founded as part of the Royal Geographical Society of Australasia. One of its early expeditions called in on Lindeman Island for a day. Four years later, another visited the islands near Mackay. Enjoying this trip was a young New South Wales schoolteacher called Edwin Montague Embury. Embury was inspired to organise his own expeditions to the Whitsundays on a much larger scale and these excursions formed the foundation of tourism in this area.

“A qualified teacher, Monty’s delight in life was to pass a learning experience on to others – perhaps it was the qualified teacher in him! He undertook in his own time the organisation of expeditions to coral reef areas for the enlightenment and enjoyment of others. He was a meticulous organiser with the drive, energy and ability to draw around himself an enthusiastic band of technical advisers and helpers.” (Ray Blackwood)

The first trip at Christmas 1928 was planned to sail from Bowen to headquarters on Lindeman but met with problems which could have proved disastrous to lesser men. With his brother, Arch, he met in advance the skippers of the five boats he had planned to use, including Boyd Lee, Bruce Jamieson and the Hallam brothers but the Bowen Harbour Master noted that none were licensed or fitted out as passenger ships. Monty was threatened with imprisonment if he went ahead as planned and yet, somehow, he had to transport 116 guests to Lindeman in a couple of days.

Realising that there was no harbour master at Cannon Valley, he contacted a pub in Proserpine, moved extra stretchers and mattresses to every corner of it and telegrammed the main party from NSW to get off the train early at Proserpine. As there were no buses, he hired trucks to take the party to Cannon Valley Beach where dinghies would take people to waiting boats. Consequently, luggage had to be carried through knee deep mud.

Tents supplemented the facilities built by the Nicolsons at Lindeman and days were spent on boat trips to the reef and islands with expert commentary, swimming and fishing, while in the evenings a mixture of lectures, concerts, dances and fancy-dress events were organised. Leading scientists such as Mel Ward of the Australian Museum and Frank McNeill were persuaded to share their passions and, in return, were allowed to take back rare specimens of fish, coral, insects, seaweed, birds and the like to the Australian Museum. A new species of game fish was discovered and was fittingly named Turrum Emburyi.    

Hundreds of photographs were taken. Arch Embury even developed a primitive and dangerous technique for filming underwater. Using a camera mounted behind glass, Arch would lean over the side of the boat with his head underwater to take the shot while Monty held his body weight with a strap.

To be continued…

Story and photo courtesy of Proserpine Historical Museum and “The Whitsunday Islands – An Historical Dictionary” by Ray Blackwood.  

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Caption: Monty Embury

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Over 40 avid orchid enthusiasts attended a celebratory afternoon to mark 60 years of the Proserpine Orchid and Foliage Society on Saturday.

The event saw visitors attend from across the region, including representatives from the Bowen Orchid and Foliage Society, Bowen Garden Club and Whitsunday Garden Club.

President of the Tropical Queensland Orchid Council (TQOC), Dennis Farlow, attended with his wife Ros.

Dennis is also President of the Mackay and District Orchid Society.

Everyone was also very pleased to see Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall attend and during her speech she presented the Proserpine Orchid Society with a framed notice of appreciation from Council on its sixtieth anniversary.

“A sixty-year anniversary for a community group is an amazing achievement,” Mayor Julie Hall said.

“That’s older than me! To get to that age is simply amazing and to see so many people here today is absolutely wonderful. It’s societies and communities like this that make our community as a whole.

“On behalf of Whitsunday Regional Council: congratulations.”

After Mayor Julie’s speech the celebratory cake was cut, and a slideshow depicted the 60 year history of the Orchid Society was presented.

The Proserpine and Orchid Society meet on the fourth Saturday of the month at 1.30pm at the Queensland Country Women’s Association (QCWA) Hall in Proserpine.

Each year the club hold a Fields Day where orchid societies from across the region are invited to join the group, explore local gardens and enjoy a sausage sizzle.

The next one will take place on July 23 this year at the Proserpine Tennis Club venue.

The Orchid Society also hold an annual Christmas party on the second Saturday in December, in a combined event with the Bowen Garden Club, the Whitsunday Garden Club and the Bowen Orchid and Foliage Society members.

All new members are welcome, and the Society looks forward to celebrating another 60 years.

Organisers would like to thank everyone who helped organise their 60th celebrations and those who brought a plate of food on the day.

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Proserpine Orchid and Foliage Society Patron Mrs Margaret Ruge cutting the cake with Mayor Julie Hall

Everyone enjoyed the Proserpine Orchid and Foliage Society’s 60th birthday celebrations

Mayor Julie Hall with Proserpine Orchid and Foliage Society Treasurer Eileen Cameron and President Mervyn Fuller

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Good Deed Feed

A lost youth receiving assistance from the Proserpine Community Centre was helped home last week thanks to a good-natured local business.

The young man had arrived at the Centre seeking aid after moving to the Whitsundays to live with a friend before becoming homeless.

Having lived alone in his car for some time, he wished to return interstate to live with his mother – the problem being his vehicle had been deemed unsafe to make the trip and he had no funds to repair it.

Community Centre staff said they contacted a local auto-care business, Cane Country Tyres.

“Not knowing much about car safety, we called them for advice,” the staff spokesperson said.

“After explaining the boy’s situation to Shane, he said, 'Leave it with me. We will see what we can do to help him.'"

Even after advising Shane that the young man would be unable to pay, the Cane Country Tyres owner made the car safe and declined compensation, despite Proserpine Community Centre’s willingness to cover the bill through fundraising.

"It's okay. He seemed like a decent enough kid who had just made a few mistakes along the way, like we all did when we were young," Shane said.

Proserpine Community Centre extended their appreciation to Shane and his team, and said: "Sometimes good people do kind things!"

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A local business helped a young man return home last week by bringing his car up to standard and refusing compensation

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Hello, Constant Readers.

“Out of my country and myself I go,” that was to be my quote of the week. Yet, I want it here, where I can see and hold it, rather than down there at the bottom of the page – reading it here is an easy, urging wind.

When one travels, one steps out of their bounds. Not in the mere physical sense, but in the psychological and the social as well. We become someone else – we are no longer confined by the expectancies of others and our own, as we are our harshest critics.

To explain it best is a matter of opposites. By looking at the return we see the feeling of travel reversed; there is a major adjustment to coming home. Like squeezing into an ill-fitting suit – we have expanded, another multitude has been added to the already capacious self. Readjusting back into life’s regularities is difficult because we don't fit our old accoutrements – these things leave no room for the changed traveller.

It is like arriving home to parents; you are no longer the independent adult, you become the you that they see – their child. You fill the tiny shoes given to you at the door. In your profession, you separate and become another you. With certain friends.

Why I say all of this is that I believe the travelling self is the truest, the most authentic.

I want to remind those of us in the Whitsundays of the greatest joy: movement and change. To step out of your country and yourself – that may have been the reason many of us came here in the first place. It is a holiday locale, after all.

In a word, do not be comfortable in your shoes for too long; step out of them and see the open road. I will meet you there.

Quote of the Week:

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

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The Whitsundays is currently looking for its next Youth Parliament Representative and despite the incredible opportunities it involves, there has been a shortage of applicants this year, something that could mean the role goes to someone living outside the area.

Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP says that they have extended the nomination period and encourage local aspiring politicians and change-makers to step forward and make themselves known.

Youth Parliament allows individuals to be a voice for young people in their community and develop personal skills in leadership, public speaking and debating.

There is also a lot of fun to be had and it opens up networking opportunities.  

Throughout the year the representative will learn about the process of government and the running of Parliament.

They will then choose a portfolio they are passionate about and work in teams to create a bill to propose policy reform for Queensland, which they can then debate in the Youth Parliament.

During this time, they will have access to Amanda Camm as their mentor and can represent her at events.

“It is a terrific opportunity that will not only impact the Youth Member’s personal development but also have a real impact for Queensland,” said Ms Camm.

“The bills that are passed at Youth Parliament can end up being debated in the real Queensland Parliament to possibly be passed as new legislation.  

“Imagine seeing policy change in Queensland knowing it all started from a bill that you worked on at Youth Parliament!”

Nominations close at midnight tonight, Friday, February 24 and anyone interested is encouraged to apply.

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Previous Whitsunday Youth Member, Sebastian Padget, with Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm at Parliament house. Photo supplied

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Local animal rescue operator, Christina Della Valle, was on holiday over Christmas when a friend left the gate open and two of her rescue dogs escaped her property. The dogs ventured onto a neighbouring paddock and one of them bit a cow on the neck.

When Council was unable to complete a compliance inspection earlier this month, a search warrant was enforced and Seizure Notice issued.

Christina, who owns Animal Rescue Whitsundays, was distraught by events which she says were out of control and also uncharacteristic of her two much-loved dogs.

Director of Community Services, Julie Wright agreed to sit down with Christina following a request for review notice.

“It was a good meeting and Julie really did her best to help,” said Christina.

During the meeting it was decided that Max, the likely culprit in the offence, would be put to sleep, but Snoopy, Christina’s ‘emotional support dog’, would be allowed home.

“I am of course devastated about Max,” said Christina.

“But I knew it was going to be tough, I knew a compromise would have to be made.

“It’s just a shame that dogs don’t get a second chance like a human would if they don’t re-offend.”

Max was brought to Christina two years ago when he was found wandering around Proserpine. He was 15 kilograms underweight and had been abandoned by his owners that may have been training him to be a pig dog.

Snoopy was brought to Christina a year ago, he had been abandoned at a caravan park in Conway and left alone, tied to a chain for two days before anyone found him.

On Wednesday morning Max was taken to a local vet and gently put to sleep.

Snoopy was returned home to Christina the same morning.

In order to keep Snoopy Christina must abide by strict rules for keeping a declared menacing dog.

These include extra signage and an extra $400 a year in fees.

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Newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of Whitsunday Regional Council, Warren Bunker, will officially start his new role on Monday, replacing Rod Ferguson who is moving into retirement.

Bunker has been in local government for the past 28 years, beginning his career in the planning department as the first Strategic Planner to be employed by Caloundra Council.

He then worked his way up through the ranks, becoming the Director of Governance and Strategy, before taking on the role of Director of Regional Strategy and Planning for the newly amalgamated Sunshine Coast Council.

His most recent position was Group Executive of Liveability and Natural Assets, and Bunker says he looks forward to bringing his experience working with both tourism and agriculture to his role as CEO.

“I’ve got a high level of understanding of local government, what the rules are and how to use them to the best,” he said.

Eager to watch, listen and learn, Bunker says that he is eager to observe, understand and “ask silly questions” when he first takes on the role.

He explains that a CEO’s role has three central pillars – to assist the Mayor and Councillors by helping them make good decisions and providing the necessary information.

Secondly, running the business of Council and its operations.

“This means more than just rates, rubbish and roads,” he said.

“There are over 70 different services we look after from the libraries through to the swimming pools.”

Lastly, Bunker will ensure good governance by working with the community.

“I have a big belief in talking with the community,” he explains.

“I am more likely to be listening and observing.”

Bunker is also looking forward to making good partnerships with neighbouring Councils in order to create better funding opportunities for the broader region.

No stranger to the Whitsundays, he spent many school holidays here as a child, visiting almost every year while his dad worked as an accountant for some of the island resorts.

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Local police are appealing for information from the public relating to an alleged serious assault in Bowen on the corner of Herbert and Powell Street.

It is alleged a man was approached by two men and a woman when a physical altercation occurred at approximately 8.30pm on February 7, resulting in the man being transported to the Bowen Hospital.

The man was treated for injuries sustained in the alleged altercation.

Senior Constable Ross Petersen said local police would like to “speak to anyone who was in the area at the time and observed the incident taking place or who may have dashcam footage.”

Those with information can contact Bowen Police on 4720 4555 or contact Policelink on 131 444 and quote this reference number: QP2300226258.

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Zonta Club of Bowen oversaw the installation of a 'Red Bench' which aims to raise awareness of domestic violence at the new Bowen Neighbourhood Centre earlier this year.

The local not-for-profit organisation donated the seating as part of the Red Bench Project, a program launched in 2019 by The Red Rose Foundation.

Over 300 Red Benches are dotted across Australia as part of the campaign's aim to “raise awareness and provide an opportunity for this important issue to remain visible.”

The group unveiled the donation as part of its end-of-2022 celebrations before its installation this year.

The Bowen Neighbourhood Centre Red Bench is emblazoned with the Project’s message of “Change the Ending: Let’s Stop Domestic Violence”.

Bowen Neighbourhood Centre Coordinator Stephanie Cora said the bench’s prominent public location is part of that battle of putting an end to domestic violence through awareness.

“It is more than just a place to sit; it can be a place to have a conversation about how we as a community can change,” Ms Cora said.

“We cannot thank Zonta Bowen enough for their donation of the Red Bench and thank you to Michael Dekkert for installing the chair and painting it.”

Zonta Club Bowen also donated funds to the Bowen Community Council and Neighbourhood Centre’s Emergency Crisis Housing Fund which assists with temporary accommodation for persons leaving violent situations, and toiletry bags for the Centre’s clients in need.

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Zonta Club of Bowen installed a Red Bench in front of the Bowen Neighbourhood Centre to raise awareness of domestic violence

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Local farmers will soon have a safe access bridge thanks to $160,000 of funding that will upgrade the Cantamessa Road Bridge that was badly damaged during 2017 Tropical Cyclone Debbie.

The bridge is a primary access point for farmers transporting heavy equipment and machinery during wet season and Councillor Gary Simpson, who is also a cane farmer, said he is pleased to see the upgrade finally underway.

“Some people think it is only a little bridge for a few farmers,” said Cr Simpson.

“But it has been an access point for over 50 years, and it helps to keep slow-moving tractors off the roads.

“It’s a big thing for these farmers and I am thankful it is finally happening.”

Local farmer Russell Biggs said that there is simply too much traffic to safely navigate Shute Harbour Road and, without the bridge, he has to take a back road which takes a lot longer.

“It’s all about safety,” he said.

“We have to transport many oversized vehicles so the less we have to be on the highway the better.

“The Cantamessa Road Bridge is a convenient way to get all our equipment off the road, so these upgrades are a big win for us.”

The bridge also acts as a second access point on the rare occasion that there is an accident on Strathdickie Road.

The Queensland Resilience and Risk Reduction Fund (QRRRF) have provided $144,000 of funding for the upgrades and the Whitsunday Regional Council have contributed the remaining $16,000.

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Brendan Nothard, Steven Cantamessa, Michael Cantamessa, Glen Clarke, Russell Biggs and Councillor Gary Simpson. Photo supplied

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