Do you want your kids to learn some invaluable skills for both life and sport? If so, take them to Rugbytots, a non-code associated play program for 2–7-year-olds that teaches the basics of rugby.

Whether you are a league or union fan, the coaches at Rugbytots can show your children ball skills like catching, kicking and passing right through to life skills such as teamwork, listening to instruction and taking turns.

A friendly and fun atmosphere, this unique rugby program is dedicated to little ones and not only lets them share in the sport you love, but also helps to create strong, confident and resilient children.

Rugbytots first started in the UK in 2006 when a rugby-playing dad couldn’t find a pre-school rugby class for his three young boys.

Almost 20 years later and over 80,000 children in 20 different countries participate in Rugbytots and we are lucky enough to have one of them here in Mackay.

When Krystal Berrigan brought her children to Rugbytots several years ago as a parent, she loved it so much that she soon progressed into the role of a Coach and, almost 7 years ago she took over the reins, running the business ever since.

“Rugbytots is wonderful for your child’s development skills such as hand-eye coordination, social development, balance and agility,” she said.

“It’s a fun environment that gets kids out and active, away from the screens!”

“They love the structure of the sessions and, with their parents close-by, they can find their independence with the comfort of having a parent with them.”

Suitable for both boys and girls, these weekly classes are available, year-round, right across the Mackay Region.

Monday classes are in Marian, Friday in Ooralea and Saturday in Beaconsfield.

Reach out to Krystal to find out more details about how your child can enjoy learning about rugby and gain more confidence for life along the way.

Image: Rugbytots is a unique rugby program with a fun and friendly atmosphere

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In the midst of grieving for a young life lost too soon, the family and friends of Cody Gibbs who tragically passed away from cancer earlier this year, decided to turn their sadness into a positive outlet by raising money for a cause close to their heart.

Hummingbird House is Queensland’s only palliative care service where babies, children and young people can receive the support they need while being surrounded by loved ones in a comfortable and uplifting setting.

This is where 15-year-old Cody Gibbs was able to spend his final days and his family will be forever grateful for this.

To show their appreciation, for the last five weeks family friend Maz McDougall has been running a series of fundraising initiatives to give back to the charity that gave them so much.

Over 20 volunteers, who range from Cody’s friends to their parents, gave up time on their weekends to stand outside Coles supermarket in Cannonvale, flip some sausages, sell raffle tickets and offer cupcakes to passers-by.

“It blew us away to see how generous everyone was!” said Maz.

“As soon as they knew about the cause, they couldn’t get their money out quick enough!”

“A huge thank you to all the volunteers, it was truly amazing seeing how many of Cody’s friends turned up to help.”

The fundraising stall has been outside Coles every weekend for the past five weeks and it even went down to the Lion’s Club markets for the day.

In addition, Cody’s sporting club, the Whitsunday Sea Eagles, held a raffle at their presentation night where they raised an incredible $800 for the charity.

All the money will be put towards the Cannonvale Coles Hummingbird House tally and donated straight to helping other families who are going through the same situation.

Image: Volunteers at the market stall: Jorja Finch, Madeline Beale and Keely Skinner

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An application for a large retail precinct on Shute Harbour Road has been approved at Whitsunday Regional Council’s Ordinary Meeting on Wednesday, and in turn a new set of traffic lights for the major main road.

The traffic lights will be constructed across Galbraith Park Drive and Shute Harbour Road to manage the “impact on traffic movement” of the new Whitsunday Commercial Centre.

BCF and Supercheap Auto will become two of the three tenants for the planned showroom precinct which will be built on the corner of Galbraith Park Drive and Shute Harbour Road, opposite Whitsunday Plaza.

The 7167 square metres with 74 carparking spaces will be accessible from both Galbraith Park Drive and Central Avenue.

The development “triggered the requirement for the intersection of Shute Harbour Road and Galbraith Park to be upgraded to a signalised intersection,” according to the Council report and Tourism and Main Roads (TMR).

In consultation between Whitsunday Commercial Centre and TMR – the state body in charge of Shute Harbour Road – the Centre agreed to pay a $378,900 contribution in infrastructure charges for the traffic lights and new footpaths.

Residents Traffic Action Group (RTA) – who have campaigned from 2006 for roundabouts instead of traffic lights - had previously outlined their concerns for the Galbraith Park Drive and Shute Harbour corner, seeking for the development to be deferred.

The meeting saw fierce discussion between Councillors prior to the approval.

Councillors Al Grundy and Jan Clifford had no “problems with the development, only problems with the traffic lights.”

“I for one, do not believe a Nebo Road type approach is the approach we need to deliver as an entry statement to the tourism destination that we are,” Councillor Al Grundy said.

“Ever since I got into Council, I have been discussing Shute Harbour Road and our management plan for managing our growth. We are the number one tourism destination in the Great Barrier Reef.

“This comes back to the stronger point of what is our vision for this destination. Who do we want to be as a destination and how do we manage our growth?”

Councillor Clifford agreed: “I won’t be supporting this either. I have nothing against the development; I think it’s fantastic. I cannot support another set of traffic lights.”

“Noosa seems to survive without traffic lights, and I don’t see how they’re any different than we are. I don’t want Nebo Road in Airlie,” she said.

Councillor Mike Brunker rallied against Councillor Grundy and Clifford’s sentiments: “It’s not our road; State Government are saying lights are the only solution.”

“I like roundabouts as much as anyone else, but with what we know is going to be there [at Whitsunday Commercial Centre] it will be a calamity [without lights]; this development will be on the table for two or more years if we don’t approve it now,” he said.

“If we want to cap Airlie Beach development now, then let’s do it and save all this crap. We’ve only got one road into Airlie Beach unless we’re talking boring over hills or the other way round,” he said.

Councillor Al Grundy said, regardless of the development, there was a “big picture” to consider.

“I asked TMR: how many traffic lights are going to be between Gregory Cannon Valley Road and Shute Harbour. It’s what the residents want to know,” he said.

“My major concern is how are we going to deal with the population growth along this main road. This is just a microcosm of that.”

Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Julie Hall chimed in with a closing remark: “If we go down the aspect of the roundabout, that will take a lot longer to [build].

“Then we’ve got drainage issues and shifting power poles to think about; that will cost more for the ratepayer,” she said.

The motion to approve the development was carried 5-2, with Councillor Clifford and Councillor Grundy recording their names against.

Faye Chapman of RTA said of the development approval that she was fed up seeing major decisions made “without an overall vision for the Whitsunday Way.”

"Once again we are very disappointed to see the views and aspiration of Division 1 and 2 Councillors who represent their community's expectations be over-ruled by planning," said Ms Chapman.

"How long can we let the entrance to world renowned Whitsundays and Airlie Beach be decided by development and not by Council policy?"

Construction dates for the new Centre have yet to be released, as well as construction of the traffic lights on Shute Harbour Road which must be completed before the site can be considered open for business.

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Collinsville is looking to be the centre of a $20 billion renewable energy and ammonia/hydrogen project courtesy of foreign investors.

Three of Korea’s largest conglomerate groups – the Han-Ho consortium of Korea Zinc, Hanwha Impact, and SK Gas - have joined forces to develop a scheme to deliver 3000 megawatts of renewable energy and an export supply chain for ammonia from Collinsville to Korea.

The three companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to develop a supply chain to export more than 1 million tonnes of green ammonia a year by 2032.

Korea Zinc subsidiary Ark Energy is now developing plans to build the ‘3GW renewables hub’ at Collinsville.

The Collinsville green energy hub will cover an area of 190,000 hectares.

Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said the green energy export corridor could create up to 700 jobs.

“When we are talking about the transformation, it is happening in regional Queensland,” the Premier said.

“This MOU signals their intention to develop future green hydrogen and ammonia opportunities in North Queensland which means more local jobs and more investment.”

The exports could be sent to Asia from the nearby Abbot Point port, or from Townsville, according to the Premier.

Daniel Kim, the chief executive of Ark Energy, said “The scale of what we’re embarking upon doesn’t exist today”.

“It is a very historic day for Australia and Korea”.

Details have yet to be confirmed on what will be built in Collinsville.

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The Whitsunday region has once again toppled previous records by exceeding visitation numbers to emerge as one of Queensland’s most popular holiday destinations.

“We are clearly the stand-out region in Queensland, with the highest percentage increase of overnight visitor expenditure, along with record increases in domestic holiday visitors,” said Tourism Whitsunday’s Chief Executive Officer, Rick Hamilton.

The latest National Visitor Survey (NVS) revealed visitors to the region welcomed a record 811,000 domestic visitors, who spent a collective $1.3 billion in the year to June 2022, an increase of 31.2 per cent.

Domestic visitors enjoyed 3.7 million nights in the Whitsundays, with an average spend per visitor of $1,613.

“This underlines the significant contribution that tourism makes here, as we are a region that relies on tourism for 1 in 3 jobs,” said Mr Hamilton.

“These results are an excellent validation of our unparalleled product offering and the investment our operators have been making in new experiences for all visitor demographics.”

“The results released yesterday show that The Whitsundays is one of the most desirable destinations in Australia and we’re looking forward to continued growth in the interstate and international markets.”

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Image: Kyle Danns’ backyard is no longer a torn up mess thanks to Damien Bennetts’ generosity. Photo supplied: Kyle Danns

When Kyle Danns and his family became the victims of a scammer, they were left $4,000 out of pocket with a torn-up garden and nowhere to turn.

“We’d been meaning to do something with the backyard for a while,” said Kyle.

Through a miscommunication, Kyle paid someone he thought was trustworthy to do work on their backyard before the scammer did a runner with his money.

“We spent ages trying to chase him and get in contact with him to no avail,” he said.

Kyle posted in a community Facebook group, hoping someone would be able to assist in finding the scammer, only to be told by many others that they’d been scammed by the same person.

One comment from a gentleman named Damien Bennetts, however, would save the day for Kyle and his family.

“Damien put a post up basically saying, ‘I’d be happy to come and do that for you free of charge,’” Kyle said.

“He came around the next day and he was awesome; he was so good.”

After a couple of days work, Damien had rejuvenated the backyard space.

“I don’t know what I would have done without him,” said Kyle.

“I didn’t want to go out in the backyard because it just made me so angry.

“Now I get to go out there and think about all the good people in our community and one of them was Damien who was just so generous with his time.

“I can’t thank him enough.”

Kyle posted to Facebook to thank Damien, in turn, garnering more exposure and work for Damien and his concreting business Damo’s Concreting Construction.

Kyle says Damien has definitely become a friend.

“He’ll be someone I keep in touch with,” he said.

“Whenever I go out into that yard, I’m going to think of him and his generosity.”

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A controversial Urologist who had previously made headlines across the country for incompetence and unconventional practices has now shot into the spotlight once again following an incident which saw him suspended from duties at Mackay Base Hospital.

Dr Daryl Stephens was the first doctor to be arrested and charged with murder in 2000 when he allegedly helped his patient, Freeda Hayes, who had terminal kidney cancer, end her life in a palliative care hospice.

It took a Supreme Court jury just 10 minutes to acquit him in 2001.

Moving to West Australia and taking up a position in a Perth Hospital, Dr Stephens’ methods were once again thrown into question when he was fined for engaging in professional misconduct.

He then commenced work as a Urologist at Mackay Base Hospital in 2016 and, despite the findings of the tribunal in 2018, was allowed to continue working at the hospital, with lack of urological services cited as the reason he retained his position.

During his tribunal, it was heard that Dr Stephens mishandled a case in Perth which led to a cancer patient not being given pathology results for three months.

He was instructed to work under supervision for 12 months.

Four years later and Dr Stephens was once again in the spotlight when he was suspended from Mackay Base Hospital following hygiene concerns this week.

The hospital gave a brief statement saying that they have systems and processes in place to encourage staff and patients to speak up for safety.

“If there are concerns about the capacity of a clinician to provide safe care these reports are taken very seriously,” said the spokesperson.

“It is important for anyone involved to be provided with procedural fairness while the concerns are investigated.”

Image: Urologist Dr Darryl Stephens suspended from Mackay Base Hospital. Photo credit: The West Australian

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Four sets of stairs, car tyres, six shopping trolleys and a mouthguard were just some of the unusual items collected as part of Clean Up, The Mackay Region.

More than three tonnes of rubbish was collected across 11 sites with an impressive 97 volunteers attending.

Clean up locations included Shellgrit Creek, Bridge Road, Sandfly Creek Reserve, Bluewater Trail, Finlayson Point Road, Grasstree Beach, Plane Creek Revegetation Site, Hodges Road, Riverside Drive and North Wall Harbour Beach.

Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson said it was the loyal volunteers who kept these events running year after year.

“We would like to thank everyone for taking the time to help keep our region beautiful,” he said.

“While it was great to see less tonnage overall this year, volume was still at a similar level.

“Volunteers removed large quantities of micro plastics, such as drink bottle lids, plastic water bottles, bread packet clasps, straws and other small pieces of plastic from various clean-up locations.”

Council also thanked event partners including North Queensland Airports, Grasstree Beach Progress Association, Sarina Landcare, Pioneer Catchment Landcare, Mackay Land Rover Club and Mackay Board Riders Club for supporting this event.

Fast facts:

• 3.278 tonnes collected across the clean-ups

• six shopping trolleys and 36 tyres collected

• 531 “Containers for Change” donated to Incredable Tip Shop

• 852kg of resources recovered for recycling and resale at Incredable Tip Shop

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Renewable energy, regional services, economic diversification and housing accessibility were on the agenda at the third Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday Regional Community Forum for 2022, held on Monday.

The forum, chaired by Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert, began with site visits to the Mackay Substation Project and Resources Centre of Excellence where forum members learnt more about the Stage 2: Future Industries Hub.

“We have forum members that are really passionate about driving the future of our community,” said Ms Gilbert.

“They’ve already been out there doing work on how they can best try bringing skills into our community.

“This is everyday mums and dads, small business owners, so passionate about their community that they’ll put their hand up to come onto these committees to make sure government is delivering services and programs to best suit our community.”

With renewable energy a hot agenda item, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the forum would discuss ideas on sustainably powering the state into the future.

“Regional Queensland plays a big role in renewable energy, to drive down power bills and ease the cost of living,” the Premier said.

“Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday forum members get to be part of this, helping to unlock investment in good clean energy jobs, better services, and helping to protect our great lifestyle in regional Queensland.

Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water Glenn Butcher joined Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday forum members, saying workforce shortages are of particular concern to the region’s manufacturing sector.

“What we’re now talking about in the second wave of these forums is to make sure that we’re actually on the ground listening to the community’s concerns and putting into action some things that we can do to deliver as a government for these communities,” Mr Butcher said.

“What we’re hearing through the forums, particularly for this region, the Isaac, Whitsunday and Mackay region, is the need for more skilled workers.

“One of the steps we’re doing today is really starting a deep dig into how we can help these businesses get to that level where we can get trained and skilled staff to come and join the businesses.

“We want to make sure that anyone who comes to Mackay looking for a job can get the training and skills that they need to get into new industries.

The Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday forum was one of seven held in regional centres across Queensland, with others taking place in Far North Queensland, Central Queensland, Darling Downs-South West, North-North West Queensland, Wide Bay-Burnett-Fraser Coast and Western Queensland.

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There is no magic to exercise; only that you get out of it what you put in.

That doesn't mean you have to work out for hours each day – it means you need to work smart.

Not all exercises are created equal, some are simply more efficient than others, whether they target multiple muscle groups, are suitable for a wide variety of fitness levels, or help you burn calories more effectively.

So, what are the best exercises?

Walking

Any exercise program should include cardiovascular exercise, which strengthens the heart and burns calories. And walking is something you can do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment other than a good pair of shoes.

It's not just for beginners, either: Even the very fit can get a good workout from walking.

Doing a brisk walk can burn up to 500 calories per hour. Since it takes 3,500 calories to lose a pound, you could expect to lose a pound for every seven hours you walk, if you did nothing else.

Beginners should start by walking five to -10 minutes at a time, gradually moving up to at least 30 minutes per session. So, get trotting, build up that time, and see the benefits.

Interval training

Whether you're a beginner or an exercise veteran, a walker or an aerobic dancer, adding interval training to your cardiovascular workout will boost your fitness level and help you lose weight.

The way to do it is to push the intensity or pace for a minute or two, then back off for anywhere from two to -10 minutes (depending on how long your total workout will be, and how much time you need to recover). Continue doing this throughout the workout.

Strength Training

Strength training is essential; the more muscular fitness you have, the greater the capacity you have to burn calories.

Strength-training exercises that target multiple muscle groups are the bee’s knees, making squats, which work the quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteals, the go to.

Squats: form is key.

For perfect form, keep feet shoulder-width apart and back straight. Bend knees and lower your rear.

Lunges: Like squats, lunges work all the major muscles of the lower body: gluteals, quadriceps, and hamstrings.

Push-ups: If done correctly, the push-up can strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and even the core trunk muscles, all at one time.

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Often referred to as “Little Paddy Fitz”, Paddy Fitzgerald was a much-loved character in the district. He arrived in Proserpine in 1932, a single man of 25 years, and set about making a name for himself as the master bootmaker of his time.

To Paddy, boot repairing was not a job; it was an art. He would lovingly coax a damaged sole or upper, back to a state of new or near new condition, applying himself with dedication. His reputation was such that people came from other towns to have their favourite shoes repaired by Paddy.

Paddy’s original live-in workplace was a little shop adjoining Bob Eckel’s Saddlery in the old Dobbins building in Main Street. Paddy had his quarters at the back of the shop in this building and later also in 1953 when the Dobbins family built new brick shops (now Colour Me Crazy). Being in close proximity to the Prince of Wales and Palace Hotels where Paddy sometimes had his meals, there were times when the door of his shop remained closed during working hours.

But his shop always re-opened and Paddy would be there again, repairing shoes for next to nothing. “Aw, a shilling ’ll do” was his usual answer to enquiries about the cost of repairs and mostly, “It’ll be right” for his poorer clientele.

No job was too difficult for Paddy. He was a surgical bootmaker and would make shoes for crippled children. Like a good surgeon, his tools of trade and his hands worked as one. Residents of the time remembered seeing him with a mouthful of tacks, handling and hammering them into the soles. And they were fascinated watching him turn soft shoes inside out and stitching them from the inside. He made his own thread by twining three cotton threads into one and waxing them to make them waterproof.

Locals recalled the mountain of shoes and boots in various states of disrepair in Paddy’s shop and were mystified as to how he knew who the owners were. He would deftly step through the pile without even disturbing one of the cobwebs and retrieve the right one!

The sisters of the convent would always present Paddy with a challenge when asking him to repair their shoes which were always almost totally worn down. But Paddy worked his special brand of magic and would not accept payment. The convent children loved the errand of collecting the repaired shoes for if they weren’t ready - which was often – Paddy would dig out a sixpence from his pocket, tell them to go and buy an ice cream, then come back in half an hour at which time the shoes would always be finished.

Paddy’s shop was rarely empty. He could talk sports (rugby league in particular), local issues and politics. He was a good listener and rarely judged anyone. There was a box for visitors on either side of the front door where many an interesting yarn took place. When people left Paddy’s shop, they did so with a feeling of well-being – even if their shoes were still in the pile.

Paddy Fitzgerlad spent almost fifty years in the district. He died in Proserpine on February 20, 1980.

Paddy’s friends were many; his enemies few. He was indeed a genius in his trade and was from an era when pride in one’s work took precedence over money.  Proserpine’s history is richer because Paddy Fitzgerald is part of it.

Story and photo courtesy Proserpine Historical Museum.

Image:  (L-R) Jack Cassells, Alec (Knocky) Nicolson, Beryl  Nicolson and Paddy Fitzgerald - Taken outside the Prince of Wales Hotel

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A celebration of clever creations, the upcoming craft show at the Proserpine Museum will exhibit the intricate and expressive needlework and sewing from a host of local ladies’ groups.

The first of its kind, the event will be relaxed and interactive with everyone invited to simply ‘walk-through’, marvel at the locally crafted masterpieces and stop for a tasty Devonshire tea.

For just $5 you will receive entry into the craft fair, and broader museum if you choose, plus tea, coffee and scone.

Inspiration from the event came from the family of Lesley McDonald who passed away last year.

She was an inspiring member of the community and known for crocheting beautiful doilies which her loved ones now want to share with the community.

The ladies from the Chat and Patch group have now also joined in and so have the Tivaevae group who create unique patchwork quilts in a style that originated from the Cook Islands.

From delightful doilies to quintessential quilts and natty needlework, all will be on display at the event which promises to both honour and celebrate our local skills and heritage.

“It’s our way of showing the museum in a different light,” said volunteer Larraine Biggs.

“We are celebrating some of the lovely crafts we have here, and many will be available for purchase.

“It’s going to be a nice afternoon and everyone is invited!”

WHAT: Craft Show

WHERE: Proserpine Museum

WHEN: Sunday, October 19 from 1.30pm to 4.00pm

ADMISSION: $5 includes Devonshire Tea

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One of the country’s top crime writers will make his way to the Whitsundays as part of a national tour.

Bestselling novelist and ex-journalist Chris Hammer will be the guest of honour at Proserpine, Cannonvale, and Bowen libraries on October 11 for Author Talks on his latest crime novel, The Tilt.

Hammer, a renowned journalist of 30 years, stepped into the creative sphere with a series of bestselling crime novels: The Martin Scarsden series.

In free events across the region’s libraries, Hammer will sit down with journalists from the region – including Whitsunday Life journalist Declan Durrant – to answer questions and sign copies of his novels.

Attendees will also be able to purchase limited copies of Chris’ newest novel.

In The Tilt, to be published October 5, a swirling sequence of events revolving around the Murray River lead newly minted homicide detective Nell Buchanan down a path of familial intrigue.

A man runs for his life in a forest, a woman plans sabotage, a body is unearthed, and Buchanan, who returns to her hometown, annoyed at being assigned a decades-old murder, begins to question how well she truly knows those closest to her.

Gripping and atmospheric, The Tilt is a stunning, multi-layered novel that serves as a light sequel to Hammer’s novel Treasure and Dirt.

Hammer will visit the three libraries for an hour respectively, with 25 minutes allocated to in conversation with a journalist, then roughly thirty minutes of question time.

Bookings via Eventbrite: https://bit.ly/3xL4d1g

What: Author Talk - Chris Hammer In Conversation

When and Where:

Tuesday, October 11, Proserpine Library from 10:30am to 11:30am

Cannonvale Library from 1:30pm to 2:30pm

Bowen Library from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

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More affordable and still growing were the main take-homes about the Whitsunday property market following an informative Annual Property Research Night hosted by PRD Whitsunday at the Reef Gateway last week.

Over 50 people attended the event, including PRD staff members who were available to answer questions.

There were also representatives from Whitsunday Regional Council, including Councillor Jan Clifford and many Whitsunday residents.

Dispelling the myths surrounding the housing market, and with the intention to remove the fear surrounding issues like rising interest rates, keynote speaker Dr Diaswati Mardiasmo (Dr Asti for short) was excellent at explaining complex topics in a relatable format.

As PRD’s Chief Economist and RBA Liaison Partner, Dr Asti is at the forefront of the most up to date economic and property market trends.

Her role involves having quarterly meetings with the RBA so she can help inform them of market changes.

“We tell them what we are seeing on the ground and they take that all into account when they work out what monetary policy they are going to use for next three months,” she explained.

More locally, Dr Asti was able to offer an insight into how best to make property decisions here in the Whitsundays.

“While every other place in Queensland is going down in terms of property growth, Whitsundays is actually still growing,” she said.

“Not only is it still growing, it is also more affordable.”

When asked about interest rises and the growing fear that homeowners will no longer be able to afford increased repayments she said not to worry.

“It’s not about being afraid, it is more about preparation and being aware of how the changes will affect your household,” Dr Asti explained.

“What’s most important is understanding your financial situation as a whole - a house is your primary need and on average 38.4 per cent of people’s household income is committed to paying mortgage or rent – that’s a massive chunk!”

If you are looking for sound property and financial advice, ask the team at PRD Whitsunday.

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Three of the greater region’s tourism organisations are bringing back a collaborative stamp-collecting effort that proved a major boon for the tourism sector.

Tourism Whitsundays in partnership with Mackay Isaac Tourism and Bowen Tourism and Business are excited to announce the return of the Visitor Information Centre Passports Competition from Saturday, 1 October to entice travellers to visit and collect stamps at each destination.

The passport, which includes information about the regions and will encourage travellers to collect stamps from each of the three accredited Information Centres in Proserpine, Sarina and Bowen, sees those who complete them go into the draw to win $2,100 worth of holiday vouchers.

Tourism Whitsundays CEO, Rick Hamilton said visitors love the collaboration and the potential to win prizes just for visiting our Information Centres.

“The Visitor Information Centres are an invaluable part of each community, their local knowledge is what attracts visitors to stop in,” Mr Hamilton said.

“This campaign encourages more visitors to stop in and talk with our volunteers and staff about ways they can explore the area.”

Passports are available at all three of the accredited Visitor Information Centres and when a visitor stops in at each centre the friendly team will stamp their passports.

At the third information centre stop, visitors will collect their final stamp and pop their completed passport into a raffle box. The prize up for grabs is $2,100 worth of holiday vouchers that the winner can put towards their next visit to The Whitsundays and Mackay regions.

The competition will close at 6:00pm (AEST) on Thursday, March 31 of 2023, with the winner to be contacted after this date.

Bowen Tourism and Business Manager, Leanne Abernethy, is pleased to be working with Tourism Whitsundays and Mackay Isaac Tourism on the Visitor Information Passport project again this year.

For more information on the Visitor Information Passport, please click here.

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