(L) Event Winner Lois Deguara with Runner up Karina Dunn. Photo supplied

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Contributed with thanks by B. Trannore and S. Hazledine

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Ladies Master Singles was played at Mackay Club over the weekend, and it was another exciting event in the Ladies Bowling Calendar for 2026.

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Congratulations to Lois Deguara from North Mackay Club defeating South Suburban player Karina Dunn 25-18 in a very exciting Final. Well done to all those who played  in this wonderful event.

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Photos supplied

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Contributed with thanks by Community Bank Sarina

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Community Bank Sarina Bendigo Bank was proud to once again support Sarina Surf Life Saving Club’s annual Cruisin’ The Coast Sarina Beach Run & Ocean Swim as the returning naming rights sponsor for 2026.

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The event offered something for everyone, bringing the local community together for a morning of walking, running and ocean swimming. With events ranging from a 1km run through to a half marathon, as well as 1km and 2km ocean swims, there were plenty of ways for people of different ages and fitness levels to participate.

Community Bank Sarina Board Chair Karen May said the event was “a fantastic opportunity for family and friends to connect and enjoy what our community has to offer”.

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“Whether they chose to walk, run, or swim, it was wonderful to see everyone enjoying the day at their own pace and being reminded of why we love our community so much,” Mrs May said.

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Alongside the race events, Sarina Surf Life Saving Club volunteers provided a BBQ breakfast through the Club’s canteen, while many others gave up their time on Father’s Day to assist with the event.

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Sarina Surf Life Saving Club Treasurer Kylee Richardson said the Club was extremely grateful for the contribution of its volunteers.

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“We want to say a massive thank you to all our volunteers, especially for giving up their Father’s Day to assist us with the event. From traffic marshals to those manning water stations, assisting with check-ins, water safety and our canteen, every contribution was greatly appreciated,” Mrs Richardson said.

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Mrs Richardson also acknowledged the support of the event’s sponsors and Race Day Ambassador Macey Ronald.

Cruisin’ the Coast is the Club’s principal annual fundraiser, raising much-needed funds to support its ongoing work in the community.

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The Club is 100 per cent volunteer-run, making community support an important part of its ongoing work. This year’s event is expected to have raised well over $17,500 for the Club.

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For Community Bank Sarina, supporting the 2026 Cruisin’ the Coast Sarina Beach Run & Ocean Swim is another way to stand alongside Sarina Surf Life Saving Club and continue supporting local organisations and initiatives that bring people together and make a difference.

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Photo supplied

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Footy fever shows no signs of slowing in the Whitsundays, with 72 junior rugby union teams preparing to descend on the region for the biggest Viking Cup yet.

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Now in its 15 year and expanding to three days for the first time, the October 1st to 3rd carnival will bring players from under-sixes through to under-16s to the Whitsunday Sports Park, alongside exhibition matches for women and men’s masters.

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Teams will travel from across North Queensland and beyond, including Rockhampton, Yeppoon, Townsville and Mount Isa, with the western Queensland contingent taking the title of the carnival’s furthest travellers.

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Sponsored by Community Bank Cannonvale–Proserpine, It’s an event marked by the footy played on the field, and the fun had off it.  

“It’s not just about the rugby but about coming to our beautiful town and staying for three, four or five days,” said event organiser Tim Oberg.

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“We want everyone to have a great rugby experience, but we also want families to stay a little longer, visit Whitehaven Beach and enjoy everything the region has to offer.

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“It creates that all-round family experience, which is exactly what we’re trying to achieve.”

This year’s Viking Cup will also support Ronald McDonald House Northern Australia and FightMND, two charities with personal connections to members of the organising committee.

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“Both charities are ones that people in our committee have personally been involved with over the last 12 months,” Tim said.  

“So we wanted to support them at our event.”

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With future plans to extend into a four-day, the hope is that the Viking Cup will eventually become one of Queensland’s largest junior rugby union events.  

“The ambition is for this to become the largest junior rugby union carnival in the state, and we’re not a million miles away from that already,” Tim said.

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“In time, we want to attract rugby clubs from across New Zealand, the Pacific and potentially even Asia.”

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Entry will be free across all three days, with locals encouraged to head down and enjoy the action.

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Rugby Juniors Training
When: Wednesday 30th September, 4.30pm–6.30pm
Where: Fields 1 and 2

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AFL Bald Eagles Training
When: Wednesday 30th September, 5.30pm–7pm
Where: Oval

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Viking Cup 10s – Under-6s to Under-10s
When: Thursday 1st October, 12pm–7pm
Where: Full Sportspark
Mixed Under-6s finish at 5pm, Mixed Under-8s at 6pm and Mixed Under-10s at 7pm.

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Viking Cup 10s – Under-10s to Under-16s
When: Friday 2nd October, 10am–8pm
Where: Full Sportspark
Mixed Under-10s and Under-12s, Girls Under-13s and Under-15s, and Boys Under-14s and Under-16s.

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Rugby Juniors Training
When: Friday 2nd October, 4.30pm–6.30pm
Where: Fields 1 and 2

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Viking Cup 10s – Under-12s to Under-16s
When: Saturday 3rd October, 10am–7.30pm
Where: Full Sportspark
Mixed Under-12s, Girls Under-13s and Under-15s, and Boys Under-14s and Under-16s.

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Division 1 Men’s Championship team. Photo supplied

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Grand Finals weekend delivered plenty of action for Whitsunday United FC, with two championship wins capping off an incredible 2026 season.

First up were the U14/15 Division One side, who faced Country United FC on Friday night at Mackay Football Park. After an intense opening, Kobe Marjoram broke the deadlock 20 minutes in to put WUFC ahead. The team looked confident throughout the second half, controlling the tempo before Marjoram struck again in the 85th minute to seal an impressive 2-0 Grand Final victory.

Next up were the Division One Men against Mackay Lions. Having secured the premiership a few weeks earlier, WUFC were hungry for the double, but despite a determined performance, went down 1-0.

WUFC’s U14/15 FQPL season also ended with a narrow 2-1 Grand Final loss to Mackay Rangers at BB Print Stadium. After conceding twice in the first half, WUFC lifted after the break. Shannon Matthews found the net to make it 2-1 and give the team belief. The boys continued to create opportunities and press hard but couldn’t find the equaliser. A disappointing result, but an outstanding season to be proud of.

The final game saw the FQPL3 Men take on Mackay Lions. WUFC started confidently, with an Allan O’Donnell through ball finding Reef Peel, who put WUFC 1-0 ahead before half-time. The momentum continued after the break, with Ethan Rose scoring his 38th goal of the season to make it 2-0. Clinical defending in the final stages preserved the clean sheet and WUFC were crowned 2026 FQPL Whitsunday Coast Men’s Champions.

WUFC would like to thank all players, coaches and managers for their incredible commitment this season. With five premierships and two championships won by the club, 2026 has been a remarkable year on the pitch across all grades.

Contributed with thanks to Joscelyn O’Keefe.  

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Zara Temple. Photo supplied

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Contributed with thanks to Raylene Rusmussen.

Cannonvale Cannons swimmers delivered another exciting evening of racing at their latest Club Night, celebrating personal bests, upgrades, and an impressive new club record.

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Congratulations to Zavier Woolston, who set his first club record in the 11-year 200m Butterfly, recording an outstanding time of 3:09.41.

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Cooper Konopka, Hudson Willems, Bodhi Willems, Airlie Mladenovski, Stella Mullis, Asher Springbett, Zara Temple, Joshua Ketchup, Archie Johnston, and Madison McIntrye were recognised for earning club upgrades. Chocolate Awards for personal-best performances went to Airlie Mladenovski, Wilson Hounsell, Isla Johnston, Lily Woolston and Jake Temple, while Finn Temple received the Coaches’ Award for his excellent 25m Butterfly.

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The Cannons’ newest swimmers performed extremely well. Boston and Madison McIntyre are swimming extremely well, with both achieving personal bests in their freestyle events. Romy De Keyser powered through her 25m Freestyle in 22.87 seconds, while Bowie Hounsell impressed at his first Club Night, completing the 12m Freestyle in 21.24 seconds. Charlie Pozzoli also performed strongly across all four of his events, displaying great technique and recording excellent times.

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Brothers Asher and Reid Springbett produced a thrilling 25m Freestyle race, finishing just 0.12 seconds apart. The three Willem brothers continue to grow stronger each week, with all three achieving personal bests in the 25m Freestyle.

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Eloise Chegwidden and Mackenzie Bennett tackled the challenging 100m Butterfly, with both girls recording personal-best times. Evie Doherty and Miranda Palmero swam fantastic times in their 100m IM.

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Coaches praised Eric Mulliss, Tora Delac, Zavier Woolston, Matilda Nicholes, Roxy Groom and Miller Eaves for progressing to and completing 200m events.

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A full celebration of bowls

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Collinsville Bowling Club has made it to their century mark, celebrating in style with an afternoon of music, themed gifts and bowls to roll.

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The centenary brought generations of locals and former residents back to the greens for barefoot bowls in an event built around the community that has supported the club since 1926.

“A very big congratulations to the Collinsville Bowls Club celebrating 100 years,” the Collinsville Neighborhood Centre shared after the afternoon.  

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“The community spirit was certainly activated!”

Tamie Buchanan and her mother Joy provided a relaxing musical backdrop, while the Collinsville Lions Club kept guests fed with a barbecue.  

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“Bowls were rolled, food was eaten, songs were sang, cake was cut, and pretty sure everyone had a smile on their face,” shared the Collinsville Lions.  

“Here's to the next 100 years.”

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A multi-draw raffle raised money to be donated to Collinsville’s three primary schools, ensuring the milestone celebration gave something back to the next generation.

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Among the special prizes was the club’s handmade 100-year quilt, which was won by Sharon and David Bowen-Evans.

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Finally, families and friends gathered around to culminate the one of the longest-standing community institutions with a cutting of the centenary cake.  

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Proserpine/Whitsunday Junior Brahmans ready to rush the field. Photo credit: Zach Houtenville

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Proserpine was swept up in footy madness as the 18th annual Paul Bowman Challenge drew 82 junior rugby league teams from across Queensland.  

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The event attracted teams from as far south as the Gold Coast and Brisbane, north to Cairns and west to Mount Isa, Longreach and Charleville, with Warwick taking the title of the furthest-travelled team. Across two action-packed days, players enjoyed plenty of footy, friendly cross team banter and even a relaxed evening under the tents.  

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Partnered by former North Queensland Cowboy Paul Bowman, the weekend was a testament to the years of success since its inception.  

“We’re extremely thankful, and I’m proud of how big the tournament is,” Paul said.  

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“I think it’s pretty much at capacity now, just with the fields and accommodation in Proserpine, Airlie Beach and the surrounding areas.

“If we can keep it at this size moving forward, it’ll be awesome.”

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The young players received a special visit from North Queensland Cowboys stars Jake Clifford and Braidon Burns, while Lily Peacock and Kai O’Donnell also returned home for the event to sign autographs and share some footy advice.

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“It's actually really nostalgic seeing all the young kids running around, especially in the Brahman’s shirt,” Lily said.  

“It feels like yesterday that I was down here running around as a little 10-year-old with the boys.”

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See more photos here: www.mackayandwhitsundaylife.com/social-pics/footy-pandemonium-takes-over-proserpine

Bowen is preparing for one of the biggest social days on its calendar, with the Bowen Cup returning on Saturday 10th October.

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Known as “The Race That Stops the Whitsundays”, the annual race day is expected to attract around 3,000 people for an afternoon of country racing and extravagant fashion.  

Racegoers will travel from across North Queensland, with coachloads expected from Airlie Beach, Burdekin, Mackay and Townsville.

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President of the Bowen Turf Club Steven Daly said the Cup is a great opportunity for tourists to see Bowen but also a reunion, with many former residents using the event as a chance to return home and reconnect.

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“A lot of patrons use the Bowen Cup as a reunion,” he said.

“Everyone comes back to town for the Cup to join their friends for that race.”

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On the track, the feature Bowen Cup will headline the racing, while plenty will be happening all over the grounds. The Fashions on the Field competition will return, judged by Queens of Clothing, alongside live entertainment and food from Whole Hogg BBQ, Tropical Pizzas, Indian cuisine and Meraki grazing boxes.

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The club has been busy preparing for the big day, with further irrigation work ensuring the home straight has that extra touch of polish and a professional finish.  

“It’ll look as good as Flemington on Cup Day,” Stephen said.

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With seating limited, racegoers are encouraged to book a table or ticket package early to guarantee their place.

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For tickets, visit: https://tickets.oztix.com.au/outlet/event/de84b97c-9939-4644-8bfb-76b1f8b048aa  

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Champion of Champion B Singles, Mark Brown from Wests Tigers (Runner Up) and Shaneel Prasad from Souths Suburban (Winner). Photo supplied

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Souths Suburban’s Shaneel Prasad claimed the Mackay District B Singles Champion of Champions title at Proserpine Bowls Club last weekend, defeating Wests Tigers’ Mark Brown 25–12 in Sunday’s final.

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Prasad booked his place in the decider with a 25–16 semi-final victory over Mackay RSL Memorial’s Kaleb Lowth, while Brown defeated Mackay City’s Ian Nicholas 26–9.

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Saturday’s quarter-finals saw Nicholas defeat St Helens’ Larry Charles 25–21, Brown overcome Northern Beaches’ Fabian Vella 25–18, Prasad record a commanding 25–2 win over Mackay Club’s Brian Williams and Lowth defeat Airlie Beach’s Arthur McManus 25–16.

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Earlier, Vella defeated Pioneer Valley’s Janine Schuurman 26–11, Brown edged Proserpine’s David Ling 25–21 and Lowth defeated North Mackay’s Shane Trannore 25–14.

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In Wednesday social bowls, Henny Tattam and Philip Brown defeated Alen Sanderson and Mike Harrison 16–10. The second game ended 9–3, with Tattam and Heather Brown among the winners.

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Proserpine Bowls Club thanked the players, supporters and volunteers who prepared the green, marked matches and assisted with the bar, lunch and event preparations.  

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Contributed with thanks to the proserpine bowls club.

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Congratulations to Alf Lewis, who won the Senior Singles Final at Northern Mackay Bowls Club last Saturday afternoon.

Lewis defeated Alan Cooney 25-23 in a tightly contested game to claim the title.

He will now progress to the District Champion of Champions Final later this month.

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Photos supplied

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Contributed with thanks by Carole Weekes

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The bushwalker club’s activities were centred on the Mt Ossa area last Sunday, and eleven members left town in a convoy at 8 am, ready to start walking by 9.30 either in the Mt Ossa National Park or around a private property nearby. A group of six accessed the creek that marks the start of the route up to the plateau that connects with Mt Ossa. Rainforest was soon replaced by dense grass trees as the walkers, guided by Ken Fihelly, continued the climb. After a steep pull, the participants arrived at the lookout, admiring the views over the farmlands to Mt Dalrymple in the west and Mt Blackwood to the south east. The eastern edge of the plateau was followed northwards, among the rocks and grass trees. The group turned around where the plateau starts to descend towards Ossa Creek, and after lunch, returned along the western edge.

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Meanwhile the five walkers who had chosen the less challenging option were covering about 6 kms by following the farm boundary fences and encountering a variety of terrain including gentle gullies, open forest and grassland, steep ascents and descents over rough tracks, and flat headlands. The distant hills and mountains, stately forest giants, a mix of farm animals, some very young, and a vocal kookaburra at close range, and a snake at even closer range, all made for a pleasant day in the delightful area. Lunch was taken beside a dam and within sight of horses, sheep and goats. A short stroll along a dirt road led us back to the cars for the return trip to Mackay.

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Photo supplied

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Well another season is nearly over, next Tuesday Night we are playing finals, please come and watch and join the Round Robin.

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EVENING FIXTURES - Season 3

Division 1: Jaguars (Mick Ruhl, Graeme Walker, Syed Hossain) defeated Cheetahs (Neil Brown, Janice Kent, Allan Edwards) 6-5, with Janice and Graeme having a great battle that could have gone either way (-4,4,9,-9,11). Leopards (Steve Whiting, Geoff Cowan, Dilini Ranasinghe) won against Lions (Graham Brake, Josh Brown, Will VanDaKaa) 7-4, Geoff outlasted Graham B in close 5 sets (-8,5,9,-9,4). Tigers (Lily Boland, Anne Sheridan, Remy Zhan) won 7-4 over Pumas (Trent Day, Yilin Jiang, Duncan Treloar), Remy was to strong for Trent (13,8,-8,-7,6). Hawks (Robbie Richards, Lee Brake, Andrea Nicholson) defeated Magpies (Barry Patterson, Rod Mahumas, Abbas Irshad) 7-4, Andrea overcame Rod to win in close 5 sets (-8,7,7,-6,7).

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Division 2: Bass (Daniel Warfield, Tiffany Camilleri, Jeff Bennington) got home against Cod (Mark Sleeman, Steve Mathieson, Darryl Ross) 7-4, Darryl just outlasted Tiffany (10,-9,5,-11,10).Squid (George Camilleri, Peter Goodson) got home 3-2 over Cuttlefish (Ian McKay, Logan Brown), with each team missing a player, George and Peter snuck home in 4 sets against Ian and Logan (9,-4,8,11).

Dolphins (Mark Stam, Mark Bowerman, Ricky Zhan) defeated Mackeral (Ollie Hamelink, Craig VanDeKaa) 6-5, Ricky and Ollie had a great match with Ricky winning (6,-9,6,-9,8).

Trout (Tony Bowman, Liz Burton, Bill Constanti) overcome Grunter (Lochlan Loy, Rachel Fiesta, Jason Lee) 10-1, with no 5 set matches Tony won close match against Lochlan (-11,3,5,9).

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Contributed by Andrea Payne  

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Debra Cody (L) and Sally McGlashan after completing their swims.

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Contributed with thanks by Dan Stampa

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In a break with the traditional Saturday “Jim Session” the North Mackay Sinkers came together on Saturday 12th for a huge morning of swimming as the club hosted its Endurance 1000 event — part of Masters Swimming Australia’s long‑running national aerobic program designed to encourage swimmers to complete distances from 400 metres through to 60‑minute swims.

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Held at the DMR Memorial Swim Centre, our regular training venue, swimmers and volunteers were greeted by good weather, crystal clear water and the always comfortable pool temperature and beautiful grounds.

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More than 20 members hit the water, taking on a variety of Endurance 1000 swims — from steady 400s and 800s to longer aerobic efforts. The program rewards consistency and participation, with points earned for completing different events that contribute to the club’s overall tally in the national standings. Individuals can complete a maximum of 62 swims for 1005 points including 5 each of difficult 400 and 800 m butterfly swims.

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After the swims wrapped up, members stayed on deck for a relaxed BBQ breakfast, sharing stories from the morning and celebrating the effort put in across all lanes. It was the perfect way to round out a productive and enjoyable club session.

The Endurance 1000 program continues to grow nationally, with increasing participation each year. For the Sinkers, events like Saturday’s session help build aerobic fitness, strengthen club culture, and contribute valuable points toward the wider Masters Swimming Australia rankings.

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The latest points earned have moved the club to its highest points tally in over a decade. Future events are planned during the remaining portion of the year and should propel the club well in the State and National annual standings.

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Avid Mackay Road Runners braved the very warm temperatures and coolish breezes for the inaugural Boomerang Hotel 5k & 10k social run

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The latest Mystery Run delivered plenty of standout performances and unexpected highlights, with Race Director Andrew Short marking the course from the Boomerang Hotel.

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Among the top 10 highlights were:

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• Craig Joynson – completed his first ever 10km.

• Daniel Stampa – returned following a six-month taper.

• Boomerang Hotel – provided high-quality service at the post-run refreshments, including complimentary blankets for patrons.

• A spectacular 1977 Holden Torana – a fully restored classic car was parked at the Boomerang.

• Kayla Waugh – enjoyed some impromptu wedding celebrations ahead of her wedding on Monday week.

• Jo Hughes – returned to running after a one-month hiatus, along with some secret training in NSW.

• Belinda Rule – returned to look after her boys, “’cause they need it”.

• Toby Rule and Harry Sleeman – dusted up their respective dads.

• Derek Woods – had a great 10km run despite popping his shoulder while doing tricks on his board at the wake park.

• Leanne Connor – was left deciding which was her left arm from her other left arm.

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 Contributed with thanks by Janelle Tilse

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