Proserpine Veterans Golf welcomed back Captain Gary and Elspeth after their overseas travels. It was a sweltering day for the 25 veteran golfers who participated in the November Monthly Medal and least putts competition, marking the final Monthly Medal event for the 2024 season. Despite the heat, there were some impressive performances, particularly from Paula McQuat and Peter Fox, while John Wallace and Peter Lindsay also posted strong scores. It’s remarkable how quickly the end of the competit
Read more
An enthusiastic group of picklers from the Hydeaway Bay and Cape Gloucester areas are thrilled to have the addition of two dedicated pickleball courts (and a third marked on a multipurpose court) at their Gloucester Sport and Recreation Association facility in Hydeaway Bay. With the generosity of residents, grants from the Whitsundays Council and the Association’s enthusiastic backing, it has taken over 4 years of planning and building to provide the only purpose built pickleball courts outsid
Read more
The Wangaratta Bowls Club saw some spirited competition in their recent social and triples games. On Tuesday, Sue Shearing, Margaret Wilson, and Greg Colquhoun claimed victory over Lyn Danvers, Penny Warren, and Geoff Danvers. In another closely contested match, Stumpy Adams, Dot Slater, and Steve Roome triumphed over Merle Elphinstone, Mark Drummond, and Kevin Jewell. The jackpot, however, remained unclaimed. Sunday’s play featured two exciting triples matches. On Rink 2, Bron Tolcher, Kevin Je
Read more
By Hannah McNamara Greater Whitsunday Communities (GWC) marked 50 years of service with a commemorative event at CQUniversity Mackay City Campus. The milestone celebration united contributors, foundation members, and leaders to recognise decades of commitment to the Mackay, Isaac, and Whitsunday regions. Executive Officer Carol Norris honoured the vision of Carmel Daveson, while Mayor Greg Williamson applauded GWC’s achievements. Deputy Mayor Karen May reflected on the organisation’s journey, s
Read more
International Men’s Day is a moment to pause and appreciate the men in our lives who do so much to support, inspire, and care for their families and communities. For me, this year has brought a deeper understanding of what it means to call someone my hero. My husband, Hamish, has carried an extraordinary load while I’ve undergone chemotherapy. Between daycare drop-offs, swimming lessons, and everything else that comes with parenting a toddler, he’s stepped up in every way imaginable. He’s not ju
Read more
What better way to spread holiday cheer than by bringing a touch of home to those far from theirs? The Stella Maris Christmas Shoebox Appeal is bringing holiday cheer to seafarers visiting the Ports of Hay Point, Mackay, and Abbot Point. Each year, Stella Maris Seafarers Centre Mackay distributes shoeboxes filled with small gifts to these hardworking men and women. Life at sea can be lonely and challenging, especially during the festive season, when seafarers are often far from their loved on
Read more
Rod Francisco was recently honoured as the 2024 Mackay Man of the Year during the International Men's Day celebrations, which focused on men's positive contributions to society. This year’s events included an Art Show at the Jubilee Community Centre, along with the Mackay Man of the Year Award presentation breakfast at Souths Leagues Club, featuring insightful group discussions and an auction of the winning artwork. Reflecting on the recognition, Rod said he was “truly humbled” and expressed de
Read more
A talented and dedicated student from Mackay State High School was recently announced as the recipient of the 2025 Hill Family Scholarship, valued at $5,000. The scholarship is designed to support a student with exceptional potential and motivation to embark on a tertiary education in law, accounting, or commerce. Year 12 student Morgan Faulkner from Alligator Creek (Mackay) won the scholarship thanks to her tenacious attitude to success and commitment to personal development. “Studying la
Read more
By Amanda Wright The old bones of Hotel Mackay are about to get a second lease on life, thanks to a dynamic revival driven by two of Mackay’s beloved business couples. When the Laffins and Phillips families set their sights on the heritage-listed pub, it was more than just a business deal—it was a chance to honour their deep family ties to the hospitality scene, breathe new life into a local landmark, and create a new hub for the Mackay community to gather, celebrate, and make memories. For Ben
Read more
Imagine stepping into a tranquil haven where time slows down, and the only task on your agenda is pure relaxation. As you and your partner (or bestie) sink into plush treatment beds, the world outside fades away, replaced by the gentle melodies of soft music, the delicate scent of tropical flowers, and the soothing touch of skilled hands. At the heart of Mackay’s beauty scene lies a secret oasis, designed for those who crave an intimate escape from the everyday hustle: welcome to Natural Body &
Read more
For many, the holiday season is a time for family, traditions, and creating lasting memories—and what better way to capture the magic than with a visit to Photos by Nell? Located in the peaceful suburb of Balberra, nestled between Mackay and Sarina, Nell Thomsett’s studio transforms each year into a festive wonderland where families can experience an intimate, stress-free session with the one and only Santa Claus. Nell, a locally born and bred country girl, has built a diverse reputation for her
Read more
It’s inevitable as we navigate life and career that we compare how we are doing and where we are at to others (in business, it’s akin to benchmarking). In reality, how much of their journey do we truly know? This personal benchmarking is not all bad, depending on your approach, and it can be motivating and a catalyst for action. Constantly measuring your life or career against others, even those you admire, can be detrimental if • it erodes your self-confidence • you feel ‘left behind
Read more
Works on the water mains supplying the Midge Point township will commence this week to help improve water quality in the area. The works will be completed in two stages. Council has engaged a highly skilled contractor, Flo-Max Australia to undertake the specialised process known as “pigging”. This process cleans the inside of the pipes and will remove the build-up of iron and manganese which creates a natural biofilm in the pipes. Stage one will involve the cleaning of water mains from the Kelse
Read more
A two-vehicle crash in Booyal has claimed the life of a 68-year-old motorcyclist from Moranbah after being struck by a Ford Ranger on Sunday, November 17. Investigations indicate that at approximately 11:10 am, the Ford Ranger was traveling north on the Bruce Highway, near Booyal Dallarnil Road, when it collided with the motorbike. The motorcyclist sustained critical injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The driver of the Ford Ranger, a 69-year-old man from New South Wales, has b
Read more
By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay November is the season of the Annual General Meeting, and CANEGROWERS Mackay is no exception. The 2024 Mackay Canegrowers Ltd AGM will be held next week, on Wednesday 27 November, with a wrap on the events and issues across 2023-24, and guest speaker Dr John Pickering. Dr Pickering was instrumental in delivering the Cane Changer project some years ago. It was all about the practice change mindset, and was one of CANEGROWERS initiatives that was a compa
Read more
This week Season to date Cane crushed 58,394 1,055,307 Average bin weight 3.86 3.90 CCS 14.83 14.13 Cane variety performance for region Variety % CCS Variety % CCS Q183 34.0 15.38 Q253 11.3 13.98 Q240 10.1 14.66 SRA9 7.6 15.11 Q208 19.0 14.56 SP80 8.2 15.29 Q252 1.9 13.94 Q138 2.8 13.76 Comments: Plane Creek Mill processed 58,394 tonnes of cane for the week, passing the million-tonne milestone on Sunday morning, 10 November. Average CCS increased by 0.22 of a unit over the previous week, closing
Read more
Marking National Agriculture Day last week (November 15), Queensland’s Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett reiterated the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to supercharging the state’s agricultural industry. With a bold target to boost farm gate output to $30 billion by 2030, the LNP say that Queensland is poised to become a national leader in food and fibre production. The Crisafulli Government has also said it will strengthen Queensland’s biosecurity frontline, with a $50 million bo
Read more
ANZ and the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) have awarded $250,000 in grants to 22 community groups and not-for-profit organisations through the ANZ Seeds of Renewal program. Now in its 22nd year, the program provides grants to community groups across remote, rural and regional Australia. The awarded funds will support projects that align with one of four key areas: improving access to housing; increasing financial wellbeing; advancing environmental sustainability; or helping comm
Read more
Vegetation management crews working on behalf of Ergon Energy and Energex have trimmed trees along more than 800,000 spans* of powerlines in Queensland over the last year to help reduce the risk of power outages. Three natural disasters that impacted Queensland communities last summer left extensive damage in their wake – Ergon and Energex crews had to replace 220 power poles, 820 cross arms and more than 200,000 metres of conductors and cables. Some of that damage was caused by street tr
Read more
It’s certainly a special day for many people around Mackay and the Whitsundays. We’re just about a month away from Santa coming to town in his Kingswood Sleigh, and I’m sure he’s bringing his hungry reindeers along for the ride to eat up a few sugar cane sticks for energy. Today is a good day if you want to get your Christmas shopping started. The Paxtons Night Markets are on at the PCYC this afternoon, plus there’s even more markets at the Mackay Showgrounds tomorrow, and the Troppo Markets ne
Read more
Last night, the Whitsundays experienced a remarkable event as corals across the region simultaneously spawned, releasing millions of egg and sperm bundles into the water. This annual reproductive phenomenon is crucial for reef restoration, and Reef Catchments, along with key partners from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), Southern Cross University, Traditional Owners and local tourism operators, were on-site to collect coral spawn as part of the innovative Boats4Corals program.
Read more
Simon Hood Wilmar Manager Grower Marketing As you know, October 31 marked the close of marketing nominations for the 2025 season. With the dust now settled, we have registered a pleasing increase in the number of growers and GEI tonnes nominated through to Wilmar Grower Marketing in our milling regions. A common theme with growers who nominated us is the financial benefits Wilmar has delivered over the last few seasons. Wilmar’s Production Risk Pool continues to outperform QSL’s Harvest Pool, an
Read more
One of the things I noticed about my father when I was a kid was that he would tuck his shirt into his underpants. The idea was to keep the shirt tight and tidy and never untucked. But it was one of those “daggy” things your father did, so in the interests of being young and “cool” you would never do it yourself. He would always carry a handkerchief as well, as did most people in those days, although they were more commonly known as a hankie. I didn’t have much choice about the hankie because
Read more
Celebrating Mackay's 1900s Chinatown and bringing the essence of it into the modern day is the inspiration behind a new city heart project. Mackay’s historic Chinatown sat between Wellington and Macalister streets, and from River Street to Gordon Street, from 1880 to 1930 and was an area of market gardens and Asian grocers. It’s this area of River Street that the Mackay City Heart Collective plans to activate, thanks to $12,200 in funding approved in the Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF) rou
Read more
The festive season is a time for kindness, generosity, and community spirit, and Mackay offers numerous opportunities to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those facing challenges. Whether it's donating toys and festive food through the Whitsunday Foodbank, spreading hope to survivors of domestic violence with Broken Ballerina Inc., or brightening the holidays for vulnerable families, every small act of kindness helps. Local initiatives such as the Cheeky Little Monkeys donation drive
Read more