The search for missing man, Joel Pringle, sadly came to an end when his body was discovered last week. The 40-year-old man was last seen on Monday 19 August at 4.30pm at the Lagoon in Airlie Beach and, when he did not return home, was soon reported missing. A massive search ensued with emergency service personnel and dozens of regular people all involved in a desperate effort to bring him home alive. Teams of people scoured the areas he was known to frequent by land and by air, but there was
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Congratulations to Steve Pilcher from Pilcher’s Mitre 10 Bowen who won the Mackay and Whitsunday Life 2024 NRL Footy Competition. It was an extremely close contest, with Steve winning by just one point with 132 points and Bruce Spannagle from the Metropole Hotel in Proserpine and Stacey Gerhart from Leader Group in joint second place with 131 points each. Steve said he has been watching football on and off his whole life and his knowledge of football plus checking weekly stats helped him reac
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4-year-old Theo Large is described as an easy-going and fun-loving kid, who always has a bright smile on his face. Sadly, little Theo’s life changed on the 14th August 2024, when he was diagnosed with Childhood Leukaemia. Theo was taken to the Proserpine Hospital on 14 August, as it was clear to his parents something wasn't quite right. He was taken by ambulance to Mackay hospital that evening. Theo was then flown to Brisbane by Life Flight on the 15th of August and his treatment began at the Qu
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Equipped with all-new, state-of-the-art facilities, the brand-new Airlie Beach Fire Station has opened its doors and is ready to serve its community members. The stunning new space has replaced the older and smaller station that was located in Jubilee Pocket, near PCYC. With Airlie Beach’s continued population growth, the decision to upgrade and expand the local fire station was in order to better help serve the community, with the old station having been in operation for the past 45 years. Fou
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Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP is calling on Whitsunday residents frustrated with the lack of decent boating infrastructure in our region to have their say and register their support for boat ramp upgrades. “We have the highest boat ownership per capita in the state and our boating infrastructure is not sufficient to meet demand,” Ms Camm stated. “And the infrastructure we do have is not only under par but in some cases dangerous. “Shute Harbour boat ramp is a prime example of a gover
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Last week in this newspaper we incorrectly stated that Julie Hall ran against Amanda Camm in the last state election. Please note, this information was incorrect. Julie Hall in fact ran for the One Nation Party in the Federal election. We apologise to Ms Hall and look forward to featuring more about her current election bid as a candidate for the role of Member of the Whitsundays in the upcoming state election due to be held on October 26th.
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Eurovision, America’s Got Talent and The Voice (Australia) superstar Johnny Manuel joins the Whitsundays Songwriter Festival. Johnny Manuel has an impressive 20-year career as a singer, songwriter and musician, and we get to see his skills here in the Whitsundays. He has recently performed for United States President Joe Biden in New York City and, has appeared on America’s Got Talent, The Voice Australia and Eurovision, honing his skills and building an international fan base along the way.
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Direct flights from Adelaide to the Whitsunday’s started earlier this month, and the flight path has been an instant success. In just two hours and 20 minutes people from Adelaide can get to the region, whereas previously visitors would have to catch a connecting flight, equalling approximately an eight-hour journey. CEO of Whitsunday Coast Airport Craig Turner said the new route is making it much easier for people from Adelaide to get here to the Whitsundays and beyond. “For a long time, it
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Skytrans Airline has been operating a flight from Whitsunday Coast Airport to Cairns for over two years and they want more people to know about it. Why fly south and spend up to six hours in transit, when in just 1 hour and 25 minutes you can get from the Whitsundays to Cairns, and still enjoy that wonderful tropical weather? Whitsundays to Cairns is over 600 kilometres and a takes several hours to drive, which is a long drive and too long for some. The direct flight from Whitsundays to Cair
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Earlier this month Paige and I attended ‘Love Letter to Queensland’ a heartwarming event at the Coral Sea Resort Hotel as part of the Whitsundays Writers Festival. This special celebration honoured the Queensland writing competition that captured what makes our state truly remarkable. The atmosphere was filled with romance and country pride as we settled in to hear the inspiring words of our speakers. The event boasted a diverse lineup of special guests, each contributing their unique perspect
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Many will know that the Proserpine Community Centre does a lot of great things for the community and recently the Centre has been busy cultivating a wonderful garden for everyone to enjoy. Five dedicated volunteers, have come together to transform the space into a beautiful retreat and learning ground for the community. The project has involved volunteers clearing ground, constructing garden beds and planning and creating a herb garden and garden shed. Coordinator of the Proserpine Community Cen
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It’s been another busy time for businesses in the region, with a number of regional events wrapping up and school holidays upon us. While business owners are constantly dealing in 'the now', we also need to keep an eye on 'the future'. With the Queensland State Election on our doorstep, the Chamber will soon issue our State Election Statement that reflects the critical priorities our members want to see addressed. We have invited Chamber members to share their view, and provide impact example
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Whitsunday Regional Libraries is now part of the North Queensland Network for BorrowBox, giving our library patrons access to an even larger collection of eAudiobook and eBook titles! Whether you're into the latest bestsellers, classic literature, or informative non-fiction, there's something for everyone. Library membership is free, and with just your library card, you can start exploring this vast digital library from the comfort of your home. Download the Whitsunday Regional Libraries app or
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As we approach another disaster season, I want to emphasise how critical Council’s Local Disaster Management Group preparations are to ensuring the safety of our community. Council takes disaster management very seriously, and our small but dedicated Disaster Management Team has been working hard behind the scenes undertaking rigorous training exercises and simulations to ensure we are ready to respond swiftly and effectively in the event of a cyclone, flood, or other natural disaster. As Ch
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Our work life is an ever-changing landscape – we’re either changing workplaces or the team in our workplace is constantly changing. This means we are constantly required to work alongside people who are vastly different to ourselves. The workplace is full of introverts, extroverts, gossipers, micro-managers, complainers, high-performers, pessimists and ‘almost geniuses’. For many, this is a nightmare; for some, this can be - and is - highly entertaining. What’s required is awareness, some leve
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This week, we’ve been so excited to welcome Emma Bailes to the Tourism Whitsundays team! Joining us from Visit Victoria, Emma brings with her a wealth of knowledge in tourism, branding, design, and marketing. In her new role as Marketing Coordinator, Emma will be involved in all things graphic design and branding whilst supporting our wider marketing efforts. Last month, our team headed to Brisbane for Experience Queensland — Southeast Asia and India. It was a fantastic opportunity to connect
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Are you thinking about adding a new member to your family? Don’t miss the Adopt-A-Dog Day, which is taking place at Pets Domain in Bowen. Bowen Collinsville Pet Rescue Inc will be in-store to help you meet and learn about animals who are looking for their forever homes and encourage community members to “come along” and support them. Whether you’re ready to adopt a furry friend or simply want to support your local rescue, this event is perfect for pet lovers of all kinds! To make it even more
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The Bowen Turf Club and Hillery Group Bowen Cup is fast approaching, and this year’s Cup is even bigger, with six races! One more than last year. Bowen Turf Club Treasurer Helen Daley is expecting another busy event with over 3000 people expected to attend and sit back and enjoy a day filled with racing, socialising and cold drinks. “I enjoy seeing everybody having a great time,” said Helen. “It's all about the people socialising in a fun atmosphere with the local races happening. “I look ar
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The Grand View Hotel in Bowen is open every day and this classic pub always has something on that’ll make you want to visit. Every Monday evening Grand View Hotel hosts a trivia night, testing your brain and spending time with friends is the best way to start the week. And why not enjoy Grand View’s Monday food special, a Pot & Parmi for $20. On Tuesday you can enjoy 50% your second meal, so make sure you bring a friend! Music lovers will love Wednesdays at Grand View Hotel. Test your music k
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This week's "Pet of the Week" takes a poignant turn as we introduce Charlie, a 4-year-old German Shepherd. Sadly, Charlie's journey has taken a sad and unexpected twist after his owner, unable to find him a new home, reportedly dumped him with a backpacker named Manuel. Manuel stepped in to help after seeing an advertisement from Charlie's owner, who needed someone to care for the dog briefly. Eager to make a difference, Manuel offered to look after Charlie during this challenging time. Having t
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Volunteers are such an integral part of many community organisations and Bowen Tourism and Business is one of those in our region. The Local Tourism Organisation has 18 active volunteers who freely give their time at the Bowen Visitor Information Centre on the Bruce Highway and the information booth at Bowen’s Front Beach. During the school holidays the information centres were very busy, and the volunteers were called on in recent weeks to help more than just their regular hours. Manager of
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On Wednesday, September 25th, a momentous milestone was reached as JP’s and government members gathered to celebrate Mikky and Barry Menzies 50 years of dedicated JP service. This significant occasion honours the unwavering commitment and invaluable contributions of the pair to the community. Member for Burdekin, Dale Last, joined the celebration to award the JPs with their service awards. Joining Mr Last was JPs Paula Bould and Belinda Finlay who travelled from Brisbane to extend their congratu
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The Bowen Community Centre is pleased to announce the donation of a shipping container to the Bowen Men’s Shed. In early 2022 Men’s Shed announced that they were desperate for additional storage space and Bowen Community Centre has responded to that request. The Bowen Men’s Shed is a volunteer-run organisation, and it plays a central and vital role in the Bowen community. These dedicated men restore and rebuild old and new items for various local institutions, including the Bowen Community
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Port Denison Sailing Club is hosting an open day for little adventures to try out sailing. This event is for new sailors but is also open to sailors that participated in the Port Denison Sailing Club’s Little or Big Pirates program earlier in 2024. You are encouraged to come along, test your memory and see how your abilities have held up, just in time for the new season. Pirate Open Day will be $10 per participant and each session following will also be $10, pay as you go. Sailors must be b
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On Saturday 12 October witness the official launch of the Bowen Community Garden at the ‘Sowing the Seeds of Wellbeing’ event. Starting at 8am and located at 65 Williams Street, Bowen the event is free, family-friendly and offers a unique opportunity for people of all ages to learn about the importance of mental health while connecting with nature. The day promises to be packed with engaging activities, including gardening and wellbeing presentations led by experts, giving attendees practica
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