Last week, a grateful daughter and father took to Facebook to express their heartfelt thanks to Prosocial Support Services and its owner, Shae Patterson, for their exceptional assistance. Angela Hampton asked the community if anyone had a wheelchair they could borrow for her terminally ill father, John Sharples. John sadly has stage 4 prostate cancer, and the doctors have given him 2 months to live. Angela was unsure how to get her father, who was traveling from Brisbane, aboard the boat wher
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Queensland Police hosted a police recruitment seminar at PCYC Whitsunday last Tuesday and it was great success. 25 people attended the evening and learned all about the Queensland Police Service (QPS) and the recruitment program. Regional Recruitment Officer Haylee Collins conducted the evening and explained the criteria attendees have to meet to be accepted into the Queensland Police Recruitment Program. All recruits must understand the QPS Values, Integrity, Respect and Courage. They must m
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Proserpine High’s Jasmine Gerlofsma stole the show at the 2024 QTIC Salute to Excellence Awards in Brisbane last week, clinching the prestigious, "Secondary Student of the Year Award – Tourism" on Monday night. This award highlights her extraordinary talent and dedication to Queensland's vibrant tourism and hospitality sector, celebrated during an event that brought together the industry's brightest stars. The Salute to Excellence Awards recognise exceptional secondary students, employers, scho
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Last Thursday Noemi Martinez Romera won Best in show at the 2024 Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Exhibition. Noemi created her piece in response to the exhibition theme: ‘Whitsunday Wonders: Above & Below the Surface.’ Her piece ‘Panorama’ by definition, is an ‘unbroken view of the whole region surrounding an observer’: “In this painting, I explore a different view of the intricate nature within the Great Barrier Reef's ecosystem,” Noemi explained. Through a blend of contrast, realism, and
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Last week, two men aged, 21 and 72 fought for their lives following a devastating multi-vehicle collision on the Bruce Highway near Bloomsbury and the road was subsequently closed in both directions. The Bloomsbury accident, alongside other crashes, including the devastating Greyhound Bus Incident near Gumlu, has opened up discussions surrounding the quality of road on the Bruce Highway. The section of the Bruce Highway that runs through Dawson, from Mackay up into Townsville, has been identifi
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Whitsunday’s local girl Paitin Louise Powell has been crowned Miss Grand Australia 2024 after placing 1st runner up two years in a row. An inspiring tale of rising from the ashes after coming first runner up in 2022 and 2023, to achieving first place in 2024. Her success is a testament to the world that you can achieve your dreams despite the access and opportunity challenges faced by remote Australian girls. Standing tall at 176cm, Paitin is the perfect combination of body, beauty, brain and
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This month, we congratulate Kim Jamieson who recently became Principal and Partner of Accountancy Plus Whitsunday (APW). APW, with origins dating back to 1985, provide tax return, business, accounting, and corporate services that includes compliance and business growth strategies to maximise profit. Kim, a Proserpine local, joined the APW team in 2008 as a Trainee Accountant. After working and being mentored by Steve Diez (the founder of APW) for 15 years, her decision to enter into a busine
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Proserpine Lions Club has announced their new board of directors at the Whitsunday Leisure and Activity Centre on Saturday 3rd August. The lion's club is a non-profit organisation that gets involved in humanitarian efforts locally, nationally, and internationally. The dinner was attended by Past District Governors Gary and Audrey Kenny and included a series of award presentations. Past President Joe Little Presented Lion Damien Mott with a Melvin Jones award. This award is named after Melvin J
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Australia sees over 3,000 suicides annually, with 75% being men, typically aged between 16-45. Communities with active Suicide Prevention Networks see up to a 17% reduction in suicide rates. The Whitsunday Suicide Prevention Network (WSPN) is dedicated to helping those affected by suicide and implementing prevention programs in schools and the broader community. WSPN handles an average of 25 local calls per month, providing counselling and support for those in crisis or bereaved by suicide. T
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As part of our ongoing commitment to sustainable waste management, Council introduced a new Waste Management Facility Charge as part of its 2024-25 Budget handed down in June. This charge will appear on the rates notices issued across the region and is a crucial step in ensuring that we can continue to invest in and manage our waste facilities efficiently and sustainably. The new fee assists in covering the costs of operating and managing our waste facilities like maintaining our landfills a
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Amidst the news that Think Water NQ Water Mackay was liquidated in May 2024, Sharon and Noel Gardner from Think Water Whitsunday want to emphasise that they are still very much open. “They are completely separate; we are part of the Think Water franchise but each individual store is individually owned and operated,” Sharon said. “We have absolutely nothing to do with Think Water NQ Water Mackay.” Think Water Whitsunday has been receiving frequent enquiries about their operational status. They w
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Ben has been busy sharing the magic of The Whitsundays with America for the last week. The schedule has been packed with activities and meetings, engaging discussions and valuable networking. Looking ahead, in early September, our team will head to Brisbane for Experience Queensland - Southeast Asia and India, organised by Tourism Events Queensland. This will provide an excellent opportunity for Tourism Whitsundays to connect with key trade partners. In November, we’re looking forward to the
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Tucked away in the Proserpine arcade, Deja Brew is rumoured to serve the best coffee in town. With a 5-star rating on Google and travellers coming to town specifically for a coffee, Deja Brew is truly hidden gem. Deja Brew cafe is owned by Gabby Sinclair. Gabby grew up in the Sunshine Coast as a nurse but realised her passion for coffee early on, growing up around some great coffee shops. When Gabby moved to The Whitsundays, she was ready to leave nursing behind and unleash her creative side by
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Proserpine Community Centre is offering free Latin Dance classes for community members. Classes are every Monday at 10am and are run by mum of two, Jhana McDonald, who is originally from Colombia. Jhana, moved from Colombia to Australia eight years ago, where she grew up dancing with her mother. She first interacted with the community centre when she arrived in Proserpine in June. Jhana did not speak much English but was passionate about helping the community through her dancing. Jhana stated:
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This week Season to date Cane crushed 81,766 336,510 Average bin weight 9.61 9.59 CCS 14.10 13.65 Cane variety performance for region Variety % CCS Variety % CCS Q208 26.7 13.95 Q253 6.1 14.73 Q240 18.0 13.99 SRA9 5.6 13.78 KQ228 16.8 14.25 Q232 4.4 14.18 Q183 7.6 13.82 SRA12 2.9 14.39 Comments Proserpine Mill processed just under 82,000 tonnes of cane for the week. This was slightly above budget, despite an extended stop caused by industrial action on Saturday. Average weekly CCS came in at jus
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Every Friday 10 am-12pm, the Proserpine Community Centre hosts a free sausage sizzle BBQ. The community event, which is now in its 5th week, encourages everyone to come on down, meet their neighbours and have a bite to eat. Proserpine Community Centre Organiser, Ingrid Ruck, emphasised that the event is open to all age groups and “everyone is welcome.” “This is a safe place with no judgements, a huge variety of people come.” You're welcome to come and go as you please, but it's a fantastic chan
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Airlie Beach Race Week is not just a week for sailors, it is open for everybody! The whole community is invited to visit Whitsunday Sailing Club during Race Week and throughout the year too, all are welcome to sit back and relax. Airlie Beach Race Week Event Manager Amanda Black has been working on the event for six months and is extremely eager to see it all come together. “I've been on back and forth with different suppliers for quite a while now. So, it will be good to see everything pulle
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Avid sailors are gathering for the 36th Airlie Beach Race Week, which is set to once again be one of the largest main land sailing regattas in the country. This year the event boasts a range of activities, from competitive racing right through to art exhibitions, workshops, kids pirate parties and of course the evening festivities down at the Festival Village. A festive atmosphere for all to enjoy, you don’t have to be a sailor to get involved – the whole community is invited along to join in
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Throughout her life Demi has always sailed but for the last two years she has been really getting into it and has fallen in love with the sport. “My favourite thing about it is just being out on the water and getting to share that experience,” she shared. “The experience out there is very special. I love the teamwork that goes on out on the boats. It’s a very nice environment, I feel like I’m always being lifted, it’s a very positive place to be.” Demi competed in Race Week for the first tim
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In the spirit of Airlie Beach Race Week, a local group called Creative Connections is hosting some onshore activities for all to enjoy, along with a themed art exhibition in the event’s honour. Exhibition Co-ordinator, Glenda Brown, is excited for this year’s involvement in Airlie Beach Race Week and is looking forward to the week ahead. "Creative Connections is thrilled to be participating in this year's Airlie Beach Race Week, where we will host an exciting art exhibition and a series of art
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Heather Sutton of Whitsunday Sailing Club is a big part of the local sailing community, not just during Airlie Beach Race Week, but throughout the year too. For Race Week, however, Heather is responsible for recruiting volunteers and ensuring there are always enough people in the right places to enable the smooth sailing of the event. This year, Heather managed to gather around 50 volunteers. Some volunteers are sailors or ex-sailors, some are partners or family members of participants in Ra
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The sailing community from around the country is flocking to the Whitsundays this week with the 36th Airlie Beach Race Week setting sail today. With over 150 yachts across multiple divisions registered for the event, it is expected that over 1000 skippers and crew will be attending the regatta which promises to be just as much fun onshore as it is out on the water. Famed for its vibrant social scene and competitive camaraderie, Airlie Beach Race Week is an event the whole town can’t help but g
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As Race Officer I’m in charge of what goes on out on the water. We've put together a team of proficient people to run the races. We have resourced all the required equipment as needed to run the races. And then what we do is we sit down every morning, and we have a bit of a look at the weather, then we plan what race or what course they will do for that day. At about 10 o'clock, we'll send them off on their journey around the islands. We place a finishing line and then we wait for them to com
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The Shoreside Long Lunch at Airlie Beach Race Week is an exclusive culinary event that offers a delightful food experience amidst the stunning beauty of the Whitsundays. This ticketed event with limited seats, is a must-attend for those seeking a special and intimate dining experience. With a dress attire of 'Sea Shades', attendees are encouraged to don their best blues, greens and aquamarines to fill the lunch with ocean colours. Guests are treated to a sumptuous lunch, featuring a thoughtf
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A special movie night double feature will be taking place at the Airlie Beach Foreshore on Friday 9 August. Sit back, relax and enjoy not one but two family favourite movies. In the thrilling pirate-themed double feature start with ‘Tinkerbell and the Pirate Fairy’. Watch Tinkerbell and her friends embark on an epic adventure to find their friend Zarina, who has been captured by Blue Pixie Dust. On this quest Tinkerbell and friends come face-to-face with a band of pirates led by cabin boy
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