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Off With A Bang! At The Friday Night Fireworks

This evening, thousands of people will gather on grassy banks, smooth rocks and sandy outcrops to watch the Friday Night Fireworks erupt into vibrant pops of colour over the bay on Airlie Beach Foreshore.

Browse The Night Markets

Embracing the festival-themes of community, creativity and raising awareness for the environment, the Friday evening Night Markets are a treasure trove of home-made wares, recyclable arts, and cottage industry delights.

Saturday Street Fun

Traffic will be halted on the bustling main street of Airlie Beach this Saturday and the steady flow of vehicles will be replaced by a plethora of colourful community events for the Mackay and Whitsunday Life Saturday Street Fun.A hive of activity for festival goers to enjoy, the day will kick-off with Fraser Ford Revvin’ the Reef Car Show.

Street Parade Surprise!

With its origins dating back to well before the Great Barrier Reef Festival’s inception, the iconic Rotary Street Parade is an intrinsic part of Whitsunday culture and a cornerstone of the festival.Welcoming a new sponsor, Ray White Whitsundays, this year is set to be one of the best ever events, as dozens of colourful floats form a lively procession up the main street of Airlie Beach.

Let Me Entertain You!

Saluting The Sun

Coming back to their roots, Sun Salute will be cruising into Airlie Beach this weekend for the Great Barrier Reef Festival. Formed in the cool snow of Falls Creek in Victoria, duo Jarrah Kurth and Tane Tokorangi moved up north to the warm climate of Airlie Beach and created the Sun Salute band with its seven other band members.

Family Fun For A Festival Send Off

Old school fun is on the cards for this year’s Team Kerr Family Fun Day!With a jampacked collection of events and activities running throughout the day, every member of the family will racing around to give everything a go!What is on offer?

Get Pumped For The Magic Mile

Get your running shoes on, the Medibank Magic Mile is back for the 2023 Great Barrier Reef Festival!Hosted by the Whitsunday Running Club, the event takes place along the Airlie Beach Main Street.No matter the ability, everyone is encouraged to give it a go, with cash prizes up for grabs for the adults.

Sail Away With The Recyclable Regatta

Get your swimmers on, it’s time for the unforgettable Whitsunday Escape Recyclable Regatta.A fan favourite for the Great Barrier Reef Festival, the Recyclable Regatta tests patience, determination, and communication, and is always a laugh for spectators and other competitors.High-sea pirate shenanigans are sure to ensue, with all sorts of community groups and school groups getting in on the fun of the event.

Revvin’ With The Pros

Speeding to the Whitsundays for a whirlwind visit before his next race on the Queensland Race Way is professional racing car driver, Nick Lange, who will be attending the Fraser Ford Revvin’ the Reef car show on Saturday.

A Whaley Good Art Show

With almost 50 submissions, the inaugural Great Barrier Reef Festival Art Show is shaping up to be an exciting addition to the event this year.Embracing the broader festival theme, the art show ‘Grandeur of the Humpback Whales’ invited submissions comprising of whales, the reef, the Whitsundays and the environment above and below sea level.

Bringing The Reef To The Festival With Crystal Lacey

Having spent the better part of 18 years working closely with the ocean and tourism, Crystal Lacey has perfected her expertise, skills, and knowledge, and is using it to positively influence the Whitsundays. Stepping onto the Great Barrier Reef Festival committee in 2022, 2023 has seen her take the helm as Environmental Coordinator.

A Whale of A Time!

Taking pride of place at the heart of the Immerse Art Installation are an eight-metre mother whale and her three-metre-long calf.Creating these majestic art pieces is renowned and highly respected regional artist, Margaret Burgess, who has dedicated “months and months” of work to lovingly re-create these two enormous sculptures.

Value Added With Whitsunday House Painting Specialists

Formerly Superior House Painting Specialists, we have adopted the local name Whitsundays House Painting Specialists as we continue to service our community.In the current economic climate, we know that money matters.

Making Mischief Mick Walton’s Racing Boat

In 1960, “Mischief” was Queensland’s fastest displacement hull racing boat, achieving a speed of 69.862 mph (112.4 kph) at Home Hill; an accomplishment recognised and recorded by the Australian Power Boat Association. “Mischief” was built especially for Clement Cecil Walton, (known as Mick) by Lewis Bros, Taren Point, Sydney.

It’s Always 5 O’clock At The Airlie Beach Hotel

The good times are coming to the Airlie Beach Hotel, with the Latitude 24 band cruising in from ‘Margaritaville’. Blowing off the winter chill, this Jimmy Buffett tribute band will bring the ‘Bama Breeze’ and we’ll all ask ‘Why Don’t We Get Drunk’ to the summer vibes and smooth sailing. The good chill atmosphere is not lost here, with Latitude 24 perfecting their craft since 2002. Have your ‘Cheeseburger in Paradise’ and let all your worries wash away with some ‘Little Miss Magic’.

Movie Review: Oppenheimer

This biopic film, brought to life by the enigmatic and creative Christopher Nolan, speaks to the darkness of nuclear weaponry and J Robert Oppenheimer, ‘the father of the atomic bomb’.

Night Of Nights For To-Be-Weds

The inaugural Whitsundays Weddings Industry Networking and Fashion Show was a massive success last Sunday afternoon and evening, with over 40 excited almost-wedded couples attending the event.

Raiders Take On The Bulls

The Whitsunday Sportspark played host to the MRU Semi- finals on Saturday which saw Kuttabul take on Cities followed by Whitsunday Raiders taking on Moranbah bulls. The clash between the Raiders and the Bulls was to determine who went straight through to the grand final on the 12th.The Raiders had an unusual training week due to the rain but were quietly confident they could come away with the win.

Sea Eagles Seniors Blitz Magpies

Whitsunday Sea Eagles travelled to Mackay Magpies on Saturday with Senior teams having a great day on field. The sun was shining but it was definitely wet weather footy with the Magpies ground waterlogged from the week of rain.Sea Eagles Senior Men handled the slippery conditions better, to take home the win 46 – 25 and secure 3rd position on the ladder above Magpies, behind a tight tussle at the top between Saints and Swans.

Record Numbers Compete In Airlie Beach Triathlon

The biggest professional triathlon field in the event’s history competed in the 2023 Coral Sea Marina Airlie Beach Triathlon festival last weekend with Kurt McDonald and Radka Kahlefeldt winning the men’s and women’s races.

Darts Report

We had our last club trophy contested on Sunday morning at the Airlie Beach Bowls Club, with The Players Club Captain the prize on offer for the players. Round 1 results were for Premier League points, with the victors advancing to the knock out stages.There were wins for Kam Reason, Art McMinn, Jamie Maher defeated Dom Friend in a sudden death play-off leg.

Airlie Bowls Report

When you live in Paradise you certainly are not used to cold weather and rain, so no bowls was possible on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.Friday afternoon saw a round of Men's A Division between Manny Isgro and the up and coming very talented Harry Quad and, to everyone's surprise, it was Harry Quad who won this exciting tussle 25-23

Exciting Bowls Ahead

Wet weather put rather a dampener on this past week with no Social Bowls on Wednesday. This meant that we had a bumper turn out for Sunday's Social Bowls.

Wangaratta Bowls News

There has been a lot happening this week in the world of bowls at Wangaratta. On Tuesday winners were Bron Tolcher, Bruce Thomson, Brian Cassick and John Middleton whi defeated Keith Collins, Ann Kayser, Jo Paynting and June Walsh. Runners Up were Roger Mumby, Brian Bellingham and Terrie Crozier who defeated Alan Pearson, Jan Dawson and Terry Nash. The jackpot didn’t go off.