Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Monday 8 September 2025: The Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC) has today unveiled its new Strategic Plan 2025–2028 and Advocacy Plan 2025–26, charting a bold path to strengthen Queensland’s visitor economy in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032 and beyond. The plans are especially significant for regions such as the Whitsundays, which rely heavily on tourism and are preparing for increased visitor numbers in the coming years. QTIC CEO Natassia Wheeler said the plans demonstrate QTIC’s role as
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Orange Sky Australia is bringing its life-changing laundry service to the Whitsundays, aiming to support locals who are doing it tough. The not-for-profit has secured a location and the necessary resources for the region, but the launch is dependent on securing enough local volunteers to join the team. The need is clear. The Orange Sky service in Mackay, established in 2017, has struggled to keep up with demand due to critically low volunteer numbers. With rising living costs and growing social
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Tec-NQ House Year 10 boarder Brad is already getting his hands on the tools. He has secured assistant boiler maker work with a local business near home, not far from Clermont. “This is my first year at Tec-NQ House,” said Brad. “I’m in Year 10, and so far I’m liking it.” The move to boarding has been made easier by new friendships. “I have made a few mates, so that’s good,” he commented. Term breaks will be busy. When he is not on the job learning the basics of boiler making, Brad will be back
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Sugar Growing Pioneer in the Cannon Valley District Henry William Holmes was born 13th April 1873 in Stableford, Wiltshire England. His father, a village blacksmith, died in an accident when William was nine. When eleven, his mother remarried. Henry went to live on a farm where his Holmes’ uncles were tenants, then worked on the railways for several years. Desirous to see the world, at age 18, he applied for assisted passage to Australia, sailing on the "Geelunga" arriving at Bowen in May 1892
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The stage is set for a night of stories, song, and celebration when the Love Letter to Queensland event takes place tonight at the Whitsunday Sailing Club. The special evening, part of the 2025 Whitsundays Writers Festival, will open at 6pm with an official welcome from Mayor Ry Collins. Guests will enjoy drinks and canapés before settling in for an inspiring program of speakers, performers and award presentations. Headlining the event is internationally published, award-winning author Dr Anit
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September 12 & 13 White on Whitehaven 12 Whitsunday Writers Festival Love Letter to Queensland, Whitsunday Sailing Club, at 6pm 12 Kung Fu Panda 4, The Movie Screen at Airlie Beach Foreshore in Coconut Grove, 6:00pm 13 Community Carnival, Mullers Lagoon in Bowen, 9am-12pm 14 Bowen Community Markets, Hansen Park, from 8:00am 16 Social Seniors - Coffee and Chat, Proserpine Library, from 9am 16 Tech Help, Cannonvale Library, 2:00pm-3:45pm 17 Australian Citizenship Day 17 Whitsunday Quilter
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Friday 12 September Airlie Beach Hotel: Andy Mammers (7pm – 10pm) Grand View Hotel: Jessica Cash (from 8pm) KC's: Jason Bull (from 8pm) Saturday 13 September Airlie Beach Hotel: ABBA Tribute (2pm – 5.30pm) Airlie Beach Hotel: Andy Mammers (7pm – 10pm) Grand View Hotel: Mick Woodbridge (from 8pm) Coral Sea Marina Resort: DJ Shae (1pm - 5pm) KC's: Chris Booroff (from 8pm) Sunday 14 September Airlie Beach Hotel: ABBA Tribute (2pm – 5.30pm) Airlie Beach Hotel: Paul Fergus Morris (6.30pm – 9.30pm)
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There’s a new name dazzling stages, and he’s barely tall enough to see over the dining table. Meet Sisqó Tan, the three-year-old phenomenon whose star power is outshining performers three, four, even five times his age. With a cheeky grin, unstoppable energy, and moves that could make Bruno Mars blush, Sisqó isn’t just the talk of the playground, he’s a megastar in the making While some toddlers are content stacking blocks, Sisqó was stacking up fans. Since he was just two months old, he’s bee
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Meet Ruia Ruia, a striking two to three-year-old Bull Arab cross, is looking for a second chance at life and a family to call her own. With her gentle nature and happy personality, this young dog has quickly won the hearts of everyone who meets her. Believed to have a touch of Boxer in her mix, Ruia is described as affectionate, easy-going, and great with other dogs. She loves nothing more than spending time with people, sharing tummy rubs, and soaking up attention. Despite a difficult start, h
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More than 220 bikes and 80 cars roared into action on the (mostly) dry riverbed of the Don River last weekend for the 2025 Custom Lithium Don River Dash. After two days of fierce competition, Clayton Chapman and navigator Adam McGuire claimed top honours in the car category, while Far North Queensland rider Ivan Long took victory in the bikes after sitting out the 2024 event. Both were crowned 2025 Kings of the River. The title of Queen of the River – Bikes went to Georgia Hanrahan, who secure
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Announcing Main Stage Daily Lineups & 2 Day Ticket Options! The countdown is on as the Airlie Beach Festival of Music unveils its daily main stage lineups. "We’ve always been about creating a full-sensory experience, and now, it’s time for a taste of what each day will bring," shared a spokesperson. "To make your Festival experience even more flexible, we are thrilled to announce brand-new 2-day ticket options, catering to every kind of festival-goer. Whether you’re joining us for the full thr
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Hi Everyone, It’s been a busy week back in the office, and I’m really enjoying being here! Since returning, I’ve also resumed my role at Eco Barge as a turtle carer. I absolutely love spending time with these incredible, peaceful animals. Eco Barge is always looking for new volunteers, so if you have a few spare hours each week, consider lending a hand for this truly worthwhile cause! This week, we have plenty for you to explore: stories on the Great Barrier Reef, sustainable sculpture awards
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Day care centres, kindergartens and primary schools across the Whitsundays are being encouraged to get creative and eco-friendly in the 2025 Sustainable Sculpture Competition. Following the resounding success of last year’s event, organisers are excited to see what this year’s budding artists will produce. The competition challenges children to transform recyclable and repurposed materials into sculptures, offering a hands-on way to learn about sustainability. From plastic bottles to newspapers
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When most of us think about the Reef, we typically visualise diverse corals, a magnitude of fish species and other marine life. But the Reef is much more. We should think of the Reef as a system that starts at the high tide mark along the coast and continues out to outer edge of the continental shelf, in some areas, this may be up to 250 km off the coast. This system is all connected by what is often referred to as the Blue Highway. The overall health of the Reef is entirely dependent on the he
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Farmers Join Forces to Protect the Reef For generations, sugarcane has been a core aspect of the Proserpine region’s identity. From the vast green paddocks to the hum of harvest machinery, cane farming has shaped the landscape, economy, and community life of the district. Families who work this land carry with them not only the knowledge of farming, but also a deep connection to the creeks, wetlands, and reef systems that make the Proserpine catchment so unique. Now, a new initiative is giving
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A record field of more than two hundred runners will be heading for the hills this weekend for the Whitsunday Running Club’s annual trail event. The Anaconda Whitsunday Trail Festival takes place on Sunday, 14 September, with entries coming from across Australia and the United States. The race precinct will be based on the Airlie Beach Foreshore near the movie screen. Fifty runners have signed up for the WTF58 Accom Whitsunday Ultra (58km), which starts on the foreshore, travels over the range
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Nine out of 10 Whitsunday United Football Club teams were in action in finals football last weekend, with seven sides still in contention for a grand final spot. The divisional men kicked off proceedings on Friday night against Lions. Div 2 needed victory to stay alive but fell 2–0 behind early in the second half. A spirited fightback saw them score twice to level, but neither side could find a winner in regular time. With players struggling through cramps, the game went to penalties, where Ros
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Harrison Turner Inspires Cannons The Cannonvale Cannons swimming community enjoyed an extraordinary weekend when Australian record holder Harrison Turner spent three days delivering a coaching clinic for swimmers of all ages. Turner, who claimed bronze in the 200-metre butterfly at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, is the current national record holder in the event. He had been scheduled to attend alongside coach Sam Sharpe, but when Sam was unable to travel due to a family illness, Harris
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Tiina Randmae continued her fine form after last week’s magnificent hole-in-one, taking out the September Monthly Medal. It was great to see so many members on the course enjoying the day, with Tessa Aitken also shining with an excellent score of 69. Geoff Harrison won the Monthly Medal for the men with 70 on countback from Louis Neethling. In the rundown: Allen Roberts 71, Ken Granger 71, Nic Apruzzese 72, Gary Scotford 72, Peter Lindsay 72, John Grosskreutz 73 and Colin Hounsell 73 – very cl
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Proserpine Golf Club wrapped up its final week under the current Board, with the new 2025/26 Board elected at the AGM on 30 August. Members now turn their focus to the upcoming Club Championships on 13–14 September, which will test players over 27 holes each day. Saturday will follow a timesheet format, with a seeded draw for Sunday. Tuesday (September Monthly Medal): Tommy Gallagher claimed the men’s title with 70 nett on countback from Geoff Harrison. NTPs went to Scott Mason (9th), Brad Flee
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Another excellent week of precision bowling began on Tuesday with 33 bowlers, excellently run by Regina Aquilina and Carol Crosbie. The dice rolled the smallest winning margin, which saw Connie Reimers with Pip Heddles just edge out Carol Crosbie and Greg Fennell 22–16. A great day was had by all. Wednesday afternoon social bowls attracted 26 bowlers, with three games of triples and two of pairs. The standout win of the day came from skipper Andy McDougall, with “Wild” Bill Gordon at lead and K
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Residents of Gargett now have a new space to enjoy books, thanks to the local Men’s Shed, which has created a small, but mighty, community library for everyone to use. “If you’re like me, I don’t like to throw my books away, so I got in touch with the Men’s Shed and they’ve made a fabulous library for us, as well as a good supply of books,” said a representative from Gargett store. “It’s here for everyone to use, so please make use of it. Thank you, Mirani Men’s Shed.” The initiative ha
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The Trudy Crowley Foundation's Touch of Teal Soirée this year was nothing short of extraordinary. As a patron of the Foundation, alongside Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm MP, I’ve seen firsthand how this incredible organisation changes lives — and standing in that marquee, surrounded by patients, families, nurses, volunteers, supporters and ambassadors, the impact hit me anew. Hearing Kaylissa Crowley share the story of her best friend Mel, taken far too young by bowel cancer, brought m
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Leaders Address Bluewater Quay Concerns Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Mackay MP Nigel Dalton have joined forces to confront "antisocial behaviour," particularly along Mackay’s Bluewater Quay. The Premier visited Mackay last Wednesday, outlining a dual approach of restoring community safety while supporting those struggling with addiction. “Today we're dealing with antisocial behaviour," Mr Crisafulli said. "And one of the things that Nigel has been pushing really hard has been
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