Hi Everyone, Sometimes it feels like there are inspiring people everywhere in our community. This week, I reconnected with one of my favorite local heroes, Shell Wardrope, who lost her leg after it was infected by a soil-borne bacteria last year. Instead of falling into self-pity or asking, “Why me?”, this incredible woman exudes positivity and gratitude in every aspect of her life. Reconnecting with her reminded me of this once again as she filled me in on her latest plan to get the Mayor to
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Meet Poppet, a 6-year-old, pint-sized dynamo of a Jack Russell with a heart as big as her personality! Surrendered to Bowen and Collinsville Pet Rescue, this little lady is ready to steal your heart. Poppet is a big fan of kids and is always up for a game or cuddle session. She's also got a curious streak when it comes to cats—she'll sit quietly and observe, trying to crack the mystery of their feline ways. When it comes to road trips, Poppet is your co-pilot of choice! She absolutely loves pe
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Working Together for Growth: Strengthening the Whitsundays! Progress happens when business, government, and community work together. Across all levels—local, state, and federal—we’re seeing a stronger commitment to collaboration, helping to advance major projects that will shape the future of the Whitsundays. One exciting opportunity on the horizon is the push to bring Olympic sailing to the Whitsundays in 2032. Mayor Ry Collins has been actively advocating for our region to be considered as a
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We’re on the hunt for creative designs for our new library bookmarks! Three lucky winners will have their designs professionally printed and shared in all four Whitsunday Regional Libraries! PLUS, winners and two runners-up will receive $20 gift vouchers to the Proserpine Entertainment Centre, which can be used for cinema or live shows. Judging categories are: Adult Design, Youth Design (12–18 years) and Junior Design (11 years and under). Head to Your Say Whitsunday to download the template
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NORTH Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) has held its first community reference group (CRG) meeting based in Bowen this week. The inaugural CRG meeting reaffirms NQBP’s long-standing commitment to meaningful community consultation and engagement. “NQBP is dedicated to fostering strong relationships between our ports and the local communities,” NQBP Chief Executive Officer Brendan Webb said. “These meetings provide an invaluable forum for sharing updates on trade performance, key infrast
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Sailability has started up again this February and they’re putting out the call for any sailor and their carer to come down to the Whitsunday Sailing Club and try out sailing on the beautiful Whitsunday waters. Sailability gives the joys of freedom on the waters to people with disabilities, teaching the basics of sailing, boat and water safety, and helping to discover positive interactions between participants and the ocean. "It's just really exciting for them. Sometimes they'll go out for a co
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Following heavy rainfall throughout February, it was a welcome change to see clear skies for our monthly shoot on Sunday, 23rd February. A total of 33 shooters participated, with competitors joining from Burdekin, Townsville, Silkwood, and Mackay/Sarina, alongside our local members, making for an exciting day of competition. Here are the amazing event results with the Trophy sponsored by Caruso Construction. 60T Medley Graded Trophy: AA: A Ballarino 93/100 A: G Maltby 94/100 B: N Munro 92/100 C
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Friday 14 March The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel: Andy Mammers (7pm–10pm) Grand View Hotel: Tim Griffin (4pm–8pm) Saturday 15 March The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel: Vertigo - U2 Experience (2pm–5:30pm) The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel: Andy Mammers (7pm–10pm) Grand View Hotel: Ultimate DJ Night (4pm-8pm) Coral Sea Pavilion: Live Music & Chill DJ Session (1pm–6pm) Sunday 16 March The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel: Vertigo - U2 Experience (2pm–5:30pm) The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel: Paul Fergus Morris (6:30pm–
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As cyclones are a current topic of discussion, we thought it might be useful to share a few notes about our experiences with them. When a cyclone system approaches our waters, the Harbour Master may close the ports to navigation. This means that vessels at sea within the affected area must seek shelter, and no new vessels should enter the waters. This is not the time to launch your tinnie for a family fishing trip. Last year, with the approach of a cyclone, we were surprised to be activated by
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Despite the official end of summer last Tuesday, the weather didn’t reflect the change of season, though the course was looking great after recent rains. A strong turnout of 33 members contested the March Monthly Medal. Gerald Lovell claimed victory for the men with an impressive score of 68, while Jenny Hounsell triumphed for the women with a solid 69. Close behind her was her husband Colin, who finished on 70. In the ladies' division, Lyn Muller took second place with 71, while Paula McQuat,
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The Whitsunday Swimming Club had 11 swimmers attend the 2025 NQ Championships in Townsville over the weekend. It was a long, hot, and exhausting few days, but all our swimmers returned home with terrific achievements, despite their tired bodies. George was the standout, claiming NQ Champion for 12 years MC in the 50m Freestyle, Butterfly, Breaststroke, Backstroke, and 100m Freestyle. He was also awarded 12 years boys MC Age Champion. Alex took home the NQ Champion title in the 17 years & over
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The Whitsunday Game Fish Club "Sweeties and Squires" (Ladies and Juniors) Family Fishing weekend is on 28th to 30th March and is shaping up to be a fantastic weekend. Participation is free to current members, and non members are more than welcome to join the Club and be part of this and future Club events. Membership is $70 per adult, and $35 for juniors under 16 years. All Juniors competing will receive a free Shimano rod and reel and a bag of goodies as part of the Queensland Game Fishing Ass
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At Explore Property, they’re experts in property marketing and all things real estate, and passionate about promoting their business, as shown by their exciting giveaway! From March 1st to June 28th, anyone who books a sales or rental appraisal with Explore Property Whitsunday and likes and follows their Facebook page, could win a brand-new MG3 valued at $20,000, complete with 12 months of registration. Even if selling your property isn’t on the cards, this giveaway is for everyone. Simply book
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How great is it to live in paradise? This week's bowls has certainly been filled with excitement. Firstly, on Tuesday morning, in bowls, Carol Crosbie's team, with Hubble Noel at lead and Sandra Argo at second, triumphed over Joan McGrath’s team, which included Sue Dakin at lead and Dawn Dowell at second. Meanwhile, John Brown's team, with Mel Fennel at lead and husband Greg at second, drew with John Fielding's team of Sue Walker at lead and Gen Passfield. Wednesday afternoon's Jackpot bowls w
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13 Bootscooters – Line dancing, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, 9am-11am $4pp 13 Justice of the Peace, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, 11am-1pm 13 Maker Space 6+yrs, Cannonvale Library, 3pm-4:30pm 13 Women & Girls Come and Try, Airlie Beach Bowls Club, 5pm-6pm 14 Civil Safety, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, Bookings Required 14 Pram Pushers, Bowen Neighbourhood Centre, 9am-10:30am 14 Seniors Computer Program, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, 9am-2:30pm, Bookings Required 14 Seniors Bingo, Wh
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Bowen Tourism and Business (BTB) is running an Easter colouring-in competition for local students from Prep to Year 4. The students from Bowen State School, Merinda State School, Queens Beach State School and St Marys Catholic School have the opportunity to take part by colouring in a pic of Kenny the Mango Mascot. The competition will be judged by Bowen Tourism and Business volunteers and the prizes will be special merchandise packs from the Bowen Visitor Information Centre including a Kenny p
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The Cannonvale Cannons wrapped up a big weekend of racing, starting with the annual Club Championships on Saturday. This highly anticipated event saw swimmers competing in five set races within their age group to battle for the Age Champion title. A season highlight, this event offered a real race-day setup while maintaining the supportive and spirited environment of club competition. Club Champs not only provide a platform for intense racing but also serve as one of the final opportunities for
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Guess who’s back at the Pub for another round of two free shows? It’s only the internationally celebrated Australian Eagles, renowned for their pitch-perfect renditions of Eagles classics, returning this March 22nd & 23rd with an unforgettable afternoon of rock ‘n’ roll magic. Get ready as the legendary tributes take to the stage in a show that’s packed with nostalgia. The Australian Eagles are fronted by the talented Michael Thompson and Colin Grimley, alongside founding member Shayne Browne a
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We've been experiencing very hot conditions and have been greatly appreciating the air conditioning in the clubhouse during our midway break. On Wednesday, Henny Tattam, John Anderson, and Sandy Daffara defeated Henny Tattam, Bruce Uhe, and Barry Zillmann 24-12. Alen Sanderson, Philip Brown, and Mike Harrison triumphed over Michele (a visitor from Italy), Arthur Griffith, and Heather Brown, winning 20-18. In Sunday's afternoon Social Bowls, Trevor Parsons and Heather Brown narrowly defeated Ar
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International Women's Day was celebrated in style at Jubilee Tavern over the weekend. Everyone got involved selling raffle tickets in the weeks leading up to the draw and placing eye-catching posters and signs to spread the word for Zonta’s campaign of ‘Say NO to Violence Against Women.’ “I just think they're doing a magnificent job. And also, by doing this event for us, they're actually getting the word out that it's not right to abuse women and children,” says Dianne Trueman, an Ex President
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When most people think of visiting South Africa, they imagine spotting the local wildlife that includes the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo. But Micky Kimpton, race director of the Coral Sea Resort Marina Airlie Beach Triathlon, has something else in mind. At 71 years, Micky is no stranger to a challenge. He’s about to take on his sixth Ironman triathlon in five years, and this time, his swim will have a much larger adversary than his fellow triathletes. He’s heading to
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On Sunday, 9th March, the Whitsunday Swimming Club hosted a short course swim meet at the newly upgraded Collinsville Swimming Pool. This fantastic facility provides the swimming community with an excellent venue for short, fast racing. In 2024, the Whitsunday Regional Council upgraded the pool from 33m to 25m in length. Certified as a short course pool by Swimming Australia, it will now serve as a premier location for short course meets across the entire Swimming North Queensland region. A to
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The shared footpath project on Renwick Rd is making significant progress, with completion expected by the end of the month—weather permitting. This much-needed upgrade will improve safety for students, families, and pedestrians, with several key developments underway. A new fence is being installed along the footpath near Proserpine State School to ensure a secure environment for those using the path. With the school's drop-off car parks now reopened, the final phase of the project is set to fo
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Last weekend the Greater Whitsunday Vets held an open day for their brand-new Proserpine clinic. It was a great, albeit hot, day with many visitors coming from all over to see the clinic and browse the stalls. There wasn’t a plain face in sight as all the children proudly showed off their new looks thanks to the free face-painting booth. "Over 750 people attended our new clinics open day,” said Georgia Bowser, Practice Manager, recounting that the day was a great success. She wanted to give tha
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In Proserpine, Home Brewitt has quickly become a go-to destination for hobby brewers of all kinds, offering everything from ingredients to equipment for brewing your own beer, and mixing spirits. The store, which opened its doors a year and a half ago by husband-and-wife duo John and Caroline McGovern. It’s a labour of love driven by the passion of John, an avid home brewer, and his wife, who is equally enthusiastic about the experience. Their diverse customer base, which stretches from Mackay
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