Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Glamorous gowns and stunning suits adorned the attendees of the 2024 Whitsundays Tourism Awards which were hosted by Tourism Whitsundays on Daydream Island last weekend. Local tourism operators were firmly in the spotlight with many businesses taking home awards on the night, some of which were inducted into the Hall of Fame having won their category for three consecutive years. Special Whitsunday Tourism Awards Feature Pages 16-29. Caption: Dea Huvonen, Crystal Walton, Rosanagh Gallivan, Aim
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Hi Everyone, Wow - What a week! In your hands, you are holding 96-pages of organically sourced, 100% local news delivered for free to you! The whole team has done an absolutely phenomenal job in creating this paper, in particular the 15-page Whitsundays Tourism Awards Special Feature that showcases 22 local businesses who won awards on Saturday night. From making phone calls to every Whitsundays Tourism Award recipient asking if they’d like to participate in the feature through to sensational
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Every day we are blessed to be in this wonderful Whitsunday community and Sofia Andreou experienced that first hand. Last week, she posted on a popular Facebook community chat site offering to give $50 for free to go to a good home. It all began when she was cleaning her rental property and found a $50 note hidden behind a book, deciding not to keep it but give it away instead. “So I thought, I'm going to actually advertise this because it's $50 I didn't even notice that I had and it's very e
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The highly anticipated Whitsunday Skyway received a funding pledge this week, promising to propel the $87 million project closer to its goal of being the largest piece of on-land infrastructure in our region. Amanda Camm MP, Member for Whitsunday, stated that if the LNP are successful in this weekend’s election, they would immediately invest $5 million into the project to get it off the ground and lift the local economy. The Skyway project will feature a 1km all-weather cable car ride that
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The whole community is in mourning this week following news that 17-year-old Proserpine State High School student Bree Day tragically passed away after six days in hospital following a road accident at Myrtlevale on the Bruce Highway. The crash occurred at 3:25pm on Friday 11 October and it is believed Bree was performing a U-turn on the highway when her vehicle collided with a truck. She was transported to Proserpine Hospital with severe head injuries and was transferred to Townsville Hospita
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Over the last few weeks some of our favourite actors from hit TV show Home and Away have been filming in the region proving there is nowhere quite like the Whitsundays for a stunning backdrop and holiday atmosphere. The cast and crew filmed across several local locations including Bowen, Foxdale, Airlie Beach and Daydream Island for two weeks. We’ll have to wait for the show’s release to learn more about the cast and crew's activities, however, Location Manager James Doherty revealed that they
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1: This is your final elevator pitch - in 80 words - what makes you the best candidate for the job? 2: If successful, what is the one key project/legacy achievement that you will be remembered for? 3: What role do you think local newspapers play in regional communities? 4: What would you say to someone who has never voted for your party before but is thinking about it?
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Every year on January 26 the Whitsunday Regional Council Australia Day Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of individuals and organisations across our region. Nominations for the 2025 Whitsunday Regional Council Australia Day Awards are now officially open! These awards are an incredible way for us as a community to recognise the outstanding contributions of individuals and groups who go above and beyond to make the Whitsundays such a special place to live. Each y
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Bareboating – chartering your own yacht – is one of The Whitsundays’ most iconic experiences. With no licence needed and all training provided, bareboating is an incredible way to explore The Whitsundays your way - at your pace and with your loved ones. Take a look at what six days on a bareboat in The Whitsundays could look like. Day 1: Airlie Beach to Nara Inlet Set sail from Airlie Beach to Nara Inlet, where you can explore ancient Aboriginal rock art and enjoy a peaceful night at anchor.
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Accountants often educate their clients on their break-even threshold. Break-even points are relevant to all businesses – no matter their size. So, why is your break-even point so important? How can you decide on what price to sell your products, or services at, prepare a forecasting budget or write a business plan, if you do not know how many ‘widgets’ you need to sell to cover your costs and make money? This is your break-even point. You may have a high turnover but still run at a loss, b
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During Queensland Mental Health Week (5-13 October), the Chamber hosted an event featuring the region’s Business Wellness Coach Kristy Wilson. The Queensland Government has established a network of wellness coaches to provide free one-on-one support to small and rural businesses to address the impacts of health and wellbeing. The coaches have a background in business, combined with qualifications in social work or psychology. Kristy believes the most common health issues business owners face a
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We have been so fortunate to have been involved in Women’s Leadership programs for over five years, bringing groups of like-minded women together to build confidence, authenticity, resilience, emotional wellbeing and self-leadership. It has been humbling to see groups of strangers lean in, share narratives and experiences that have shaped who they are today. Tackling self-awareness themes such as ‘Imposter Syndrome’, ‘Negative self-talk’, ‘The Confidence Gap’, and ‘The Comparison Trap’ these a
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Four time returning finalist in the Whitsunday Tourism Awards, Accom Whitsunday has been recognised for their excellence with a bronze and two silver awards over the past few years and secured a Finalist accolade this year. Property manager, Liv Compton, attended the award evening on Saturday along with four other team members to celebrate Accom Whitsunday’s achievements and acknowledge the hard work they dedicate to the business each week. “We all get caught up in the busyness of work, but it
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Airlie Beach Tourism, was awarded the ‘Most Outstanding Whitsunday Booking Service,’ at the Tourism Whitsunday Awards over the weekend. Established in 1988, Airlie Beach Tourism (ABT) is Airlie Beach's longest-running tour agency. Formerly known as Airlie Beach Tourist Information Centre (ABTIC) until 2013, they rebranded as Airlie Beach Tourism. Proudly locally owned and operated, they have been serving the community for over three decades. Airlie Beach Tourism has a strong track record of reco
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The team at BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort are still celebrating following multiple gold wins at the Whitsunday Tourism Awards held on Saturday night at Daydream Island Resort. The Whitsunday tourism industry’s gala night saw the popular local resort win gold in the ‘Excellence in Accessible Tourism’ and ‘Caravan and Holiday Parks’ categories, with the BIG4 Adventure Whitsunday Resort team also taking home the consumer-voted ‘People’s Choice Award for Accommodation’. With wins across three
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A highly celebrated and beloved business in the Whitsunday region and beyond, Bird’s Fish Bar has been honorably awarded the title of 2024 Bowen Business of the Year. Having won the title of Bowen Business of the Year at last year’s Whitsunday’s Tourism Awards, Bird’s Fish Bar has excitingly become familiar with the prestigious honor. On Saturday evening, Bird’s Fish Bar manager and director, Chloé Bauer and her partner attended the awards ceremony on behalf of the business, and in celebration,
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The Bowen Tourism and Business (BTB) team were very proud to win three awards at the 2024 Tourism Whitsundays gala event and be inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Visitor Services category. Chair of BTB, Jenn Honnery said to win Gold for the third year in a row was a very proud moment for the team and the organisation. “We were also very pleased that our dedicated team of volunteers also took out the silver award in their category,” she said. In the Business Awards, BTB was named the winn
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Collinsville Hardware is a proud independent hardware store, providing a comprehensive selection of home improvement and hardware products for all your home and weekend projects. Last Saturday, the business celebrated a significant achievement by winning a silver award for Collinsville Business of the Year at the Whitsunday Business Awards. This is the first time that Collinsville Hardware has received an award, and they explained that they were extremely happy and proud to have received the awa
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Coral Sea Resort recently celebrated a remarkable achievement at the prestigious Tourism Awards, where it proudly earned a Silver 4.5 Star designation for its exceptional Deluxe Accommodation. Additionally, the resort was honoured as the Whitsunday Business of the Year for Marina Resort, further highlighting its commitment to excellence in the hospitality industry. This marks a significant milestone as it is the first award won under the management of Dawn Romanella: “It’s a testament to the ded
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The Volunteer Cruise Ship Ambassadors received notable recognition at the Whitsundays Tourism Awards over the weekend, winning Gold for Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer Group. Volunteer Cruise Ship Coordinator Lyn Blanche Woodham attended the awards and really enjoyed the evening: “It was an extraordinary evening,” she said. “We were thrilled to win the Gold Award. It means so much to all the volunteers to be recognised.” The Cruise Ship Ambassadors’ aim is to greet every cruise ship th
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Cruise Whitsundays is proud to announce its Gold wins for Tourist Attraction and Unique Accommodation at the 2024 Whitsunday Tourism Awards, held at Daydream Island. These wins also mark Cruise Whitsundays' induction into the prestigious Hall of Fame for Unique Accommodation, following three consecutive Gold victories in this category. The Tourist Attraction award recognises Cruise Whitsundays' iconic Reefworld Pontoon and the incredible experiences it offers, allowing guests to fully immerse t
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The Whitsunday Tourism Awards was a vibrant and invigorating affair where the movers and shakers of the local tourism industry came together to celebrate their successes. Held at Daydream Island, the event was Emceed by winner of ‘the best job in the world’ Ben Southall and in attendance on the night were Federal Member for Dawson Andrew Willcox with his wife Raylene, Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm, Mayor Ry Collins and his wife Mel and Candidate for the One Nation Party, Julie Hall.
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The Great Barrier Reef Festival has reached Hall of Fame level after winning the Gold award for ‘Festivals and Events’ at the Whitsundays Tourism Awards last Saturday. Festival Chairwoman Margie Murphy said four long-term committee members attended the event but did so on behalf of everyone that help put the festival together. “We were incredibly proud to accept the awards on behalf of all the volunteers, sponsors, artists, council personnel and community members who all work together to bring
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At the 2024 Whitsunday Tourism Awards Grand View Hotel in Bowen came away with a Bronze prize in the ‘Contribution by a Volunteer or Group’ category, and were also a finalist in the ‘Excellence in Food Tourism’ category. It’s not the first time Grand View Hotel has been nominated for the prestigious awards, in 2019 they were a Finalist in the ‘Outstanding Contribution by a Volunteer or Volunteer Group’. In 2022 they won Silver in ther same category. Grand View Hotel Manager Emma Heiniger said
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Iconic Whitsunday Adventures was honourably recognised for their exceptional levels of customer service and operations at the Whitsunday Tourism Awards evening on Saturday where they were awarded the Gold title for Tour and Transport Operator. Having celebrated winning the same award in 2023, receiving the outstanding title for the second time last weekend was an honour Nicole and her team are beyond proud of their achievement. “We had a small contingent of crew join us on the night, which wa
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