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As autumn draws to a close and winter looms, Airlie Beach Bowls Club finds itself amidst the pennants competition, encountering varied outcomes across its teams. Hopes are high for improvement in the matches ahead. In Men's Pennants Division One, victories were hard-fought, with one narrow win against South Suburban and a loss to Proserpine. Warren Mills's team, featuring Peter Barrett, Andrew Butler, and Bob McMahon, displayed exceptional form, contributing significantly. Division Three saw sim
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Competition Games: Club Pairs: John Trembath, Shane Spann defeated Aileen Fordham, Helen Jacobsen. Ladies Singles: Robyn Stitt defeated Wendy Coles. Sunday Social (19th May): MaryEllen Pratten, Gavin Charles defeated Peter Bruce, Ron Gould. Keith Kirk, Daryl Tuttle defeated Marion Tuttle, Jane Gilbert. Wednesday Social: Tracey Roach, Jane Gilbert, Gus Munro defeated Anna, Marilyn, Daryl Tuttle. Maryellen, Phil, Dave defeated Ray, John, Ron. Sue Fox, Wendy Cole, Steve Roome defeated Marion T
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This past weekend was filled with tense moments for the Proserpine Bowling Club during their Division 1 and Division 5 Pennants matches, resulting in crucial wins that fortified their standings in the district pennants table. Division 1 Triumphs in Nail-Biting Matches In Division 1, Proserpine faced tough competition at Airlie Beach on Saturday. In a series of extremely close games, Proserpine managed to eke out a win with a final score of 58-57. They secured victory by winning one rink by 4 sho
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Alligator Creek Ladies' President's Day concluded with triumphant wins for Jocelyn DeFranciscis, Lyn Danvers, and Penny Warren, marking a celebratory event for the club. The club also welcomed an influx of bowlers from the south, adding to the competitive spirit during the weekly games. In Tuesday's social bowls, intense competition led to Glen Doyle, Denis Madeley, and Jim Steel clinching the top spot as they outplayed Hun Jack Stamp, Keith Armstrong, and others. Runners-up Heidi Reif, Terrie C
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Wednesday Results: In the men's competition, John Lawson emerged as the winner on a countback with 39 points, with Don Williams as the runner-up, also on a countback with 39 points. In the ladies' competition, Leanne Swan secured the win with 39 points, and Grace Nott was the runner-up with 38 points. Pin shots were awarded to Kim Bennion, Claire Garrod, Janice Bates, Viv Clark, Brett Richards, Dan Windridge, Greg Carlyon, Ken Groves, and John Lawson, who received a Suntan Snack Bar voucher. Ch
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In a stunning display of skill, Barry Mortimer clinched victory in Tuesday's stableford competition, amassing a remarkable 44 points and outpacing his nearest rival, Jonny Brooks, by six shots. Notable performances in the pins category included John Oates, Ryan Wilkes, Craig McLean, and Mortimer himself. The golfing action continued into Thursday with a four-ball event where David Scott-Smith and John Clark emerged victorious, scoring 47 points and edging out John Oates and David Woods by two po
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This week's 9-hole weekly stableford competition was a tightly contested affair with Keith McNicol clinching first place with 20 points on a countback. Justin Gibbs also scored 20 points to secure second place on a countback, while Jayden Parata finished third with 20 points. On Friday, the 9-hole stableford continued to showcase local talent with Rob Lodders taking the top spot with 22 points. Nicola McKenzie followed closely with 21 points, and Lenny Morris rounded out the top three, securing
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Last Sunday, Whitsunday Golf Club hosted the second round of the three-part 3-Ball Ambrose Championship, sponsored by Whitsunday Concrete Constructions. Despite a brief early sprinkle, conditions remained perfect for the competition. In this round, eight teams competed fervently, with Sally Little stepping in for the traveling Robyn Whitham on Team Watts. The teams vied closely, but Team Reynolds clinched the top spot with a score of 57.667, narrowly edging out Team Watts who scored 57.833. Team
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Following their successes at the Townsville tournament last week, local pickleball players sharpened their skills under the guidance of coach Gordon Watson. Watson travelled from Yeppoon this past weekend to conduct coaching sessions for 16 players from Pickleball Whitsunday in Cannonvale. Additionally, Mackay pickleball enthusiasts joined the coaching on Saturday. Contributed with thanks to Lorraine Christiansen.
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The Anaconda Whitsunday Trail Fest, hosted annually by the Whitsunday Running Club, is set to take place on September 8th, starting at the Airlie Beach Foreshore. This vibrant event attracts trail runners from across Australia and overseas, offering a range of challenging races suitable for all ages and skill levels. Event Highlights: 58k Accom Whitsunday Ultra: Now in its 6th year, this 58k ultra-marathon kicks off at 5:00 am. The course is renowned for its demanding terrain, featuring a mix o
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The Australian propensity for gravitating to the seaside for holidays, or any excuse at all, exhibited itself from the earliest days of settlement in the Proserpine area. While it is not practical to say precisely when any particular beach became a feature of the area, “Coastline Calling” relates some of the highlights in the evolution of our beach scene. Undoubtedly, the first to become popular was the beach at Cannonvale (or Cannon Valley Beach as it was originally known) with the spread of fa
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• Visibility: Operate slowly in rain, fog, mist, smoke and glare. Take special care when travelling at night as potential hazards are harder to see. Ensure you operate at a safe speed. Turn on your navigation lights at night, or in periods of restricted visibility. • Other boats: Slow down in busy areas and when near moored or anchored boats, and remember — working boats and larger vessels may have difficulty manoeuvring. • Navigation hazards: Slow down in shallow areas and when boating in unf
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May 24 Proserpine State School Community Fete, Proserpine State School, from 5pm The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel: Andy Mammers (7pm – 10pm) Reef Gateway: Rebelquin (6pm – 9pm) Jubilee Tavern: Jan Arns (6pm – 9pm) Grand View Hotel: Jonesy n The Coffee Man (8pm – 12am) KC’s: Josiah (from 8pm) 25 Mini Roller Disco, PCYC from 10am CQ Rescue Charity Golf Day, Proserpine Golf Club, from 9am St Mary’s Bowen Family Fun Day, Bowen, from 2pm The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel: Get Rhythm Johnny Cash & June Carter
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By Amanda Wright The RACQ CQ Rescue Emergency Services Day soared to new heights as families from Mackay and beyond flocked to the event, held on Sunday, May 19 at Harrup Park. With the rotor blades spinning and excitement buzzing, the day was a true lifeline of support for our rescue helicopter service. Although the final fundraising figures are still up in the air, initial estimates suggest the event lifted around $12,000 – enough to keep our region’s chopper flying for a full hour. It's a cl
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Today marks a peculiar moment for me as I sign off, knowing that by the time this is in print, I will have undergone my operation to remove colon cancer. As I write this, I am a bundle of nerves, but I am also eager to reclaim my life. A life where I don’t constantly feel drained, where I no longer have to monitor my blood loss and wonder if it’s time for another transfusion. The road ahead is uncertain and full of bumps, I won’t know the extent of the cancer’s spread until after the operation,
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A local musician was performing at the front of a local supermarket, hoping to spread joy through his music, when an aggressive individual approached him and deliberately poured water over his amplifier. This malicious act occurred last week at Coles in Andergrove and quickly caught the attention of bystanders, prompting a Facebook post to condemn the incident and call for support for the musician, Joshua Vine. The response was overwhelming, with community members expressing outrage and compass
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Queensland Hydro has recently released artist impressions of the proposed lower reservoir of the Pioneer-Burdekin Project. These visualisations offer a first glimpse of what could become a significant renewable energy facility in the region. Queensland Hydro has said it will put in place mitigation strategies to reduce the visual impact of the project if it proceeds. "We committed to developing visualisations of the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin Project so the community could see how it may look. W
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Around thirty-eight riders set out on the epic RideWest biannual 1311km charity bike ride from Brisbane to Longreach in the month of April, which was designed to raise crucial funds for mental health support programs, in particular focus to rural Queenslanders and their mental wellbeing in the bush. Successfully, this year’s event raised more than their target of $600,000. Mental health services for the Royal Flying Doctor Service are extremely vital out west in 2024 and the $2 million that R
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An increasing trend of incidents involving verbal and physical threats against its staff has prompted Mackay Regional Council to act. Council is standing up for its workers and saying it won’t tolerate this abuse. It is about to launch a No Excuse for Abuse campaign, which will include radio and television ads featuring four council staff members, as well as posters at its facilities. CEO Scott Owen said there had been an alarming increase in incidents involving threats against staff. “This incl
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Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox, said common sense has prevailed, after confirmation the crossbench will block Labor’s “disastrous and ill-thought-out” fresh food tax in the Senate. It comes after The Nationals spent the past year campaigning with farmers and industry against the tax, called a biosecurity protection levy, which Willcox said would have hurt both families and farmers in Dawson amid a cost-of-living crisis. “This is a win for families, a win for farmers and a win for
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Last week, the CEO of the Red Rose Foundation joined the Mater Mackay leadership team to unveil Mater Hospital's first Red Bench to take a stand against domestic violence, in recognition of Domestic and Family Violence Awareness Month, this May. CEO of the Red Rose Foundation, Betty Taylor had the honours of cutting the ribbon as the official unveiling of the shiny red bench situated to the side of the main Mater Hospital entrance. “It’s such a bright red, you can’t miss it and it does send
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After a long stretch of confusion, fury and heartache, The Camilleri Street Skatepark wall mural has been completed for a second time, in hopes of creating an artwork that can be enjoyed by all for years to come. Originally from Canada, artist Anita Laura now calls Mackay home with a passion for art and a love for the community, she emphasises that art, is something everyone can connect with on their own personal level. Anita's aim with the Camilleri Street skatepark wall mural is to instil
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Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) emergency departments have seen a considerable rise in presentations, with a nine per cent increase in attendance compared to the same period last year. In the March quarter, there were 27,279 attendances to emergency departments (EDs) in the Mackay HHS region. Despite the surge, Mackay HHS median wait times across all categories improved to nine minutes from 10 minutes in the March quarter of last year. 100 per cent of Category 1 patients were seen wit
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Resource Industry Network (RIN) is thrilled to present its annual Safety Conference 2024. This pioneering conference in Mackay elevates safety leadership in Central Queensland's minerals, energy, and resources sectors. The Safety Conference, designed to bring together safety personnel, is the region’s exclusive source for current safety themes and innovations. Hosted by Mick Crowe, Chief Operating Officer at Bravus Mining & Resources, the conference explains why safety fundamentally matters beyo
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After much anticipation, ALDI brought its 'Good Different' shopping experience to Andergrove, Mackay with the opening of a new store on Wednesday, 15th May. This event marked the first ALDI store in the region, offering the local community a unique range of “high-quality products at exceptionally low prices”. ALDI claimed that customers could trust that every item in their trolley was not only a great value but also of top quality. This guarantee contributed to ALDI winning Canstar Blue’s award
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