Hi Everyone, With Christmas around the corner it is certainly an exciting time of year – Mr Elf is causing mischief under the cover of night, children are hyped up on candy-cane sugar highs and everyone is floating around from one festive gathering to another – hugging friends and feeling the warmth of a festive spirit which is almost as high as our current heatwave! While there is much fun to be had, however, it is also a time of year where we feel the pinch on our pockets as we struggle to f
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Crediton Hall Recreation Club (CHRC) and Provisional School celebrated their 80th anniversary last month, with a nostalgic and reminiscent event. Mackay Regional Council Mayor Greg Williamson attended to address the attendees. CHRC provided a glorious spread of food, as well as a celebration cake for dessert. Many attendees camped overnight, enjoying a firepit and games for the children to play. The event also saw a Rolling Raffle, and past residents sharing their stories and photos from over
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A recent post on Facebook has captured the hearts of many around the community with its simplicity, ease and incredible potential in re-purposing pre-loved items this Christmas. Shared by Karen Bedford on Whitsundays Noticeboard, the post read: “What is one thing that you cannot afford but need right now? Let's see what others say, maybe you have it and you don't need it, have something you would like to give away, can pass it on to them or have a connection to get it. “Perhaps we can help
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As a child and young adult I played a lot of sport. I grew up in Canberra and the city was a melting pot of people from all over the country who ended up in the capital thanks to their public service job. That melting pot brought their various sports with them … so I got to play soccer, rugby league, rugby union, volleyball, basketball and to do a bit of athletics. That was all a bit of fun in school sports but it was different with my two great loves, cricket and AFL football. That was the seri
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A significant drop in the mango crop across the Whitsundays this year has seen farmers struggling with a small yield and large production costs, while consumers are paying more at the supermarket counter. Ben Martin from Marto’s Mangoes in Bowen says, however, that this years’ crop is not all doom and gloom, in fact it does have some positives. He believes the smaller crop has in fact increased demand and brought prices back to a pre-Covid rate which is where it needs to be in order to ensure
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If not, you’re not alone! Thankfully there are some wonderful community organisations with nimble fingers who can fold and tie presents with precision. All it costs is a gold coin per gift (a larger donation is appreciated for large gifts) and it’s all in the name of charity. Caneland Central Have your gifts beautifully wrapped by a band of merry volunteer elves at Caneland Central. You'll find volunteers from Alpharho ESA Mackay at the two charity gift wrapping stalls near Target and upstairs
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Runners, walkers, cyclists and motorised small vehicle users will be excited to find out that the boardwalk between the VMR boat ramp and Shingley Drive is due to re-open to the public this morning. This section of the Bicentennial Boardwalk which runs five-kilometres along the coast between Airlie Beach and Cannonvale, has been closed since September for Stage 2 of the works. Whitsunday Regional Council engaged Plants Whitsundays to complete the upgrades which will now mean the boardwalk has
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Virgin Voyages newest boat, Resilient Lady, checked into Airlie Beach last week, adding our port to their list of destinations on its expedition around Australia and across the South Pacific and Europe. The Resilient Lady has just over 1400 cabins and can host between 2800 and 3200 passengers with just over 1100 members of staff and crew. Resilient Lady is the third vessel in Virgin’s fleet, with the fourth due to be setting sail in 2024. “We are thrilled to be here,” explained Andrew Eglin,
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The Mackay Bowling Club was the hub for a festive luncheon on 30th November, with 26 residents and carers from BlueCare Mackay Homefield Aged Care Facility attending the club to enjoy a Christmas lunch. The annual event usually takes place at a local hotel, but this year, no bus was available for transport. Organisers Mike Irving, John Jorgensen and Brad Robertson banded together to offer the group a suitable place to enjoy their festivities, which is right next door to their living quarters! A
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The team from Artspace Mackay will call the Dudley Denny City Library home over the holiday season, as the gallery undergoes critical facility maintenance works. The team of curators will set up in the quiet space of the library, allowing them to deliver some fascinating public programs and work on the Mackay Regional Council Art Collection. Artspace Mackay closed on Monday, December 4, and is anticipated to re-open early May 2024. This closure will extend to both the gallery and Foodspace Café,
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Right now, there’s only 17 more sleeps until Christmas. That means there’s just over two weeks to finish your Christmas shopping, or in my case, start my shopping. Let me say Christmas shopping isn’t really one of my strong points. Coming up with ideas as to what presents to get someone really doesn’t seem to be that hard, but when it comes to my brain, nothing is that easy. I reckon this weekend I’ll head up to the shops at Mt P and spend some cash on the kids, buy a few lollies in readines
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Some of our local resort islands are set to become more accessible thanks to a round of State Government funding which will facilitate the construction of public jetties and pontoons. Hook, Long and Keswick Islands will each receive $1 million for new and upgraded visitor access infrastructure that aims to improve visitor access to natural areas. Hook Island Eco Lodge CEO, Glenn Piper said the Whitsundays is one of Australia's most significant and alluring tourist destinations, but accessibili
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Mackay’s City Centre Offers A Treasure Trove Of Christmas Treats Mackay Farmers Market A weekly operator at Mackay Farmer’s Market is Venton’s Tropical Blooms, who offer a comprehensive range of heliconias, gingers and tropical foliage to beautify your home or gift on special occasions. Venton’s have an array of banana varieties, including Cavendish, Ducasse and Dwarf Ducasse. Paw paws, papayas, passionfruit, black sapotes, carambolas, star apples, mangoes, lychees, limes and lemons are also s
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Coral Sea Marina has stepped up to the plate to back Whales of Whitsundays, as they endeavour to achieve Whale Heritage Site certification for the Whitsundays and become the first Whale Heritage Site in a World Heritage Area. Whales of Whitsundays is committed to conserving, protecting, and respecting the whales critical birthing habitat and ensure that the animals thrive in the Great Barrier Reef. The waters of the Whitsundays are uniquely special for whales, as their birthing place, who trave
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Last week, approximately 100 stakeholders from the port industry and local community gathered at the Mackay Surf Club to celebrate their collective achievements at the North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) End of Year Stakeholder Event. This year amongst the achievements was a bumper trade year at the Port of Mackay thanks to strong sugar, grain and fuel trade, strong environmental results and $120,000 donated across NQBP’s port communities. Thank you to all stakeholders for their s
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Graduates from the latest intake of Whitsunday PCYC’s Get Set For Work Program were celebrated at a special ceremony on the Airlie Beach Foreshore on Saturday. The program, which is dedicated to helping youngsters between the ages of 15 and 19 who are not currently at school, has been a huge success over the past year. The ten-week course gives them training in everything from how to participate in a successful interview, how to write a resume and the importance of punctuality. Most important
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The ladies of Zonta Club of the Whitsundays are about to wrap up their annual 16 Days Of Activism, which began on November 25 with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls, and will conclude December 10, with Human Rights Day. Erecting 10 Orange Ladies across the region, Zonta Whitsundays aimed to raise awareness that sadly every week, an Australian woman is murdered by an intimate partner. Club President Dianne Trueman said nearly 730 million women worldwi
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The Jubilee Community Centre is buzzing with excitement as it hosts a series of vibrant celebrations to mark the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) this week and the next. Under the theme "Working Together for a Fairer World," this year's IDPwD aims to create a more inclusive society for individuals with disabilities. Organised by the Bee Creativezzz team and backed by council support, a spectrum of engaging workshops and activities are captivating participants at the Jubilee Co
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Stall holders from the Lions Airlie Beach Markets were given just a few weeks' notice about the relocation of the markets to the large green vacant lot next to Port of Airlie. Whitsunday Regional Council decided to relocate the weekly markets for a period of three months so that the grass at the current site could be treated to eradicate some troublesome weeds. Many of the stallholders, although supportive of the works, felt it was a poor decision to conduct them at this time of year, with the
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Beam E-Scooters Expand Boundary Beam e-scooter riders can now spread their wings and ride further into Andergrove and Beaconsfield as part of an extension of the boundary area. Initially, 50 of the purple e-scooters were available for hire only within the Beaconsfield and Andergrove area, aiding transport within the two suburbs for work, errands and leisure. But, due to high demand, the area has now been connected to Beam’s existing operational area within the Mackay City Centre. Mayor Greg Wil
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Member for Whitsundays Amanda Camm MP is critical of the State Government’s move to reduce and limit Spanish Mackerel catches. According to Ms Camm, while in session, the state government closed discussions prematurely regarding a Spanish Mackerel debate. “Last night in Parliament, the Government cut the debate short, so Members like myself couldn’t raise critical issues like data integrity, lack of Government transparency or tell the story of the many fishers in my electorate and how they wil
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The sudden departure of the Australia Post mail contractor in Collinsville caused extensive delays and frustration among the local community over the last few weeks, but thankfully a system has resumed and mail is getting delivered once again. Last month the local postal contractor made a “sudden” departure from Collinsville leaving the local community without a home-delivery service. At this time of year, this caused extensive disruption, but a daily delivery of express postal items has now
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The final Whitsunday Regional Council Community Catch-Up for 2023 took place last week, with over 20 Cape Upstart and Gumlu residents joining Mayor Julie Hall and Councillors at the Molongle Creek Boat Club. Discussions included bushfire resilience projects, road updates, disaster and storm season preparation, Molongle Creek boat ramp and washdown area, and a budget overview. This was the final Community Catch-up for 2023 and Mayor Hall said that, since taking office in August 2022, she has be
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The executive committee of Bowen Tourism and Business has been appointed for the next 12 months. At the November meeting of the organisation, Jenn Honnery was re-elected unopposed as Chair for the sixth year in a row. Manager of Bowen Tourism an Business, Leanne Abernethy, was again appointed to the position of secretary and Leah Darwen was elected unopposed as treasurer. Natalie Lydom will join the executive committee for the first time as the Vice Chair. Bowen Tourism and Business is a not
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A familiar face in the Whitsundays, Jade Richardson has been living in the region for the past seventeen years and as a previous small business owner herself, is perfectly qualified for her new position at Tourism Whitsundays. “In my previous business I was dealing a lot with small business owners and there is a real flow-through with the community and connection I’ve experienced over the years,” said Jade. “One of the benefits of my new role is that I can relate to the other side of it as wel
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