Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Delighted diners eagerly devoured a delicious lunch prepared by former Master Chef contestant, Callum Hann, on Sunday afternoon, at a special Whitsunday Chef’s Lunch hosted by local Asian fusion restaurant, Eastwoods. The event was orchestrated by Whitsunday Coast Airport as part of an initiative to promote the upcoming direct flights to Adelaide in September. “Callum has a massive network and is very high profile in Adelaide,” said Director of Commercial Businesses for Whitsunday Regional Cou
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Whitsunday Regional Council Local Government Elections will be held this Saturday,16 March. Polling booths are open from 8am - 6pm on election day. Please note that by law, it is compulsory for eligible Australian citizens, aged 18 or older, to vote at Queensland elections. If you don’t vote, you may be fined. The penalty for failing to vote in an election in Queensland is one penalty unit, valued at $154.80 from 1 July 2023. Find your closest polling booth location. GREATER AIRLIE BEACH AREA
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Eight new Auxiliary Fire Fighters completed four days of intensive Road Crash Rescue Training, conducted by Queensland Fire and Rescue Emergency Services, last week. The eight new Auxiliary Fire Fighters gathered at Proserpine Fire Station, and travelled from as far afield as Mackay and Moranbah to complete the necessary training. “This intensive four-day course gives the new Auxiliary Fire Fighters the necessary skills and knowledge to then become very important members of their fire station
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Two Australian literary powerhouses have been announced to feature in the all-star cast at the Whitsundays Writers Festival which is set to take place in September. The two highly acclaimed authors are Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion who are renowned and admired writers who have both published acclaimed novels. Graeme Simsion, celebrated for his bestselling novel The Rosie Project and Professor Anne Buist, eminent psychiatrist and prolific author, will grace the Festival with their presence to
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The Whitsunday Regional Council has approved an application for backpackers-style accommodation in Bowen. The proposed accommodation, previously used by Queensland Rail to house workers, is located on Pantall Stret in Bowen, and will primarily be utilised as short term accommodation for seasonal workers. The existing dwelling, which will remain unchanged, is a single storey building with seven bedrooms, and one dormitory style room, which will contain four beds, with shared amenities for all.
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One lucky winner has claimed their golden ticket after they purchased a winning lottery ticket in Cannonvale. The winner claimed their $620,369.07 from the Saturday Gold Lotto draw from last Saturday after purchasing a ticket at News Whitsunday. It took more than two days for the winner to come forward and there was much speculation on who the lucky ticket holder was. News Whitsunday Owner Rich Bates said the last division 1 winner in the area wished to stay anonymous due to the size of the
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Almost 100 people attended the Sea of Pink fundraiser over the weekend in Collinsville with friends and family all coming together to raise money for breast cancer. The format of the event was a 5-kilometre fun run and this is the second year the event has taken place with organisers hoping to make it an annual fundraiser for all the community to get involved with. This years’ event raised over $13,000, smashing the $10,000 goal they had set in place. Organiser, Alice Randell, said she is
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Bowen State High School student, Dasani Appoo will be among 95 Year 11 and 12 students from across Australia attending the 29th National Schools Constitutional Convention (NSCC), in mid-March. Held at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House in Canberra, Dasani will be the second Bowen State High School student to attend the Convention. Dasani is excited to participate in the Convention and is looking forward to meeting likeminded students from across Australia. “I became in
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One of the Whitsundays very own has been announced as the Regional Finalist for Translink Queensland and on the short list to become Queensland Bus Driver of the Year. David Bussey joined the Whitsunday Transit team close to seven years ago, initially joining the team as a bus cleaner, before being promoted to a service bus driver one year later. A dedicated team member and avid driver, David, more affectionately known as ‘Buzz’, enjoys sharing local history and fun facts with his passengers,
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Despite the weekend’s weather challenges the Cut Out Party in Proserpine was a huge success. Close to 200 people gathered at the Proserpine Showgrounds to celebrate the sugar industry which is marking its third year. This time around the event supported the Royal Flying Doctors Service. As of the time of going to print, there was no official number announced but organisers are expecting funds raised to be upwards of last years’ $38,000. “It’s been a real community effort; you don’t know wh
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Tony Price Division 2 Candidate High-rises in Airlie Beach – what are your views on allowing more to be built in our local holiday town? The Whitsundays is facing a critical housing and accommodation crisis that threatens our growth and prosperity. We have inadequate housing for our valuable staff and a shortage of top-quality accommodation. I support council’s existing Town Plan which outlines Highrise limits for Airlie Beach. It’s vital that Council supports developers and works towards som
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John Compton was a pioneer of the Proserpine district - the very first Chairman of the Proserpine Shire Council (1910) and a mover and shaker in the separation of Proserpine from Wangaratta (Bowen Rural Shire). Born in Herefordshire England March 14 1865, he migrated to Bowen in 1883. Though working in the Bowen district, in October 1884 he purchased 160 acres of land at Mt Julian (called “Fern Hill”). In 1893, he married Sarah Gray and together they travelled to stations where John, a proficie
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Peter Hinschen Cannon Valley I'd like to see a freeze on rates, every year they seem to go up. A freeze on rates and I’d like know before the election what their intentions are in dragging that wind farm between here and Collinsville. I think someone should come forward and let us know whether they want to approve it. That’s my opinion. Liz Pearson Cannonvale I think the first thing is obviously the roads and the main town of Airlie Beach it's just, Airlie Beach is abysmal, you know, for a
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In 20 years, the population on the Whitsunday Coast (Cannonvale/Airlie Beach area) has almost doubled while the infrastructure to support that growth has never happened. What I bring to the table is an ability to fight for more than a fair share for Division 2. I’m about getting things done in the area, not endlessly trying to find a reason to say no or put-up roadblocks to stop something that will help our region grow and prosper. 10 Reasons to Vote 1 Tony Price for Division 2 1: Pro-Busine
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Sarah Watson From Lightning Comms Star sign: Capricorn Fav Colour: Green Fav holiday destination: Fiji Fav quote: Life’s too short to drink bad wine. Describe your personality in three words: Focused, loyal, compassionate Sarah Watson is the shining force behind Lightning Comms, a business she runs alongside her husband. She takes on a multitude of roles, including office manager, all-rounder and helping hand on site when needed. The businesses specialises in information and communications tec
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Coral Sea Resort was transformed into a sea of purple and white on Sunday when around 120 people celebrated International Women’s Day with the Zonta Club of the Whitsundays. The guests were greeted to a glass of sparkles on arrival and enjoyed a three-course meal that set the stage for a sensational afternoon. At the event the young and talented Scarlet Foti was given recognition for her astonishing work. At just 17 she has developed a self-guided book for neurodivergent children and has an
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Guests had a fantastic time at this years’ International Women’s Day High Tea hosted by The Zonta Club of Bowen on Sunday. A crowd of 85 attended the event held at Wangaratta Bowls Club in Queens Beach. Attendees reportedly had a whirl and said the food was amazing. Numerous guest speakers attended the event, including Associate Professor Carmen Parter who spoke about her family life, work life and her strong belief of standing together united. Suited to Success representative, Emma Galli
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With friendships made over the pool table, Anchor Bar tattoos seen around town and people recommending the ‘retreat from the main-street’ as you board a plane from Brisbane – it is easy to see how this iconic local venue has become both a meaningful and memorable place for many people over the years. Opening its doors 10 years ago, Anchor Bar came to life when couple Josh Knutson and Leah McMillan saw an ad in the local newspaper and jumped at the opportunity to run their own place. The pair
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It was three years ago that Rabia opened the doors to Palace Hair and Beauty in Proserpine, after trading in the same location for 15 years as AMAC Hair Design with a long-standing clientele. Prior to taking over the salon, Rabia had been running a variety of businesses for almost 20 years in several different countries, which provided a solid foundation in business fundamentals to bring to her new hometown of Prosperine, whilst learning and loving the “Prossy” way of doing things. As Rab
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The Bowen tourism community are celebrating this week with news that one of their own was awarded Gold at the Grey Nomad Awards held over the weekend. Queens Beach Tourist Village once again received the top gong in the Best Large Caravan Park Category. This is the third consecutive year the park has received the award which means it has now been inducted into the Hall of Fame for these awards. Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy said it was fantastic news that the Queen’s
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Tourism representatives from across the region are heading to Darwin this weekend for the much-anticipated 2023 Australian Tourism Awards which is due to be held this evening. Still on a high from winning the trifecta at the 2022 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards which were held in Sydney last year, there is a general atmosphere of excitement surrounding the event once again. Rick Hamilton, CEO of Tourism Whitsundays, says he is thrilled to attend the event again this year. “This event is the
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With a reputation for amazing food that is simple yet cooked to perfection and packed with flavour, it is easy to how Anchor Bar is booked out almost every night. From the beginning Josh and Leah knew their point of difference would be consistently good food that kept people coming back whether it be a few times a week or a few times a year. “You know the chicken wings are going to be the same whether you come back every few months or once a year,” explained Leah. “People love that, and we be
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As soon as you walk into Anchor Bar you are instantly struck by the most majestic sea views that open out before you like a picture-perfect postcard right before your eyes. Renowned for being the ‘retreat from the street’, Anchor Bar is tucked away, a few minutes’ walk up the hill from the main street of Airlie Beach, at the Terraces Resort. Prior to becoming Anchor Bar, the venue was known as Terraces and very much a part of the resort complex. It was a proud moment for Josh and Leah when A
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Famous for hosting epic milestone birthday parties, but also adept at providing a beautiful backdrop for any occasion, Anchor Bar is the perfect location for almost any event. With large share platters that can either be served to the table or displayed in a buffet style format, your guests will be excited about both the party and the food when you host at Anchor Bar. Josh and Leah both love the fact that Anchor Bar has been a part of many key moments in people’s lives – from weddings to chris
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Melbourne’s own Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute band is checking into Airlie Beach for a mammoth weekend of non-stop Creedence, which will leave us cross tie walking. Ramble Tamble was born in 1989, from a need to celebrate the unforgettable beats of Creedence Clearwater Revival. Still led by the three who started the band, Ramble Tamble encompasses the values that fuelled Creedence Clearwater Revival during their hay day. Known for their impeccable stage presence, unbelievable recreat
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