Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
After receiving a call late last Thursday, Mackay Pet Rescue Inc jumped at the opportunity to save a bunch of abandoned baby puppies. Zakary Meiert, a real estate agent, put an urgent call out on social media seeking assistance, when he found the newborn puppies abandoned at a vacant property in Sarina. In an attempt to welcome the newborn pups to a temporary refuge, member Robyn prepped a heated incubator and warm milk while others quickly fetched new bottles, supplies and treats from the vet
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Pop in and see the incredible work of Mackay Woodturners on Saturday, March 16th and Sunday, March 17th, for an exciting showcase of woodworking crafts! Entry is FREE and commences from 9am to 3pm, so don't miss out on an opportunity to witness captivating demonstrations and browse a wide array of wood crafted items. Located off Beaconsfield Road in Andergrove, Mackay Woodturners will feature demonstrations and sales of various woodworking techniques including woodturning, scroll sawing, intarsi
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Mobile BreastScreen Service Heads West BreastScreen Queensland's free mobile screening service will hit the road this month visiting rural communities across the Isaac region. The service ensures women in rural areas have access to the latest in screening mammography technology to help detect breast cancer in very early stages. Women in Middlemount, Dysart, Clermont, Collinsville and Moranbah are encouraged to book appointment now for their breast check-up with the mobile screening truck set t
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What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? Finding half a worm in your apple. Boom boom. It was never a particularly funny joke but those of us who were kids in the 1970s did get it and understood how you could end up with half a worm in your apple. We were familiar with occasionally finding an insect or something wriggly in a piece of fruit … it was rare but we knew the joke meant that having half a worm in your apple meant you had taken a bite and eaten half a worm. These days I don’t rec
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As you may have heard on Star breakfast, I enjoy my sport. Cricket, rugby, league, the trifecta. It's the end of summer and cooing over numbers, stats and ‘how good does it look’ takes a back seat for big hits, big tries and who gets picked for rep sides. Super rugby is back! The Reds looked good for most of their game against the Hurricanes, The Waratahs beat a powerhouse Crusaders, and the game between the Rebels and the Force was exciting. What a time it is to be a Wallabies fan. The Eddi
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The exposure of the gender pay gaps in large Australian organisations is a turning point for gender equality, but more must be done to hold employers to account, says an Australian researcher. Workplace diversity expert Professor Carol Kulik says the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA’s) release of gender pay gaps for large Australian employers is a great first step but its impact will depend on the actions of organisations to narrow the disparity. The WGEA – a statutory agency responsible
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Students passionate about the world of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) are amongst the finalists for the Queensland Resources Awards for Women - an annual event celebrating the achievements of women in the resources sector. Lexi Croce from Moranbah State High School is among the 2024 finalists alongside students from the Gold Coast and Bundaberg. The annual Resources Awards for Women celebrate the contribution women are making to the state’s $116.8 billion resources sector
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On the bigger stage, the women’s movement has won hard fought gains including the ‘right to work’, greater equity and opportunity, and let’s not forget the ‘right to vote’. At the personal level, the enduring challenge for women to ‘give it a go’ and pursue opportunities is lack of self-belief, confidence and courage to act. For all my years working in career development, these issues persist across the generations. Women defer not only to men, but also other women, or simply choose not to act,
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The Queensland Government is investing $90 million over three years to rollout around 450,000 free potentially lifesaving meningococcal B (MenB) vaccines for infants, children and adolescents. Last year, Queensland recorded 36 cases of meningococcal B disease and two cases have been recorded this year to date. This serious infection can lead to complications from invasive meningococcal disease which can cause significant illness, disability, and death. Distribution of these vaccines is underw
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One lucky Queensland kindy will win a visit from iconic children’s band The Wiggles as part of a campaign to help children learn about electrical safety. Entry into the competition is simple, with children, parents, guardians and educators encouraged to take a photo or video that highlights why electrical safety is important using messages from The Wiggles’ song Electricity! The Queensland Government first partnered with The Wiggles in 2022 to teach children about electrical safety, with the p
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Despite the initial setback due to weather, the Australia Day Carnival finally took place on Saturday afternoon under clear skies. The green was bustling with excitement as two groups of bowlers gathered to participate. One group consisted of seasoned bowlers, while the other included a mix of new bowlers and a few experienced ones to guide them. Sponsored by the Mackay Regional Council and Karyn Shepherd from More Air, the afternoon featured two games of 11 ends each. Following the first game,
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In a historic move for the Mackay Cutters, this will mark the first ever time that the team will run three female divisions. This significant development comes as the Mackay Airport continues its major sponsorship of the Cutters, coinciding with the start of their season, which aligns with International Women’s Day celebrations, this upcoming weekend. Leading the charge for the Mackay Cutters is 22-year-old Emma Manzelmann, a highly respected captain and player on the team. Emma expresses her ex
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Figures for this year’s race saw over a whopping 900 total registered runners on the day… an all-time record which organisers and community supporters are thrilled about! The Twilight run is a great precursor for the BMA Mackay Marina Run on June 2. Registered Twilight runners are encouraged to lace up again! Early bird pricing for the BMA Mackay Marina Run ends March 13. Photos supplied by Amanda Munn
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On your marks…Get set…GO! The 2024 BMA Mackay Marina Run was officially launched on the 1st of March with organisers predicting over 3,500 participants to be involved. Coming up to its 16th year, the annual run is widely regarded as Queensland’s most scenic running event with a flat, fast course set against spectacular sub-tropical scenery. Event Director, Tim Magoffin advised the run had become a signature event on the national running event calendar. “The BMA Mackay Marina Run offers a uniq
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Calling on all Pickleball Players to hop on down this Easter to Mackay Indoor Pickleball Club! This exciting upcoming event is the first Indoor Pickleball Tournament in the region, taking place at the McDonald’s Mackay Multisport Stadium in Juliet St, South Mackay on Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the Easter Weekend. This all-inclusive event caters to all competitors of all levels, including individuals who may be quite new to the game or just play socially, through to more Intermediate, expe
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Nearly fifty runners tackled the extreme humidity as they tracked the bendy pathways from the Bucasia Beach Playground Parklands to Shoal Point last Sunday. The runners didn’t seem to have noticed the severe heat conditions until the return lap, but despite the challenges they continued to push on through! Timekeeper Arthur Dick was in full control as he announced each runner’s start times based on their handicap. Highest handicap marker, Hamish Donnollan had an extremely long wait for his st
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With the aid of supportive fundraisers, the Starlight Children’s Foundation creates moments of joy and happiness for children of all ages facing illness, brightening the lives of those in hospital. Throughout the past month of February, Masters Swimming Queensland clubs have dived on board to support the Starlight Super Swim, raising an impressive amount of funds for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. A fantastic first time total of $2,827 was raised by the participating members of the event,
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Young guns Trent Day and Ollie Hamelink played a close match on Tuesday night, Trent up 10, 9, -8, -11, 8. Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixture results February 27, 2024: Division 1: Lexus (Barry Patterson, Andrew McHugh, Janice Kent) d Mercedes (Steven Whiting, Graham Brake, Graeme Walker) 6-5. Steven d Andrew -8, 11, -6, 10, 8. Ferrari (Geoff Denman, Goncalo Serra, Mark Sleeman) d Jaguar (Tim Shehan, Anne Sheridan, Vince Boeske) 7-4. Vince d Mark 12, 11, -10, 9. Andro (Tony Bowman, Mic
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Players at the Gold Coast Congress (GCC) had a fantastic week of cards, friends, laughter, and food. Players had mixed results, with Diane and Max Holewa taking out third place in the Iva Dahler Butler Swiss Pairs Intermediate category. Annie Lynch and Sandra Morris came fifth in the Bobby Richmond Novice Pairs Championship, while taking out the Qld Novice Pairs. Weekly Results Monday 26 February 2024 – 5 Table Mitchell Green Points N/S E/W 1st Geoffrey Patterson / Terrence Sheedy 1st David T
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A sub-adult Green Sea Turtle was released back into the wild over the weekend, this milestone moment symbolising the collaboration between several entities and the hard work of many volunteers at Eco Barge Cleans Seas. Floyd was rescued by Port of Airlie Marina staff last month when they noticed he was struggling to swim. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that Floyd’s front flipper had been entangled with a fishing line, some of which had also been ingested. Floyd received care at th
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And just like that, my final paper for Whitsunday Life has rolled around. It feels like a lifetime ago that I put my resignation in with Rach and the team, where I cried and Rach tried hard to not cry with me. And it feels like an eternity ago that I was welcomed into this great team, as a fledging journo with big dreams and a bigger need to develop my skills. But this team have been great, allowing me the ability to grow my skills, with tasteful and constructive criticism, dealing with my spel
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Over 60 do-gooding locals braved the high temperatures and great humidity over the weekend to participate in the Clean Up Australia Day held at Coral Sea Marina This annual event is part of the broader national event which takes place on the first week of March each year and has seen 21 million Australians participate over the last 33 years. Our local event is hosted in partnership with Tangaroa Blue and Reef Clean and this year, over 100 kilograms of litter was collected from Cannonvale Beac
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Residents of Bowen are welcome to step forward and help shape Bowen’s lasting legacy and the future of the Bowen Jetty, by taking part in the Enquiry by Design (EbD) process and complete in a community wide survey. North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation (NQBP) CEO Brendan Webb said around 50 key stakeholders from diverse backgrounds will be brought together over two days of workshops for the EbD. “We’re already engaging with a range of stakeholders from local government, community groups, loca
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Whitsunday Water Police have revised and are now enforcing a new six-knot speed limit in Lake Proserpine. This new speed limit is in waters adjacent to the public use area, extending from the shoreline of the dam’s heavy use area out to approximately 100 metres. The new six-knot speed limit applies to all vessels, including jet skis and other personal watercraft. All water users are urged to follow the new speed limit, with penalties up to $365 applying.
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