Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Over the last month we have been working with Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ) and the Department of Tourism and Sport on marketing campaigns to help the region recover the losses sustained in early December and late January from tropical Cyclones Jasper and Kirrily. There are several campaigns already underway or finished, including; 50 per cent off deals with Bonza that finished on 14 February, deals were available on Whitsunday Coast to Newcastle, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast routes. A
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What started as a simple gathering in 2014, to bolster the relationship between the Bowen Cricket Associations’ wives, girlfriends, and mums, while raising important funds for the McGrath Foundation, has grown exponentially in 10 short years. Bowen Cricket’s Pink Stumps Day has become a much-loved feature on the Bowen community calendar, an event that is widely known and regularly sees over 300 ladies attend, dressed in their best pink outfits to support the worthwhile breast cancer charity. In
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For Karen Linich and Denise McCallum, becoming a McGrath Breast Care Nurse was an honour and a privilege, a decision that has allowed them to assist and support all breast cancer patients with quality care and upmost confidence. Karen started her nursing journey at the age of 18, beginning her training in New South Wales, before she specialised in surgical nursing. She transitioned to clinical nursing and nurse counselling, primarily working within regional BreastScreen, where she excelled in t
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Next Stars Sport Academy has returned for 2024 with a range of exciting new programs and an enthusiastic turnout of participants, revelling in the joy of staying active and healthy. Founder and Head Coach, Tim Oberg, expressed his delight, stating, "We were blown away by the levels of enthusiasm and participation across all of our programs. “From Ninja to basketball and our running squads, all have seen record attendances which shows just how many families in the Whitsundays are focused on help
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Bowen’s Port Denison Sailing Club had its first 2024 race and training session on Sunday the 11th of February, with sailors of all ages gathering together on the water. Making the most of the extreme high tide, the Green Fleet junior sailors had a practise session, sailing a long leg from the clubrooms on the Bowen foreshore towards the Big Mango and homeward again. Georgia Jeffrey, age 7, recently graduated from the beginner learn to sail programme run at PDSC and is enjoying sailing indepen
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23 Cannonvale Cannons travelled to Brisbane to compete at the Queensland Sprint Championships on the weekend. This was the highest number of Cannons that have ever competed at a state competition. The coaches, Ken Crittenden, and Mark Erickson were very proud of all the Cannons and their achievements. It was the first state championship for many of the young Cannons and they all performed extremely well. The coaches would like to thank all the parents for supporting the swimmers and the team at
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Mark Richards won the Tuesday stableford with 41 points, one ahead of Scott Mason. Lyn Muller had 35 points to beat Tina Badenhorst by one. Pins went to Gerard Lovell, Kev Cooper, Diane Chard and Tina Badenhorst. The PDLAW Wednesday monthly medal winner was Penny Wardroper over Pam Harrison, both with 72 net. Pins went to Jacqueline Wall, Rehab Hull and two to Penny Wardroper. Following several days of the back nine holes under the lagoon, a big clean up allowed the full course to be open fo
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The slightly cooler weather bought out more players with 19 WGC competitors in the single Stableford competition. LADIES A GRADE : Winner: Tiina Randmae with 37 points Runner-up: Anna Winterbourn LADIES B GRADE : Winner: Jo Moynihan with 26 points Runner-up: Pam Casey MEN’S A GRADE : Winner: Jason Bourke with 35 points Runner-up: Darren Reynolds MEN’S B GRADE Winner: Paul Nicol with 39 points Runner-up: Scotty Vlismas LONGEST DRIVES : Ladies’ A: Tiina Randmae Ladies’ B: Sally Little Me
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The weekly 9-hole stableford saw Matt Baines take first place with 23 pts, second with 21 pts c/b was Tim Walton and third place with 21 pts was Matt Burke. Fridays 9-hole stableford saw Jimmy Millar take first place with 23 pts, second with 22 pts was Billy O’Connor and third place with 21 pts was Tim Walton. Sundays 18-hole stroke competition was a great turnout, coming in first c/b was Brad Low, second place was Glenn Rees, and third place was Tyson Flavel. Nearest the pin this Sunday wa
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Nominations are open for all Proserpine Bowls Club competitions. Get your names in as soon as possible to allow plenty of time in order for us to get our draws out and games progressing. On Wednesday, we had 11 players enjoying games of Social bowls. Jim Bownds, Barry Zillmann and Peter Lawton defeated Alen Sanderson, Pat Bownds and Bryan Davy 21 - 11. John Anderson, Heather Brown and Philip Brown defeated Mary Hedgelong, Heather Brown and Mike Harrison 20 - 12. Contributed with thanks to
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The Whitsunday Regional Council local government elections were delivered a curveball on Wednesday this week when the popular current Mayor, Julie Hall, announced she would not be running for the Mayoral seat in the next election. Ms Hall provided a public statement citing her reasons for withdrawal were “putting my health and family first.” “It has been a very hard decision and an honour to serve the people of the Whitsundays, I will complete my time as Mayor when the new council is elected a
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By Hannah McNamara In a splashing triumph of athleticism and adventure, the Mackay Triathlon Club set North Mackay ablaze with its second Aquathlon race on a sun-soaked Sunday. The air was filled with the energetic buzz of club members, from seasoned triathletes to spirited newcomers, all ready to dive into the thrill of the Aquathlon, starting at the Pioneer Pool. With courses designed to challenge and exhilarate, from the shorter enticer's scenic run around the Gooseponds to
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Amidst the ongoing discourse surrounding the maintenance of our community's green spaces, Councillor Martin Bella's recent Facebook post struck a resounding chord. I don’t always see eye-to-eye with Marty on everything, but his heartfelt message, directed towards the resilient members of our council's outdoor crew, echoed how I felt about the online (and in-person) abuse these workers have been copping. Marty speaks directly to the struggles faced by these workers, offering a glimpse into the h
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In an act of kindness, a volunteer from a local hamper organisation has announced the startup of a monthly giveaway for families in Mackay, particularly aimed at mothers, to lighten the burden of financial stress and give a helping hand to those who deserve it most. Realistically, all mothers are deserving of a pamper pack, but if you know a special mother figure in need of support, nominations are now open! The idea of the giveaway is to uplift those who are struggling, to remind them that they
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Last week marked another leap into Queensland’s resources future with the unveiling of concept designs for a state-of-the-art pilot processing plant in Mackay. Unveiling the concept at the Resources Centre of Excellence, Resources and Critical Minerals Minister Scott Stewart said FlexiLab would provide a dedicated facility for industry to test processing and recovery of minerals not normally produced. Rapidly growing global demand for a wide range of minerals essential to new technologies li
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By Hannah McNamara Two powerhouse women have spoken on the heart-wrenching reality of domestic and sexual family violence in the Mackay region. Jules Thompson, founder of Broken Ballerina Inc. and Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm, have been a voice for victims and are pushing for changes in regards to financial assistance, accommodation and basic necessities for those who have fled from such traumatic situations.
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Among 88 new police officers who recently graduated in Brisbane, four have recently started their police career in the greater Mackay District. Last week, the new First Year Constables embarked on their new careers to serve and protect the region. State Member for Mackay, Mrs Julieanne Gilbert greeted these officers at the Mackay District Office. Mackay Police Station welcomes two new faces, one in which is a former Victorian, Constable Keegan Jackman, who impressively served in the army. Ben
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MANGROVE ROAD MENACE Townsville Man Charged With Attempted Robbery Offences A 29-year-old Deeragun (Townsville) man has been charged with attempted robbery offences following three incidents last week at a business carpark on Mangrove Road, Mackay. Senior Constable Steve Smith reported that it was alleged at 9.24am the man approached a woman in a parked car and attempted to physically remove her from the car. After having no success he has left the area on a bike. “After this incident, it’s furt
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Zonta Club of Mackay invites the community to celebrate International Women’s Day at their annual Fundraising Luncheon, Sunday March 10, at the MECC. Invite your friends, family, partners and colleagues, the luncheon is a time to socialise. Enjoy raffles, silent auctions and more, a sit-down morning tea and lunch with a cash bar available. With the theme of ‘Accelerating gender equality through economic empowerment. Count her in’, attendees will examine the pathways to greater economic inclu
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Back yourself and go for it – invest in your success with a scholarship application. The financial support of any scholarship is certainly the most tangible and immediate benefit of being awarded a scholarship. The dollars ease the financial burden; however, the benefits go far beyond just the dollars. Scholarships open doors and these are five key additional benefits: • Recognition and opportunity If you are successful in receiving a scholarship - it’s recognition of you, your efforts and
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A brave little kitten is showing remarkable strength after recovering from a recent accident, suffering serious injuries when a box fell on him. The incident left him with a broken jaw, a fractured foot, as well as internal issues and was shortly after rushed to Northern Beaches Veterinary Hospital on Australia Day, the 26th of January. Despite the challenges of high veterinarian bills and a shortage of staff, the team at Mackay Pet Rescue once again stepped up and provided round-the-clock care
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If US President Joe Biden were, instead, a real estate agent in Mackay he would be a flop. Absolutely hopeless. Agents like me would regularly receive calls from people who are planning to sell their homes saying: “Hi, it’s Bruce here. Listen, we had old Joe Biden around for an appraisal at our house and it was a complete disaster. “He kept getting our names mixed up, and I can tell you my wife doesn’t look like a Bruce. He went for a walk to have a look at our garden out back but somehow got l
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The Mackay region’s economy continues to indicate strong growth, with a significant uptick in demand of development applications recorded recently. According to the latest data from UDIA Queensland Research Foundation, the total number of development applications relating to material change of use and reconfiguration of a lot for the Mackay region was up 51 per cent in the third quarter of 2023, totalling 116 applications. Over the same period, material change of use and reconfiguring of lot ap
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Flaviu Bocos had a moment of great clarity ahead of the birth of his son Dominic almost 12 years ago. His wife Crina was about to have a Caesarean section, and he wanted to be by her side. “When I put the scrubs on … and I looked in the mirror it just came over me and I could see the dream that I had kind of put away many years ago,” Dr Bocos said. “I only opened up about a year and a half later to my wife.” Romanian-born Dr Bocos, an intern commencing his first year of medical practice with
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By Hannah McNamara In the realm of music's enchanting notes, Kenneth Martin recently claimed the prestigious Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM). A melody maestro, his life's composition harmonises with this revered accolade, often referred to as the nation’s greatest honour. In an interview with Mackay Life, he shares his thoughts on the significance of the OAM and reflects on his musical journey. Amid humility and surprise, Mr Martin selflessly underlined
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