Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
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The 2024 Magic Mile, hosted by the Mackay Road Runners, once again showcased the community spirit and athletic talent that define the event. Held at the scenic Mackay Harbour Breakwater precinct, the race took place under wet and cool conditions, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of participants, sponsors, and volunteers. Long-term sponsors North Queensland Bulk Ports (represented by Lisa and Nick) and Podiatry Mackay (Donald Orr and Bec Baird) played a key role in ensuring the event's succe
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Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixtures July 30, 2024: Division 1: Hyuandi (Allan Edwards, Tim Shehan, Anne Sheridan) d Ferrari (Steven Whiting, Janice Kent, Andrea Nicholson) 6-5. Anne d Steven -4, 5, -10, 6, 9. BMW (Barry Patterson, Geoff Denman, Neil Brown) d Honda (Graham Drury, Vince Boeske, Graham Brake) 8-3. Geoff d Vince -4, 10, 4, -3, 11. Audi (Andrew McHugh, Lily Boland, Ian McKay) d Holden (Mark Sleeman, Robbie Richards, Lee Brake) 9-3. Andrew d Lee -9, -8, 9, 5, 9. Alpha (Gon
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The final of the Whitsunday Zone GNOT (Gold National Open Teams) has been played, with team Bugeia – Noel Bugeia, Janelle Conroy, Terry Sheedy and Geoff Taylor taking out first place. The Grand National Open Teams (GNOT) is an Australia-wide event. Team Bugeia will play against 63 other teams in the GNOT National Qualifying event in the hope of being one of the eight teams to compete in the Non-Metropolitan Final in Sydney in November. Weekly Results Monday 5 August 2024 – 8 Table Mitchell Gr
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The Finch Hatton Flowing Trails Trail Run, held on Sunday, 4 August, marked the third event in the thrilling 4-part ‘Off the Beaten Track’ Trail Run Series. This exceptional event, the brainchild trail run series of Mackay’s ActiV8 Adventures, saw over 120 enthusiastic trail runners seize the rare opportunity to traverse the world-class Finch Hatton MTB exclusively. In collaboration with Mackay Regional Council and Finch Hatton MTB, the trails were exclusively open to trail runners from 6am t
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An outpouring of grief and sympathy has fallen heavily upon the Whitsunday community this week with the news that mother-to-be Mary Joy Estrada Dela Cruz perished in a car accident near Mount Marlow on Sunday along with her 60-year-old mother who was visiting from the Philippines. It is understood the two family members were travelling in a vehicle with their husbands when the accident took place. The two men remain in hospital fighting for their lives.
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Airlie Beach Race Week 2024 has been an unforgettable experience, both on and off the water. The week was marked by challenging weather conditions, with intense winds in the middle of the week and an unexpected lack of wind toward the end, testing the skill and perseverance of all participants. Onshore, the atmosphere was electric, with amazing bands, food vans, and entertainment bringing the community together. It was a time to reconnect with friends from other clubs and regattas, with partici
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Hi Everyone, News of the devastating car accident that claimed the lives of two women and an un-born baby on Sunday afternoon sent shockwaves through the community this week, with the outpouring of grief palpable. As I welcome my own family, who have just arrived from the UK to visit, I can only imagine what Mary Joy’s family are going through, having had their own holiday turned into their worst nightmare in the blink of an eye. My thoughts go out to all that knew the family and our large Fi
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All our hearts feel sad when we see somebody homeless and struggling, especially in such a small community like our own. Local resident John Burke shared this publicly on a local community chat site when he expressed his feelings after seeing a man sleeping on a footpath next to Flour & Eggs lunch bar. John posted onto the Whitsundays Noticeboard Facebook chat asking for the community to help. He explained that he had been contacting services to aid the man for over an hour, but no one was av
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The Whitsundays are set to experience a significant boost in tourism and connectivity with the introduction of direct flights from Adelaide launching on September 1st. This new route, developed in partnership with major airline Jetstar, is strategically designed to open the Whitsundays to new markets while providing an affordable and convenient travel option for visitors. The decision to add Adelaide as a direct destination was driven by the airport's goal to expand beyond traditional eastern c
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Council’s work on the eradication of the Yellow Crazy Ants has been a long process but this week they have begun more infestation treatments. In the Whitsundays we have five small infestations in Shute Harbour, Mandalay, Woodwark, Funnel Bay and Hamilton Island. From 12 – 16 August council are working on the mainland ant infestations. In the Whitsundays, the five combined infestations equal 51 hectares. It is important to remove Yellow Crazy Ants because they are pests and impact our ecosyste
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Tourists are flocking to the Big Mango and Bowen Tourist Information Centre, with the iconic gateway to the town proving to be a popular stopping point where motorists are encouraged to venture into Bowen for the day or even longer. The popularity of the centre has reached new levels this year with record-breaking visitor numbers announced. Bowen Tourism and Business released figures this week confirming they welcomed more visitors than ever before during the 2023/34 financial year. This inc
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On Thursday 8th August, a pop-up Chamber event, consisting of BBQs, coffee and prizes was held at Porters Metre 10 Whitsunday. Local businesses gathered to meet other business owners, get up-to-date on Chamber developments and express their opinions. Whitsunday Chamber of Commerce and Industry members, Porters Mitre 10 Whitsundays, opened its store in Cannonvale in 2002, at its current location, after a long history of servicing the Whitsunday region from its Mackay locations. Recently, Porte
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With the Whitsundays ‘events season’ well underway and gathering steam, our region comes alive with iconic events and festivals. Congratulations to the Whitsunday Running Club, the Coral Sea Marina Resort Triathlon Festival, and the Great Barrier Reef Festival for their recent hugely successful events – packed with visitors and contestants. With the Airlie Beach Race Week and Hamilton Island Race Week now upon us – the visitation and exposure that these events bring to the region is incalculabl
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Army and Vietnam veteran Brian “Weary” Dunlop is encouraging his local community to take a moment to recognise and support all veterans this Vietnam Veterans’ Day. Weary volunteered for national service and joined the 5RAR in 1967 at just 20 years old. After training with the 5RAR, Weary was deployed to Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. After his service Weary moved to Proserpine in early 2000 and joined the Proserpine RSL Sub Branch in 2010. Commemorated annually on 18 August, Vietnam Veterans' Day
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Billie, an adorable little puppy, was found dumped in a puddle between Proserpine and Bowen on Christmas Eve. Billie was found by a young teenager who took her in and cared for her until she was nursed back into a healthy puppy. Billie is now a whirlwind, full of love and joy. Unable to provide Billie with the love and attention she needed due to her studies, the lovely young lady, though saddened, chose to entrust her to Christina at Animal Rescue Whitsundays. Christina has since successfully
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The new Airlie Beach Seagrass Nursery project is happening soon with its official opening this Saturday 17 August. The launch of the new Airlie Beach Seagrass Nursery project will take lace at Coral Sea Marina. The test nursery has been with us for over two years and following its success CQ University has secured grant funding for an upscaled nursery project. The day will start at 11am with a Welcome to Country, an introduction and project overview, and photo opportunities. At 11.45 time
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Fines for not controlling your dog in public places have increased to $806. This includes having your dog off-leash in designated on-leash areas, or if the dog is in an off-leash area, you must be able to control the dog using voice commands. For everyone's safety, let's make sure our furry friends are always well-behaved in public spaces!
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Last week CEO Warren Bunker, Councillor Clay Bauman and I attended the two-day 2024 Coastal Leaders Forum in Townsville. This annual forum was a vital gathering of elected members, chief executives, and senior officers from across Queensland to showcase coastal council initiatives. The well-attended forum explored current and emerging issues, identified coastal council-specific advocacy priorities and gave us the opportunity to engage with key State and Federal Government representatives and
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Recently, Jade from Tourism Whitsundays had the pleasure of experiencing SeaLink Whitsundays’ Big Island Day Tour. Aboard their new vessel, Reef Quest, Jade went on the five star boat trip to Whitehaven Beach, and said it was a truly exceptional experience! The vessel's luxury is instantly apparent; it has a sleek modern design, air-conditioned interiors, and plush seating, the boat provides a stylish environment, making the journey as enjoyable as the destination. On the journey to Whitehav
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Tourism Whitsundays partners with national media to highlight the best experiences our region has to offer. Recently, we had the pleasure of hosting Dilvin Yasa from 9Honey, the lifestyle arm of nine.com.au, known for uncovering and sharing top local gems. Dilvin's visit focused on showcasing the fantastic family-friendly land-based experiences and accommodation options available in The Whitsundays. During her stay, Dilvin spent a long weekend at the Big4 Adventure Resort, which provides the
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Bowen Community Centre is thrilled to announce this year’s ‘Buy A Pie To Keep Them Dry’ event was a tremendous success, raising over $3,000 to support homeless in the community. The funds raised will be used to provide essential items such as tents, swags, and backpacks to those in need. This year’s event took a different turn from the last, where the Community Centre hosted ‘Hamburgers for the Homeless’, which was warmly received by the Bowen community. During this event, the staff and v
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Creative’s Connections latest Art Exhibition opened last Thursday night to coincide with the start of Airlie Beach Race Week. Over 200 guests attended the opening night, enjoying an array of beautiful paintings and sculptures responding to the theme “Sails and Stories”. The exhibition finished up yesterday concluding with the announcement of the Tassals People’s Choice Award. The winning artist will receive a $500 prize.
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Individuals wore their best blues, greens and aquamarines to enjoy the Airlie Beach Race Week Shoreside Long Table Lunch on Monday. Guests tucked into a gourmet lunch featuring a delightful array of exquisite canapés, followed by a meticulously curated menu that showcased an abundance of fresh and local ingredients. Each dish was thoughtfully prepared to highlight the region's rich flavours and culinary traditions, creating a memorable dining experience that perfectly complemented the elegant at
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Did you know that this year’s Airlie Beach Race Week Festival Village was powered entirely by the sun? Airlie Beach Race Week’s Festival Village was fuelled entirely by Mobile Power Trailers’ solar panels. Founder of Mobile Power Trailers Adam Janczyk said people were excited to see the power trailers driving the Festival Village ever since they announced the new innovation. “Last time when we were here, we announced that we would go off-grid and sustainable, everyone was very excited about i
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Two weeks ago, Andrew Willcox dropped in to congratulate Libby Edge and her team at Eco Barge CleanSeas on receiving a much-needed $4000 volunteer grant to upgrade their outdated computer equipment. Libby requested the grant back in November last year after seeing the volunteer grant opportunity on Federal Member for Dawson, Andrew Willcox’s newsletter, and received it in May this year which Libby described as a “great turn around!” Before receiving the grant Libby and her team were using really
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