Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
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Who doesn’t love a good cane fire? Many visitors to our district are keen to witness a burn and farmers often receive phone calls asking if /when there is going to be a cane fire. While a cane fire is a magnificent sight to behold, they generate an incredible amount of heat. Caution is important for both farmer and onlooker alike. To burn or not to burn? Initially, most of the sugarcane crop was cut green, with residual trash (green leaf matter) burnt on the ground. Burning prior to harvest was
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Originally from England, Ruth came to Australia to restart her journalism career and was thrilled with the opportunity to pursue her passion in one of the most beautiful locations in the country. Ruth brings a whole lot of experience to the team; she studied a Social Research Masters at University and an Undergrad in Politics, then covered the UK General election for Sky News in London. Having fallen in love with the fast-paced nature of the newsroom, Ruth said it was a lot of fun to be back i
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Earlier this month, Zonta Club of the Whitsundays hosted a changeover meal to appoint Marlene Reiffel as their new President over the 30 members in the charter. The meal was followed by Zonta’s monthly meeting, where Marlene chaired the meeting for the first time. Marlene mentioned her predecessor Dianne Truman, who provided “three years of wonderful service to the club and community”. Marlene also expressed excitement for the wonderful, but busy year ahead and enthused that she is “really look
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This month’s Ask An Expert with Whitsundays Chamber of Commerce and Industry asks: What is the one thing I need to know about financing my small business? Chamber members responded: Fiona Erquiaga of Smooth Sailing Financial Consulting says “You need a solid understanding of your business cashflows – your current position, historic financial performance, future plans, and cashflow forecasts – so to highlight your finance requirements and how they will be managed.” “Also be mindful of your
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The Your Say Whitsundays portal is an essential tool used by the Whitsunday Regional Council to gather community input on a wide range of initiatives, from infrastructure projects to policy changes. Your thoughts and feedback help shape the decisions that affect our community, leading to better, more informed outcomes. Join the #OurWhitsunday community today by registering on the portal and have a say in shaping a better, more informed Whitsunday. https://yoursay.whitsundayrc.qld.gov.au/
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Have you ever stopped to think what would happen if your family’s income stopped due to someone dying, getting sick or having an accident? The loss of wages might be manageable for retirees or people later in their working lives who have brought up their kids, paid down their debts and built up their super and passive assets. For families with younger kids, bigger debts and lower super balances it may well be disastrous. Centrelink benefits don’t cover home loan payments and hungry mouths to
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I am excited to announce that Council has partnered with Jobs Queensland in launching Workforce Planning Connect. This initiative brings a range of workforce planning data and resources to help our local businesses and organisations develop effective workforce planning strategies. In today's rapidly changing economic landscape, having a robust workforce plan is more crucial than ever. Our partnership with Jobs Queensland aims to provide the tools and insights needed to access the skills an
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Middle managers are expected to do more today with less. More productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, reporting, personability vs shrinking budgets, employee shortages, and less time to plan. How are you helping your middle management cope, let alone thrive?? Without time to plan, middle management is left coping with an increasingly reactive environment. Some people thrive in reactive environments, however, usually your business doesn’t. Managers come in all shapes, sizes, personalities and sk
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Recently, I was lucky enough to have an incredible outer reef experience with Red Cat Adventures. From start to finish, the whole trip was filled with memorable moments. Our skipper, Reece, made the experience fun, informative, and safe. His passion for The Whitsundays and marine life was truly inspiring. The journey to the Reef was comfortable, with the option of relaxing in the enclosed cabin or enjoying the view from the open-window hutch. I took the opportunity to meet fellow adventur
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The new easy-to-use yet powerful chainsaw from Stihl is available at Bowen Small Motors & Cycles, with the whole community invited to come on down and check it out. The new 172 and 182 chainsaws from Stihl are newly improved models of the 171 and 181. The predecessor was extremely popular at Bowen Small Motors & Cycles and with winter here, it’s the perfect time to purchase. “The 172 and 182 are good for normal homeowners that like to cut timber and go camping,” said Bowen Small Motors & Cyc
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On Saturday, 22nd June, Bowen's McKenna Hall was transformed by dozens of beautiful white dresses, gloves, heels and corsages. Here, gathered 14 debutantes for the St Mary’s Catholic Parish Debutante Ball in Bowen, where the ladies were ‘formally introduced’ into society. The ladies and their partners arrived from St Mary’s Church, in a school bus, to the winter wonderland themed evening, that was decorated with snowflakes, balloons and fairy lights. The ladies spend weeks preparing for the even
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Start the financial year in style as the highly anticipated MG3 hits MG Bowen’s showroom and is now available throughout the Whitsundays. “The MG3 is Australia’s best-selling light hatchback at the moment and it’s now got a brand new generation model,” said Marketing Manager Angus Outram. “It’s a small little hatchback and the newest model has got massive technology upgrades. “Massive upgrades to the infotainment system; Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and all the features you'd expect in a bran
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Jenn Honnery, Chair of Bowen Tourism and Business has newly been appointed as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bowen Gumlu Growers Association. Ms Honnery loves Bowen and the Whitsundays and looks forward to starting her new position. “Right now, I am looking forward to getting out and catching up with the growers themselves, and certainly learning more about crops that I haven't had much to do with,” said Ms Honnery. “I am excited to learn more in this space and see what projects we can cont
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North Queensland Battle of the Young Bands kicked off for the first-time last Sunday afternoon. The young talent performed a variety of fantastic songs to battle it out for the first prize; a whopping $1000 and the opportunity to perform a gig at Northerlies Beach Bar and Grill. The winners of the day were Gleezus, who were also the winners from the last Whitsundays Got Talent. Organiser and coordinator Paula Hovey, mentioned how great the talent was at the weekend and that the first place was a
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The Whitsundays Writers Festival has an exciting new update to their speaker line-up with award winning Whitsundays author and investigative journalist Dr Lindsay Simpson announced to speak at the much-anticipated event. Lindsay is the author and co-author of eleven books including bestselling Brothers in Arms, co-authored with Sandra Harvey and the subject of the Netflix television mini-series Bikie Wars. She also authored historical fiction novel The Curer of Souls which was shortlisted for th
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“Barber by day / singer by night” This is how Soulcutz, performer and band manager, Benson, describes himself. Operating as a barber under the same title, Benson loves his 50/50 lifestyle, weekdays cutting hair and weekends performing in front of crowds on stage. You may remember Soulcutz from the X Factor in 2014, where they reached the top 12. Since then, the A-list musicians have been regular performers at Eat Street Northshore in Brisbane and they are now excited to be sharing their uni
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For one night only at the Reef Gateway Hotel, Australian festival favourites The Hillbilly Goats are coming back to town. Renowned for their big harmonies, intricate fiddle melodies and fast harmonica, these incredible musicians have been carving out their own niche at big festivals nationwide. They are award winning specialists in Mountain Music, with their musical twist on traditional songs. Their mission is to strip back the layers of modern music and transport you on a journey that began
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Do you love shopping and the environment? If the answer is yes, head down to the Pre-loved Market Night. A community-driven event designed to bring people together for a budget and eco-friendly shopping experience, that won't cost you a fortune. The fast fashion industry’s rapid production cycles continue to contribute significantly to pollution, waste, and unethical labour practices. By embracing slow fashion in the community through pre-loved fashion, we can reduce our environmental impact mar
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June 28-3 Proserpine Historical Museum Book Bonanza, from 9am 29 Family Field Day, Les Stagg Oval, from 3pm 30 Dingo Beach Sunday Markets, Dingo Beach Community Hall grounds, from 8am July 2 Sailing For Those With Disability, Whitsunday Sailing Club, from 9am 5 Airlie Beach Movie Night – The Sapphires, Airlie Beach Foreshore, from 6pm 9 Sailing For Those With Disability, Whitsunday Sailing Club, from 9am 10 You Are a Doughnut, at the Proserpine Entertainment Centre, from 12pm and from 6pm
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Nine talented swimmers from the Cannonvale Cannons have been selected for the Swimming North Queensland (SNQ) Development squads, earning the opportunity to attend the prestigious SNQ Form Clinic in Mackay on Saturday. Congratulations to Isaac Pisaniello, Don Algie, Tyler Bennett, Zach Trefz, Tora Delac, Isabella Pisaniello, Charlie Doherty, Noah Maltby, and Jacob Bell for their remarkable achievement. The clinic was organized by Barry Prime, a coach from Swimming Queensland, and featured guest
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Last weekend, the Whitsunday United FQPL Women travelled to Mackay to face off against their competitors, marking a significant outing despite some setbacks. Due to a shortage of players, the Women U23 team had to forfeit their match, effectively ending their premiership aspirations for this season. Nonetheless, holding the 4th spot on the ladder, they remain a formidable contender for the finals and are eager to make their mark in the remainder of the season. The Premier Women, despite a deplet
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With the Divisional Men and youth squads having the weekend off, the action started with our FQPL Women in Mackay last Saturday Unfortunately, a shortage of numbers meant our Women U23 were forced to forfeit their match and any chance of Premiership this year. Despite that, from 4th spot on the ladder, they will be an absolute force in the finals and are looking forward to the rest of the season. The Premier ladies ground out a win against Country, again with a depleted squad. Whitsunday had a
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Vickie Wallace secured victory in last Wednesday's monthly medal with a nett 72, edging out Tiina Randmae, who finished second with a nett 75. Pins for the day went to Paula McQuat, Tiina Randmae, and Vickie Wallace. Last weeks, Thursday stableford competition saw Corey Stroud emerge as the winner in the A division, scoring 44 points, four ahead of Sean Fogarty. Luchie Gardel triumphed in the B division with 42 points, ahead of Vickie Wallace's 39 points. Pin recipients were Cameron Mutch, John
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Whitsunday Sea Eagles relished their return to the nest on a wet and windy 22nd June 2024, hosting matches for both their Under 14s against the North Mackay Saints and their Senior teams against the Eastern Swans. The Senior Men's team faced a tough battle against the top-of-the-table Eastern Swans, succumbing to a 31-70 defeat in the slippery conditions. Despite numerous opportunities generated through hard work in defence and midfield, the Sea Eagles struggled to convert. They now aim to bounc
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It was a cool start to a beautiful sunny day at Proserpine Golf Course last Sunday, where eight teams competed in the 2 Ball Ambrose. The competition was tight, with close scoring among the top four teams. Highlighting the event, Brendon Meharry achieved an Eagle’s Nest on the 13th hole with a drive landing within one meter of the hole, providing excellent practice for the upcoming Mark Nicol Memorial 2 Ball Ambrose on July 21. Darren Reynolds and Scott Vlismas emerged as winners with a score of
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