Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Bringing almost 30 years of on-stage experience to the Whitsundays, the highly acclaimed Bill Chambers is performing at the Reef Gateway’s wonderful beer garden in less than a month’s time. Known also for his famous daughter, Casey Chambers, Bill Chambers has been surrounded by music in his family his entire life. Growing up, his father was an amateur folk singer and songwriter, and his mother would sing in harmony with him. Bill thought it was normal for everyone to have music around them. N
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The world’s largest motorcycling charity event arrives in Bowen this weekend! This year marks the third year the event will take place in Bowen, with dapper gentlemen from Bowen, Whitsundays and Burdekin all taking part in the event on Sunday 19 May. At this year’s ride, money raised will be donated to prostate cancer research and men’s mental health programs by the official charity partner, Movember. The Distinguished Gentlemen’s Ride is a global event and this year it is expected that 90,00
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Clear out your closet and get ready to bring in some treasured goodies and preloved items for the inaugural Zero Waste Solutions Preloved Night Market which is due to be held this evening. A host of stalls awaits and attendees are welcome to browse for some preloved clothing gold. Over the years Preloved Markets have increasingly become a great way for people to find new items of clothing while simultaneously getting more closet space. On the night coffee and snacks will be available to purch
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Wednesday afternoon Jackpot bowls saw a good roll up with some great games being played with Tony Whitehorn’s team leading Lu Rogan and second Rick Galea run away winners from the rest of the field, however the Jackpot never went off . Friday Morning the Endeavour Foundation disabled group came for their bowls lesson and showed that with practice they could represent our area in the disability games October 2025. Saturday morning Scroungers saw Russell Jackson, Eric Barnard and Arthur McManus
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Sunday Social: Ray, Ross and Kirky defeated Marion, Rob and Jane. Sue, Andy and Gavin defeated Allen, Dave and Steve. Jack, Wendy and Lloyd drew with Ron, Daryl and Jeff. Team Gus defeated Team Lloyd. Wednesday Social: Eddy, Gordo and Jeff defeated Brit, Sue and Jason. I.Thatcher, R.Muir and K.Jewell drew with M.Tuttle, J.Gilbert and M.Wright. Dave and Gus defeated Ron and Steve. Ladies B Singles: Tiarna Winter defeated Tracey Roach. Ladies A Singles: Lou Fordham defeated Helen Jacobsen. Co
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Competition results: Fely Duncan defeated Teresa Willshire. In Men’s A Singles Kevin Jewell defeated Herb Dalton. Mother’s Day winners Kevin Daniel, Marg Wilson and Greg Colquhoun defeated Toni Bowen, Graeme Read and Kennedy Whitton. Teresa Willshire, Maureen Hyde and Keith Armstrong defeated Bill Myers, Alby Vigar and D Maddingley. Robyn Stitt, Laurie Land and Allan Rolfe defeated Deb Retchless, Sue Shearing and Mark Drummond. Alf, Kevin Jewell and Pat Tracey defeated Bron, Ron Hyde and
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On Wednesday, Ladies winner was Elona Lynch with 37 points, runner up was Anne McGowan with 33 points. Men’s winner was Alix Webb with 41 points, runner up Ross Petersen on 37 points. On Friday, the ladies hosted the Bowen ladies open with 82 players taking to the course. Congratulations to Sheree Hasson from Nudgee who was the winner on the day with 71 gross score. Saturday was the Men’s B & C grade open. Frank Bidgood was the B Grade gross winner after a 3-hole playoff, Gross runner up Ca
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The drizzle stayed away long enough on the Labour Day Monday to allow Ryan Wilkes to notch up three bogeys, one eagle and seven birdies for a fantastic forty stableford points after his plus two handicap was applied. Two adrift was Levi Holmes. Pins went to Toni Clauss, Brent Franke, and Ryan Wilkes got the other two. Nathan Holohan won Thursday's competition in very damp conditions with a creditable 39 points: two ahead of Ash Morley-Hart. On Sunday Brett Bauer edgede out Patrick Conen on 3
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The weekly 9-hole stableford saw Alan Clinch take the win with 23 points, second with 22 points was Paula Wronski. Fridays 9-hole stableford saw Jayden Parata in first place with 22 points, second place with 21 points was Rhys Bartholomew. Sundays 2 ball ambrose competition saw Brock Brindle and Troy Pettiford in first place with 43.75, second place with 45.5 was Michael Bond and Tyson Flavel. This Sunday will be 18-hole stableford tee off anytime. Contributed with thanks to Kate Cross.
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The Bowen Visitor Information Centre has again been recognised as an accredited centre. There are about 100 accredited Visitor Information Centres in Queensland and each needs to meet a certain criteria and list of standards in order to achieve the accreditation. A site audit was conducted by a representative of the Tourism Group, on behalf of Tourism and Events Queensland. Bowen Tourism and Business received their letter of congratulations last week. “We wish to acknowledge your centre’s co
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Over 100 people gathered to celebrate 50 years of Meals on Wheels at a special event held in Proserpine last Saturday and it was a time to celebrate, reflect and give thanks to the incredible efforts of volunteers, committee members and staff. The first meal was served on May 6, 1974, to Mrs Hartwig who paid just 50 cents for a three-course meal which was delivered by Mrs Vera McLennan. An initiative of the Uniting Church of Proserpine, the inception of our local Meals on Wheels was spearheade
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To raise awareness of Australian Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, Whitsunday Counselling and Support hosted a candle lighting ceremony at the Volunteer Marine Club, to honour the people that have lost their lives due to domestic violence. Manager of Counselling Services, at Whitsunday Counselling and Support, Sharon Parker expressed the importance of the ceremony. “Today is candle lighting ceremony where we remember those people that have lost their lives to domestic and family
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Hi Everyone, When I was in my late teens, out on the town back in my hometown of Maidstone in the UK, I saw a young man hit his girlfriend straight across the face. Without thinking I broke off from my group of friends and marched up to the guy saying something like – “Oi, get off her!” Of course, he instantly turned on me, but fortunately some of the friends I was with quickly intervened and pulled me away. “We must go back, we can’t just see that happen and do nothing!” I remember saying f
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You never realise how lucky we are to have such remarkable local hospitals until you need the service and experience the magic firsthand. This is exactly what happened to Whitsunday local, Koren Stewart who took to social media site, Whitsundays Chat last week to thank the staff who helped her out when she needed it the most. “I just want to give a shout out and a huge thank you to Proserpine Hospital and Proserpine Ambulance service,” read the post. “You don't realise how lucky we are, until
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Over 150 uniformed soldiers will march through the Airlie Beach Main Street this Saturday, as part of the Freedom of Entry parade and it is expected to be a great spectacle for the whole community to embrace. The soldiers from the 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment (3CER) from Townsville will march down our street with bayonets fixed, drums beating, bands playing and insignia flying. Freedom of the City is traditionally a right granted to a military unit by a Local Government to honour a distinguis
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A tourist travelling through the region purchased his winning Lotto ticket at Bowen Convenience Store, before the Saturday Gold Lotto Draw saw his lucky numbers get pulled and a life-changing $700,000 won. The gentleman had been travelling through the region with his wife and said that he couldn’t believe his luck. “It will help pay off the house which is really exciting,” he said. “We will definitely continue the holiday, that’s for sure!” Pleased with his win, the gentlemen disclosed that
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Young drivers will now be able to improve their defensive driving in a safe and controlled environment thanks to a new Young Drivers Defensive Driving Program which is set to kick-off this weekend. Timed to run alongside National Road Safety Week, the one-day training program is dedicated to upskill new drivers, giving them the skills to deal with situations that naturally arise while driving. Operated by 2022 Whitsunday Young Citizen of the Year, Declan Coull, the course is part of a broader
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Local residents will soon have access to a series of free bushfire management and planning workshops which are designed to support landowners throughout the region in preparation for the upcoming bushfire season. An initiative of the Whitsunday Regional Council and part of the Whitsunday Resilience Bushfire Project, these workshops aim to provide landowners with the opportunity to learn how to assess bushfire risk and gain an understanding of important mitigation, response and recovery methods.
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Proserpine State High School Student Reid Ogden represented the school at the Ministerial Student Advisory Council meeting in Brisbane last week and the school are extremely proud of him. Reid said it was a privilege to be one of 18 students to represent their individual schools and have his voice heard by the panel about policies and rules for students attending school. Some topics that were discussed and reviewed by the council were the ‘Away For The Day' mobile phone policy, senior schooli
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The next five years of tourism growth and development has been outlined in an extensive Whitsunday Region Destination Management Plan (DMP) which was released by Tourism Whitsundays last week. The new plan provides a whole of region framework for action, with opportunities to optimise tourism in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympics. It will run from 2024 to 2028. The main vision for the plan has been to showcase The Whitsundays as the globally recognised Great Barrier Reef destination famous for
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Transitioning into Prep is an exciting milestone for both children and their parents who are embarking on the next chapter of life. It’s a time where new friendships are made, a formal education begins, and the foundations are set for the adults they will eventually become. Holding your hand through this new adventure is Whitsunday Christian College whose nurturing Prep program allows each child to flourish and feel safe and secure. Nestled safely within their intimate and dedicated Prep area
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Just Tuk’n Around hit the road in 2015 as a fun, light-hearted, informative eco-friendly tour experience. Their unique fleet of 14 tuk tuks offer a range of tours – from their 30-minute tour, their popular Progressive Dinner, and special occasion celebrations – that zip around our pathways and boardwalks highlighting the history, landscape, and everything to do in Airlie Beach. Just Tuk’n Around welcomed new owners in July 2023, Julia and Steve Whitton. They met on Long Island in 1992 and the
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This month marks Domestic and Family Violence Awareness Month, a time when we come together as a community to acknowledge the significance of this issue in our society. As Mayor, I stand with our community in raising awareness and advocating for the prevention of domestic and family violence. While there is heightened national interest in this issue at the moment, it's important to recognise that the problem is ongoing. I had the honour of attending candle lighting ceremonies in Bowen and C
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Whitsunday Regional Council is offering FREE bushfire resilience training and Property Bushfire Plans for landowners, funded by the Commonwealth Government's Black Summer Bushfire Recovery Grants Program. These sessions help participants assess risks and learn crucial mitigation strategies. Training is available in Proserpine, Collinsville, Cannonvale, and Bowen to enhance community resilience against potential bushfires. Call 1300 972 753 to enquire.
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Rob Taylor Expands The Empire After a successful six years in business, Taylors Property Specialists is charting new waters with its expansion into Proserpine, a key market which owner Rob Taylor, has earmarked for extensive growth. Purchasing Whitsunday Realty earlier this year, Rob’s strategic business plan identifies a young, dynamic element coming into the Proserpine market, alongside future overall growth of a broader region set to boom in the coming years. “We’ve got a really good mar
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