The design agency behind the renovation of Bowen's historic jetty has come up with a novel way to avoid the astronomical cost of removing many of the structure's imposing concrete pilings. North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP) put its renovation plans for the jetty to the acid test last week when it made its pitch to the town's Chamber of Commerce June meeting. An audience of around 50 attended the chamber's June meeting to see NQBP CEO Brendan Webb unveil two design options, by design bureau Aru
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Queensland Police have issued an appeal to the public for assistance in locating Celeste McGain, a 40-year-old woman reported missing since Saturday 1 June from the Whitsundays area. Celeste McGain was last seen on Paluma Road in Woodwark around 2pm on Saturday 25 May. Since then, there have been no sightings or communications from her. Concerns for Celeste's well-being is heightened as her disappearance is considered out of character by family and friends. However, it has not been marked as sus
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Art Whitsunday has just moved its most recent art exhibit from Mackay to Airlie Beach and it is now showing at The Heart Hotel and Gallery. Entitled, ‘Life Beneath the Surface’ the exhibit is a collaboration by Art Whitsunday Inc. artists highlighting their personal interpretation of life beneath natural surfaces in the Whitsundays. Surfaces could be portrayed as rainforest canopy, reef coral ledge, fresh or salt water, cloud, flowering sugar cane, cave roof, sand, ground, or sky. The warm,
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One of my top priorities as Mayor is ensuring that Council recognise the importance of engaging with our residents in a meaningful and genuine way about decisions which affect our community. A good way for residents to keep up to date with current proposed and current projects is by registering with our Your Say Whitsunday portal. This is Council’s online engagement space, which allows you to have your say on the things which matter to you, at any time of the day or night. All you need to do
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Whitsunday Regional Council has completed the installation of 10 new 26,000 litre steel community water tanks in vulnerable locations throughout the region that are at risk of bushfires. Mayor Ry Collins said the water tanks, which were installed as part of the Whitsunday Bushfire Resilience Project, are vital Council-owned and managed infrastructure that provide centralised water for Rural Fire Brigades to use for firefighting purposes. “The Whitsundays has a history of bushfire and just like
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Students from Bowen State High School Instrumental Music (IM) Program represented their school at the regional finals in Townsville last Monday. The local school was the only secondary school outside of Townsville to reach the Regional Final of Fanfare and Principal Rob Harris was extremely proud of his students. “I am immensely proud of every student for their performance tonight they sounded amazing,” said Mr Harris. “We look forward to showcasing our concert band in the community over t
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The PCYC Respect Program is well under way at Proserpine State High School, being in its sixth week out of a total of 10. The program was created to support at-school youths who are struggling with discipline, respect and behavioural problems. PCYC Branch Manager and Respect Program organiser, Sergeant Billy Li went through the Respect Program training 2 years ago, and shortly after, he approached Proserpine State High School and said he would like to work with the young people at the school a
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Burnups Furniture Court started up in 1950 and has been a generational family business ever since, serving the needs of the community by bringing quality furnishings to the region. First opened as a ‘hole in the wall’ shop on Bowen’s … street, it expanded to a much larger showroom on Powell Street that John, Lillian and the Burnup children also lived on top of. Eventually John’s son Clive took over the business, and again expanded it with the addition of warehousing. Clive saw the industry ch
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As gardeners we’ve been a bit spoilt up till now! I’ve barely touched the garden hose. With all the rain we have had, I’ve rarely needed to water, But at last, the Whitsundays picturesque winter weather has arrived, the sun is out and the rain has all but disappeared with the forecast for the next week being sun, sun and more sun. I love this time of year, not only because of the invigorating feeling experienced as the first of the sun’s rays warm my shivering body (who does 10 degrees! and t
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Balance has been restored to the Cannonvale Beach parklands with the arrival of a three-metre Fig Tree which replaces the old tree that was tragically poisoned some weeks prior. Investigations are still underway to discover the culprit who took it upon themselves to destroy the large tree that was a habitat for birdlife and a welcome source of shade for many decades. It was, however, a sense of renewal when the young tree was planted in a similar spot earlier this week. At just three-metres,
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The Channel 7 Weekender crew will be in Bowen and Collinsville next week filming for an episode previewing next month. The presenter will be former professional cricketer Lee Carseldine who is known for his larrikin style sense of humour on the show. The region has been featured on the show in the past and Lee presented a segment a few years ago when he walked to the lighthouse. Manager of Bowen Tourism and Business, Leanne Abernethy said everyone was looking forward to hosting the crew an
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Just over 35 local business owners started their morning at the June Chamber Connect event held in Cannonvale last week. The main event was the discussion panel on the theme of ‘getting free media for your business’. Editor in Chief of Mackay and Whitsunday Life Rachael Smith, Deb Friend of Whitsunday News, Paul O’Connor from Star FM, 4MK and Kix Mackay, and Tegan Philpott formally the Chief of Staff with ABC Tropical North and currently with CQ Rescue, were on the panel. Deb Friend of Whi
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You've probably all heard the fantastic news by now – Airlie Beach has been named Queensland's Top Small Tourist Town for a record-breaking third year in a row at the 2024 Queensland Top Tourist Town Awards. We're so proud of our stunning scenery, our lively town centre, and of course, the amazing experiences we have on offer. Big congrats also to Bowen for taking home the bronze medal in the Top Tourism Town category and Collinsville for reaching the Top Tiny Tourism Town finals. It was
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Before the State of Origin kicks off, The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel hosted a hot dog eating competition, and it was a great success. $700 worth of prizes were given out, as well as free hot dogs for everyone! The Pub hosted both boy and girl heats, then the three fastest girls and the three fastest boys competed against each other, but the boys had a foot long hot dog to make it fair. The eventual winner was one of the guys who narrowly beat 2 girls (who came 2nd and third). For Origin 2, Wed
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The draw of the year is almost here! You have the chance to win a 2024 Toyota Corolla valued at $35,000 as part of the Airlie Beach Hotel $250,000 prize pool. To enter, just spend $25 in The Pub, The Bar, or any ABH Liquor & Tobacco merchants bottle shop. And be at The Pub, Airlie Beach Hotel’s gaming room Wednesday & Thursday between 3pm & 7pm and Friday & Saturday between 4pm & 8pm with your members card inserted correctly for your chance to win. There are prize draws every 20 minutes inclu
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Originally from Indonesia Virly Trotter has moved around the world and now brings her passion for cooking to Airlie Beach. At Whisper Restaurant & Gin Bar, Virly is the newly appointed Pastry Chef and also provides charcuterie and grazing boards for events and functions. Virly believes that her charcuterie boards are fast becoming a feature in many functions at Whisper Restaurant. “I love to use my creativity when I am sculpting flowers and patterns with different elements on the grazing tabl
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Ryan Wilkinson is back in the Venue Manager role at Jubilee Tavern and has been for two months, and he brings a lot of experience. Originally a personal trainer, hospitality was a side job for Ryan, but with promotions coming his way Ryan decided to stick to hospitality which he found he was enjoying more. “I love the people that you meet and work alongside, and also the freedom, the hours are a little bit flexible,” said Ryan. As venue manager, Ryan’s role is primarily people management, r
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The Proserpine Museum’s 28th Annual Book Bonanza returns in two weeks and is expected to be bigger than ever. The bonanza started in 1996 at St Catherine’s Hall as a fundraiser for the new museum, which opened in 2001. Due to the popularity of the event, and the increase in pre-loved books being donated, the venue was upgraded to the museum's foyer and its longevity extended to over a week. The generosity of the local public has led to the availability of a diverse range of books and magazines
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Entries are now open for the Love Letter to Queensland community writing competition. The competition is calling individuals to share their heartfelt stories and express their love for the magnificent state. The state is known for its breathtaking landscapes, vibrant communities and unique culture, and the competition wants to hear your individual experiences, memories and connections to Queensland, in the form of a love letter. How you construct your love letter is up to you. Whether thro
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The Sea Eagles Juniors braved the pre-dawn chill on Saturday, traveling to Rogers Oval to take on the Eastern Swans and Bakers Creek. Meanwhile, the Seniors hit the road to clean up the Mackay Magpies on their home turf. The Sea Eagles Senior Men celebrated Captain Alex Rodgers' 100th senior game in style with a win over the Mackay Magpies, who sit above them on the ladder. It was a tight contest all day, with the Sea Eagles finishing strong with a 72-53 victory. Fraser Carroll kicked four goals
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Wednesday Social Bowls In an exciting round of Wednesday social bowls, Mary Ellen, Helen/Bev, Gavin, and Wendy defeated Ian, Eddy, Jane, and Steve. In another match, Frank, Gordo, and Daryl defeated Anna, Peter, and Dave. The winners for the afternoon were Marion, Robyn, and Gus, who defeated Britt, Marilyn, and Ray. Weekly Bowls Schedule The Tuesday and Friday afternoon bowls sessions are now underway. Interested players should add their names to the sign-up sheet located outside the clubhouse.
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Many players from Proserpine and the Mackay District are currently at the Gold Coast competing in the Australian Open. Jonathan Bye and Gavin Milne have advanced to the second round of the knockout for the Men's Fours. Scott Kinnear has won all his sectional games in the Vision Impaired section and is set to play Jake Fehlberg in the semi-final on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Pat Bownds and Lee King travelled to Marian Bowls Club with Heather to represent the club at Marian's PAH. In social play, Bruc
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Monday Self-Selected Triples Winners: Peter Howie, Greg Colquhoun, and Kennedy Whitton, who defeated Trish Leon, Fox G Feast. Runners-Up: Ron Hyde, Maureen Hyde, and Norm Dawson, who defeated G Cornell, Hary Wills, and Keith Armstrong. The jackpot did not go off. Tuesday Social Bowls Winners: M Bron, Tolcher J Foskett, and Bob Dykstra, defeated John Hayson, Sue Shearing, and Simon Fitzgerald. Runners-Up: Joan Brian and Ron Hyde, defeated Allan, Dianne, and Barry. The jackpot did not go off. Fu
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The Whitsunday Equestrian Group’s 2-Day Showjumping Classic, held on June 8-9 at the Cannonvalley Pony Club, was a resounding success, providing a thrilling weekend for both participants and onlookers. Competitors from Townsville to Mackay gathered to showcase their skills, marking the start of the prestigious Frosty Mango NQ Leaderboard, a North Queensland-wide cumulative placings event. 110CM Frosty Mango Leaderboard Results: 1. Abigail Lee on Hazardous 2. Abigail Lee on Laced Up 3
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Division 2 Men The Division 2 men travelled to Mackay aiming to close the gap to the top-of-the-table Dolphins. Early missed opportunities proved costly, and the Dolphins secured a 5-1 victory. Goalkeeper Ross put in an excellent performance, keeping the scoreline respectable. Division 1 Men The Division 1 men faced a youthful Dolphins team, dominating the first half. Despite missing clear chances and an injury delay, Whitsunday held on for a 2-1 win, maintaining their top position. Chris scored
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