Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
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Gold Coast SUNS AFLW games record holder Lauren Bella is the latest to commit her future to the club, inking a long-term contract extension. The SUNS Academy product and one of two remaining foundation players on the club’s AFLW list will remain in the red, gold and blue until at least the end of the 2027 AFLW season. Her extension coincides with this morning’s confirmation that the SUNS will be returning to Mackay for a fourth consecutive AFLW season, hosting Carlton at Great Barrier Reef Are
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In a regional first, a local man of Mackay, Liam Paro, etched his name into Australian sporting history by fulfilling his childhood dream of becoming a world champion in boxing on June 16. Raised in Mackay, Liam was known for his boundless energy and passion for boxing from an early age after he confidently declared his ambitions to his mother while perched on his kitchen bench one day at just thirteen years old. Liam's mother, Sharon Cortez, vividly recalls the day when her teenage son procl
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Mackay Cutters rugby league team have zoomed into the top eight after toppling cellar-dwellers Ipswich Jets 30-16 in Hostplus Cup action last weekend at BB Print Stadium. There was no stopping the home side who laid the foundations for a sixth victory this season through their rugged forward pack and slick back division. Early tries by skipper and lock Sean Mullany and young winger Brent Anderson helped the Cutters establish a 10-0 lead after nine minutes. Ipswich centre Mathew Lyons responde
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Mackay's very own Meg Harris is gearing up for the Olympic trials, backed by a recent sponsorship from Auswide Bank. Born in Bundaberg, this 22-year-old swimming sensation has captured the hearts of her hometown supporters. Meg’s journey began on the sands of Eimeo Beach in Mackay, where her passion for surf lifesaving laid the groundwork for her Olympic success. At just 13, she traded coastal life for the pool in Brisbane, determined to chase her Olympic dreams. Like many athletes, Meg faces
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In a ground-breaking event, a grand total of $36,265 has been raised for the Ronald McDonald House Charities North Australia and Hospitality Cart at Mackay Base Hospital all thanks to the 2024 Mackay Basketball NBL1 fundraising game and charity singlet auction held on May 31. The Meteors wore limited edition jerseys representing Mackay’s renowned sugar cane trains and after the intense matchup, the jerseys, infused with the sweat and spirit of the game were auctioned off to eager bidders, with
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With a focus on empowering young aspiring athletes, Harrup Park is thrilled to announce the official launch of the Mackay Sports Foundation, a new initiative dedicated to supporting the youth of the community. This helpful new initiative is designed to offer financial aid to young athletes by assisting them in meeting the expenses associated with participating in sports events, with an emphasis on empowering the youth to reach beyond financial boarders. The goal is to encourage upcoming athlete
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QCCS Mackay Cutters players Jaxon Purdue, Jamal Shibasaki, and Mutua Brown were set to make their debuts in the U19 Queensland Origin squad yesterday, June 20th, at Leichhardt Oval. The time of print for this publication was prior to Thursday. In an exciting development, Queensland Rugby League recently announced the Queensland Under 19 men's squad, featuring standout talents from the Mackay Cutters. Jaxon Purdue and Jamal Shibasaki made their National Rugby League debuts for the North Queensla
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Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixtures June 11, 2024 Division 1: Blue (Geoff Coran, Steven Whiting, Lee Brake) d Orange (Janice Kent, Geoff Denman, Donna Abbott) 7-4. Geoff C d Geoff D 8, 7, -9, -6, 12. Brown (Barry Patterson, Vince Boeske, Andrea Nicholson) d Red (George Camilleri, Anne Sheridan, Graeme Walker) 8-3. Andrea d George -8, -10, 5, 7, 7. White (Tony Bowman, Lily Boland, Leo Gilbert) d Whjte (Mark Sleeman, Andrew McHugh, Neil Brown) 8-3. Neil d Leo 9, 13, -7, 17. Black (Alla
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Cricket fans, get ready for international action here in Mackay. Watch Australia take on our competitive neighbours, New Zealand, in the CommBank T20 International Series as the teams finalise their World Cup preparations. Tickets for the highly anticipated Australia vs. New Zealand Commbank T20I series are now on sale. This September, the Great Barrier Reef Arena will host two thrilling international cricket matches on the 19th and 22nd, bringing world-class women’s cricket action right to our
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The cool clear morning provided perfect running conditions for Event #386. The Mackay parkrun event saw a fantastic turnout with 291 participants, including many first-timers and visitors. Highlights of Saturday's event included celebrating several milestones for Elaine McFarlane, Russell Leeson, and Ashley Miles who achieved their 100th finish milestones. Michael Zivkovic reached his 50th finish milestone. Weslan Hawkins completed his 10th Junior finish milestone and Michael Vella accomplishe
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Wednesday saw 12 Tables (48 players) arrive for a friendly game of bridge. This is a fantastic turn up mid-week. Friday was the twelfth round of Nation-Wide Pairs and Saturday the bridge heated up for the second round of the Club Pair Championships with 24 pairs competing for red points. Mackay pair Mary Rose Ramsden and Noel Saunders were placed 24th in the Australian Wide Novice Pairs, with more than 1,200 pairs and 90 clubs participating. This event is a national bridge event run by Australi
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Approximately forty runners tackled the 30km, 15km, and 5km distances last Sunday as they sprinted through the scenic Mackay region, from Glenella to West Mackay and then out to the Mackay Harbour and back. Mackay Road Runners Northview Park 30km Club Championship, 15km and 5km were held in perfect running conditions from the playground carpark at Northview Park, Schapers Road, Glenella. Club President, Brendan Bishop was a major contributor for the streamlined success of the event alongside
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Dagwood dogs dipped in sauce, fairyfloss and fairground rides, side show alley and the dodgem cars. A cuddly chicken and a friendly goat, the horse parades and the orchid display – there is so much to see at Show Whitsunday! Continued on page 3. Muster Dogs “A Must” Continued from page 1. This year Show Whitsunday will welcome a special guest with ‘Muster Dogs’ winner Frank Finger in attendance. Frank will “bring the crew” and be in the main ring at lunch time and again at 3pm, to talk to
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Leader of the Opposition, David Crisafulli, held several public events in the Whitsundays on Monday this week, accompanied by Member for Whitsunday Amanda Camm. The pair attended a special breakfast at Coral Sea Resort followed by an exclusive interview with Mackay and Whitsunday Life Newspaper. They then headed into Proserpine and met with Councillors before being welcomed at the Tourism Whitsundays board meeting. For the past 10 years Labor has been in power in Queensland, with Annastacia P
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Hi Everyone, I hope you’re enjoying the cracking weather we’re having at the moment! I know Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli certainly did when he came to the Whitsundays this week and it was great to catch up with him and our local member Amanda Camm for a chat. Feel free to scan the QR code on the page opposite if you would like to view the full video of our interview. Every week I am amazed at the stories that come out of our region and this week was no different. I have been in
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Earlier this week, a local sunset cruise company called Whisper Cruises, captained by Dale Tansley, was on one of their regular turtle-spotting sunset tours, when they heard a plea for help in the distance. To their surprise, after searching with their spotlight, they noticed a 24-year-old woman perched on a mangrove branch near Pioneer Bay. Immediately, the brave crew and guests jumped into action, in hopes of rescuing the poor girl, who by this point said she had been stuck there for an hour.
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Since November last year Collinsville local, Daniel Honnery, has been on life support at Mackay Base Hospital after a rare illness caused his body to completely shut down. Daniel has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a severe and life-threatening neurological disorder where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves. He is experiencing what’s known as ‘locked-in syndrome’ where he is cognisant but unable to communicate. Over the months he has been able to open his eyes and can talk
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When local mum, Shell Wardrope, took a stumble on her wet driveway in May this year she didn’t think the innocent fall would change the trajectory of her life forever. The rain had been pouring for some time and she raced outside to call her son in for dinner, tripping forward and landing straight on her knee. Within seconds she could see a large gash form and after examining the wound, her and her husband Ben decided to go to the local hospital where they received stitches for the injury and re
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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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