This sounds like a cliché, but I reckon Father’s Day is every day. I love having kids and being a dad. Sure, at times they give me the “you know whats”, I wish they would stay away from screens more, and actually listen better … or at all. Being a dad gives you the excuse of being able to make funny noises and blame it on pets and other people. You can pull a jumper over your head and tell the kids they can’t see you – other dumb stuff like that, just to make your little people laugh. Moving
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Revitalising Waterways Through Community Action The Sarina community has banded together to support revitalisation and regeneration of two beloved beaches, as part of protection for the Great Barrier Reef plan. Off the back of 10 community-led prompts detailed by the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac Reef Community Action Plan (CAP), the Sarina Landcare Catchment Management Association (SLCMA) has held a coastal rehabilitation project, calling for volunteers and locals to help out. Working to revitalise
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Those readers under a certain age will not have heard of a movie called Cool Hand Luke. Some of you might not have heard of its lead actor, Paul Newman, which is a shame because the film and the actor are worth seeing. For those not in the know, Paul Newman was a superstar and fine actor who looked a bit like me except he had more hair, piercing blue eyes, a chiselled chin, a slim athletic build, a smile that women would swoon over and a natural charm and charisma that meant women wanted him, an
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OPINION PIECE Did you know that Pine islet Lighthouse, located at the Mackay Marina, was the last kerosene illuminated lighthouse in Australia? The lighthouse was previously situated on Pine Islet in the Percy Group of islands, south-east of Mackay. The tower structure and keepers’ quarters were prefabricated in Brisbane before being shipped to the island in October 1884. Iron cladding for the lighthouse was brought from Britain. The lighthouse apparatus is a second-order Chance Brothers lanter
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Each week, there are miners, part time teachers, engineers, mums, speech pathologists, Church Leaders, GP’s, and part time chaplains who all volunteer their time to deliver Christian Religious Instruction to our local state schools – a 30-minute lesson where children can explore faith and values. Then we have our biggest group of volunteers, our amazing retirees (with a lot of past teachers and teacher aides) who bring a lifetime's worth of experiences and seasoned lessons of faith through the
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Friday 25 August Friday SUN.sets Every Friday Evening From 6pm Knock off drinks, lakeside dinner, good friends, and LIVE MUSIC. Wake House Australia Choirboys Friday, 6:00pm Don't miss this unmissable show as Choirboys perform all your favourites, all their hits, all night long. Celebrating over 4 decades together, Choirboys’ back catalogue has a swag of enduring rock anthems including Never Gonna Die, Big Bad Noise, Fireworks, Gasoline, Midnight Sun, Rendezvous, Boys Will be Boys, Struggleto
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Film & Arts Mackay present their next film night for the month of September, a viewing of the 2022 political thriller ‘Cairo Conspiracy’. The gripping and critically acclaimed new thriller from Swedish filmmaker Tarik Saleh (The Nile Hilton Incident, The Contractor) follows Adam, a young man who is offered the ultimate privilege: to study at the Al-Azhar University in Cairo. Shortly after his arrival in the city, the university’s highest-ranking religious leader, the Grand Imam, suddenly dies a
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Calen QCWA invites you to their Springtime Festival, a celebration of horticulture, friendship and sunshine. The Springtime Festival will incorporate a free horticultural competition across many classes, best colourful spring outfit competition, guest speakers, afternoon tea, a lucky door prize and more. Entry is $10, which includes afternoon tea, and children are free. There will also be a cent sale and snap raffles throughout the afternoon. For more information, call Diane on 0421 923 820 or
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Artspace Mackay welcomed three new exhibitions last weekend with two local creatives showing alongside a nationally acclaimed video installation artist. Artspace Mackay’s new suite of exhibitions are Zanny Begg: These Stories Will be Different, Kara Day: Ladylike and Stephen Homewood: Turbulence. Zanny Begg is a video installation artist who works across drawing, film, social and spatial practice to explore questions of feminism, migration and ecological and intergenerational responsibility. Art
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Following Near Misses With Children Following numerous incidents at a nearby car park, Eimeo Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) has shared their concern for children’s safety in an open letter to Mackay Regional Council. The letter, penned by Eimeo SLSC President Cynthia Hegarty, suggests a risk management plan for the car park, located between the clubhouse and Eimeo beach, requesting a boom gate to be installed at the entrance. Eimeo SLSC President Cynthia Hegarty said that the car park is often us
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Local Band To Debut At The Brewery If you disregard how often some of the members indulged in a cold pale ale at Red Dog Brewery, it’s a beautiful coincidence that Insane Cane Train’s first ever gig will take place at the same location the band was conceptualised. Lead singer and guitarist Dom Pinzone is a seasoned performer at the Chain Street brewery, his sets often involving everything from Ball Park Music to Neutral Milk Hotel. With a drum kit packed up in the corner of his apartment and a s
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The Marian Ladies Bowls Club hosted the Marian Master 4’s last week, culminating in an exciting grand final. Held on Monday August 14, with the finals on Wednesday August 16, the Masters were a testament to the ladies strength and determination. With 16 teams, and only the top four qualifying for the semi-finals on Wednesday morning, and the grand finals on Wednesday afternoon, the competition was heated. The winners for the Masters was Robyn Deveraux's team of Gail Meng, Val Pilcher, Deali
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MACKAY COUNCIL ENCOURAGES NOMINATIONS TO SPORTING HALL OF FAME By Sinead Porter When you hear the term ‘dedicated to sport’, who in your life instantly springs to mind? You can now recommend your top pick from the local community to Mackay Regional Council’s Sporting Hall of Fame. This institution has been developed to recognise the region’s residents who have made outstanding achievements in their sport. No matter your age or skill level, if you have made an impactful contribution to your sp
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Schools from Mackay, Cairns, Townsville and Capricornia descended upon Harrup Park last week as it hosted the AFLQ Schools Cup North Queensland Championships. North Queensland’s up and coming Australian rules football players from Junior, Primary and Secondary male and female divisions battled it out from August 15-16, with the six triumphant schools to compete at State Finals in Maroochydore in October. It was the first time Mackay hosted the tournament which brought over 1,000 visitors to the
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The Mackay Surf Life Saving Club is excited to welcome returning and new Nippers for the upcoming Nippers season, with a Sign On Day this Sunday, August 27. Come along to the club headquarters on Mackay’s Harbour Beach from 10am to 12pm this Sunday and learn the lifesaving sport of Nippers. With a series of ‘come and try’ days scheduled for September, this is a great chance to meet the crew and get all the information you need. Complete with surf education, fitness, and beach skills, these ‘com
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Cape Hillsborough will be a sea of sails when Mackay’s Central Queensland Blokart Club (CQBC) holds its annual regatta from September 8 to 10. Returning to the sandy flats for the 15th year, the CQBC Annual Cape Hillsborough Regatta has become the second biggest blokarting event in Australia, welcoming competitors from Victoria, southeast Queensland, Capricornia, Whitsundays and north Queensland. With strong links to sailing, blokarting is a rapidly growing sport that involves maneuvering a win
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The 1.609 kilometre out and back course was held from the beautiful Mackay Marina Breakwater precincts in perfectly cool and sunny running conditions for this year’s annual North Queensland Bulk Ports (NQBP) Open Magic Mile and the Podiatry Mackay Junior Magic Mile. All runners were very excited to run the 1609 metres distance on the spectacular breakwater, although not sure if they had time to take in the views in the fast and furious sprint distance event. The U13 and U18 Podiatry Mackay Mag
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The Hostplus Cup Mackay Cutters had local fans cheering as they played out their last game of the 2023 season, achieving their first win at home for the season. The beleaguered side secured their third win of the season, joining round 22 opponents Western Clydesdales on 10 premiership points and finishing the season 14th on the ladder. In the first clash between the two sides since the Clydesdales returned to the state competition, the Toowoomba-based visitors drew first blood in the fourth minu
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Founders Teams Winners After three weeks of fierce competition between eight teams with a minimum of four players, each playing with a different partner each week, Team Conroy has taken first place. Team Conroy consisted of Janelle Conroy, France Brown, Janet Hansen & Alan Brown. Weekly Results Monday 14 August 2023 – ANNE HIRD MEMORIAL TROPHY Week 2 of 3 N/S E/W 1st Diane Stokes / Debra Goodchild 1st Ian Gaskell / Edward Kleise 2nd Antonia Tarradas / Anne Lutz 2nd Joy Block / Monica Darley 3r
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Hi Everyone,My mum is a bit of a conspiracy theorist. She was enthralled by the recent investigative book on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines doomed 370 flight and regaled me with the theory that different governments knew about a package onboard and shot down the plane.
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The Federal Government has made the move to ban commercial gillnet fishing, a decision that will drastically impact over 90 licensed fishermen in the region.Andrew Willcox Federal Member for Dawson said the decision came without consultation and allowed no rebuttal from affected fishermen, stating the supposed dangers that gillnets pose to marine life as reason behind the ban.
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Usually organised mother-of-the-groom, Leanne Kettleton, woke up on Monday morning in a panic – it was the week of her son’s wedding, and she was completely unprepared.Working out west for long periods of time, she had just returned back to her hometown of Airlie Beach, and life was suddenly catching up with her.
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Albert Wicks, 93, is Mackay Bowls Club’s oldest active member. Albert regularly plays social Triples on Tuesday using his original bowls with only a walking stick for balance. Besides being a past committee member, Albert’s pervious bowling achievements include Club Pairs and Triples Championships, Senior Singles Champion as well as District Finalist in Pairs and Triples. Alberts experience and knowledge is invaluable for all bowlers, especially at Annual General Meetings. Ross Dunstan competed
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Celebrate Dual Challenge Titles Aaron Payne Cup North Queensland Cowboys bound half back Jaxon Purdue demonstrated his class as rugby league powerhouse St Patrick’s College completed a unique championship double last week in Townsville. The famous Mackay sporting nursery unveiled several Cowboys’ stars of the future when they slammed Kirwan State High 32-10 to lift the Aaron Payne Cup premiership trophy at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. Played as a curtain raiser to the NRL clash between t
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In January next year Airlie Beach will welcome a fleet of 11 racing yachts, as Coral Sea Marina once again becomes Host Port for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race. As Leg 4 of the around the world race, the competitors will travel north from Newcastle, in New South Wales, before stopping and resting in the Whitsundays for a brief period before beginning Leg 5.
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