Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
By Amanda Wright In the quiet community of Andergrove, a local treasure known as MAD Animal Addiction, a cherished petting farm, finds itself facing an uncertain future. For over six decades, the property at 81 Andergrove Road has been a vibrant tableau of rural life, a place where the gentle bleating of goats and the soft rustle of feathers have harmonised with the daily rhythm of the neighbourhood. Yet, as its owner, Karen Mason, shares, recent actions by the Mackay Regional Council (MR
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Mackay Teacher Claims Back-To-Back World Titles
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Ex-Servicemen Hit The Road To Help Sick Kids In a world where recognition often follows spectacle, two local veterans are quietly carving a road less travelled … one of grit, heart, and community backing. Tony Ciantar and Wayne Davis, both retired servicemen, are trading boots for bonnets and embarking on a 10,000km journey in their lovingly restored 1994 Ford Fairmont as part of this year’s Variety Bash. Although, this isn’t just any road trip. It’s a rugged, soul-stirring mission to r
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The Australia Wide Novice Pairs were played in May with 28 Novice players from Mackay competing. N/S winners were Mary Cruickshank and Geoff Cowan. E/W winners: Ted Cullinan and Susan Gibson. Weekly Results Monday 2 June 2025 –- 8 Table Mitchell Green Points N/S E/W 1st Janelle Conroy / Terry Sheedy 1st Margaret Lane / Barbara Tait 2nd David Ting / Eric Goodchild 2nd Noel Bugeia / Geoffrey Patterson 3rd Edward Kliese / Diane Stokes 3rd Ming Ting / Pamela Finger 3rd Joy Block / Nancy Wix 4th H
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At Inaugural Eimeo Surf Club Event Approximately fifty runners enjoyed ideal weather conditions and generous hospitality at the inaugural Mackay Road Runners event hosted by the Eimeo Surf Club. Participants tackled either a 5km or 14km course through the scenic and undulating suburbs of Eimeo, Dolphin Heads and Blacks Beach. Mackay Road Runners Club President, Paul Tilse, extended his gratitude to the Eimeo Surf Club for their warm welcome, which included access to parking, amenities, deliciou
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Cairns once again proved itself an ideal host city for the Great Barrier Reef Masters Games, held from May 29 to June 1, with over 220 swimmers taking part in three days of competitive pool events at the Tobruk Memorial Pool, followed by an open water swim at Lake Barrine. This year’s swimming program concluded with a scenic open water event on the Atherton Tablelands, where 74 swimmers took on either a 1500 or 3000 metre course in the 24-degree waters of Lake Barrine. Among the competitors we
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A Season Of Celebration, Opportunity, And Community Spirit It’s been an inspiring and action-packed few weeks across our region, full of energy, ideas, and community pride. From welcoming visiting ministers to celebrating local achievements in training, sport, education, and the arts—there’s so much to be excited about! We were thrilled to host Assistant Minister for Finance, Trade, Training and Employment, Amanda Stoker. Her visit gave locals a valuable chance to share feedback on gover
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The competition that combines artistic fun with serious safety messages is now open to all Queensland primary school children from Prep to Year 6. Twelve different pieces of artwork from Queensland primary students will be chosen to feature in the calendar, with a different safety theme for each month. Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations Jarrod Bleijie said the competition is about creative young minds promoting the
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It was a strong showing for Dunbar, with their players demonstrating a keen eye at the plate, drawing 11 walks to get on base. Tristan Hillier connected well with the bat, though was caught out by Dragons’ Lachlan Colless. Dragons’ powerhouses Connor Doolan and Noah Baxter made it on base three times each, both eventually crossing home. Boyd Baxter launched a centre-field home run, helping secure a 14-6 victory over Dunbar. Heavy Iron Hawks dominated Dragons Ausgroup in a 14-6 win. Justin Loche
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By Owen Menkens, CANEGROWERS Chairman It’s been a big week in cane country. Harvesters are up and running in the Tableland and Bundaberg districts, marking the start of the 2025 crush. For growers, there’s nothing quite like seeing the first cane bins filling up – it signals a new season, a fresh start, and hope for better days after a challenging run last year. Across the rest of Queensland, farms are almost ready. Growers are fine-tuning gear, checking fields, and waiting for their loc
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As we mark National Men’s Health Week, Community Bank Sarina Bendigo Bank reflects with pride on the many years of support provided to the Sarina and District Community Men’s Shed. In 2014, Community Bank Sarina provided a community grant to lay the foundations – quite literally – for the Sarina Men’s Shed location that is now the organisation's home. Close to $100,000 in funding supported essential infrastructure that enabled construction to begin and by 2015 it was operational. Sarina
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One thing I’ve come to really value in my role as Councillor is how often a simple conversation can make a difference. Whether it’s chatting to someone at my market stall, a message on Instagram or sitting down for a coffee with a local community group, these everyday moments are where the real work of a Councillor happens! People sometimes imagine that Councillors spend most of their time in council chambers, debating complex policies or poring over budgets. While meetings and reports are 100
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The Marian Bowls Club has once again demonstrated its generous community spirit, rallying together to support local charity Chances House with a thoughtful and timely donation. After learning of the organisation’s needs, club members reached out directly to see how they could help. “After a phone call direct to Chances we were advised what products/clothes were required and we then set out to provide a package for them,” said club secretary Lyn Jackson. On Wednesday 4 June, the ladies w
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In a significant step towards supporting vulnerable Queenslanders, the Queensland Government has officially opened a purpose-built Vulnerable Persons Hub in Mackay — a place designed to offer compassion, connection, and coordinated care for those in crisis. By bringing together key specialist units under one roof, the Hub will deliver a unified, trauma-informed response that places safety, dignity, and recovery at the forefront. Inside the thoughtfully designed facility are two dedicated
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The Greater Whitsunday region is once again taking bold steps toward a low-carbon future with the return of its highly anticipated event, "Decarbonisation Accelerated: Continuing the Conversation". Following the success of last year's sold-out Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit, this year's event will deepen the discussion around practical decarbonisation strategies and amplify regional voices in the national conversation. Attendees will engage in dynamic discussions on: Strategic Flexib
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Community Bank Sarina Bendigo Bank celebrated 20 years of community impact in our region with a special celebration on Saturday, 7 June – acknowledging the many people who’ve been a part of this momentous journey. Directors, former directors, staff, shareholders and community leaders gathered to reflect on the milestones achieved and Community Bank Sarina’s proud record of reinvesting over $4.2 million into local organisations and initiatives since opening in 2005. The night also featured a luc
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Mackay Regional Council has reassured the Sarina community that its museum items will be returned to the township once a project documenting the items of significance is completed. Mayor Greg Williamson said that complex process was expected to be completed in about six months and the collection would then be returned to Sarina. “The museum rationalisation project is, for want of a better term, a ‘stocktake’ of our museums collections,” Mayor Greg Williamson said. “This has been a mammo
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Seagrass is thriving off the Isaac region’s coastline according to the latest monitoring data collected by the Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership. Researchers have been able to track seagrass condition off Clairview’s coastline for the past seven years, thanks to continued investment from Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal Pty Ltd (DBCT P/L, also known locally as Daly Bay) and Dalrymple Bay Infrastructure (DBI). Principal Research Scientist at James Cook University’s Centre for Tropical Water a
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Country Fest Queensland Saddles Up For A Massive Weekend In Bloomsbury With cowboy boots dusted off and the sweet scent of fresh-cut grass in the air, Country Fest Queensland is set to roll back into Bloomsbury from June 27–28, promising two days of music, mateship and good old-fashioned country hospitality under the stars. The paddocks are primed, the line-up’s locked in, and the buzz is building – from long-time fans to curious first-timers, there’s plenty to be excited about. Among th
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Respected Detective Hangs Up The Badge By Hannah McNamara What began as a fascination with the police force while watching the popular TV show Cops in the ’90s has transformed into a legacy spanning nearly three decades: one marked by blood, sweat, and a quiet commitment to uncovering some of the region’s most confronting crimes. Retired Detective Sergeant Paul Arnold officially signed off last Wednesday during an emotional “piping out” ceremony held at Mackay Police Station, where office
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Soon after I arrived in Mackay I was talking with a middle-aged couple who mentioned they had been to a particular restaurant and, not being familiar with the local cuisine, I asked what the food was like. “The meals aren’t very big,” the wife said. In other parts of the world I’d heard criticisms such as “the steak was tough” or “the fish was oily”. My friend Mick tells the old joke about the bloke at a Chinese restaurant who complains to the waiter that “this chicken is rubbery”. “
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Mackay Unites To Honour 29 Lives Lost In 1960 Air Disaster By Hannah McNamara Sixty-five years have passed, but the grief still lingers. On June 10, the Mackay community gathered to remember the 29 lives lost in Australia’s worst civil aviation disaster at the time – the crash of TAA Flight 538 in 1960. Among them was Mr Col Benson, local Historian, former Air Force radio technician and long-time Mackay RSL member, who helped organise the solemn anniversary. “I was a schoolboy when it ha
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Mackay Down Under Skin Diving Club Marks 70 Years The Mackay Down Under Skin Diving Club has been diving deep – in every sense – since 1955. What began as a tight-knit group of ocean-loving skindivers has grown into one of the strongest spearfishing communities in Australia, boasting around 100 active members and a legacy that spans generations. As the second spearfishing club to be established in Australia, following Sydney’s Sans Souci Dolphins in 1953, the Mackay-based club has become
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Earlier this month, 94 proud individuals officially became Australian citizens at a special ceremony held at the MECC. Mayor Greg Williamson and councillors welcomed the new citizens, who hailed from 25 countries including the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Italy, Namibia and Nepal. The ceremony was a celebration of the rich cultural diversity that continues to shape and strengthen the Mackay region. Since citizenship ceremony records began in 2013, Mackay has welcomed new Australi
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