Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Meet the infamous duo, Elmo and Chicken Man, two men creating smiles in the Mackay region with their funky motorcycle helmets and dance moves in traffic. Name: Ethan Grech (Grechy) Handle: @motogrechy Alias: Elmo Age: 18 Origin: Mackay Bike: Black Yamaha MT-07 Ethan Grech, better known by his crew as ‘Grechy’, is a born and raised Mackay local with a strong love for his region. Growing up, he always wanted his motorcycle license and had a strong passion for bikes. Mr Grech has many reasons f
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The 2023 Mackay Isaac Region Tourism Awards recently shone a spotlight on the outstanding accomplishments of local tourism operators, underlining their essential role in the region's economy. This prestigious event unfolded at the Mackay Entertainment & Convention Centre (MECC) with 172 attendees representing the region's tourism businesses and industry stakeholders. Mackay Regional Council Deputy Mayor, Karen May, emphasised the importance of these awards in acknowledging those who continually
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Mount Pleasant Centre took home the gold in the Mackay Isaac Tourism Awards for ‘Excellence in the Retail/Hire Services’ category. MTP have worked diligently over recent years to define themselves as a community centre, with retailers catering to all needs from food to clothing and homewares. The recent win has alluded that the Centre has plenty to offer both locals and visitors to our region, priding itself on holding community engagement at the forefront. Two years ago, the Centre was bought
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Cath and Nick uit den Bogaard are the owner and operator power couple behind Comfort Resort Blue Pacific, located on the golden sands of Blacks Beach. Comfort Resort Blue Pacific won gold in the Standard Accommodation category at the 2023 Mackay Isaac Region Tourism Awards. Established in the Northern Beaches area over forty years ago, the couple have proudly owned the property for twenty four years. Since then, Comfort Resort has offered its variety of quality accommodations and services to
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Amanda Pelagalli Amanda Pelagalli, Managing Director of Wake House Australia and the creative mind behind Mackay Adventure Tours and Transfers, has received the 'Outstanding Contribution by an Individual' award at the Mackay Isaac Tourism Awards. Her journey from hosting pro wakeboarders to transforming Mackay's tourism landscape is a testament to the untapped potential of the region. It all began in 2019 when Amanda and her husband, Dan, revived the wake park at Wake House Australia, one of
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Mackay Base Hospital is receiving a boost to its ability to identify cardiac issues thanks to Mackay Hospital Foundation and Daly Bay. Local Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Specialist, Dr Stephen Luke, is attending a masterclass in Critical Care Transoesophageal Echocardiorgraphy in Europe, thanks to a grant from Daly Bay, coordinated by the Mackay Hospital Foundation. One avenue to detect cardiac issues is a transoesophageal echocardiogram (TOE) which is a specialised procedure which can be perform
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By Kevin Borg, Chairman, CANEGROWERS Mackay It has been excellent to see the recent news from the University of Queensland and Sugar Research Australia that a five-year collaboration has resulted in proof through a validation trial that genomic selection can successfully predict the performance of key sugarcane traits. The technology promises to bring benefits to the industry, improving plant breeding outcomes and speeding up the implementation of genetic improvements. In the announcement, SRA’s
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One of the questions you get asked a lot in real estate is: When is a good time to sell? There are not many bad times to sell in Mackay but certain times of the year are very good for selling a property. This is one of them. The lead-up to Christmas from late October is a very active time for buyers. One of the things sellers should be more aware of is the mind-set of buyers. Put yourself in their position. Imagine what would be going through your head if you were a buyer. At any time of the yea
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OPINION PIECE There is always excitement around celebrating our sporting achievements and on November 4 we will do just that. The MM Electrical NQ Sportstar Awards is being held at the MECC to determine the best North Queensland has to offer, with 129 finalists across 11 categories. Mackay is well represented, with 28 finalists in the following categories: Service to North Queensland Sport, Masters Sportstar, Athlete with Disability, Senior Sportstar, Junior Sportstar, Senior Team of the Year,
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A couple of big things are happening this weekend that you may not be aware of. I suppose you could get into quite an argument over which is more important than the other. I’ll just put it out there. The first one is National Teachers’ Day which is today. The second is our 4MK Cyclone Sunday in Bowen. Sure, both are very important to highlight and to be thankful for so I’m going to break down both for you and you can either agree or disagree with me. That’s your call. Let’s look at National
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Friday 27 October Guided Walks in the Gardens 10am – 11:15am A guided walk in the Gardens. These walks last about an hour and are conducted at a leisurely pace. While bookings are preferred, individuals can phone the gardens at 07 4952 7300 or email botanic@mackay.qld.gov.au to reserve their spot. Every Friday until the end of October. | Free entry. Mackay Regional Botanic Gardens Come and Try Lawn Bowls 10am – 11:30am Enjoy a fun session learning to play. Bowls provided or bring your own. We
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DRIVING MADELEINE is a heart-warming French drama film, released in 2022 and directed by Christian Carion. The story rediscovers the power of the kindness of strangers, following taxi driver Charles (Dany Boon) who reluctantly takes on an early-morning booking. He begins to regret his decision when a cantankerous old woman, Madeleine (Line Renaud) is waiting begrudgingly at the pickup point. Despite his own personal grievances, Charles begins to realise that his problems are nowhere near as har
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Shed Happens Mackay is set to celebrate International Men’s Day on 17th November this year. The organisation celebrates this event annually, with a corporate charity breakfast on or near International Men’s Day, which falls on 19th November. Sponsored by DGH Engineering and supported by DBCT, this is Shed Happens Mackay’s premier event, being supported by an Art Show in August and presentation of Mackay Man Of The Year at the International Men’s Day breakfast. Our sponsors include DBCT, 2iT Tec
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Mackay Regional Council has awarded more than $30,000 to two local equestrian organisations. Mackay Riding for the Disabled was awarded $6739 to upgrade its fences and boundaries and Mackay and District Hack and Pony Club received $24,300 to upgrade and extend their current cross-country course. The grants were part of $192,564 worth of Community Grants (round one) awarded to 22 community groups. Community Grant Committee Chair Cr Laurence Bonaventura said this round of grants had been very comp
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This year, Mackay Regional Council is asking residents to be prepared for all natural disasters – not just cyclones. On Saturday, November 4, council will hold Disaster Ready Saturday at Caneland Central from 9am to 1pm, outside Target. Mayor Greg Williamson said more and more we were faced with the threat of bushfires, floods, storms and extreme heat, as well as cyclones. “We’ve changed the name of this event from previous years as natural disasters can happen to anyone, anywhere,” Mayor Willia
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Businesses looking to leverage off the exciting Finch Hatton Mountain Bike Trails can learn more at workshops being held in November. Council is hosting two Bike Ready Business Workshops, at Finch Hatton and Mackay, to assist businesses in learning about the significant opportunities the trails will offer. Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson said the workshops would be co-hosted by award-winning destination and marketing specialists, Destination Marketing Store (DMS) and Swell Design. “DMS and Swell ha
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The Pioneer Swimming Club travelled to Proserpine last Saturday, for the Whitsunday Swimming Club Transition Meet. Quite the contingent of Dolphins enjoyed the small but mighty event. This small country carnival sure packed a lot into the day. Highlights for our swimmers included receiving a token rubber duck if a swimmer won their heat, mystery relays where swimmers from all clubs were randomly chosen to form teams in a hotly contested relay, a candy shop for the sweet tooth amongst us and t
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Fans of popular American television sitcom My Three Sons that aired in the 1960s would remember notable actor Fred McMurray and the fortunes of his kids Mike, Robbie and Chip. Wind the clock forward five decades and Mackay couple Teresa and Phil Simon are proud of the rugby league achievements of three of their off-spring Kane, Kai and Nate. Originally hailing from the Sarina Crocodiles, the Simon trio have established themselves in the Mackay Junior League with the Walkerston Wanderers and Mac
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Victorian master blaster Matt Short came to Mackay and conquered last week with a blistering ton at Great Barrier Reef Arena. The 27-year-old opener from Ballarat demonstrated his batting power in the Bushrangers’ 19-run victory over Queensland in the Marsh Cup limited overs series – peeling off a superb 134 to earn the Player of the Match award. A swashbuckling Short showed why he has earned five international caps for Australia in white ball cricket with a cracking century against the Queens
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In a huge recruiting coup, Chelsea Brook has put pen to paper and will return to the McDonald’s Mackay Meteorettes for the 2024 NBL1 North Season. 25-year-old Brook is the first NBL1 roster signing for the Meteorettes and makes her way back to North Queensland following a two-year stint with the Darwin Salties. In her second season in the Northern Territory, Brook averaged 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists. Across 51 career NBL1 games she’s averaged an impressive 16 points, 8 rebounds and 3 a
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Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday night fixtures October 17, 2023: Division 1: Foxtrot (Tony Bowman, Tim Sheehan, Geoff Denman) d Echo (Steven Whiting, Graham Brake, Mark Sleeman) 8-3. Geoff d Steven -8, 3, 6, -10, 8. Charlie (Anne Sheridan, Robbie Richards, Graeme Walker) d Delta (Ian McKay, Barry Patterson, Lee Brake) Graeme d Lee 6, 7, -7, -4, 12. Bravo (Neil Brown, Emma Widdup, Vince Boeske) d Alpha (Mick Ruhl, Janice Kent, Allan Edwards) 6-5. Neil d Janice -8, 6, 10, -14, 6. Division 2: Nov
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The Mackay Bowls Club's Ladies Section recently hosted a thrilling 3 Bowl Triples Carnival, showcasing the skills and camaraderie that make lawn bowls a beloved sport. The event, which featured all rinks in play, was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Barry and Leanne Jenner of Sheds n Homes. The competition was spirited, and the victory went to the team of Carol Savage, Sue Hunter, and Karina Dunn, who secured the championship title. Second place was claimed by Ros White, Rita Hu
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This weekend will see Mackay Surf Lifesaving Club host over one thousand competitors and spectators from the Gold Coast up to Cairns, competing for the coveted title of Northern Australian Surf Lifesaving Champions for 2023. Director of Surf Sports Josh Grant stated, “Our club is extremely proud to be the host of this prestigious surf lifesaving event that we have successfully hosted since 1991. “This is a huge drawcard for lifesavers to take on the best of the best in the North. It is absolut
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‘Queensland State Champions’ Champion of Champions 4’s competition was conducted this past weekend on 21st and 22nd October at South’s Suburban Bowls Club. Teams from Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Townsville and Mackay all vied for the coveted trophy in both the Men’s and Ladies Competition. Knockout games were played on Saturday, with the semi-finals played on Sunday morning. The two teams in first and second place played off in the afternoon, with North Mackay and Townsville vying for the honour of
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The Mackay Contract Bridge Club congratulated members rising through the Master Categories. Life Master Patricia Garner, Silver National Debra Goodchild, Bronze Local Sandy Patterson and Club Masters Joy Block and Vicky Howard. WEEKLY RESULTS Monday 16 October 2023 – 6 Table Mitchell Green Points N/S 1st Geoffrey Patterson / Noel Bugeia 2nd David Ting / Eric Goodchild 3rd Edward Kleise / Diane Stokes E/W 1st Helen Van Den Broek / Jan Harris 2nd Terry Sheedy / Janelle Conroy 3rd Geoff Cowan /
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