Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Steven Spielberg has crafted his newest and most personal film, the Fabelmans, with the grace of his cumulative decades earnt in a lifetime of filmmaking.
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Here is a story as old as music: the travelling artist - guitar strapped to their back - arrives in a beachside town with song on their lips. And they never leave. Airlie Beach has become a rest home for more musicians and maestros, more bards and bands than it may have any right to – it is a place polished in creativity, in which artists have scraped at the sheen, hoping to keep a piece for themselves.
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It’s game day and The Pub is packed: the fever pitch rises at every kick, every crunching tackle, every catch. And a silence descends; only a few huddled gasps and whispered encouragements -- “Go, you good thing!” Then the roar of the crowd. Every day and every night at the Airlie Beach Hotel’s Sports Bar, the big screen is filled with football, with fights, with bat and ball sports. And its atmosphere is always unmatched, it’s like being in the stadium.
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Hundreds of children enjoyed an Australia Day slime-filled fun fest at the Whitsunday Sportspark last week thanks to the first annual event run by Proserpine Youth Space. Photo credit: Rachael Smith and Sophie McManus
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Again, that day sneaks up on us. What to do this year? Picnic in the park? Candlelit dinner for two? A bed of red rose petals spilling across the floor? No – no, not all that again. That’s a lot of picking up roses later. If you’re bereft of ideas for Valentine’s Day – oh, that sweet, sweet, sneaky day – you’re lucky you live in a picture-perfect paradise; a postcard place, brimming with choices for the romantic.
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Sourced from an ancient inland ocean that is estimated to be 100 million years old, each individually cut and collected opal is completely unique and it is their swirling sparkles and transient shades of turquoise that make them so special.
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It is stated that 3.5 billion people are football fans. Fans of The World Game, The Beautiful Game, what in Australia we call soccer -- the largest sport on the globe; in fact, we are floating on an enormous football itself. It is the “sport of sports”, the most popular pastime, our most enduring as a species.
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The Whitsunday Sports Expo kicks off this weekend at Whitsunday PCYC, inviting locals to come along and find out about junior and adult sporting opportunities in the region. With over 30 team and individual sports on show at the Whitsunday Sportspark, there’s no better opportunity to find your passion, keep fit, or meet a community of likeminded people.
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The Cannonvale Cannons had 42 swimmers participate in last week’s Club Night, and a further 19 competing across the state at the Mirani LC Transition Meet and three others at Townsville Brothers’ carnival. Congratulations to swimmers who set 19 new Club Records, including Jacob Bell, Jy Parkinson, Remy Hedges, Eloise Chegwidden, Jax Clayworth, and Don Algie.
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The Port Denison Gun Club had a fantastic turn out for its first shoot of the year with 39 competitors battling it out on the day. Shooters travelled from as far as Sarina, Mackay, Townsville, Silkwood, and Burdekin to join local members.
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This week 49 committed people ran, jogged, and walked the five-kilometre waterfront course in the rain at Airlie Beach parkrun. Special mentions from this week go to Michala and Angela, who completed their first parkruns. As well, Josh, Chris, and Isla recorded new personal bests.
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The region’s T20 Premiers Colts took on Valleys while Canecutters faced off against Warriors in the cricket season’s 40-over A Side competition last weekend. Valleys were off to a slow start having opted to bat first after winning the toss. Roy Blain (1/17) made the early breakthrough with Ricky Parslow (13) gloving legside delivery through to the keeper.
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What better time is there to dip your toes in the water than when you’re a kid? When you’re young, it is easier to learn something new – an irrefutable fact. When they're little, human beings are like sponges; there’s no better time than that of flowering youth to get in the water and soak it in.
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Wednesday’s competition at Bowen Golf Club was a single stableford event with ladies’ winner Jo Kukura, 39 points, and runner up Lisa Raisbeck, 38. Men’s winner was Brendan Nott, 39 points, runner up was Clifford Querro, 38 points. On Australia Day, Bowen Golf Club hosted 100 players for its annual ‘Aussie Day ambrose’. With perfect weather, it was no wonder the golfers enjoyed the day.
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A great afternoon of play last Tuesday at Wangaratta Bowls Club, with results heading Laurie Land and Greg Colquhoun’s way to start off the week. The pair defeated Sue Shearing and Mark Drummond to win the afternoon, and the other games were full of the same intensity and excitement.
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Sunday at Proserpine Bowls Club was a return to play with 13 players taking advantage of the green being open again – and there was some good bowls played, too. Ken and Kendall Watts proved too strong, defeating Alen Sanderson and Heather Brown in an 18-10 win.
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A jam-packed week at Airlie Beach Bowls with some extremely exciting news from the club’s resident historian and statistician, Neil Moore. Club members Carol Crosbie and Betty Nicole are now ranked 153rd best pairs bowling team in Australia and the talented Manny Isgro, is the 200th best male bowler in Australia.
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A new sport has arrived in the Whitsundays as a group of local enthusiasts hosted an open day on Sunday, inviting sailors and land lubbers alike to come and try their hand at racing a “blokart”. A contingent of small, one-design carts scooting around the sands of Conway beach last weekend were the subject of raised eyebrows, as the Whitsunday Blokart Club held an open day.
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Twilight Race: A south easterly greeted the 85 sailors in last week’s Wednesday twilight race conducted by Whitsunday Sailing Club. 10 knots of breeze and flat waters made for a lovely experience on the water after a week’s break. Bobby’s Girl (Mark Beale) was first to cross the starting line, some 10 seconds late, and they were still well clear of the rest of the fleet.
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A Clermont cattle grazier who shot to national TV stardom for building community bonds, a Nebo barrel racer champion and a rainbow gala event that is leading social change were among the major Australia Day winners in the Isaac region. Layney Deguara has been named the 2023 Young Citizen of the Year for her passion and dedication to her sport, local club and her community. She accepted her award at a ceremony held in Nebo.
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Two Mackay locals have been awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM); one for his service in the Australian army and the other for his contribution to the local lychee industry. Ronald Bassan OAM signed up for the army at age 17, serving from 1954 to 1975 in both Malaysia (known then as Malaya) and Vietnam.
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Two minutes of kindness is a little thing to pay for joy, for respect, or for admiration and appreciation. Tiny actions add up to a greater whole and something as simple as helping can mean more than its weight in two Pepsi boxes. In Sarina, that was the case for one woman on a regular shopping trip.
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Life is a precious gift that we often take for granted. We get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, work, and responsibilities and fail to appreciate the simple things that make life worth living. We often assume that we will have tomorrow and forget to live in the moment and make the most of every day. But life can be unpredictable and fragile, and it is important to remember to cherish and make the most of every opportunity we have to be happy.
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A happy and healthy six-months-old Sarina boy and his mother are survivors of a rare and dangerous nematode disorder causing polymyositis possibly linked to central and North Queensland and Tasmania.
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Mackay Regional Council and the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) are searching for people aged 11 to 17 to nominate themselves for Mackay’s Youth Council. Elected by their peers, together this Youth Council will nominate a Young Mayor, set an agenda for their 12-month Term in Office and work with the Mackay Regional Council on specific issues.
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