Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
How great is it to live in paradise? This week's bowls has certainly been filled with excitement. Firstly, on Tuesday morning, in bowls, Carol Crosbie's team, with Hubble Noel at lead and Sandra Argo at second, triumphed over Joan McGrath’s team, which included Sue Dakin at lead and Dawn Dowell at second. Meanwhile, John Brown's team, with Mel Fennel at lead and husband Greg at second, drew with John Fielding's team of Sue Walker at lead and Gen Passfield. Wednesday afternoon's Jackpot bowls w
Read more
13 Bootscooters – Line dancing, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, 9am-11am $4pp 13 Justice of the Peace, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, 11am-1pm 13 Maker Space 6+yrs, Cannonvale Library, 3pm-4:30pm 13 Women & Girls Come and Try, Airlie Beach Bowls Club, 5pm-6pm 14 Civil Safety, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, Bookings Required 14 Pram Pushers, Bowen Neighbourhood Centre, 9am-10:30am 14 Seniors Computer Program, Whitsunday Neighbourhood Centre, 9am-2:30pm, Bookings Required 14 Seniors Bingo, Wh
Read more
Bowen Tourism and Business (BTB) is running an Easter colouring-in competition for local students from Prep to Year 4. The students from Bowen State School, Merinda State School, Queens Beach State School and St Marys Catholic School have the opportunity to take part by colouring in a pic of Kenny the Mango Mascot. The competition will be judged by Bowen Tourism and Business volunteers and the prizes will be special merchandise packs from the Bowen Visitor Information Centre including a Kenny p
Read more
The Cannonvale Cannons wrapped up a big weekend of racing, starting with the annual Club Championships on Saturday. This highly anticipated event saw swimmers competing in five set races within their age group to battle for the Age Champion title. A season highlight, this event offered a real race-day setup while maintaining the supportive and spirited environment of club competition. Club Champs not only provide a platform for intense racing but also serve as one of the final opportunities for
Read more
Guess who’s back at the Pub for another round of two free shows? It’s only the internationally celebrated Australian Eagles, renowned for their pitch-perfect renditions of Eagles classics, returning this March 22nd & 23rd with an unforgettable afternoon of rock ‘n’ roll magic. Get ready as the legendary tributes take to the stage in a show that’s packed with nostalgia. The Australian Eagles are fronted by the talented Michael Thompson and Colin Grimley, alongside founding member Shayne Browne a
Read more
We've been experiencing very hot conditions and have been greatly appreciating the air conditioning in the clubhouse during our midway break. On Wednesday, Henny Tattam, John Anderson, and Sandy Daffara defeated Henny Tattam, Bruce Uhe, and Barry Zillmann 24-12. Alen Sanderson, Philip Brown, and Mike Harrison triumphed over Michele (a visitor from Italy), Arthur Griffith, and Heather Brown, winning 20-18. In Sunday's afternoon Social Bowls, Trevor Parsons and Heather Brown narrowly defeated Ar
Read more
International Women's Day was celebrated in style at Jubilee Tavern over the weekend. Everyone got involved selling raffle tickets in the weeks leading up to the draw and placing eye-catching posters and signs to spread the word for Zonta’s campaign of ‘Say NO to Violence Against Women.’ “I just think they're doing a magnificent job. And also, by doing this event for us, they're actually getting the word out that it's not right to abuse women and children,” says Dianne Trueman, an Ex President
Read more
When most people think of visiting South Africa, they imagine spotting the local wildlife that includes the lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and African buffalo. But Micky Kimpton, race director of the Coral Sea Resort Marina Airlie Beach Triathlon, has something else in mind. At 71 years, Micky is no stranger to a challenge. He’s about to take on his sixth Ironman triathlon in five years, and this time, his swim will have a much larger adversary than his fellow triathletes. He’s heading to
Read more
On Sunday, 9th March, the Whitsunday Swimming Club hosted a short course swim meet at the newly upgraded Collinsville Swimming Pool. This fantastic facility provides the swimming community with an excellent venue for short, fast racing. In 2024, the Whitsunday Regional Council upgraded the pool from 33m to 25m in length. Certified as a short course pool by Swimming Australia, it will now serve as a premier location for short course meets across the entire Swimming North Queensland region. A to
Read more
The shared footpath project on Renwick Rd is making significant progress, with completion expected by the end of the month—weather permitting. This much-needed upgrade will improve safety for students, families, and pedestrians, with several key developments underway. A new fence is being installed along the footpath near Proserpine State School to ensure a secure environment for those using the path. With the school's drop-off car parks now reopened, the final phase of the project is set to fo
Read more
Last weekend the Greater Whitsunday Vets held an open day for their brand-new Proserpine clinic. It was a great, albeit hot, day with many visitors coming from all over to see the clinic and browse the stalls. There wasn’t a plain face in sight as all the children proudly showed off their new looks thanks to the free face-painting booth. "Over 750 people attended our new clinics open day,” said Georgia Bowser, Practice Manager, recounting that the day was a great success. She wanted to give tha
Read more
In Proserpine, Home Brewitt has quickly become a go-to destination for hobby brewers of all kinds, offering everything from ingredients to equipment for brewing your own beer, and mixing spirits. The store, which opened its doors a year and a half ago by husband-and-wife duo John and Caroline McGovern. It’s a labour of love driven by the passion of John, an avid home brewer, and his wife, who is equally enthusiastic about the experience. Their diverse customer base, which stretches from Mackay
Read more
The Whitsundays has long been a beloved destination for LGBTQ+ travellers, especially during the late 90s when Daydream Island was affectionately known as "Gay Dream Island", for travellers holidaying after Sydney’s Mardi Gras. Nathan Fleming, a pillar of the Whitsundays LGBTQ+ community for over 20 years, remembers those days fondly. "Back in the day, the late 90s, Daydream Island was a popular hot spot. After Sydney Mardi Gras, everyone would head up here and have a big party session in the Wh
Read more
Maree Franettovich has been providing career coaching over many years – guiding professionals with individualised support to find their purpose toward a fulfilling career. Whether it’s graduates looking to launch their careers, or professionals looking for career progression, Maree’s approach focuses on professional growth and personal wellbeing. Feeling stuck in your career can be demotivating, and impacts other aspects of your life. You want to explore a change but are not sure where to
Read more
Cent sales are always billed as ‘mega’ but Sarina Arts and Craft Centre’s upcoming event will be exactly that. Centre manager Jenny Costello and a core group of helpers are putting together an amazing collection of prizes for the sale, at the Sarina Sporting and Services Club on Saturday, March 8. “We’ve had a marvelous response from business, organisations and people within the Sarina and wider Mackay area as we’ve been collecting for the sale,” Jenny said. “We have lots of high-quality priz
Read more
Following on from their successful concert series, Swing & Song in 2021, Summertime and All That... in 2023, and Hot Note in 2024, local vocal ensemble Tutti is proud to present The Voice Within this March at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music Mackay. Who is TUTTI? Tutti is a female vocal ensemble led by Janice Whelan OAM. Jan is renowned in Mackay for her exceptional piano skills. Tutti sings well-known swing, ballad, Latin and folk songs with exquisite harmonies. The concert will
Read more
Mackay Hospital and Health Service (HHS) has welcomed another strong intake of graduate registered nurses for the year as the third orientation session reaches completion this week. Mackay HHS Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery James Williams Jenkins said 79 newly qualified nurses have been recruited to the 2025 Mackay HHS Nursing and Midwifery Graduate Program. The three cohorts were comprised of 16 new nurses in December, 38 in January and another 25 graduates welcomed to the Mac
Read more
Sunset Bay Outrigger Canoe Club had a stellar showing at the 2025 Sydney Harbour Challenge, taking on tough conditions over three days of intense racing against Australia’s best and international competitors. The event kicked off on Friday with a 13km race on Sydney Harbour, where paddlers faced a dramatic ‘white-out’ as heavy rain reduced visibility. Despite the challenging conditions, the Sunset Bay Masters Mixed crew powered through, completing the course in an impressive 1 hour and 6
Read more
Last week was a rollercoaster for our young club—full of soaring highs, bittersweet farewells, and a Thursday night training session that looked more like a tactical masterclass than an amateur run-around. Monday night saw a solid turnout of 14 players, proving once again that we’re more than just a collection of enthusiastic athletes—we’re a growing force. By Thursday, we had 17 eager bodies on the pitch, and if we keep this up, we might need to start taking reservations. One thing is clear:
Read more
Federal Member for Capricornia, Michelle Landry, is backing Isaac Regional Council Mayor, Kelly Vea Vea, and the Nebo Showgrounds Committee as they push for vital funding to upgrade the Nebo Showgrounds. They are lobbying for Stage 2A of the Nebo Showgrounds Master Plan, which includes upgraded camping facilities, a redeveloped undercover arena, and planning for a new outdoor arena. Ms Landry previously secured $2.8 million in 2022 for Stage 1, delivering key infrastructure improvements,
Read more
Simon Hood Wilmar Manager Grower Marketing February was a positive month for prices with growers using the rally to tidy up 2024 season Target and GMPRS pricing. Additionally, with 2025 season prices breaking through $650/t, there has been increased scale up selling from Target price growers. There is, however, still plenty of 2025 pricing to go with only about 25 per cent of Target prices locked in at this point. The rally has also allowed our 2024 season pools to be forecasting hi
Read more
The Mackay Road Runners launched their first Club Championship race of the season in style, with nearly 80 runners taking to the streets of East Mackay from Queen’s Park. The event was a long-standing favourite among members, and was once again proudly sponsored by MAD Fitness Mackay. No stranger to supporting the local running community, MAD Fitness Mackay has been a generous sponsor for several years, not only backing the Club Championship race but also donating a sought-after prize pac
Read more
Monday, 24 February 2025 – 5 Table Howell (Green Points) 1st: David Ting & Eric Goodchild 2nd: Jewel Schmidt & Janine Rodgers 3rd: Janelle Conroy & Tex Sheedy 4th: Jan Harris & Helen Van Den Broek 5th: Joy Block & Nancy Wix Tuesday Evening, 25 February 2025 – 4.5 Table Howell (Green Points) 1st: Noel Bugeia & Eric Goodchild 2nd: Andrew Canavan & Jan Harris 3rd: Helen Van Den Broek & Tex Sheedy 4th: Shirley Worland & Simon Barnes Wednesday, 26 February 2025 – 9 Table Mitchell (Green Poi
Read more
After a soggy finish to the Junior Cricket season and the cancellation of last week's scheduled Grand Finals, the sun finally shone on Saturday morning. Four Proserpine teams faced early starts as they hit the highway, heading down to compete against rival teams in each grade for the coveted premiership titles. This achievement in itself is a testament to the strength of the country club, which continues to punch above its weight in the regional cricket scene. U12s: Pitbulls Fall Shor
Read more
At The Table ** Mackay Table Tennis Tuesday Morning Fixtures, February 25, 2025: Division 1: Mars Pioneers (Delma Knight, Kevin Abbott) d Saturn’s Rings (Charlie Payne, Coral Morgan) 6-3. Luna Legends (Donna Abbott, Pam Joyce, Noreen Fredericksen) d Venus Voyagers (Peter Goodson, Branko Vucurovic, Marie Taylor) 8-4. Noreen d Peter -4, 10, 5, -8, 8. Rocket Stars (Allan Robins, John McGee, Veronica Shepherd) d Solar Comets (Doug Dungavell, Judy Zahn, Bryan Marshall) 7-5. Judy d John -9, -
Read more