Mackay Regional Council's Australia Day event grants are now open and local community groups are encouraged to apply.

Mayor Greg Williamson said council was excited to offer the Australia Day event grant funding once again for 2024.

“Our 2023 Aussie Day community events had a record attendance of more than 2900 people, so we are looking forward to another exciting Aussie Day event line up,” Mayor Williamson said.

“Not-for-profit community groups can apply for up to $1000 to support their Australia Day event and celebrate what they love about our beautiful region,” he said.

“From beach games and park barbecues to awards ceremonies and morning teas, the events are a great way to highlight our community spirit.

“The events are held at various times throughout the day and are a celebration of the amazing region we live in.”

To be eligible for funding, events need to be held on Australia Day 2024 (Friday, January 26), be free for all to attend and held within the Mackay Regional Council area.

Organisers also need to be a registered not-for-profit group or have a letter of support from a registered group.

Applications are now open via the council website and will close midnight Monday, November 20.

Australia Day event grant application forms and guidelines can be found on the council website.

Mackay Regional Council is on the hunt for unsung heroes, community volunteers, inspirational sportspeople and local legends of all ages.

Now is the time to nominate residents for the 2024 Australia Day Awards.

Nominations are now open for the following categories: Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year, Arts and Culture, Environmental Achievement, Lori Burgess Community Volunteer, Community Group, Senior Sports and Young Sports Award.

Mayor Greg Williamson said there had been so many tremendous nominations last year and our region was extremely lucky to have so many amazing groups and individuals that stepped up for our community.

“Police District Crime Prevention Coordinator Nigel Dalton is our 2023 Citizen of the Year and is a great example of a community member who goes above and beyond,” Mayor Williamson said.

“Nigel not only works hard to educate and keep our young people safe, he’s also a very active community volunteer who has worked with disadvantaged youth and men’s groups like Shed Happens,” he said.

Nigel was awarded the Queensland Police Liaison Officer Award in 2017.

His Police District activities are outstanding, particularly Choices and Safety Circus safety talks across various age groups.

“The judges were also blown away by our Lori Burgess Community Volunteer Award winner Jody Burrows,” Mayor Williamson added.

“Jody has volunteered with Mackay Riding for the Disabled for about 30 years.

“She has changed people’s lives.

“There are many amazing stories of rider progress, from nonverbal autistic children talking when on a horse to riders being able to develop enough strength in their back or core to support life changing surgeries.”

The 2023 Young Citizen of the Year was Keira Brown.

Keira is the current coordinator of the Valley District Youth Council. She has been instrumental in working towards the group’s main goals of giving a voice to Pioneer Valley youth, developing leadership and building a regional youth community.

Mayor Greg Williamson said nominating someone for an Australia Day Award took just minutes and was as simple as filling out a nomination form on council’s website or grabbing a hard copy at council’s customer service centres.

“Each year, the nominees always say just how much it means to be nominated and recognised for the work they do,” he said.

“If there’s someone you know who goes above and beyond for our community, then please recognise them today with a nomination.”

Nominations close January 4, 2024.

Online nominations can be found at mackay.qld.gov.au/australiaday

All award winners and nominees will be recognised at a special awards ceremony at the MECC on Thursday, January 25, 2024.

‍

2022 Citizen of the Year Frank Cowell, 2023 Citizen of the Year Nigel Dalton, Mayor Greg Williamson and Vassie Comino of P.Comino and Sons at the 2023 Australia Day Awards Gala

It’s a good time to be alive, with Sarah McLeod and the enigmatic The Superjesus checking in for Airlie Beach Festival of Music, and ensuring great music, and fantastic vibe.

Sarah, lead singer of The Superjesus, says she is more than excited to return to the festival this year.

“We’re busy working, sleeping and drinking water, because once we’re in Airlie Beach, we won’t have any time for that; it’ll be non-stop music and checking out the scenes,” said Sarah.

Sarah, herself, has a busy job, being the official ambassador for the Airlie Beach Festival of Music, as well as on the judge’s panel for the 2023 Passport to Airlie competition.

“I was the unofficial ambassador for years; I just got really into it, and created my own role, but now this will be my third year as official ambassador,” Sarah explained.

As Ambassador, Sarah is busy ensuring the best experience for festival attendees.

“It’s a fantastic job and it’s pretty unique, just telling people about the best things that are happening in Airlie Beach.”

For Sarah, who will be busy across the weekend, performing as part of The Superjesus as well as a soloist, there is no better place than the Airlie Beach Festival of Music to reflect on 2023 and share her great musicality.

“And it’s not just the bands on the Main Stage, but the venues across the main strip. Everyone gets involved, and it’s just amazing. It’s non-stop music. From when you wake up to when you go to sleep, music.”

In particular for 2023, Sarah has just returned home following a massive tour with The Superjesus and their supporter, Perry Street Park, as well as releasing a sweep of new music.

“Perry Street Park are a great vibe, and they bring so much energy and joy. It’s one thing to just stand on stage and perform, and another to get involved and bring the vibes. And the boys of Perry Street, they bring the vibes.”

For The Superjesus set, there will be a bit of everything.

“Our classics with a handful of our best, and our happy new material.”

For Sarah’s solo performances, “It’ll be whatever I’m feeling, and how the crowd is looking. You never know what you’re gonna get with me.”

Branching out as a soloist was a big move for Sarah.

“I find joy in going solo. I’m an eclectic person, and I want to write what I want to write. With Superjesus, we have this specific sound that we can’t really deviate from, but I have a short attention span, and want to do everything.”

With the Airlie Beach Festival of Music, we get the best of Sarah, with The Superjesus and as the phenomenal soloist that she is.

“And there is nothing like the Airlie Beach Festival of Music elsewhere. You’ve got this amazing rock music, alongside the beautiful Whitsundays. You’ve got to experience it at least once.”

At The 2023 Airlie Beach Festival Of Music

Town is pumped and the atmosphere is buzzing ahead of the 11th annual Airlie Beach Festival of Music which is kicking off as you read this!

Featuring more than 50 acts spread out across 15 different venues, live music will be emanating from pubs, clubs, restaurants, and cafes all weekend.

The main stage, located in the big top tent at the Whitsunday Sailing Club, will be a hive of activity with up to 4000 people expected to gather for four nights of entertainment.

Iconic music legends from across the country are headlining, bringing 150 years of Australian rock to Airlie Beach.

Leading the charge are outstanding performers such as Ian Moss, Ross Wilson, and Dragon.

On receiving the call “Wanna go play at Airlie Beach?” rock legend, Ross Wilson replied, “You betcha, vibe plus. Like, who wouldn’t?”

“I’m bringing my hot shot band The Peaceniks with me and we’re really looking forward to rocking out at The Whitsunday’s biggest, bestest music event the Airlie Beach Festival of Music. What are we gonna play? A bit of Daddy Cool, some Mondo Rock, and some newies too - it’s a festival!!”

While the Airlie Beach Festival of Music is renowned for bringing in the big acts, it also champions the smaller aspiring artists, giving them a chance to shine and play alongside some of their heroes.

Thursday night on the main stage was the Passport To Airlie Competition Grand Final which saw eight talented acts selected from heats across the country perform under the big top tent.

The winner received the opportunity to play on the main stage at next years’ festival.

WHAT: Airlie Beach Festival of Music

WHERE: Whitsunday Sailing Club and 14 other venues

WHEN: 9-12 November

Bourbon-soaked rock is next on the lineup for these bourbon boys, gracing the stage of the Airlie Beach Festival of Music for a mammoth weekend of unstoppable Australian rock.

“And we just love it,” Bourbon Street guitarist, Horace Bevan said.

“We play hard, and we sweat harder. You can’t put us in a corner!”

After 37 years of rock, the boys of Bourbon Street say they are feeling more alive than ever.

“It takes a lot of physicality, a lot of attitude, but we’re grateful that we can still play in our prime years,” Horace explained.

“It’s endearing how powerful music is, sharing music with people. It’s an honour and a privilege to be on stage. It’s abundant joy, an emotive high, without even having to use drugs!

“It’s a powerful bond and it proves that the band is no more important than the audience. When people get up and dance, express themselves through dance – not to sound like a hippy – but it’s a powerful thing.”

Over the years, Bourbon Street have evolved, covering the best tracks of the 60s and 70s, to writing and producing original music.

“We are an old school rock band,” Horace explained.

While Horace’s passion is palpable, the lasting impact of Bourbon Street in unimaginable, with the band deciding to produce a documentary, to celebrate their illustrious career.

“We have this young filmmaker on board. He’s organised and ready. He gets us to show up and be on out A-Game, even when I’m like ‘Ah man, I just want a joint and a cup of tea’.

“But this is a great opportunity to present our story through the years. We have this massive body of history and have yet to share it.

“We’ve done all these amazing things; we toured Australia and America, and we got into the Golden Circle. We didn’t quite get the commercial success we were after, but we got really close.”

For Horace and Bourbon Street, they are thankful to Gavin “Butto” Butlin, the Festival Organiser.

“In 2013, Butto was instrumental in us getting back together, and being in the same room again. He’s what kicked us off again.

“That’s the thing about the Airlie Beach Festival of Music: it has integrity. The entire festival is all about the music, about bringing people together and coming together as one. It’s something that we admire.

“There is this raw essence in music, a companionship through music that you cannot deny.”

And now celebrating 37 years in the industry, Bourbon Street is feeling fully alive.

“Music keeps us present, conscious, and it wants us to do our best. It’s just really f**** cool.”

And as Horace says: What happens on the road, stays on the road.

The name Perry Street Park is very familiar to Airlie Beach locals, as well as most of the Queensland music scene, having seen massive success following their 2022 win at the Passport to Airlie original music competition.

Propelling the four boys into a new stratosphere last year, they are now excited to check back into Airlie Beach, where all their success began.

“The Airlie Beach Festival of Music is such a unique opportunity,” Benny Nelson, lead singer of Perry Street Park, said.

“We’re playing every day over the four-day festival, and as a musician, this is great! We want to play as much as we can. It’s about building an audience and a following, and we want people to go ‘ah that band was good, who are they again?’.”

Taking out the Passport to Airlie win in 2022 set Perry Street Park onto a new trajectory.

“It really gave us the momentum to run into 2023. We’ve been releasing so much new music, playing a lot of festivals, and have even just finished up this massive tour with Sarah McLeod and the Superjesus.

“These are the opportunities that Airlie Beach Festival of Music gave us.”

And Perry Street Park have big plans for their set list in Airlie Beach this weekend.

“We’re gonna chuck a few new songs on the set list, some of our older stuff and a few covers. We pride ourselves on giving covers justice.”

On stage, the boys bring high energy and create a vibrant atmosphere.

“We like to have fun on stage. We reckon that’s part of what got us the win at Passport to Airlie, the fact that we have fun on the stage, that we be ourselves. We don’t act differently or anything like that. We also interact with each other and the crowd and bring a lot of energy.

“That’s one thing that we’re thankful for, that Airlie Beach let us become comfortable on festival stages. Festivals are big productions, with big lights and massive crowds. Imposter syndrome was something we tackled with, but being on the big stage at festivals is where we belong.”

These returning champions have worked hard to turn an opportunity into a career and have overcome every obstacle.

“2023 was a big year for us, performing at so many festivals and shows, so we’re excited for the Airlie Beach Festival of Music to be a little holiday for us. There’s really no better place to holiday than in Airlie.”

In fact, “The Airlie Beach Festival of Music will be a bit of a send off of 2023 for us, before we start to get into Christmas and have some down time.”

Bowen made and locally loved youth band Gleezus have been busy building a name for themselves, entrenching their sound and dynamic presence into the very thread of music in the Whitsundays.

Evolving from a simple music class assessment to the competition winning band that is Gleezus, their success was unprecedented, but the team have been taking every opportunity to grow as musicians and develop their sound.

Jack Homewood is the guitarist for Gleezus and started the band initially.

“I just fell in love with it,” Jack explained.

“From there, we just started practicing outside of school, and eventually we just got better equipment, and started playing house parties and private shows, and then we played our first big competition at the Townsville Folk Festival,” he said.

Ashton Shepheard is Gleezus’ bassist and says that the whirlwind of the success has been amazing.

“It’s gonna be so awesome,” Ashton explained.

The final mixture of this youth phenomenon is Brock Medhurst on drums, and newcomer Kameron Stoneham, a powerhouse on vocals and a star with music.

“Kameron can just belt out Metallica, it’s great. We all just clicked with her. We can think of a song we’d like to play, and she’ll just rip through it,” Jack explained.

“The other day we were jamming together, trying to come up with lyrics, and she went outside for 15 minutes, comes back in and is like ‘done’ [handing over some lyrics], and that’s what we used to win Young Whitsundays got Talent.”

Still spinning from their recent success at the top where they won the Young Whitsundays Got Talent in October, the band will soon be performing at Airlie Beach Festival of Music, where they will also receive the ‘rock star’ treatment - full access back-stage passes with headlining act, The Superjesus.

“The festival is massive, with like 15 different bands playing at once at 15 different venues. It’ll be so good to meet some other musicians too, who are into our sort of music,” Ashton said.

Describing their sound as “rock, grunge, all the good old school stuff”, the band are keen to get on stage and perform to the people of Airlie.

Their set list prepped and ready, with a mixture of covers and originals, Gleezus has over two hours’ worth of music, with a 40-minute time slot.

With dreams of hitting it big professionally, Gleezus are certainly making a great foundation for stardom, with meetings with massive industry professionals in the schedule.

If you haven’t heard Gleezus recently, you haven’t heard Gleezus at all.

And if you miss them at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music, hit up the T8T Fest, held in Bowen on November 18th, which helps raise awareness for Australia Melanoma Research.

The boys of Double Flying Front Kick are ready to take on the Airlie Beach Festival of Music, for the third year in a row, and with them they’re bringing their very best originals.

“We’ve got a whole line up of new music that we’re ready to showcase,” said Kaedan McCarthy, talented vocalist and guitarist of the band.

“We’ve also got our brand-new bassist, the legendary Nick Di Gregorio, who comes with so much talent and so much inspiration. In fact, he is probably the most talented out of all of us!”

The final of the trio is Simon Briley, on drums and vocals, who rounds out the band with great beats and even better attitude.

“We all play independently but come together with Double Flying Front Kick, so we can all jump on vocals. Our harmonies are good, and it fuels the music. Both Simon and Nick play guitar too.”

Perfecting their setlist for the festival, the boys are keen to showcase their originals.

“We’ve got some of our older originals and some of our songs are completely brand new, even to us. I’ve been writing for years, so we’ve got this great backlog of stuff in the file cabinet ready to go.”

Just this year, the boys have been pumping through their originals, releasing Volume 2, a new collection of their music earlier this year, with plans to release Volume 3 later on this year.

“We knew 2023 would be us doing a lot of internal stuff, producing, recording and engineering our stuff to get a demo and an album out in 2024,” Kaedan said.

“We go to these festivals and get approached by people in the industry but never have anything to give them, so we’re changing that. In 2024, people will know us and will know our stuff.”

Before these boys make it too big for little ol’ Airlie, see them in action at Airlie Beach Festival of Music.

It’s a full circle moment for Tom Mac, Australian pop-country singer-songwriter, as he gears himself up for the Airlie Beach Festival of Music.

It was only a seemingly short time ago, when Tom first performed on Hamilton Island, his first ever gig actually, and now he returns, to grace the Airlie Beach Festival of Music stage.

With his newfound talent – Tom didn’t pick up the guitar until he was in university – Tom has seen unprecedented success. It was a seamless transition, from the early days of playing cover songs, to moving onto writing and producing his own music.

“I’ve always written poetry, so it was pretty easy to marry up poetry and music,” Tom explained.

Currently looking at swinging his sound around, Tom has started to evolve into more pop-country.

“I’ve always hit the pop-country scene, but I’ve never felt like I had the right sound. I’ve always felt I’m more aligned with folk acoustic, but everyone says I definitely sound more country. But I was born in country Victoria, so maybe I’ve never grown out of the country.”

So, what can Airlie Beach expect from Tom?

“Mainly originals, some with my didgeridoo. I’ll play a few of my newer songs, that aren’t released yet, and a few that the country-music lovers will love. I’ll also play some covers, which are always crowd pleases. But festivals like this are a great opportunity to showcase original work.  

“But pretty much, Butto has told me that I have an hour, so between my storytelling, I’m sure the time will be well spent.”

For local up and comer, Jonte, having his name published on the official line up of the Airlie Beach Festival of Music flyer was a thrill like no other.

“To have the festival of our region have my name on it, it was crazy. Amazing,” he said.

“I am excited to be sharing my originals and working alongside other musicians.”

For Jonte, it has always been in his blood to be on stage, performing his originals to anyone who will listen.

“I’ve been gigging since I was 14 years old, and I even busked around at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music a few years ago. To come back now, with my name on the line up, that’s hectic.”

And what does Jonte have planned for Airlie Beach Festival of Music?

“For my setlist, I will be incorporating some of my originals into the lineup. I’ve recently released my new song ‘Done With You’, which I’m excited to perform live.”

Telling the story of an online situation-ship of youth, Jonte’s acclaimed ‘break up anthem’ speaks to young adults coming to terms with love and with online dating.

“I’ve had a really good response to ‘Done With You’ so I am keen to engage the audience with that track.”

With nostalgic sounds, which embody classic and new age country, Jonte is one young talent to look out for.

“And what a better place to perform my originals, than at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music!”

Tiffany Grace

It has been a crazy 12 months for local Tiffany Grace, off the back of her Young Whitsundays Got Talent win in 2022. Since then, she has seen unprecedented success, projecting her to newfound stardom and musical greatness.

“Young Whitsundays was unbelievable in itself. It was such a great experience, and so much has happened because of it,” Tiffany explained.

“The organiser of Young Whitsundays rings me up constantly, calling me for gigs, and that makes the whole difference.”

And now, in 2023, she is one of the performers at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music, something she never expected.

“It’s still so hard to believe, to be so young and to see that it’s starting to happen!”

Tiffany’s always had a passion for music, however it wasn’t until 2022 when she fully realised her dream of being on stage, performing her original music.

“I have recently broken through my anxiety of being on stage. It can be very daunting, but the feeling I get when I am up on stage, you can’t describe it.”

While she is still perfecting her song writing prowess, with a few fantastic originals under her belt, she will perform her favourite covers at the Airlie Beach Festival of Music.

“I’ve also just released a new song, called ‘The Show’, which speaks to being powerful and being strong. And writing music, it’s such a different experience. It’s ecstatic and exciting, and ‘The Show’ has already gotten such a good response.”

And just wait, because if she continues on like this in a few years, the name Tiffany Grace will be a household name, with her amazing country, acoustic pop tracks loved by fans around the country, if not the world!

Opening Eastwoods has always been the vision of Kirsty and Jack Mason, the powerful team that had taken Hamilton Island by storm for a number of years, bringing their expertise and passion over to the Whitsundays mainland.

What prompted the south-east Asian fusion that is Eastwoods was Jack and Kirsty’s passion for showcasing a unique and different food option in the heart of Airlie Beach.

“Modern South-east Asian has always been a favourite style of cuisine. Bursting with flavours and textures bringing the dishes together. Predominately Thai, Vietnamese, with some Chinese in there too,” owner and Executive Chef, Jack explained.

“We try to use traditional recipes and ingredients and modernise it a bit. Classic traditional Asian but with a modern twist. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support and passion of our talented Sous Chefs – Milena and Jenny. The drive they bring every day is a true inspiration for the team”

Having opened the doors less than two weeks ago to Eastwoods, Kirsty, Jack and the team have welcomed the flurry of locals wishing to try the new offerings and the tourists looking for a tasty reprieve from their holiday adventures.

“Favourites of the menu seem to be our barramundi, a crispy whole baby barramundi, straight from the Coral Coast, with a three flavour caramel and apple mint slaw. It just covers all bases, of tastes, textures, and presentation,” Jack explained.

“Our betel leaf dish, with tiger prawn, red nahm jim and toasted coconut, has been a big favourite. We have them growing in the garden at the front, and we love to show people that that’s what they’re eating.”

Another facet of the cuisine is the extreme dietary flexibility of the menu.

“The majority of the dishes are gluten free, and dairy free, and we can make small variations to accommodate other allergens or requirements,” Kirsty explained.

“Pretty much everything is coconut based, not dairy milk, and we use Asian style flours which are gluten free. We also have a number of vegan dishes so it’s very easy to cater to all with delicious options.”

In terms of beverages, the drinks menu is extensive and impressive, offering a range of carefully selected wines, Japanese sake, and unique specialty cocktails. Ryan Guitman is the master behind the bar and the delicious well balanced drinks are served up in minutes!

“We have created a drinks list that pairs with our style of cuisine but is also a point of difference in the Whitsundays, which is something we really wanted to focus on and getting the locals excited to experience something new” Kirsty explained.

Dining at Eastwoods, the experience is as important as the meal, with the menu favouring sharing plates and banquet dining, allowing guests to taste the entire menu. Eastwoods is also able to offer large dining banquets with a set menu for private parties, and functions.

And where did the name come from?

“Five years ago, when we decided we wanted to open a restaurant we were thinking of names. We couldn’t really agree on anything, and we got to the point we were just naming things we liked. Jack being a fan of western movies, then said Clint Eastwood, and Kirsty stopped and said there could be something there – Southeast Asian at Eastwoods sounds pretty good, and we both knew, that was our name.”

‍

Jack and Kirsty Mason, the duo behind Eastwoods

The team of Eastwoods, ensuring the best experience for each guest. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

As it warms up across the region, it is best to remind yourself of snake safety, with this workshop held by Wildlife Whitsundays.

An action-packed two-hour workshop, Wildlife Whitsundays will cover the essentials of snake safety, must-know snake knowledge, and what to do when faced with a snake when out and about.

WHAT: Community Snake Education and Safety Program

WHERE: Proserpine Community Centre

WHEN: Sunday, November 26, from 10am to 12pm

TICKETS: eventbrite.com

The ladies of the Collinsville Queensland Country Women’s Association are ensuring that we have our Christmas shopping sorted, with their Twilight Markets.

With the best of locally handmade crafts and locally produced goods, this will have something for everyone.

And if you’re looking to get a stall, contact Collinsville QCWA by November 15, on collinsville@qcwa.org.au

WHAT: QCWA Twilight Markets

WHERE: Collinsville QCWA Hall

WHEN: Saturday November 25, from 4pm to 8pm

The Australian Eagles Show

One of Australia’s most authentic Eagles experiences is back at the Airlie Beach Hotel, with a set that is set to knock your socks off!

Covering the very best music from these massive legends, no time will be wasted with this one.

This two-hour tribute will leave us stranded in ‘Hotel California’, just wanting more from the all-time eclectic rockers.

Now, who are these ‘Boys of Summer’?

Shayne Browne is on lead vocals and guitar, the powerhouse that leads us into belting out the lyrics with him.

Next up is Paul Kerin, on guitar and vocals as well, who dominates with beats that hit just right.

Beside him is David Thompson, on drums and vocals. Keeping the boys in check and on beat, David is sure to a hidden gem in the music.

Michael Thompson is the hidden threat, on guitar and vocals. He knows just when to belt out, and when to mellow the tune away.

Jason Chandler brings the rhythmic beats of the bass guitar, the steady streams of music that transcend the audience to new places.

With authentic reproductions, and intimate performances, you will be transported to a jampacked Eagles show in the 70s, with the foot stomping, head banging music just washing over you.

‘The Heat is On’ for these boys, who will be having us dreaming of summer nights and fantastic music.

We’ll be wanting more with the Airlie Beach Hotel leaving us a ‘Victim of Love’.

No ‘Heartache Tonight’, with mammoth songs, great stage Prescence, and even better music for all.

WHAT: The Australian Eagles Show

WHERE: The Pub, at the Airlie Beach Hotel

WHEN: Saturday November 18 and Sunday November 19, from 2pm to 5.30pm

TICKETS: Absolutely free, so just rock up and enjoy the tunes

‍

The boys of the Australian Eagles Show know how to get the crowd excited

These ‘New Kids in Town’ bring big energy and bigger beats to the stage

‘Life in the Fast Lane’ at the Airlie Beach Hotel

Ensuring great tracks that are sure to get you out of your seat, the boys from the Australian Eagles are ready

Where will you be for this show? Photos supplied