The Express Newspaper 19th October 2022

RIPE AND

Pinata Farms’ Ben Scurr holds two of the three million pineapples that will be harvested at the Mareeba plantation. IMAGE RHYS THOMAS.

Survivor tells of breast cancer battle

BY ELLIE FINK

A MAREEBA woman who is suffering from Stage 4 incurable breast cancer has spoken of her plight to raise awareness about the need for women to have regu lar tests and for more money to be poured into research to find a cure.

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Stephanie Bell, whose cancer has now spread to her bones and liver, is urging women of all ages to check themselves for abnormali ties and listen to their intuition.

Unfortunately, her condition means Stephanie is only expect ed to live between two to seven years after surviving five bouts of the cancer, six surgeries and three

rounds of radiation to control the spread.

“Cancer rips families apart and it can be absolutely devastat ing for so many people,” she said.

“I feel so sorry for the people who don’t go and check them selves, don’t follow up on ap pointments or are too scared to do it.

“Please, just get checked even if it is a second check. If you go to a doctor and they say ‘yeah, it’s alright it might just be this’, just make sure you follow up again.

“You are the only person who truly knows your body and you can tell them what you’re feeling and where so they can directly address it.”

Stephanie’s medical issues began at the age of 12, when she began struggling with heavy and painful periods which she soon found out was polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endome triosis.

“I ended up having cysts on my ovaries which had to be taken out when I was 20,” she said.

“My endometriosis became so bad that I had to get a hysterec tomy in 1992, hence why I had to get a mammogram in 1994 for precaution.

“This was because of the drugs that I was prescribed (after the surgery) could cause cancer. So off I go to my precautionary test and lo and behold, I have cal cification in my right breast in the milk ducts.”

After learning the calcifica tion was malignant, the doctor removed a 50-cent sized piece of tissue out of her breast and ran a series of tests.

Living in Alice Springs at the

time, Stephanie was told she had to get her lymph nodes removed as the doctors could not detect how far the cancer had spread or how long she had left to live.

Due to marry her husband Geoff soon, Stephanie was left anxious and scared but went ahead with the painful surgery which still affects her to this day.

“Lucky they were free (of any cancer), but that surgery was ab solutely painful,” she said.

“Even to this day I have trou ble lifting my arm up and I have to put stuff on it, do exercises and massages to help it.”

After a few years of being cancer free, Stephanie went in for another mammogram which showed the cancer had come back in the same spot.

A specialist in Adelaide then removed three quarters of her right breast where the cancer was detected.

After the operation, as Steph anie and her newly wedded hus band were leaving the hospital, she was stopped in her path by a nurse who broke the news that they had missed a bit of the can cer.

Angered by the situation and scared to go back on the operat ing table, Stephanie refused the surgery.

Enduring painful radiation treatments and carbon tracking, Stephanie went through some of her worse times fighting the can cer.

Moving to Townsville in 2008 after the tragic loss of Geoff’s daughter, she attended one of her regular mammogram check-ups which revealed a new cluster of cancer in her breast, enduring an other surgery.

In 2017 whilst travelling to visit her family, Stephanie no ticed lumps in her other breast.

“I went to the doctors and when I walked in, I saw on the screen ‘metastatic breast can cer’,” she said.

“The saddest thing is between 2008 and 2017, I had so many tests and mammograms and ul trasounds, but no one had picked up that lymph nodes on the left side were enlarged.

“And during that time, the cancer jumped through my body and through my bones down my whole body. I was honestly dev asted.”

Stephanie then moved up to Mareeba after being told the cli mate would be most comfortable for her body, travelling to Cairns for medical treatment.

In April this year, there was more devasting news for Steph anie when she was told the cancer had spread to her liver and that she would have only between two and seven years to live.

Today, Stephanie spends her time trying to keep herself mov ing and socialising with her fam ily in Brisbane via video calls to stop her from going to the “dark side” mentally.

“My story started in 1994 in Alice Springs and continues now until the day I pass away,” she said.

Help find a cure by donating money to a number of charities in cluding the National Breast Cancer Foundation. The foundation’s website also features advice on early de tection and ways to support people with breast cancer.

Wish list for new regional plan

BY ROBYN HOLMES

LOCAL leaders have revealed their wish list for the new Far North Queensland Regional Plan which will be developed over the next 12 months to replace the outdated 13-year-old document.

The plan guides the region’s long-term future and influences government investment in areas such as transport, water management, natural re sources, and community infrastructure.

Much has happened since the 2009-2031 Re gional Plan was developed including a population surge in the Greater Cairns region from 122,731 in 2006 to 253,748 in the 2021 census.

Member for Cook Cynthia Lui said a new Re gional Infrastructure Plan and associated update of the FNQ Regional Plan would reflect changed circumstances and key priorities for the region, supporting growth and development over the next 25 years.

“The plan plays a strategic role in supporting the economic, environmental, social and cultural priorities and opportunities for FNQ, includ ing for the towns of Mareeba, Port Douglas and Mossman,” Ms Lui said.

“The review process will seek to identify po

Playground inspires growth through play

A PLAYGROUND inspired by the story of their patron saint has officially opened at Mareeba pri mary school St Thomas’ School named Pelican Place.

The approximately $1 million playground has already attracted the likes of Prep students Grace and Harvey and Grade 6 students Andreas and Emerald (pictured) who spent some time explor ing their new equipment.

Principal Paul Rayner expressed his excite ment during the official opening last Thursday through a Cat Stevens song “Where do the Chil dren Play?”, showing his students the place where they can explore, make friends and memories.

tential opportunities for Mareeba in areas such as agriculture, industrial growth, mining services and aviation.

“Within the current FNQ Regional Plan boundary, Mossman and Port Douglas are the largest towns north of Cairns and the review will assess economic synergies between the two in cluding Mossman’s role as an administrative, ser vice, agricultural and industrial centre and Port Douglas’s tourism focus.”

Ms Lui said the government was also develop ing an FNQ economic strategy and an FNQ Infra structure Plan.

Mareeba Mayor Angela Toppin said key is sues such as the Kuranda Range Road capacity needed to be addressed in the new Regional Plan document because it had the potential to limit the development of the Mareeba Shire.

“The main focus of the new Regional Plan will hopefully drive sustainable development and be focused on what we can do rather that what we can’t do,” she said.

“We also want to see options for additional growth areas, the issue of climate change and increasing our renewable energy resources ad dressed, responsible waste management, and

appropriate regional recognition and promotion for Mareeba Airport and the Mareeba Industrial Park.”

For Tablelands Mayor Rod Marti, water secu rity and improved health services are some of the critical needs of the area.

“The plan should identify the critical impor tance of water security to agricultural production, living amenity (recreation) and economic and so cial wellbeing,” he said.

“We have advocated for the Priors Creek re development, the expansion of the Atherton For est Mountain Bike Park, funding for water infra structure and the continued expansion of primary and secondary health services including both spe cialists and procedural medical services.

“It would also be great for it to also reflect key priorities identified in our new Community Plan — Tablelands 2030+.”

He said the council provided input to the new Regional Plan through the Department of Pre mier and Cabinet’s Regional Community Forum in September, and the Department of State Devel opment, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning’s Economic Strategy Workshop.

Member for Hill Shane Knuth said housing,

water infrastructure and roads needed to be the focus of any future regional development plans for the Far North.

“Before any major plan is developed and re leased the Department of Development, Infra structure, Local Government and Planning needs to consult with the regions,” he said.

“I would push for the opportunity to open fur ther land for affordable housing with the continu ing housing crisis the country is seeing and push for more infrastructure to support the region.

“While we acknowledge that our road infra structure is receiving a lot of attention to connect the region at the moment, our priority needs to be the Upper Barron Road for better connection of the regions and to ensure that Ootann Road is fully upgraded to connect to the Cape and Gulf to alleviate pressure on Tablelands roads.

“A new fast-tracked inland highway from the Tablelands to Cairns also needs to be consid ered.”

There will be opportunities for the community to get involved with the development of the FNQ Regional Plan throughout the process including when a draft plan is released for consultation next year.

Man charged driving 153km/h

A MAN who was driving at 153km/h has been intercepted by Mareeba Highway Patrol near Koah.

The 24-year-old Bayview Heights man was stopped by police around 4.25pm on the Kennedy Highway on Sunday 9 October. It is alleged he was driving a Toyota Camry at 153km/h in a 100km/h zone, and was issued with a $1653 traffic infringement notice.

Police would like to remind road users to check their speed and drive to the conditions of the road.

Speeding, either by itself or in combination with other fac tors, increases the likelihood of injury or death when a crash occurs.

Faster speed increases the stopping distance when an un foreseen event occurs and increases the chance of a crash. It is not safe to speed in any circumstance.

Motorists travelling at high speeds face hefty monetary fines.

Region’s fruit

BY RHYS THOMAS

THREE million pineapples are being har vested at a Mareeba plantation as the region gets ready for a bumper fruit-bearing sea son, with lychees and mangoes just a few weeks away.

Growers are looking forward to a boun tiful season, and workers are already start ing to return to the region.

Some operations like Pinata Farms at Paddy’s Green, have already begun picking for the 2022 season, pulling the first pineap ple out of the ground just last week with an estimated three million more to follow.

“The season is looking promising, the size of the pineapples is good – they are not too big and not too small, medium sizes which is right where we want them to be,”

“At this stage the quality is looking re ally good and our aim is to give people nice fruit every day if we can.”

Mr Scurr said the past two seasons were not the best for pineapples but this year’s season was shaping up to be considerably better.

“At present as we speak prices are look ing okay, last year was a horrid season and there was no money at all, poor prices and low demand,” he said.

“This year we are hoping demand will go up and we do grow pineapples in the south-east corner and in the last few weeks there have been okay prices and we are hop ing those prices continue.

“We are not after massive prices, the

consumer has to be able to afford it – good, steady prices is what we are chasing, year in year out.”

Lychees are just weeks away from be ing on supermarket shelves across Australia in bulk and local farmer Mark Taylor from Taylor’s Irresistible Orchards says his yield looks promising.

Mr Taylor typically expects to harvest around 20,000 trays of lychees this season, equivalent to 100 tonnes across a range of different varieties.

“The flowering was pretty good but probably a bit of an odd year with the weather pattern and different cycles of the flower, so the weather had a lot to do with how the fruit set,” Mr Taylor said.

“We are still looking at getting a good average yield across the board with the dif

Mareeba farm general manager Stephen Scurr said.

Mareeba lychee farmer Mark Taylor with a bunch of lychees he says are just a month away from being ready to pick.

bowl ripens

varieties, obviously some are better than others, but it should all average out

Like other fruit, the price of lychees is dictated by demand, with $25/kg regarded as a good price for lychees, however the price can dip as low as $7/kg if there is an oversupply of the fruit as the season con tinues.

Arriga mango farmer John Nucifora said mango growers in the Mareeba and Dimbu lah areas were looking forward to a bumper season, with many farms seeing their fruit setting.

Mr Nucifora personally harvests over 100,000 trays of mangos and expects to see the same kind of output this season.

“We had a strong flowering and the Ma

reeba-Dimbulah area widely had a strong flowering, now we are coming into fruit set with a little drop,” he said.

“All in all, I think the region will be fair ly strong as far as volume goes.

“The past few seasons have probably been a little bit leaner than this one, this one is a bit stronger.”

On his farm, Mr Nucifora is expecting to start harvesting mangoes in about eight weeks’ time but says growers in the Dim bulah and Mutchilba area could have fruit ready as early as the end of November.

With many different fruits starting to ripen across the regions, farm workers are going to be in high demand for as long as six months across the area.

Mr Nucifora said backpackers have

slowly begun to return to the region and could see plenty of work at a host of farms on the Tablelands.

“We urge all seasonal workers to come to the area because there will be lots of work,” he said.

“The last two years since Covid, finding workers has been tight and this year num bers have been up and the seasonal workers have definitely started coming back in.”

In the southern Tablelands, the ever-pop ular Shaylee Strawberries still has about one month remaining for their picking season to put strawberries on supermarket shelves, in their café and now, in a wine bottle.

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To read all about Shaylee’s newest value add venture, Shaylee’s Strawberry Wine, head to Page 9.

Arriga

“Our aim is to give people nice fruit every day”

– Stephen Scurr

Maddox takes on cycle challenge

SHE may be in her sixth decade, but nothing will stop Mareeba’s Cheryldene Maddox from clocking up 700km on her bike this month to support the fight against childhood cancer.

The 64-year-old has ridden 345km out of her 700km goal and has raised $1700, near ly achieving her initial goal of $1750 in the Great Cycle Challenge.

The Great Cycle Challenge is an Australiawide initiative to fight kids’ cancer, with thou sands of cyclists across the country joining in each year and covering hundreds of thousands of kilometres.

Cheryl first rode in the challenge in 2018 with the goal of riding 300km and now, for every year she rides, she adds 100km.

“It is for a good cause so I thought why

not do it, it also makes me challenge myself,” she said.

“I am hoping that by the time these kids we are raising money for grow up, we won’t have to do a ride because they will have a cure for cancer.

“My mum had cancer and my girlfriend’s son had leukemia when he was a child but he is fine now.”

While she is still deciding on whether to up the distance next year as well, Cheryl says she will ride in next year’s challenge regard less.

To donate to Cheryl and support her in the fight against childhood cancer, head to great cyclechallenge.com.au/Riders/Cherylden eMaddox

Shire adopts new walking plan

A NEW walking network plan that will guide how to create primary and secondary walking routes connecting key destina tions within Mareeba such as schools, parks, shopping, health, and recreational facilities has been adopted by Mareeba Shire Council.

The plan was developed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads and consult ants, ARUP, in conjunction with council, and has already been subjected to community consul tation.

Now, council will set about prioritising works to put the plan into action, taking into account a number of initiatives that were identified during the community consultation workshop, together with sections of footpaths that are documented as missing.

But council was warned that the availability of resources and funding had to be considered in any future work plan.

“Due to the broad extent

of the Walking Network Plan, both in terms of the primary and secondary routes, it is im portant that council identify the priorities across the study area and stage any works program based on such principles as safety, connectivity and current demand and potential demand,” a report to council stated.

“Council officers are cur rently in the process of review ing the material that has resulted from the community forum and will develop the potential pro jects based on the criteria and onsite inspections.

“It is proposed that the draft works program will be present ed to council for consideration in October 2022.

“This report to council will outline a comprehensive staged footpath improvement program for the Mareeba area that will illustrate to the community the commitment that council has in providing a safe and effective walking network.”

Tune in to electrical safety at free breakfast event

LOCALS wanting to hear about the importance of electrical safety are invited to attend a special breakfast at the Mareeba Turf Club on 2 November to hear from football legend and Queensland Safety Ambassador Shane Webcke.

Running from 6-9am, the breakfast will give people the chance to learn more about how they can protect themselves when working with electricity.

The session is a joint venture between the Electrical Safety Office and the Mareeba Cham ber of Commers and will cover things from electrical safety in homes and businesses to what to do after experiencing an electric shock or tingle.

Safety advocate Dan Kenne dy will also be attending the ses sion and recall his personal ex periences with electrical safety.

Following the forum there will be a morning tea safety information session with the Queensland Country Women’s Association starting at 10am.

The new Commissioner for Electrical Safety Keith McKen zie and Electrical Safety Of fice executive director Donna Heelan alongside an Electrical Safety Inspector will be talking about electrical safety, there will be interactive displays.

To book your spot for either event email ESO-Events@oir. qld.gov.au

Mareeba’s Cheryldene Maddox is aiming to ride 700km over October to help fight childhood cancer.

Music festival moves from long weekend

BY RHYS THOMAS

WITH another record-breaking festival done and dusted, the dates for Savannah in the Round 2023 have been announced and it will no longer be on a long weekend, but festival organisers are confident it will be a positive change.

This year’s festival was a massive success and brought in thousands of visitors to the Mareeba Rodeo Ground and the surrounding region over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.

The festival continues to grow with 15,000 peo ple recorded coming in and out of the festival over its duration.

Sound Australia CEO and festival director James Dein was pleased to see around three times more locals attending the festival compared to last year. “It was really pleasing for me to see the marked increase of support from the locals and it is very

Neighbourhood house set to officially open

ECHO Empowering Services is officially opening their new Neighbourhood House next month with activities and enter tainment for the whole commu nity.

The recently established house allows members of the community to seek support in a comfortable easy to access facil ity.

It also allows externals servic es to host and provide support, education and care with comfort.

The official opening will kick off at 12pm on Saturday 5 No vember at 11/15 Eacham Place, Malanda, with special guests fol lowed by activities and fun for all the family.

much appreciated – we had about three times more locals there this year,” he said.

“We would like to continue to build on that and we hope the locals had a great time.”

Next year’s dates for Savannah in the Round were announced shortly after the end of this year’s festival which will now be moved from the October long weekend, a date which was regarded as one of festival’s keys to success.

Mr Dein said the festival has been moved for several key reasons and believes the date change will benefit both the festival and the Tablelands.

Being on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend meant the festival was able to share headline artists with other festivals with a quick turnaround, but it proved quite taxing on both the festival crew and the artists.

“We strategically placed Savannah on that week end to align with the Deni Ute Muster so we could

share headliners and while we were able to pull it off – it was high risk in many ways and very tiring on the crew and artists,” he said.

“While the proof of concept was there, it is not an exercise I am prepared to repeat.

“We can still be aligned in any artist runs involv ing United States artists and work with the ute mus ter, but not on the same weekend.”

Mr Dein also believes that with Savannah be ing hosted during peak holidaying season, many visitors did not get to experience the region to its fullest, as they competed with other holidayers ven tured up to the far north.

The cost of airfares and accommodation during school holidays and over the long weekend was also another deciding factor in moving the festival as was the desire to extend the time visitors spent in the region.

“We feel that it is better for the region as a whole

to have people stay outside of the peak holidaying period and into the shoulder, from a dispersal point of view,” Mr Dein said.

“In other words, having people being able to move around, visit and take in the region as a whole outside of that period.

“The net result of it all is that Savannah adds more value to the region by doing what we have done.”

With festival goers no longer having the Monday public holiday, Savannah is considering moving the headline acts to Saturday night.

Mr Dein is in talks with several international artists and acclaimed Australian artists to populate next year’s line-up and is preparing to announce them before the end of the year.

Meanwhile police reported the crowd at Savan nah was incredibly well-behaved and there were no recorded incidents.

New tourist park for Cook Shire

TOURISTS planning a trip up the cape in the future will be able to stay at a new coastal tourist park near the Iron Range National Park after a development application was approved at the recent Cook Shire Council Meeting.

The tourist park will be built near Cape Weymouth and the Iron Range National Park, North of Lockhart and will be able to accom modate a maximum of 74 people at one time, at any stage of the development.

There will be three stages of development, stage one will have self-contained camping sites while stages two and three will both see the construction of five cabins.

Cook Shire Council Mayor Peter Scott said the local Lockhart River community will ben efit greatly from this new development.

“Visitor numbers from down south and in terstate are increasing dramatically each year and all towns, roadhouses, motels and pubs along the way will benefit from more devel opment such as this,” he said.

Product of Australia

Product of Australia

ECHO CEO Donna Leigh, receptionist Sunnie Evans and committee vice-president Del Waters are excited to officially open their doors in November.

Fees to host community events sliced

BY ROBYN HOLMES

COMMUNITY groups who want to host an event or activity on land or roads owned by Tablelands Regional Council will pay almost nothing after councillors sliced the application fee from $152.50 to just $1.

Cr Dave Bilney raised the issue after he was made aware that the Ra venshoe RSL subbranch was being charged $152.50 after they applied for a permit to hold a Remembrance Day event in a local park.

He proposed that council should no longer charge Not for Profits (NFPs) or non-commercial entities for a per mit to conduct an activity on council area or roads, and that any groups that had been charged since 1 July when the new fees came in, get a refund.

“There’s been a couple of people who have come to me about charging this fee and while council has endorsed the fees and charges schedule, I don’t personally think we fully understood the ramifications of that fee,” he said.

“I personally don’t believe that was the intent of the fees and I want that fee back to nil.

“I understand there may be some is sues charging nil, if that’s the case, I’d like the line to be struck out of the fees and charges schedule.”

But chief executive officer Gary Rinehart said a fee had to be attached to the permit because it came under Local Law No 1 so the line item could

not be deleted.

“I’m just advising what your Local Laws say and certainly refuting that this was not well canvassed prior to it being adopted,” he said.

“It was discussed extensively ex cept that we may not have appreciated what the impact would be or how com munity groups may respond.

“The fee can’t be nil – for the ‘lease’ to be valid, it has to have a payment.

“The reason for the fees is that we have to process those applications and there’s a cost to that, it takes quite a bit of time.”

Councillors debated what the fee should be for some time, eventually agreeing to make the application fee for NFPs $1 until council officers re view the fee and the relevant local law. Any NFPOs that have been charged the fee since it came into effect on 1 July will also get a refund.

“I really think that we need to have a good look at our local laws – two come to mind straight away – the tractor pull at Kairi and the bull ride at the local showground – when local laws got in the road and caused such a ruckus they almost cancelled the events,” Deputy Mayor Cr Kevin Cardew said.

“We have public parks and facili ties for public use, why are we going to charge NFP organisations to use our public facilities, it doesn’t make sense.

“It’s causing us problems – this is the third one in a matter of months.”

Running to Chillagoe for Cole

BY RHYS THOMAS

To honour a late community superhero Cole Wyatt, family and close friends will be dressing up as their favourite Avengers adorned with silly crazy socks and tackle the 140km Great Wheelbarrow Race in its 20th anniversary next year.

A wheelbarrow race veteran himself, Cole ran the race twice, once in 2018 for the Mareeba State High School team Scrambled Legs and again the following year in the Mareeba Rotary team.

Cole’s brothers Jack and Tom along with their partners, his school and childhood friends are all amongst the people registered to run in the team To Chillagoe for Cole – Tom is driving the bus and Jack will mainly be providing en couragement with a big pink whip.

Mother Lenore Wyatt has seen an overwhelming amount of inter est for the team and she already has a support crew that is overflowing with people however a bus still eludes the To Chillagoe for Cole team.

Lenore said while the team had not fully decided on what to raise money for, she is certain the team will come to the decision to have the money go towards the Cole Wyatt Resilience Award and turn it into a bursary – to allow a student to pursue the theatre arts, one of Cole’s passions.

“We did it to honour Cole and we didn’t expect this kind of a re action but I am learning new things every day about what Cole did in the way of kindness,” she said.

“Every day I learn new things about how many people he touched.

“I didn’t expect it but I love it

and to me, it is the epitome of what our family has always stood for.”

The team will be fundraising through trivia nights, hoping to encourage trivia wizards Michelle and Michael Bryce to get back in volved, selling crazy socks – Cole’s favourite accessories – an adult only fancy-dress bingo night and more.

The first fundraising night has been announced as an adults only

bingo on 12 November at the Ma reeba Tennis Club, people are en couraged to attend and dress up as something starting with C.

The price is $15 per person with a bar available and a light meal pro vided.

Next year’s Great Wheelbarrow Race will begin on May 12 and run until May 14 from Mareeba to Chillagoe.

Join Royal Rehab for an education and information session to discover the possibilities and the impact of Advanced Technology in rehabilitation, including Royal Rehab’s vision for Cairns.

Topics

• Managing complex neuro upper limb - a taste of therapy and technology.

• Advanced technology in practice.

• Royal Rehab’s growth plans in Cairns.

On completion, we will provide a certificate to enable participants to claim CPD points.

Who is Royal Rehab?

Royal Rehab is Australia’s premier not-forprofit provider of rehabilitation and disability support services and is home to Australia’s largest Advanced Therapy Centre, under the banner Royal Rehab LifeWorks.

The goal at Royal Rehab LifeWorks is to enhance independence and quality of life of people impacted by disability, illness or injury by providing access to expert clinicians supported by life-changing advanced technology.

A photo of Cole Wyatt after finishing his first Great Wheelbarrow Race in 2018 with the Mareeba State High School team Scrambled Legs.

Sweet as strawberry wine

BY ELLIE FINK

SHAYLEE Strawberries is going sweet as strawberry wine with the popular strawberry farm getting ready to release their first bottles of a special new wine before Christmas.

A sweet hit that patrons can enjoy all year round, the idea to create the unique wine is part of Shaylee’s owner Joe Bar letta’s plan to extend the business season.

With strawberry season only being from May to October, the new wine will give locals and tourists “another reason to come here”.

“Instead of being a five month busi ness, we want it to be an all year type of business so people can stop into the café and also get a bottle,” Mr Barletta said.

“The idea just came to mind one day and obviously there is a strawberry wine out there somewhere in the world and we wanted to do it too.

“I want to make the product as pure as possible. The wine is going to be made with my strawberries only and maybe a little bit of sugar.”

At the moment, the team is in the final stages of getting the qualifications and certificates needed to sell their straw berry wine whilst their first batches are fermenting in the winery next door.

The wine is made from extra ripe strawberries picked fresh from the farm which are frozen to begin the process.

After being frozen, the berries are crushed into a juice and then the fermen tation process begins.

After removing any solids, the juices sit in a storage vessel for 8-10 weeks. Once this is completed, the wine is bot tled.

“All of the wine is made by a profes sional wine maker whose name is Ross Whitford,” Mr Barletta explained.

“He has worked internationally with other larger wine companies over the years, and he is just as excited as I am

about it.”

To help produce the perfect strawber ries for the wine, a hybrid hydroponics system has been installed.

The system is similar to the tradition

A fresh new strawberry wine is on its way for Christmas with Shaylee’s owner Joe Barletta currently fermenting their very first bottles.

Nominate for awards

MAREEBA Mayor Angela Toppin is encouraging resi dents to nominate individu als and community groups that have gone above and beyond to help others for Mareeba Shire’s 2023 Aus tralia Day Awards.

“I am excited to see who will be nominated for an Australia Day Award in 2023,” she said, announc ing that nominations are now open.

“By recognising indi viduals and groups for their contribution to our commu nities, we create role models and continue to foster the incredible culture of volun teerism and giving that has long existed throughout the Mareeba Shire.”

2022 Citizen of the Year Norma Moloney is also urg ing residents to nominate their local hero.

“I am so proud to have received the award for Citi zen of the Year in 2022,” she said.

“Volunteers don't do it for the kudos, but it was a wonderful honour to be rec ognised.”

Residents can submit nominations online through council's website, or by contacting Customer Ser vice Centres in Mareeba and Kuranda.

al hydroponics system with the plants sitting in a raised bed of regulated water but still using coconut wood chips pro vide nutrients and cover the roots. With this system in place, the plant

can be regulated to produce the “perfect” ripeness and sweetness of the fruit.

Shaylee Strawberry Wine will hit the shelves before Christmas time and will be available at the farm on Marks Lane.

Nomination forms can be submitted online or re turned to the Customer Ser vice Centres. Nominations close at 3pm on 6 Decem ber 2022.

Key water group feeds into Barron River Plan review

THE Far North’s key water stakeholder group has tabled a submission into the review of a major water catchment which supports the highly productive horticulture and cane industries on the Tablelands.

Tinaroo Water Committee has provided a detailed submission to the draft Water Plan (Barron) 2022, which defines and governs how water from the Barron River catchment is used.

Water harvesting and changing the threshold height of the low and medium water zones were key issues raised by the committee which represents irrigators who hold water allocations or licences on the Atherton Tablelands.

Tinaroo Water Committee chairman Joe Moro said the committee welcomed the opportunity to provide a submission to the review.

“TWC represents a significant stake holder group, whose agricultural busi nesses are reliant on the reliable, affordable and equitable access to water, and provide an enormous economic boost to a number of rural and regional economies in the Far North region,” he said.

Teenagers charged

TWO Atherton teenagers

have been charged after a man on Main Street was robbed last week. It is al leged the boys approached a man around 7am on 10 Oc tober and demanded money, then assaulted him before they fled with his wallet. One was charged with assault oc casioning bodily harm and public nuisance, while the other was charged with rob bery and public nuisance.

“Water is the lynchpin of agriculture in the region.

“Without reliable, affordable and equi table access to this resource, the growth and productivity of our existing and poten tial new industries is under threat.”

Mr Moro said the submission sought mechanisms in the water plan to support high flow water harvesting for the Walsh River and streams flowing into the Mitch ell River.

“With the proper pre-harvesting assess ment and investigations, TWC believes water harvesting would allow irrigators to capture water during periods of peak river flows, traditionally during the wet season, and store in off-stream storages on prop erty,” Mr Moro said.

“There are wide-reaching benefits, not only in supplementing existing water allo cations and providing water security dur ing dry times, but also relieving pressure on Tinaroo Dam.”

Among the other issues raised included changing the threshold height of the low and medium water zones in the Mareeba Dimbulah Water Supply Scheme, convert

ing groundwater licences to allocations in the Atherton Groundwater Management Plan and maintaining non-regulation of overland water use.

Tableland Canegrowers chair Claude Santucci said Tableland Canegrowers sup ported efforts to secure long-term water supplies for the region.

“Secure and reliable water is critical in the long-term to retain the existing highvalue agricultural production in the region but also foster expansion in various crops,” Mr Santucci said.

Mr Moro said the committee would continue to lobby Sunwater and the De partment of Regional Development, Manu facturing and Water, for the carryover rule to be retained when Tinaroo Dam over flows on or after the start of the new water year on 1 July.

“This would allow irrigators with un used water allocations to continue to use carryover water in the current water year under the current rules,” he said.

The new water plan is expected to come into effect at the end of the year.

New correctional officers sworn in

LOTUS Glen Correctional Centre has 13 new of ficers ready for duty after they were sworn into their roles during a recent graduation ceremony in Mareeba.

Hosted at the Cedric Davies Memorial Hub, the graduation was witnessed by the officers’ friends and families as they were sworn in after completing their 10-week custodial officer entry program.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Hamlett said

the new officers were ready to take on the many challenges of working in a correctional centre.

“Our correctional officers are equipped with the highest level of training, skills and support to enable them to perform their roles safely and ef fectively,” she said.

“We acknowledge their achievement and their commitment to model the key principles of the corrections 2030 strategy – safety, respect, excel lence, empowerment and accountability.”

13 new Lotus Glen Correctional Centre officers were sworn in at their recent graduation ceremony in Mareeba.

More hospital ‘friends’ needed

BY ROBYN HOLMES

THEY may be only a small group of people but the Atherton Hospital Friends of the Foundation volunteers punch well above their weight when it comes to raising money to buy medical equipment for the facility.

The small group of just 26 people are responsible for organising and host ing events like the weekly bingo at the Atherton International Club and pro viding services like the hospital trolley to raise money that has been used to buy various equipment over the years including ventilators, pressure mat tresses, IV machines and weighing ma chines.

But the group needs more volunteers to be able to achieve much more.

“We currently have 16 people doing the trolley service which sells things like magazines, fruit, sweets and news papers to patients but we need more people to fill the gaps,” group secretary Jo Barnes said.

“The trolley run happens once a day and it only takes an hour so it’s not a lot of time to give up.”

Volunteers are needed for the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, the second Sunday of the month, the third Saturday and the third Monday of the month.

The other major source of funds for the group is the weekly bingo that has been held at Atherton International Club for decades, first by the Hospital Auxiliary, as it was known then, and now by the Friends of the Hospital group.

Volunteers Beverley Prescott and Josie Raso, who have been involved with the bingo events for 30 years, work with five other volunteers to run the games which attract around 60 peo

ple every Tuesday and bring in around $500 a month.

Ms Barnes said the foundation would like to do more events but they needed people from the community with experience in organising and man aging events to join them as a volunteer.

“We have done some events but not for awhile due to Covid. We did a cent sale at Malanda which brought in $5000, and we would like to look at different ideas but we need people with experience or skills in the events area to join our little group,” she said.

She said donations to the Friends of the Foundation group came from a vari ety of sources.

“Last year, we had a $20,000 dona tion from a local lady, and then we had another person donate $10,000 specifi cally for artworks for the new hospital,” she said.

“We have one lady who picks up cans and sells them to recycling – she also gets all the crutches, which, once used, go to the tip. So she picks them up and sells them to the recycling and gives us the money.”

Local organisations like the Malan da Theatre Company also chip in, with proceeds from the sales of their Calen dar Girls calendars, as well as events like the Malanda Christmas Street Party which gave the proceeds from its raffle to the hospital group. There also dona tions tins at various

“It all adds up,” Ms Barnes said.

People can also go to the foundation website (www.fnqhf.org.au/make-a-do nation) to make a donation and nomi nate which hospital it goes to.

Anyone who wishes to join the Atherton Hospital Friends of the Foun dation can do so by emailing volun teer@fnqhf.org.au or call Ms Barnes on 0448 750 353.

Street change

A SECTION of one of the busiest streets in Atherton will become a single lane from this week until early December as roadworks are undertaken as part of the Atherton Hospital Redevelopment.

Part of Louise Street – from Jack Street to Cook Street – will become a single lane one-way thoroughfare with a speed limit of 40km/h while the works are carried out which include some demolition of the ex isting pavement and installation of median strips and crossovers to access the new hos pital from Louise St.

Up to 11 public parking spaces in front of the hospital on Louise St will be closed during this period and detour signs will be in place.

Atherton Hospital acting Director of Nursing and Midwifery Tammy Jennings thanked residents for their understanding and patience during this period, and said the roadworks were necessary to complete con struction of the new hospital building.

Get cyclone ready

RESIDENTS who live in a kerbside collec tion area and who receive the aged or dis ability pension can register with Tablelands Regional Council to get waste removed from their property in readiness for cyclone season.

“Now is the best time to prepare your yard for cyclone season by cutting back trees, shrubs and bushes,” Local Disaster Management Group chair Cr Bernie Wilce said.

“We’ll assist eligible age and disability pensioners by removing waste that is haz ardous during storms and cyclones.

Hazardous waste includes green waste, iron and general yard debris.

Eligible residents can register for the collection at www.trc.qld.gov.au/cyclonecleanup or 1300 362 242 before 5pm on Friday 21 October. Collections will begin on Monday 7 November.

Atherton Hospital Friends of the Foundation volunteers (back row from left) Luci Bultman, Josie Ross, Diane Williams and Betty Saunders, with (centre row) Beverley Prescott and Dorothy Bew, with group secretary Jo Barnes (front).

Thank you!

Thank you to everyone who dropped byto chat to the project team during the Torimba Festival parade and street party on Grigg Street in Ravenshoe on Saturday, 8 October, and all those who gave us their valuable feedback in the Community Benefit Program survey.

It’s a ‘wheelie big’ raffle

Congratulations to winners of the LEGO® Vestas Wind Turbine set, Ravenshoe’s Nicole Bowen and her children Marshall and Skylar!

For the latest project information, questions and to provide input for the Community Benefit Program, please visit the hub in Ravenshoe or email the project team on info@chalumbinwindfarm.com.au. The hub is open on Thursday afternoons or by appointment. Dates for community information sessions at the hub will be advertised soon. Chalumbin Wind Farm Information Hub, 55 Grigg Street, Ravenshoe. Tel: 1800 731 296 Email: info@chalumbinwindfarm.com.au Website: chalumbinwindfarm.com.au or scan the QR code right on your mobile

LOTS of local goodies are up for grabs, with FNQ Foster Farms hosting a “Wheelie Big” raf fle to raise $1000 for their new equine project.

With the money raised, the volunteer-run organisation will be able to purchase bridges, tunnels and other equipment to help build horse owners equestrian skills such as communication and safer working.

The program also aims to reduce abuse and neglect towards horses and open the door to local equestrians to work on personal growth through equine-assisted learning.

Local businesses have chipped in to donate a variety of goodies valued up to $400 in total.

These include a Tablelands Hardware Wheel

barrow, a Tablelands Tyre Centre picnic blanket, a Vicki’s Treasure Trove gift pack, a Ulysses Coffee pack, a $30 Coffee and Clay voucher, a Bunnings pack of essentials, a Fishtastic super food fish drop, 500 piece Discover Space puzzle, a two-piece leaf scoop, coffee cup holder and a bowl.

Tickets are available to purchase for $2 each or $5 for three at Tableland Fertilizer and Table land Tyre Centre Pty Ltd in Atherton and will also be sold outside Big W Atherton from 9am on Sunday 23 and Saturday 29 October.

The raffle will be drawn once the $1000 goal is reached and will be announced via the FNQ Foster Farms social media pages.

BOM predicts more cyclones

AN increased risk of more tropical cyclones and tropical lows is being predicted by the Bu reau of Meteorology for the next six months.

The bureau has issued Australia's Tropical Cyclone Season long-range forecast in advance of the 1 November to 30 April cyclone season.

This season, the bureau says there’s a great er than 70 per cent chance of at least 11 tropical cyclones impacting the Australian region.

Communities are being urged to prepare now as there is an increased chance that the first tropical cyclone will be earlier in the sea son.

This reflects the impact of current climate influences including La Niña and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole.

Despite fewer tropical cyclones in recent years, Australia has never had a season without at least one tropical cyclone crossing the coast, since records began in the early 1970s.

The 2022-23 long-range forecast includes:

An increased risk of an above average number of tropical cyclones and tropical lows

An increased risk of widespread flooding for eastern and northern Australia

Normal bushfire potential in eastern States

An increased risk of prolonged heatwaves in southern areas with higher humidity. And

A normal risk of severe thunderstorms.

The bureau closely monitors tropical weath er systems and says it is important for people to know their weather and their risk so they are ready to act and stay safe.

Communities are encouraged to stay up to date with forecasts and warnings through the bureau's website and BOM Weather app. To receive notifications through the app, visit the notifications setting menu to get the warning information you need when it matters most.

This coming summer, more cloud and a wetter landscape could mean a reduced num ber of extreme heat days compared to recent years. However, given the long-term warming trend, even in a wet summer, some places will experience heatwaves.

Winners Nicole, Marshall and Skylar with a friend and Ark Energy’s Anthony Russo.

Monty the horse and Sue from FNQ Foster Farms are ready for their “Wheelie Big Raffle”.

SENIORS

International Club – Friday 14 October

Frank Heard, Alex Hobkins, Graham Moro and Pat O’Farrell digging into some scones.

The ladies from BlueCare with Councillor Mary Graham enjoyed some friendly conversation.

John and Isobel Sanderson have known each other for 71 years and enjoy spending time together at the morning tea. Councillor Kevin Davies and his good friend Nita Roos.

Trevor and Margret Tremayne and Luz Feeney and John Kerr being serves fresh scones by St Stephen’s Grade 11 student Cameran Hatfield (centre).

Risla Coyle, Yvonne Cockrell, Gina Slape and Maureen Troughton enjoying the morning tea.

Brett Wason, Harley Deshong and Brett Wason-Deshong getting ready to perform.

Mareeba Shire Mayor Angela Toppin with Mulungu CEO Gale Wason watching the performers.

Young Laysharna showing off her painting next to her mum Kiama.

Courtney, Damien, Jack and Lyle in front of art painted by people at the Shanty Creek Rehabilitation Centre. Maryleigh, Talayah, Emerson, Myah, Jennetta and Leikai enjoyed painting together at Naidoc.

Lenard, Tiana, Angus, Yasmine, Callum and Tay enjoyed a family day out.

NOW

Big weekend of movies

THERE is a superb line-up of two great movies showing on the Majestic big screen this weekend. There’s something for everyone.

Top actor Dwayne Johnson stars as the lead role in the action sci-fi fantasy from the DC Universe, “Black Adam” who, after being imprisoned nearly 5,000 years ago, is freed from his earthly tomb and is ready to unleash his unique form of justice on the modern world.

This action-packed adventure should appeal to all ages.

This weekend is your last opportunity to see the excellent historical comedy drama “Amsterdam”, which has received positive feed-back for all those who attended.

Visit www.majestictheatre.com.au for all session times.

Bringing music to the folks

THE streets of Yungaburra will be filled with folk music, dance and laughter over the weekend as Queensland’s longest running folk festival kicks off again for another year.

The Tablelands Folk Festival has bought the talents of different folk art ists from across Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand to Yunga burra where they are set to perform from 21-23 October.

Secretary and program director Bronwyn Hogdkin has been involved with the festival since day one and is excited to welcome back “the family”.

“The very first festival was held in 1980 in Herberton and then it was moved to Yungaburra and continued to be centred around Yungaburra,” she said.

“That makes this year our 41st birthday – you could say we are mid dle aged now!

“I have never missed a festival ex cept one and it is just one big giant family reunion when you get people who keep coming back every year.”

This year the festival will welcome international acts for the first time since Covid, with border closures forc ing the festival committee to cancel last year’s big artists at the last min ute.

International headliners Albi and The Wolves from New Zealand and Jake Spicer from the United Kingdom

will travel to Yungaburra to perform some of their best folk hits for audi ences.

Alongside a variety of international and interstate acts, local folk talent will take the stage to showcase their tal ents and dedication to folk music.

Local acapella group BellaCapella will be taking centre stage during the festival, with their first performance being on Saturday at the Yungaburra Community Hall from 10am.

The audience is encouraged to come and sing along during their “Big Sing” performance, with music direc tor and conductor Christina Bahrdt set to entice the audience and teach them the basics.

At 2pm, the group will take to the community hall stage again and per form a variety of songs alongside

Woyaya choir from Cairns to create their “Mega Choir”.

To see who is performing and at which venue, visit www.tablelands folkfestival.org.au/performers/

So far, thousands of people have already purchased tickets, with more expected to make the trip to the Ta blelands to enjoy the “people music”.

With a full program, Ms Hodgkin promises a packed house across the 13 venues, eight stages and three ma jor stages across Yungaburra.

A full weekend pass is $130 with access to all venues and stages. They can be purchased at www.tablelands folkfestival.org.au/ticket-sales/

As well as bringing in the tunes, a variety of workshops and special activities will keep participants enter tained.

A lantern workshop will welcome creative minds to make lanterns that will light up the skies at the street pa rade on 22 October from 5.45pm.

The streets of Yungaburra will light up with the specially made lanterns, song and dance to kick off the week end fun. The “fashion police” will also be out and about, making sure patrons are not committing fashion crimes and providing entertainment all weekend long.

For more information on activities and workshops, visit www.tablelands folkfestival.org.au

Kids fundraising weekend full of fun

AN array of sports, kids craft sessions, live entertainment and a charity auction are some of the highlights of a special fundraising event to be held in Mt Garnet this weekend, kicking off on Saturday around 12noon.

The event is being hosted by the FNQ branch of the Isolated Children’s and Parents Association as they aim to raise funds and provide rural and remote children with oppor tunities they otherwise would not have.

They hope to organise sport camps, writ ing trips to Brisbane and if enough money is raised, send the children to Canberra for a chance to touch snow.

FNQ Branch ICPA president Karen Muc cingnat said many children in rural and re mote parts of Australia were disadvantaged compared to their city counterparts.

“ICPA is a self-funded not for profit organi sation that lobbies governments on anything to do with children in all stages of education,” she said.

“Grass roots issues are raised at branch level and are taken to state and federal con

ferences, we also raise money to send del egates to conferences all over Australia.”

There will be three kids programs on Sat urday – one for children under seven, one for kids aged 8-12 and another for kids aged 13 and over. Activities include an AFL game, and macrame and pottery craft sessions before fun turns towards the jumping castle.

The Shane Knuth Happy Hour is between 5pm-6pm, with dinner to follow, the charity auction, and live music from Karizma right up until midnight.

Meal tickets for the Saturday night dinner can be purchased at the door, $25 for adults and $10 for children. All the action will be cen tred around the Mt Garnet Golf Course at the L.D Lucey Memorial Park.

On Sunday after a brekkie of bacon and eggs, Cricket Queensland will be hosting fun activities and a colour run from 9am until noon when lunch will be served.

If you are planning on attending please RSVP to Ms Muccignat on 0418 776 899 or Emm Jonsson on 0427 873 190.

International headliners Albi and The Wolves from New Zealand will travel to Yungaburra this weekend to perform.

Love and war in classic comedic play

Get ready to dance, Spanish Fiesta style

FOLLOWING on from their successful dis play at the recent Ageing Well Expo, the Tableland Social Dancers are now looking forward to new dancers joining them for their Spanish Fiesta Dance on the 29 October at Merriland Hall Atherton.

In their quest to renew interest in dance for all ages, the dance group wants to share the benefits of sequence dancing with eve ryone.

“Moving to music is good for your body and mind to give you a better quality of life as it can reduce symptoms of depression and

make you feel more energetic and upbeat,” group president Trevor Hackett said.

“All age groups can benefit from improve ments in flexibility, balance and coordination, not to mention the friendly social interaction.

“If you can Tango or Waltz, Swing or Rum ba, put one foot in front of the other or just love music and good company, come and join the fun with a little Ole thrown in.”

Tickets are $15 per person with supper provided. Contact Trevor on 0498 733 630 or Esther on 0487 947 513 to find out more and book your place on the dance floor.

ATHERTON Performing Arts is just days away from presenting their newest play, “Arms and the Man”.

The play, which explores love, war and class stereotypes through comedy, will be performed over the next two weekends at the Silo Road Theatre in Atherton.

Written by literary giant George Ber nard Shaw, the play is set in Bulgaria in the middle of a war with Serbia in the 1880s.

Director Jacqui Stephens said the clas sic comedy play followed the story of the glamorous and idealistic heroine, Raina.

“Raina has to face the realities of war when an enemy fugitive Captain Bluntschli lands in her bedroom,” she said.

“Life becomes complicated when not only does her heroic fiancée Sergius re turn from war, but so does the fugitive and it becomes particularly tricky when Raina’s

maid Louka is thrown into the equation.

“Stereotypes of love, war and class are bounced up and down and turned on their head with themes of anti-love, anti-class and anti-war abounding but with a star tling turn-around of events, love somehow manages to triumph in the end.”

Opening night for the early birds is set for this Friday at 7.30pm before continuing with a Sunday afternoon performance at 2.30pm.

Next week, the last of the early bird performances will be on Thursday start ing at 7.30pm with the remaining perfor mances on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7.30pm, 8pm and 2.30pm respectively.

Bookings are available at www.ather tonperformingarts.com.au or at Tableland Books, Vernon Street, Atherton.

Kay and Les Battle (left) and Alison and Henry Sciani enjoy the opportunity to dance.

ON LAND

Scientists create LSD vaccine

QUEENSLAND scientists have joined the fight to protect the state’s vital beef indus try from the threat of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) with over $1.15 million invested in the development of locally produced vac cines and tests.

LSD is a highly infectious viral disease of cattle. Australia is currently LSD-free, however with recent cases reported in Indo nesia, it is an imminent threat.

Minister for Agricultural Industry De velopment and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said the

Queensland Government had partnered with Meat and Livestock Australia, the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and US-based biotechnology company, Tiba Biotech, to create a worldfirst synthetic vaccine for LSD.

“A new mRNA vaccine would be a game changer as the live virus vaccines currently available overseas cannot be used in Aus tralia,” Mr Furner said.

“Using existing vaccines here would re sult in us losing our disease-free status.

“A new mRNA vaccine would have the

advantages of being potentially safer with capacity for rapid development and lowercost manufacturing, helping to protect good jobs in Queensland’s nation-leading live stock industries.

“DAF scientists are also working on a second project with the Queensland Alli ance for Agriculture and Food Innovation at the University of Queensland which in volves a traditional protein-based vaccine but with a delivery system that releases the vaccine in cattle over an extended period of time.”

Farmers the target of scammers

FARMERS and small businesses in rural and regional areas are urged to be cautious, par ticularly when buying heavy machinery, fol lowing a spike in scams targeting the agricul tural sector this year.

Reports to the ACCC’s Scamwatch show Australian farm businesses lost more than $1.2 million to scammers between 1 January and 31 August 2022, an increase of more than 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.

The most common scam targeting farmers involved the sale of tractors and heavy ma chinery, with losses to this scam alone topping $1 million so far this year.

“Scammers are ruthlessly luring farmers and rural businesses with seemingly good on line deals on tractors and other farm machinery through fake websites or bogus classifieds on legitimate platforms and publications,” ACCC deputy chair Mick Keogh said.

“Unfortunately, we have seen a concern

ing rise in agricultural scams in recent years, as farm businesses increasingly purchase ma chinery online. These scams are causing sub stantial financial losses and emotional devasta tion.”

“Scammers are highly sophisticated in the ways they impersonate a business – some fake websites have ABNs for instance - which is why we are urging farmers and business own ers to be alert to the scam risks and do extra checks to avoid getting caught out.”

Scammers trick people through a range of ever-evolving methods such as providing a contract of sale, answering questions about the potential sale of machinery by phone or email, or offering a free trial period once money is deposited into an escrow account, which is ac tually part of the scam.

Farmers are also being warned against giving too much personal information as scammers are targeting more than just money.

Pest training

NEW online training packages are available to help more peo ple recognise exotic pests and diseases.

The two new online training packages, Hitchhiker Pests, and Nursery Pests and Diseases, are 30-minute courses after which participants receive a certificate of completion.

The Hitchhiker Pests course is aimed at businesses that deal with goods and cargo at critical points along the supply chain, including warehouses, distri bution centres, and large retail chains. The Nursery Pests and Diseases course is designed for staff at local councils and retail nurseries, landscapers and hor ticulturalists.

register for the training packages,

ON

Prices hold at Mareeba sale

BY SALLY TURLEY

WITH just nine more sales scheduled before the Mareeba yards close down for the Christ mas break, northern cattle prices continued to hold last week, in contrast to the state-wide trend.

November and December are historically the lowest priced months of the cattle selling year and while the Queensland Eastern Young Cattle Indicator (EYCI) has dipped just under 30 points to 1002.94 since ear ly September, prices rose 5-10 cents across all categories in Mareeba.

Most cattle buyers were pre sent, including representatives from JBS Australia, Bos Trad ing, Cairns Bulk Meats, Elders Townsville and Teys, Lakes Creek. Strong southern buyer support continued in the form of Shannon Coombs and Casino's Northern River Meats.

The best export boat order prices of the year have just hit the market and Central Queens land's Ryan Olive was operating on behalf of Perth-based Live stock Shipping Services (LSS), adding competition to the local market. Several more boats are expected before the end of the year, which should continue to underpin the solid market.

Since the influx of the north ern bulls and mickeys that began at the start of September, Maree ba has been experiencing a run of yardings in the 1500 to 2000 head range, necessitating second round yard refills and making long days for agents and buyers.

Queensland Rural's Luke Hickmott said buyers could ex pect a lot more Peninsula bulls as northerners got into their fi

nal clean up before the wet and that the continued flow of cattle numbers generally could cause an extension to the selling year, but he believed prices would hold.

A total of 1586 head were yarded at last week's Mareeba sale, including nine head sold at open auction to record an over all average improvement of four cents per kilo across the sale.

The 472 prime cattle included 64 bullocks and 242 mainly Pen insula bulls and 856 stores.

The prime cattle came from Cape York, the Gulf country, Georgetown, the Eastern Coast al area and the local Tablelands and consisted of some quality pens of ox, runs of cows and bulls and a few heifers.

Bullocks sold on account of R & R White topped the sale at 390.2c/kg to weigh 632.5kg and return an average of $2,468.02 per head.

The top pen of cows sold for 350.2c/kg, weighed 498kg and

returned $1745.16 per head and the best pen of trade heifers of fered by JM & PL Gordon sold for 340c/kg, weighed 355kg and returned $$1207/hd.

Store lines totalled 930 head and were comprised of mainly Brahman lines with a small number of softer breed cattle, in cluding some quality steers and heifers on offer.

A pen of 28 steers sold on account of R & R White made 540.2c/kg, weighed 175kg to re alise $1102.91/head, while a pen of 7 of Brad Meldrum's heifers made 422.2c/kg, weighed 209kg to return $880.59 per head and cows and calves sold on account of Ironbark North returned $800 per unit.

The 419 bulls on offer aver aged 265.8c/kg to top at 562.2; the 176 cows averaged 287.2 c/ kg to reach a top of 356.2 and a run of 256 head of 300- 500kg mickeys of varying quality, sold to a top of 448.2c/kg to average 253.6c/kg.

TABLELAND MILL CRUSHING STATISTICS

ENDING 9/10/2022

Crop Estimate: 560,000 Tonnes

For Week: 24,805 Tonnes

Cane Crushed To Date: 394,770 Tonnes

Crushed: 68.10%

Week: 14.19

To Date:

MOSSMAN MILL CRUSHING STATISTICS

ENDING 9/10/2022

Crop Estimate: 762,696 Tonnes

For Week: 36,683 Tonnes

Cane Crushed To Date: 445,500 Tonnes

Week:

To Date:

It was a sad day for Nicky Harvey of Biboohra as she said goodbye to her seven dairy/Wagyu and beef cross steers and bulls. The ongoing dry and increased cost of feed forced the sale of part of her young herd which averaged 172kg and $633.87/hd.

Brian Dick of Atherton, chats with Peninsula producer, Mariette Price of 116,000ha "Balurga" Station, who was selling some bulls and mickeys at the sale.

HOME HOMEsweet

Style and quality the focus of new furniture store

STYLISH, quality furniture can sometimes be hard to find, but a new showroom in Cairns can now provide a whole new level of fine pieces to suit any home.

Style N Furniture is owned by Bruce Simpson, a man who is syn onymous with quality pieces that will make any home feel comfort able and contemporary.

Bruce has decades of experi ence in the industry, starting to sell furniture in Cairns some 40 years ago, setting up his own store, Mister Sandman in the 1980s, and since then, started Hides Leather Furni ture of Distinction, joined the Forty Winks brand, and opened Style N Leather.

Bruce has an unwavering com mitment to comfort and durabil ity and with decades of experience under his belt, there is no doubt his new store will deliver.

Style ‘N’ Furniture, located on Sheridan Street, showcases the family’s devotion to high-quality, stylish lounges and chairs, with the showroom clearly a labour of love

for the Simpson family.

“Time after time, I would hear locals complaining that there was nowhere for them to go to find bet ter quality lounges that last and I personally wanted to do something different,” Bruce said.

“Once we found this location, my son and I built the showroom our selves over a period of 12 months.

“I handpicked manufacturers I know and trust to provide the lum bar support our bodies need, espe cially as we get older.

“One of our international brands is so blown away by what we’ve done here, that they’ve nominated us for the company’s international award for ‘Best Store Presentation’.

“I’ve always aimed to be the best furniture store in Cairns, and even Australia, but for global recognition, that really says something about what we’ve achieved.’’

The showroom is designed to al low visitors to experience comfort in a range of different lounge settings.

Complemented with local art pro vided by Cairns artist Petra Meikle

de Vlas and flowers that are grown in the garden found at the store, the showroom is a homage to design and comfort.

“Since opening my first store in Cairns in 1984, I’ve learned a thing or two about quality furniture,” Bruce said.

“Furniture that is stylish, durable and offers flawless support, always stands the test of time.

“Style ‘N’ Furniture was created to provide the Cairns community, with the finest furniture from trusted brands such as Stressless and Mol mic.

“The carefully crafted showroom showcases lounges and chairs for those seeking something special and I invite you to explore and ex perience comfort in-store.’’

The Style ‘N’ Furniture show room is located on 146 Sheridan Street.

Tips to help save you money around the home

THE cost of living is hurting us all, but there are simple things you can do to save money around the home. Here’s 10 things you can do to save an extra bit of money just by making some small changes.

Make snacks and “takeaway” food

The cost of a pre-packaged snacks can be much more expensive than what you can make at home. Check out rec ipes online to make all sorts of interesting snacks for the family and you will definitely save money. Even better still, get the kids involved in mak ing them! The same goes for “takeaway” food – pizzas, fish and chips, burgers – they can

all be easily made at home and they’re going to be a lot healthier for the family any way.

Maintain a shopping list

We all go to supermarkets to buy our groceries and of ten come home with much more than what we intended to buy, or perhaps items we didn’t even need. Keep an ac tive shopping list on the front of your refrigerator and write down what you need as you use the products.

Use what’s in your pantry

Most pantries contain a myriad of food items and in gredients that we can use to make many different recipes. Look for recipes online that fit what you have in your pantry, rather than having to go out and buy a whole bunch of new products. Get innovative and try to use what you have at hand.

Go fresh, reject processed foods

If you eat fresh veggies and fruit instead of things like po tato chips, energy bars and other processed or expensive stuff, you will end up saving money and be healthier as well. Remember, there is no

GST added to the price of fresh food, so fresh is best!

Cook in bulk and skip the mid-week takeaway urge

If you plan out your weekly meals, you can spend a Sunday afternoon preparing many of them and putting them away in the fridge or freezer for later in the week. We all get tired mid-week and get tempted to get takeaways which can cost the family budget much more.

Borrow what you rarely use You don’t have to buy every new gadget out there –whether it’s for the kitchen, yard, or a handyman job, if you’re going to do something that might just be a one-off, ask your friends, family or neighbours if they have the equipment you need. Better to borrow than buy if you’re only going to use it every now and then.

Don’t be scared of generic Generic products are plenti ful these days, and often just as good as the well-known brands. Generic pantry sta ples like flour, sugar, rice, cereals and items like plastic food wrap or aluminium foil are just as good. Go generic

unless you’ve tried the prod uct before and it wasn’t up to scratch.

Wash in cold water

Gone are the days when you needed to wash your laundry in hot water to make sure it’s clean. Most clothing or linen will wash just fine in cold wa ter which will save your hot water for other things – and the bonus is, the colours don’t run in cold water!

Ditch the dryer

If you have the space in your house or garage, devise a system for hanging up the majority of your clothing to dry. Not only will you save on the cost of electricity, your clothes will also last longer than if dried with direct heat in a clothes dryer or in direct sunlight.

Turn them all off!

When you’re not using ap pliances or things like phone chargers, turn them off and unplug them. A variety of dif ferent electronic devices and appliances, including televi sions, toasters, lamps, and more, when plugged in, can consume electricity even when they're turned off.

You

The entrance to the beautiful showroom at Style N Furniture in Sheridan Street.

Luxury lifestyle living so close to town

Walking distance to all amenities

traditional style clay

across

home is

• Main bathroom shower & separate bath

fenced backyard.

Atherton Swimming Pool and within a few minutes

road from

•

bathroom & toilet

External laundry

to

amen ities

ideal

development

The home itself has been modernised with vinyl plank flooring and was rented for $395pw.

tenants have now

straight

Property features include:

and

•

Kitchen with

Large outdoor entertain ing

• Double garage with con venient access straight into the Kitchen.

• Rendered internal walls

The block itself is almost completely flat and generous in size at 1012sqm. There is also side access to the fully

Located in a medium den sity zone, Multi-unit develop ers could act now and take advantage of the Tableland Regional Council "Invest ment Incentive Policy"

Contact Exclusive listed Agent Michelle Raso on 0428 116 136 or email mi chelle.raso@eldersreales tate.com for more informa tion.

Address: 47 Robert Street,

Opportunity to kickstart your acreage dream

IF you've been looking for the perfect acreage property... then this may just be it! From the two large sheds, beautiful mountain views, established gardens and a low main tenance 3 bedroom home, this great property ticks all the boxes of acreage living. Whilst it ticks all the boxes, it still has the convenience of being just a short drive from cafes, amenities, and schools.

Features Include;

• Solid masonry block home

• 3 carpeted bedrooms all with built-in robes

• Master bedroom features an ensuite

• Open plan kitchen/dining

room with access to entertain ment area

• Central kitchen with a free-standing oven, breakfast bar, pantry & dishwasher

• Separate lounge room with access to entertainment area

• Spacious main bathroom with a walk-in shower, vanity, and a separate toilet

• Internal laundry with a linen cupboard

• Ceiling fans, grab rails & security screens throughout home

• Covered entertainment area - enjoy beautiful views, cool breezes & entertain all year round!

• 1 bay carport

• 3 bay shed and a 4 bay shed – Plenty of room for a boat or caravan

• Greenhouse + a garden/ storage shed

• 4,019m2 allotment, fenced on 3 sides

• Established and well maintained gardens

• Located only 6km to Tol ga Primary School & ameni ties and 10kms to Atherton Town Centre.

This home could also be the perfect canvas for some one wanting to renovate and add value. it would be a very easy home to modernise so come and check it out for yourself.

For further information or to arrange an inspection, call marketing agent Raquel at Sommerset Realty on 0408 983 879.

Address: 18 Geddes Drive, TOLGA

$640,000

Agent: Raquel Cunzolo Sommerset Realty

0408 983 879

PROPERTY

Historic

FILLED to the brim with his tory and warmth this beautiful property captures a moment in time where people took pride in their homes and the current owner has lovingly kept the history in tack for the next generation to enjoy.

Each area of the home has been carefully curated to showcase its historic charm & features; from the high ceiling to the timber details.

Entering the home off the rear deck through lovely French doors you are greeted with the living & dining areas which expand down the cent er of the home showcasing cascading ceilings, intricate timber details & a fireplace.

The kitchen extends al most one side of the home with plenty of storage and large window cutouts create serveries on either side of the benchtops allowing conver sation to flow. The 'L' shaped

sleep-out is situated at the front of the home connecting the living and kitchen.

Three bedrooms + study, each of them include access to timber decks. The master includes a generous sized ensuite, heaps of storage & access to its own private deck.

Set on 13.75 ha (approx. 34 acres) the property is separated by Spring Creek which has access to the back paddocks, mostly cleared and perfect for running some cattle or adjist for some extra income. Additional access is utilised at the top boundary.

For more information con tact Dual-Exclusive agency, Ray White Atherton. Call Morgan Brennan or Suzey Whitby on 0407 730 450 or 0438 090 306. www.ray whiteruralatherton.com.au/ L20585761

Address: 238 Griffin Road, TOLGA

Over

Morgan Brennan & Suzey Whitby

White Atherton

730

A BEAUTIFUL block of land is now available in Danbulla. At the end of Stewart Road, out of the way of the hustle and bus tle is an 8.4Ha block which backs on to lake Tinaroo.

This is an opportunity for those seeking the quiet lifetucked away in the forest is a 60m x 60m clearing ready to build your dream home, subject to council approval. No cove nants on the block and mains power is ready to be connected. Wander the established tracks around the property, tak ing in the serene atmosphere with the sound of birdsong and keep your eyes peeled for the local wildlife on your doorstep. The undulating block is full of surprises including a spring fed gully which runs year round.

Less than 20 kms to Yungaburra and 75 mins to Cairns, all the amenities you require are readily available.

For more information contact marketing agent Alex Payne today on 0409 328 153.

Address: RN43 Stewart Road,

THE

Brand new build in Atherton

BEAT the building backlog by making this brand new property yours.

Situated in a quiet cul-desac close to Atherton CBD, this property offers a low maintenance lifestyle giving you back your weekends.

The well thoughtout floor plan provides a central en trance hall which leads to the rear of the home where a large open plan living area opens onto the alfresco out door living space.

Features include:

• 4 Bedroom newly com

pleted home

• Main bedroom features ensuite and large walk-in robe

• Security screens and blinds fitted to all bedroom windows

• Kitchen includes a 90cm freestanding stove with gas cooktop

• Butler's pantry which connects with the kitchen and laundry

• Open plan living area leads out to alfresco outdoor living

ated off kitchen

Double lock-up garage with remote

Main bathroom feataures separate shower and bathtub

Side access to the back yard

wait when this well-

home is available for immediate occupancy.

Contact Exclusive Market ing Agent Collette Row ston from Raine & Horne Atherton today (WEB ID 114698391).

3 Twine Close, ATHERTON

Collette

Rustic charm in the heart of town

WITH its homely, rus tic charm this renovated Queenslander home is just overflowing with character.

From timber floorboards, tongue and groove walls and barn style doors to a mod ern and stylish kitchen this home as all the quintessen tial Queenslander features and the benefits of a modern home.

The renovated kitchen has a modern and stylish design, with plenty of bench and cupboard space, dish washer, and island bench. Located conveniently be side the kitchen is the dining space, which leads directly to the large living space.

The home features four

bedrooms, one of which has a split-system air-condition er. With two sleepouts there is plenty of opportunity to utilise the extra space for a home office, sitting area, or kids play area.

Situated on a fully fenced 1,135m2 corner allotment within walking distance to Mareeba CBD, Hospital and Primary Schools, this is a great, convenient location.

There is a cosy front patio which provides a great spot to sit and enjoy an afternoon cuppa, and a small back pa tio as well.

There is plenty of room at the rear of the property to add a shed, and there is the benefit of rear access as

well.

Features Include:

• Rustic & renovated Queenslander home

• Timber floors, tongue & groove walls, barn style doors

• Modern kitchen with is land bench & dishwasher

• Large living area, dining room

• 4 Bedrooms, 2 sleepouts, 1 bathroom

• Carport, external laundry

• Front patio & small rear patio

• 3kW Solar Power Sys tem

• 1,135m2 corner allot ment

• Walking distance to Ma reeba CBD, Hospital & Pri mary Schools

To arrange your Private Inspection call exclusive agent Vince Costas on 0419 926 691 today.

Address: 79 Walsh Street, MAREEBA

Over $350,000

to Vince Costas

Realty Mareeba

THINKING ABOUT SELLING

PROPERTY?

need an experienced, local Real Estate

Remo or Vince

Auction

A piece of history, charming Malanda cottage restored

A CHARMING home that was once “Silvermist Cheese Glen Allyn Homestead”, orig inally built in the 1900’s, has been loved and restored. High ceilings, casement win dows and beautiful stained glass are some of charming features of the home.

There are three spacious bedrooms, the master with stunning chandelier and a walk in robe. The sunroom at the front is currently uti lised as an office space with daybed.

The lounge room fea tures a wood heater and the dining room flows into the kitchen which has quality ap pliances and a private deck fully screened and a perfect

spot for a morning coffee.

The bathroom has been completely updated with stunning timber vanity. There is an outdoor covered enter tainment and firepit area.

For car accommodation there is a single bay carport. The shed is 6mx4m with a set of plans to make a studio and a 3mx6m lean to.

The property is fully fenced with a range of es tablished gardens and mani

cured lawns to admire.

Located just 500m from the Main Street and 700m to the Malanda High School. Nothing left to do, pack your bags and move straight in.

For more information or a private inspection please

Contact Exclusive Market ing Agent Kaydee Chat field 0417 468 941 at Main Street Real Estate today.

Address: 32 Patrick Street, MALANDA

Price: Offers Over $520,000

Agent: EXCLUSIVE to Kaydee Chatfield Main Street Real Estate

Contact: 0417 468 941

Auction

Make family life that little better

THIS spacious 4 bedroom home is located in the highly sought after Rangeview area just 5km from town.

The open plan living area has a reverse cycle air-con ditioner for year round com fort and there are easy care timber look vinyl floor cover ings throughout the home.

There is a gas cooktop, dishwasher & breakfast bar in the well-appointed kitch en. A pantry and plenty of cupboards for storage.

The air-conditioned main bedroom has an ensuite, with an easy access show er, plus a walk-in wardrobe.

Other bedrooms have builtIn wardrobes and ceiling fans.

A separate office nook has a built-in storage cup board. You can relax on the tiled patio and gaze over the adjoining stately gumtrees.

Your children can play safely in the fenced 4,000m² allotment and can travel

safely to and from school on the bus that runs past the property.

For more information, call Trisha Jackson at Profes sionals Atherton. Phone 4091 3955 or 0419 1833 145 anytime. To view more photos, visit athertonreal estate.com.au

Address: TOLGA

Agent:

This

home can't be judged from the street

Address:

You’ll

For further information or to arrange

private inspection please contact exclusive agent Joe Torrisi on 0417 700 468.

take a break...

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eat efficiency energy equilibrium family feeder filter fodder folivore food gallinule genus granivore

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secondary small subspecies tertiary top transfer trophic typology vegetarian web xylophage zooplankton

guardian, or patron (8)

to move goods or people illegally into or out of a country (7)

British informal word for delicious (7)

to gaze at or observe the stars (8)

the best performance or most remarkable event of its kind (6)

something one accepts as true or real;

firmly held opinion (6)

25 a cessation of work by employees in protest at the terms set by their employers (8)

26 cruciferous vegetable with leafy stalks and clusters (8)

the ultimate purpose, object, or conclusion (3-3)

Down

1 a message or communication sent by telegraph (8)

2 an attacking player on the left side of a team on the field in soccer, rugby, and field hockey (4-6)

3 to cause to become less powerful or threatening, render harmless (6) 4 general excellence of standard or level (7)

5 an analogous great circle on a terrestrial globe (8)

6 a display of unnecessary or excessive excitement, activity, or interest (4)

7 the chief manservant of a house (6)

14 the area on which a rocket stands for launching (plural) (6,4)

16 surpass or overtake another to move into a leading or dominant position (8) 18 a plant of the daisy family with yellow, orange, or copper-brown flowers (8)

19 close fitting rubber garment worn in cold water (3,4)

21 an idea used to account for a situation or justify a course of action (6) 22 a person involved in a disorderly public outbreak (6)

Weekly Horoscopes

Aries

21 to April 20

This week, a rocky start smooths out quite quickly. Acknowledge that you are feeling sensitive and easy to fire up, take some quiet time to ground yourself. Later in the week you’ll bounce back with more energy than you know what to do with.

This

Libra

lining up.

in the week however travel is on the cards, smooth sailing towards new adventures.

Capricorn

Taurus

This week, after a stumble out of the gate, you’re off to the races. Foggy energy is making it harder to see the simple solutions, leave health choices for another

Gemini

This week, things can come together beautifully. Your reality might be at odds with

This

Scorpio

This

have

make

feel ready

want

but

Aquarius

put

use this foggy energy

early in the

tap into the vision and lay the ground work.

be

in the

and able

on the

Pisces

DEATH NOTICE

GREEN, Fay Isabel

Notice is

Developer: N Crameri

Development: Reconfiguration of lots, carpark and access design for Crameri Subdivision works 33 Gillies Highway

Project Manager: Ken Costin 0458 561 572

Consulting Engineer: SMEC Allan McPherson 4255 9811

SAVAGE, Raymond Edgar

Passed 5th September, 2022.

The family of the late Ray Savage wish to extend their sincere thanks for your many kindnesses, condolences and support. We also send our appreciation to the staff of Carinya for their wonderful care and friendship of Ray and his family. Thank you also to Guilfoyle Funeral Services for assisting us with Ray’s final journey.

Guilfoyle Funeral Services

Contractor: Coral Coast Airconditioning Rik Stott 0408 392 391

Proposed Development

Make a submission from: 19th October, 2022 to 9th November, 2022 Reconfiguring a Lot (1 – 2 Lots)

Where: 1-3 Daly Street, Tolga On: Lot 11 on RP 702522

Approval Sought: Development Permit Application Ref: RAL22/0023

You may obtain a copy of the application and make a submission to: Tablelands Regional Council PO Box 573, Atherton QLD 4883 info@trc.qld.gov.au 1300 362 242 https://www.trc.qld.go.au/building -planning/developmentassessment/ developmentapplications-2/

Public notification requirements are in accordance with the Planning Act 2016.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF Vojko Ivičević 10/02/1931 ~ 20/10/2021 I ako te nema više među nama, u srcima našim za uvijek si s nama. Tvoja žena Ivka i dijeca

GARAGE SALE

POSITION VACANT

Fencing Contractors Required

We are seeking experienced qualified local contract Fencing Contractors for a current project in Burdell, Townsville. We focus on residential townhouses and are looking for suitable highly skilled and licenced Fencing Contractors to join our team.

GREAT RATES

Please call David on 0499 201 152

Carpenter Gangs Required

We are seeking experienced qualified local contract carpenter gangs for a current project in Burdell, Townsville. We focus on residential townhouses and are looking for suitable highly skilled and licenced carpenter gangs to join our team.

GREAT RATES

Please call David on 0499 201 152

SPORT

Master marksman sets sights on world stage

BY RHYS THOMAS

ATHERTON master marksman Grace Grandcourt has achieved national acclaim for the second time after she won the super junior IPSC National Title in Darwin, giving her another chance to shoot on the world stage.

After winning her first national competition last year, Grace was unfortunately unable to com pete in the 2021 IPSC World Shooting Competi tion due to Covid.

This year the 16-year-old will have the honour of donning the green and gold and flying over to Thailand in November to compete in the world titles, which will gather 1,600 competitors from 50 countries.

Grace said the recent competition was difficult and challenged her on a new level she had not ex perienced before.

“It was tough competition but that made me stretch myself and shoot harder,” she said.

The International Practical Shooting Con federation (ISPC) is the world’s largest growing shooting sport and takes a practical approach to shooting.

Competitors are given a course to run through, shooting multiple targets – moving and unmoving – whilst navigating cover.

Grace has only been shooting for less than five years but has already established herself as a mas ter marksman, winning in her own age divisions, moving higher and winning again.

Getting her second chance to step onto the world stage, Grace felt incredibly honoured and excited in achieving one of her goals.

“I am representing Australia in ladies and com peting against adult females even though I have

just turned 16-years-old, It has always been a goal of mine and to see it unfold is very exciting,” she said.

“I am excited to meet new people and learn heaps – not sure how I will go as I haven’t com pleted against these people before.

“Eventually one day, I hope to complete at the Olympics and be the best lady in the world.”

Old bulls complete three-peat

AFTER toiling away for seven years, the Ma reeba Bulls have finally secured the three-peat, becoming three-time champions of the Old Mongrels (over 45s) Carnival after trashing the Moody Blues 4-0 in the finals.

The Mareeba Bulls have been playing in the over 45’s carnival ever since it was estab lished and made their way to four grand finals, three of which they have won taking home the trophy and the $1000 in prize money.

Lead by captain/coach Mario Terranova, the side contains some of the best Bulls Maree ba has to offer from the 90s and early 2000s, many of which have multiple premiership ti tles under their belts.

The oldest member of the squad, Raymond Cater, has played in each carnival for the past three years and has seen the team win again

and again and again.

Mr Terranova said words could not describe the electricity in the air after the team won against the Moody Blues in the finals, a com bined team of Edge Hill and Stratford players.

“Words cannot describe that Saturday night, I was overjoyed and to see the boys’ faces – they had the biggest smiles, smiles you wouldn’t want to take away,” he said.

“There were seven players who played in all three carnivals.”

Mr Terranova hopes the performance of the old boys in the over 45’s carnival will light a fire under the existing Mareeba Bull’s Premier teams and make them all the hungrier for some trophies of their own.

Up next for the team will be the Barrier Reef Masters Games set for May 2023.

The final dirt track showdown for 2022

THE dedicated volunteers and 31 fun seeking competitors at Tableland Competition Car Club, combined well to present an entertaining day of dirt track racing.

Mick Schuch had the spectators gasping when his outside overtaking move, ended at the safety barrier with the car on its roof. Due to design features of the car and barrier, Mick survived unscathed.

A big thank you to Mike Delbin at Drive 2 Live for sponsoring the days racing.

The club is expecting more new drivers and looks forward to providing entertaining, local racing when the new season starts in 2023.

Race Results – D Grade: 1st Harrison Jons son; 2nd William Jonsson; 3rd Callum Jons son. C Grade: 1st Daniel Weller; 2nd Luke Cummings; 3rd Sophie Jonsson. B Grade: 1st Mitchell White; 2nd Geoff Schulz; 3rd Corey Martin. A Grade: 1st Owen Jonsson; 2nd Brad Brook; 3rd Andrew McCreath.

Atherton’s Grace Grandcourt has achieved her second national title and been given a second chance to compete at the IPSC World Shooting Competition in Thailand in November.

The squad of Mareeba Bulls have successfully won the Old Mongrels Carnival for the third year in a row.

Mick Schuch.

Sophie Jonsson.

Colby Jonsson.

Edward Smith.

Daniel Weller.

Corey Martin.

Sam Jennings.

Brooke sets eye on prize

YOUNG Mareeba cricket superstar Brooke Butler will be heading to Townsville this weekend to join some of the best players in the north for the Cricket Far North Under 15 competi tion.

The three-day competition will kick off at Endeavour Park on Friday which will then determine the Flames Team, who will compete against oth er teams across Queensland later in the season.

Brooke has her eye on the prize and has spent the beginning of the season training harder than ever to prepare for the competition.

Being one of the best female play ers in her age group, she says she is confident and ready to dominate the pitch.

“I’ve been trying to get in as much training as possible and trying to get into the nets with (coaching devel opment officer Gary Toshach) to do one-on-one batting,” she said.

“I am confident – I am not nervous or anything and it should be a good competition.”

Mareeba off to rocky start

MAREEBA’S second grade side has started their one-day season with a loss after facing off against Mulgrave Punjabi at Walker Road on Sunday.

After winning the toss and deciding to bat, Ma reeba lost both of their openers early and relatively cheaply, neither making it into the double figures.

Captain Brendan Payne once again came to crease and steadied the rocking Mareeba ship, scor ing 44 runs off 42 balls with five fours and two maximums.

The middle order did the best they could to stay out there with Payne, but most fell just after getting into double figures.

Tyson Brown made a quick appearance towards the bottom of the order and smashed 42 off 35 balls to give Mareeba some breathing room before the re maining batsmen fell, leaving a score of 159.

Things started off well for Mareeba and they struck early to put Mulgrave on the backfoot, how ever some quick hitting in the middle order and some heavy tail wagging by the home side pushed Mulgrave over the line – they passed Mareeba’s score in the 34th over with a boundary.

Mareeba’s next face-off will be against town ri vals Atherton at Borzi Park this Sunday at 12.30pm.

Boorman brings Atherton over the line

ATHERTON’S first grade has scraped by with two wickets to spare and secure their first win of the 50 over competition af ter they hosted Rovers at home for the third instalment of the Muoio-Ferguson trophy.

After winning the toss Atherton put Rovers into bat, looking to strike early and not let the top order settle in for the coming 50 overs.

A menacing opening part nership was broken by a superb direct hit run out from Logan Poggioli before Rovers middle order resettled and begun scor ing at a decent pace.

Rovers ended up posting a score on 212 after their al lotted 50 overs and Atherton had a big chase ahead of them against the Rovers bowling at tack.

Two early ducks put Ather ton on the back foot before Chris Adams and Tom Boor man started the comeback but just as they were starting to dominate the Rovers attack, Adams fell and the middle order soon followed plunging Atherton to 7/70.

Throughout the carnage, Boorman remained in control and found a willing ally in An gus Vikionkorpi, playing just his second first grade game.

Angus dug in with his cap tain to add 56 runs before tick ling a leg side delivery to the keeper, Angus’s father Ben then came to the crease and played superbly, showing great patience and punishing the loose balls.

At the other end Boorman was an immoveable object and finished with 105 runs not

out, his crisp driving and sav age pull shots took him to his century in just 94 balls, the pair put on an unbroken stand of 88 runs to take Atherton to a rous ing victory with 10 overs to spare and two wickets in hand.

Now Atherton will travel down to Trinity Beach to face off against Barron at Crathern Park on Saturday from 10am.

Best under 21s off to FNQ championships

MAREEBA Cricket’s best under 21’s play ers Jarod France, Tyson Brown and Ben Jones have been selected to represent the Far North this weekend in the North Queensland Country Cricket Championships.

After hours of training alongside coach ing development officer Gary Toshach, the team will compete in a 20/20 plus 50 over game in Cairns against a team from Mackay.

Three weeks later, they will head down to enemy territory to compete again to de termine who will become the North Queens land Champions.

If successful, they will take on the south ern Queensland team to crown the Queens land Country Champions who will play against the other states.

“Each of these boys have been training since the end of July, into early August in an effort to make the team,” Toshach said.

Club president Irene Roy will also be travelling down alongside the men as a scorer and Mareeba Cricket second grade captain Brendan Payne will heading down as the manager.

Coach Gary Tosach, Jarod France, Tyson Brown, president Irene Roy and manager Brendan Payne will be representing the Far North at for Queensland Country Cricket. Absent Ben Jones.

Atherton first grade captain Tom Boorman posted 105 not out to push Atherton to their first win against Rovers on Saturday.

Brooke Butler will be heading to Townsville this weekend for the Cricket Far North Under 15 competition.

SPORT

May May keeps dream alive

BY ELLIE FINK

ONE of Mareeba’s finest female rugby league players, Aerielle “May May” Hob bler, has made her country proud as her team dominated the field in Fiji, putting up a 48-0 masterclass during the Australian Secondary Schoolgirls tour.

Being the only girl north of Townsville on the team, the 17-year-old proudly sported the green and gold colours as she followed her team to the South Pacific island for the match.

Despite battling a groin injury she suf fered during the Indigenous Women’s Academy in Canberra only weeks before, May May was at the front of the pack in the front row, setting up tries for her teammates throughout the whole game.

“There was a part there when one of the Fijian girls knocked it in, so I kicked it, chased it and got it there, that was a pretty big highlight of the game,” she said.

By half time, the sun was showing no mercy and the score was sitting at 38-0, with May May turning up the heat to set up the first try in the second half.

Although the weather and her recent in jury threatened her performance, May May fought hard and drove her team to the top of the leader board.

“Coming off a groin injury, I did some extra training on the side like sprinting to build it back up,” she said.

“Originally when I saw the doctor in Canberra, she told me I probably couldn’t play but when I saw her again after extra physio, she said I could go.”

Mareeba State High School principal and Australian Schoolgirls manager Scott Why bird followed May May to Fiji and watched

her power through, no matter the circum stances.

He said that although she was the star on the field, she also stood out as a role model to the other women from both teams.

“There is no question about May May’s mental toughness and personally I think she is one of the best talents to come out of the Mareeba area,” he said.

“I think it is truly remarkable the efforts that May May has put in with her footy. From the sideline I have watched her grow more and more and become a role model to many young girls.”

When she was not training or playing on

the field in Fiji, May May spent time getting to know the locals, visiting a local school and participating in song and dance.

“At the end of the game, the Fijian girls started singing to us and everyone was in tears after that,” May May said.

“It was a really fun experience.”

As May May heads into her final exams for Grade 12, she hopes to maintain a bal ance between study and sport but is putting her grades as highest priority.

Next year, she will be joining the North ern Pride and hopes to eventually make it to an All-Stars team.

Riders jump high

THE Mareeba Pony Club had two of their best rid ers fly down to Kilcoy in south-east Queensland to compete in the Pony Club State Championships.

After nine years of dedication to the sport, Alex Skinner reached his final year of competition.

The 26-year-old is no longer eligible to com pete at a state level due to his age however he still can compete in other club events.

Mareeba Pony Club president Mark Bowe said Alex plays a huge role in the team in terms of leadership and being a role model for the newest and younger team members of the club.

“Alex’s service to the representative scene has been outstanding, he is one of those people who displays great leadership and is a per fect role model,” he said.

Sophie Hughes attended the championship alongside Alex and improved drasti

cally on last year’s perfor mance, rising six places to achieve fourth place in the formal gymkarna.

Mr Bowe was pleased to see the young riders perform well at the championships.

“We are proud of our members who competed at the highest level with dis tinction,” he said.

Due to her performance Sophie was selected to compete in the Queensland Mounted Games in Canberra at the end of October.

Mareeba Pony Club member Sophie Hughes at the Pony Club State Championships.

Mareeba’s May May Hobbler (left) after she exchanaged jerseys with a Fijian player after the match.