Perfectly planned to coincide with his fifth studio album, Tom Curtain, multiple Golden Guitar winner and Australian country artist, is making his way to the Ayr Showgrounds this Friday, for one night of mammoth country music and entertainment.

Bringing his award-winning rural Katherine Outback Experience Show as part of the Why We Live Out Here Tour, this is set to be a night of fantastic live country music and rural life love and passion.

Tom Curtain is a nationally acclaimed Australian singer-songwriter, touring with his newest album ‘Nothin’s Gonna Stop Us’.

The first release on this album received international success and it has stayed in the Top Ten of the Country Songs Australian Airplay Charts.

With him, on this tour, Tom is bringing the likes of Chris Matthews, Melissa Fraser, and Laura Frank, creating a night of powerhouse classic Aussie country music.

Tom is also an ambassador with Dolly’s Dream, choosing to spread messages of anti-bullying and donating proceeds gathered from his hit track ‘Speak Up’ featuring Sara Storer to Dolly’s Dream.

Tom’s Katherine Outback Experience blends regional farm life with a professional performance, showcasing real horse training, working dog demonstrations, live music, hilarious tales from the bush and tones of hands-on fun for the kids!

Typically based in Katherine in the dry season, from April to October, the show hits the road over the wetter times with Tom, bringing their passion for rural living across Australia.

What To Bring: Bring your own camp chair or picnic blanket and get comfy for this awesome night!

WHAT: Tom Curtain Why We Live Out Here Tour, with the Katherine Outback Experience Show

WHERE: Ayr Showgrounds

WHEN: Friday November 3, from 6pm

TICKETS: Available at the door on the night, and online: https://bit.ly/3s31gJX

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Students at Home Hill State School now have a clearer picture of the state of their vision thanks to the Lions Eye Health Program (LEHP).

The program brought trained Lions volunteers from across north Queensland to the school on Monday, October 30 to conduct a series of eyesight screens on students of all ages.

LEHP is an Australia-wide initiative that has been visiting schools across the country for eight years.

Irene Braddick is the LEHP Facilitator for the north Queensland region, travelling to remote and regional locations with a team of volunteers to complete the screenings.

“Kids don’t know, they think they see the same as everybody else,” Ms Braddick said.

“It’s so important to get to the regional schools because otherwise they miss out.”

Students are led through four different tests; one photographing their eyes with a Welch Allyn vision screener, one testing their ability to identify shapes, one testing their depth perception and one testing their perception of colours.

If volunteers identify anything that needs to be investigated further, the parents are referred to optometrists for further testing.

“We pick up one in five for a referral to an optometrist for a full eye examination and I do ask the schools to follow up those referrals,” Ms Braddick said.

“90 per cent of vision loss is preventable, it’s just a matter of going back for a screening.

“When we come back next year, then we might pick up something new because eyes alter all the time.”

It’s the first time the program has been in the region and Home Hill – Ayr Lions club member and Public Affairs Officer for North Queensland Nick Wiseman is eager to expand it into other schools.

“This is my first time volunteering but it’s something that I and our local Lions club are keen to get rolled out across the area, especially for the smaller schools,” he said.

“We all know kids and even adults get overlooked with all types of health issues, so identifying vision issues early on in their life is extremely important, so I’d love to see as many kids in the Burdekin as possible get the opportunity.”

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LEHP Facilitator Irene Braddick and Home Hill – Ayr Lions club member Nick Wiseman

The eye screening involved a number of tests

Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

It’s that time of year again when Jarvisfield State School invite the community to join their annual Christmas Fete which is due to be held on Saturday, November 11.

Organised by the school’s P&C, the event is a fundraiser which not only raises money for a good cause but also brings the region together in Christmas spirit and fun-filled family activities.

On the day, there will be market stalls where attendees can purchase a range of Christmas gifts for loved ones.

There will also be an emergency services display where kids can meet their favourite heroes and learn what it takes to work in the sector.

Live music will entertain the crowd and there will be a range of food and drinks stalls including a coffee van to give the parents a kick-start for the day.

The Jarvisfield State School Christmas Fete is also our opportunity to shop local and support small business, purchase a range of locally grown produce and buy handmade gifts.

With something for the whole family to enjoy, the Fete will include kids amusements and games and also the opportunity for families to get Santa Photos.

There will also be raffle prizes and other opportunities for attendees to donate to the school community.

So, put the date in your diary and head down to the Christmas Fete next Saturday.

WHAT: Jarvisfield Christmas Fete

WHERE: Jarvisfield State School

WHEN: Saturday, November 11

TIME: 8am – 1pm

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Halloween captured the imaginations of young and old on Tuesday night, as the Edwards Street Halloween House became a hive of light, sound and activity.

Costumes varied from Wednesday Addams to Batman, with the exceptionally decorated home of Jeff Lund and Leon McCormack inciting wonder and fright in all attendees.

Snow cones, popcorn, fairy floss and a sausage sizzle from the Home Hill - Ayr Lions Club kept everyone fed on what was a spook-tacular evening.

Keep your eye on the house next month as Jeff and Leon turn their attention to Christmas decorations!

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Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

A last-minute appeal to a Federal Minister and a frantic effort by sugar mill workers to save the crushing are just two of the stories behind the amazing array of machinery that will be on display to the public at the Burdekin Machinery Preservationists’ (BMP) Open Day on 12 November. The Townsville and Mackay Machinery Clubs will also be there, ensuring the display is bigger than ever.  

Among the many attractions is the Marshall tractor.  Built in 1910, it was one of the tractors that replaced bullock teams, signaling a major advance in agricultural technology. When BMP took on the massive restoration task, the tractor had been exposed to 90 years of neglect and exposure. Some parts had to be machined from scratch by Club members. But it almost became a story of lost opportunity when a private collector identified the rare machine before it had been restored and had it packed for shipment to England. It took a last-minute intervention by the then Minister for Environment and Heritage to stop the shipment and refuse the application for export.  

Another popular attraction is the Walker No 1 Engine – the first engine manufactured by Walker’s Engineering in Maryborough in 1927 for Kalamia Mill. During emergencies, power from the engine could be fed down the mains along Beach Road to power the Ayr Hospital. This wonderful old engine last worked in the aftermath of Cyclone Althea to power the mill after the loss of mains power.  Tom Barton tells the story.  

“I worked at Kalamia on instruments between 1970 - 1975 for Hughie Smart and with Reg Edwards,” he said. “Bunny Smith was a senior engineer. Althea was a real test. We got caught with a yard full of cane and all of our steam powered electricity was knocked out. We used No 1 to slowly get our main steam boiler and unit up to restart the mill. We could only use one bagasse feeder or one fan, or one pump at any given time until we had sufficient steam and electricity. We were running around shutting off every use of power down to every light bulb to match load. Thankfully we got there or it would have been a major disaster for the mill and farmers to lose all that cane. No 1 came through!”

When no longer required, Wilmar offered the engine to the BMP.  Weighing around 25 tonnes (the flywheel weighs 7 tonnes), the Club disassembled, moved and restored the massive engine.  Make sure you see and hear this mighty engine at the Open Day.  

See too the steam engines, vintage tractors and Pioneer No 1 and Inkerman No 1 locos. Enjoy the sausage sizzle and appreciate the stories behind these impressive old machines. As you can imagine, the big engines consume a lot of fuel, so BMP is grateful once again to Liberty Rural for their generous support.

BMP was formed in 1984 to restore and preserve the Burdekin district’s machinery heritage and consists of a group of dedicated volunteers. As part of its working museum, the Club operates a fitting shop, a machine shop and a blacksmith shop.  The Club is always looking for new, enthusiastic members of any age so come along to the Open Day and if you would like to work alongside other machinery enthusiasts and learn new skills, ask about becoming a member.  Help to restore and preserve these magnificent machines and become a part of their stories.  

BMP Member Cathy McDonnell

WHAT: Burdekin Machinery Preservationists’ Open Day

WHERE: Brandon Heritage Precinct

WHEN: Sunday, November 12 from 9:00am to 3:00pm

ENTRY: Adults $10 adults, children free

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The Marshall tractor. Photo supplied

Judging for Ephemera took place at the Lloyd Mann Gardens in Home Hill as part of the 2023 Harvest Festival on Sunday.

Inspired by a similar event in Townsville, Ephemera aims to bring the people of Home Hill and the Burdekin together to celebrate art in their region.

“What we’re looking for in the exhibition is ‘way out’ stuff, not the conventional, every day, smooth corners, it can be rough,” said Ephemera organiser and entrant Uli Liessmann.

“The best idea should win based on five criteria including idea, materials and so forth.”

Three judges, all unknown to Uli, completed judging last Sunday with the winner to be announced at the Harvest Festival Street Festival Grand Parade and Street Party on Saturday, November 11.

“I’ve got no idea who the judges are, I don’t even know if the judges know each other, so we’re trying to make it as fair as it possibly can,” said Uli.

Uli thanked the artists for their entries.

“I’m just really thankful that they’ve put the time and effort into it, because they’re all a fair bit of work,” he said.

The community will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite piece to be awarded the People’s Choice award.

Read on to find out more about each of the entries and visit Lloyd Mann Gardens in Home Hill to see the installations for yourself.

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Artist Lou Jezard with Ambush Predators

Name: Ambush Predators

Artist: Lou Jezard

Materials used: Timber and wire frame and two layers of palm leaves

Time spent on the installation: Started in May

Inspiration: “Barramundi is an iconic fish of the Burdekin for sport and table,” Lou said.

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Artist Lou Jezard with Gossips

Name: Gossips

Artist: Lou Jezard

Materials used: Palm leaves and inflorescences over a wire frame

Time spent on the installation: Two weeks of “retiree hours”

Inspiration: “We have a plethora of gossips in Home Hill,” Lou said. “People say, ‘Who did you model it on?’ and I say, ‘Give me a name and I’ll tell you.’ I only ever got three names. Plus, Halloween is coming up at the end of this month, so I thought it was fitting.”

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Artist Uli Liessmann with Peace

Name: Peace

Artist: Uli Liessmann

Materials used: Recycled wooden pallets

Time spent on the installation: Six months

Inspiration: “The verse says, ‘I saw many go and I saw few return’, so it’s a bit of a war thing that fits into what’s happening in Ukraine and now Palestine,” said Uli.

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Artist Uli Liessmann with Whatever

Name: Whatever

Artist: Uli Liessmann

Materials used: Timber and paint

Time spent on the installation: “It takes longer to think about it than it does to put together, so probably a month.”

Inspiration: “Everyone seems to have problems, so I was having a shot at that,” said Uli.

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Burdekin Art Society representative Ruth Rush with Looking for Lunch

Name: Looking for Lunch

Artists: Students of the Burdekin Art Society’s children’s classes

Materials used: Repurposed and recycled bottles, bottle caps, household items, paint and more

Inspiration: “With a focus on repurposing and recycling, the children’s imaginations in repurposing and recycling found objects led to the creation of these amazing pieces,” Burdekin Art Society representative Ruth Rush said. “Students had great fun and learnt many new skills in creating their individual pieces and spent many weeks creating their work ready for Ephemera.”

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Artist Scotty Apelt with Cane is King

Name: Cane is King

Artist: Scotty Apelt

Materials used: Repurposed steel - “I’ve repurposed an old gas tank for the abdomen and used the same sorts of things the farmers use for their bores, so the bore cylinder, bore steel and a little bit of playing around and understanding how steel works,” said Scotty.

Time spent on the installation: Three weeks and three days

Inspiration: “We’re in the Burdekin; cane is king,” Scotty said. “I’ve got another surprise coming not next year but the year after, so I’ll keep everybody in suspense. I have what I’m going to do planned out for the next three years.”

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Artists Maree McKeough and Lorraine Lynch with It’s a Colourful World

Name: It’s a Colourful World

Artists: Maree McKeough and Lorraine Lynch

Materials used: Acrylic wool and abandoned disability equipment

Time spent on the installation: “Hundreds of hours”

Inspiration: “We were both disability support workers,” said Lorraine. “Maree still is, and I’m now on disability myself, so we thought we wanted to try something different. The community will identify and will bring people’s minds into the modern disability world.”

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Piper

Name: Piper

Artists: Home Hill State High School art teacher Simone Pitt and year 9 students Zaiden Coad and Kurt Robinson. Alan Styles assisted with the installation.

Materials used: recycled irrigation pipes, zip ties, a hammock and one plastic piece found on Alva Beach.

Time spent on the installation: six hours

Inspiration: The life size figure is based on Ms Pitt’s measurements.

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Let’s Talk Peace

Name: Let’s Talk Peace

Artist: Sandra Milani

Materials used: Recycled Callistemon (bottle brush) timber, recycled fabric, copper wire, solar lights and a Hebel block.

Time spent on the installation: approximately 50 hours

Inspiration: “It came from everything that’s been going on with The Voice and reconciliation and people rewriting history the way they want it,” Sandra said. “I think we have to move on from today, you can’t rewrite history, you have to put that aside at some stage … we’ve got to have peace.”

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‍Keep an eye on ‘Home Hill Harvest Festival’ on Facebook to find out how to vote.

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On a sunny Friday morning, on the banks of a lagoon outside of Ayr, amateur birdwatcher Matt Killeen is counting birds, saying one breed he’d love to spot is a channel billed cuckoo.

Not 10 minutes later, two flew over the top of him, letting out a mighty screech, and Matt exclaimed with wonder.

Such is the joy birdwatching can bring, a joy he is sharing with the rest of the Burdekin region by starting Facebook group Burdekin Birding, a place for likeminded locals to share photos, tips and information.

Matt’s out on this Friday morning to complete his daily count for the Aussie Bird Count, an initiative of bird conservation organisation Birdlife Australia inviting citizen scientists to take a daily count of the birdlife in their backyard.

“All of that information goes back to the Birdlife scientists who crunch the numbers and get to see a snapshot of what’s going on,” Matt said.

“As well as collecting the data, it’s about trying to get people engaged and to appreciate birds.”

A relative newcomer to the hobby, Matt has been birdwatching for less than six months, but his passion and knowledge is undeniable, saying he’d go out birding most days.

“I’ve always been a bit of a nature lover, but I’ve really got an obsession with these birds now,” he said.

“I combine birdwatching with photography so I’m learning about both things at once.”

The Burdekin is a terrific place to learn about birds, with the region’s lagoons and wetlands attracting a plethora of various birdlife.

Matt’s recommendation for amateur birdwatchers is Horseshoe Lagoon near Giru where the council have constructed a bird hide.

“It’s nice and comfortable, you don’t have to worry about crocs or snakes, there’s always birds there and they’re always close enough to get a decent photo,” he said.

“The biggest thing is to get somewhere with a bit of nature, stand still, be quiet and observe.

“At first, you’ll think there’s no birds around but after a few minutes, you slow down, and you start to see things you couldn’t see before.”

Matt also encourages ethical birding, urging people to be careful not to disrupt birdlife or nests, not enter private property without permission and to be wary of crocodiles and snakes while birding.

The Aussie Bird Count ran from October 16 to 22 and counted over 3,600,000 birds Australia-wide.

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Local birdwatcher Matt Killeen. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie

A White-faced Heron. Photo credit: Matt Killeen

There is a special, ever-lasting way to capture the journey of the heart and that journey begins with a unique jewelled beauty from Campbell’s Jewellery.

Whether you are celebrating a long-term love or embarking on a new romantic future, Campbell’s have a range of stunning pieces sure to make your loved one’s day.

Browse their extensive display in-store and, while you are there, explore the travelling roadshow, a collection of some special items that have been hand-selected from signature stores around Australia.

“It’s wonderful to see this incredible range of jewellery in the Burdekin,” said Campbell’s owner, Rose Papadimitriou.

“It shows that even though we’re a little town, we still show pieces that are from the bigger areas.”

Rose has been part of Campbell’s journey for the past 40 years, 30 of which she spent working with previous owners Kevin and Meryl Campbell, and the most recent 10 as the store’s proud owner, having bought the business in 2013.

Since taking the reins, Rose has held true to the traditions and exceptional eye for detail of the past, whilst bringing the business into the future by venturing online and exploring other technological advances.

Accompanied by a close-knit team of professionals, Rose credits her staff with being at the heart of the business.

Jane, Danae, Kate, Natasha, Ella, Lacey and in-house jeweller, Alan, are all integral members of the team.

“Come in and explore our range of beautiful diamonds, gold and gem-stone jewellery,” said Rose.

“Follow your heart’s desire for a jewelled beauty.”

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Sit down with Burdekin Shire Council and meet with footy legend Wally Lewis, for an afternoon of advocating for mental health and positive lifestyle.

Burdekin Shire Council Mayor Lyn McLaughlin says, “This first-class event is part of a range of community work that Council has supported over recent years where residents have been provided with practical take away tools and tips to stay motivated and strengthen mental health resilience.”

Stemming from a series of previous events promoting mental health and wellbeing, including the Ladies Long Lunch with Jules Sebastian, Farmers and Friends with Johnathon Thurston, and ‘Sing it Out’ Youth Workshop, Kickoff The Conversation hopes to shed light on the importance of resilience and avenues for support.

“Wally ‘The King’ Lewis will share his life experiences, how he has strengthened his mental health and resilience over the journey, and how to reach out to others you might know to offer practical support,” Mayor Lyn explained.

Wally will be joined by Kate Gaze, professional Australian basketballer, who represented Townsville in the Women’s National Basketball League, Warren Davies, from The Unbreakable Farmer, and an array of local speakers.

“You can expect to have fun, connect with like-minded people, and learn about how they keep optimistic and build mental health resilience, and of course be well fed and entertained,” said Mayor Lyn.

WHAT: Kickoff The Conversation with Wally Lewis

WHERE: Burdekin Theatre

WHEN: Saturday, October 28, from 6.30pm

TICKETS: Available from the Burdekin Theatre

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Wally ‘The King’ Lewis to lead conversations at Council event. Photo supplied

The opening weekend for Finding Nemo at the Burdekin Lighthouse came alive, with a spectacular under the sea performance by the juniors of Burdekin Singers.

Parents have worked diligently behind the scenes, and the junior performers have put in countless hours of rehearsals to bring Finding Nemo Jr to life.

The Burdekin Singers group stated, “It takes an entire school to put on a production like this.

“Opening night, our cast and crew were ready to adventure into the big ol’ blue!

“We would like to give a shout out to the most creative parents in the Big Blue World. A big thank you to everyone who came to the shows this weekend!”

This show is clearly one you don’t want to miss! Get in quick to secure yourself a ticket, because the last show available will take place on 3rd November.

Jump off the boat and dive into Finding Nemo Jr at trybooking.com

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Sets being painted for the opening weekend

Parents working around the clock on prop designs

Junior group ready to 'just keep swimming' to their first show!

Credit: Burdekin Singers

Almost 300 parents, families, staff, students and invited guests filled the Burdekin Memorial Hall for the Home Hill State High School’s 60th Annual Presentation of Awards ceremony.

The school community reflected on the year that was and celebrated the achievements of its students with over 170 awards presented across academic, vocational, cultural, leadership, community service and sporting fields.

Congratulations to all students who received awards.

SPORTS AWARDS

Sports House Captains

UPSTART: Elayna Arboit & Elli Oakes

INKEMAN: Matilda Colls & Morgan Leard-Lamont

BEACHMOUNT: Alana Dobe & Jasmine Styles

Lloyd Mann Open Age Athletes of the Year: Jasmine Styles & Maliq Ogomeni

Carol Coutts Memorial House Spirit Trophy: Upstart

The Australian Olympic Change Maker Program: Jasmine Styles & Martina Bojack

Vince Toohey Memorial Junior Sportsperson of the Year: Arlow Brown

John Cook Memorial Senior Sportsperson of the Year: Jasmine Styles

Don McDowell Sportsperson of the Year: Jasmine Styles

SPECIAL AWARDS & BURSARIES

Rotary Club Home Hill Inc Shield (Year 9 Dux): Georgia Howie

Ampol Best All Rounder: Martina Bojack

Dale Cooper Memorial Bursary (Year 9 English): Faryn Poli

Dale Last MP Community Service Award: Martina Bojack & Jasmine Styles

NQ AUSImm Bursary (Year 11): Jacob Machin

Bendigo Bank Accounting Award (Year 12): Martina Bojack  

Zonta Girl’s Science Encouragement Award (Year 10): Grace Ogomeni

McDonald’s Award: Wesley Cooper (Year 12 ISK) and Jasmine Styles (Year 12 FDS)

Dawson Medal: Martina Bojack

Burdekin Art Society Award: Addison MacDonald

TAFE at Schools Award: Dean Kaminski  

JCU Encouragement Awards (Year 10): Grace Ogomeni and Cruz Torkington

Senior Cultural Award: Jasmine Styles

Junior Cultural Award: Lucy Young

North Queensland Instrumental Music Awards:  

Level 1 – Bass Guitar: Luke Blacklock

Level 2 – Clarinet: Medea Burr

Level 5 – Trumpet: David Kelly

Sunwater Agribusiness Award: Martina Bojack

The Sunwater Agribusiness Bursaries (yrs 7-9): Riley Chapman

The Sunwater Agribusiness Bursaries (yrs 10-12): Daniel Haynes and Matilda Colls

ADF Leadership & Teamwork Awards: Grace Ogomeni (Year 10) and Martina Bojack (Year 12)

ADF Future Innovators Award: Cruz Torkington (Year 10) and Joshua Machin (Year 12)

Indigenous Pride Award: Zaine Palmer and Blaize Palmer

Andrew Sherrington Award: Blaize Palmer

Junior Secondary School Captains: Georgia Howie

Indigenous School Captain: Matilda Colls

School Captains Awards: Martina Bojack & Joshua Machin

Student Council Executive: Morgan Leard-Lamont, Lily Jackson, Brea Betteridge, Jasmine Styles & Cooper Talbot

Rotary Club of Home Hill Inc Community Service Award: Elayna Arboit, Brea Betteridge, Martina Bojack, Talitha Carroll, Travis Crichton, Harmony Fletcher, Lily Jackson, Morgan Leard-Lamont, Joshua Machin, Rina Patane, Jasmine Styles, Cooper Talbot

Leadership Awards: Brea Betteridge, Martina Bojack, Harmony Fletcher, Lily Jackson, Morgan Leard-Lamont, Joshua Machin, Rina Patane, Jasmine Styles, Georgia Howie

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Martina Bojack and Jasmine Styles

Zaine Palmer with JURU Enterprises Mr Ricky Dallachy

Blaize Palmer with Sergeant Andrew Sherrington

Georgia Howie and Meg Wilson

Grace Ogomeni with Zonta President Mrs Judy Sgarbossa

Addison MacDonald

Jacob Machin with AusIMM Representative Mr Cameron Skinner

Matilda Colls and Daniel Hayne

Solutions @ ELA celebrated one year of cleaning excellence last Sunday and invited the community to join in a massive morning of discounts, giveaways, and activities.

Photos supplied: Solutions at ELA

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Wrangler, Ariat, Pure Western, Bullzye, and Thomas Cook, all the very best brands for the hardworking, dedicated regional people of Burdekin, and all available just a short stone’s throw away in Bowen.

Coral City 2 Country is your one stop shop for the best quality merchandise with a wide range of country clothing, ensuring the very best for the paddock, farm and all aspects of country living.

With over 600 square meters of uninterrupted floor space, the short drive to Coral City 2 Country is worth it for the whole family, with country clothing, women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing and accessories all available.

“We stock everything you’d ever need, all under one roof,” said Wendy Bickhoff, owner and operator of Coral City 2 Country.

“From your horse to your hat, we have absolutely everything you should need, and everything for the whole family.”

“You can walk in here with nothing, and come home with tonnes of new complete outfits, from boots to hats, and everything in between.”

Wendy and her team even have you sorted with a wide variety of hats, belts, and boots available to try on and purchase in store, with some of the biggest names: Ariat, Twisted X, Pure Western, and Roper.

Keeping the region well-dressed since 2009, Wendy has invaluable expertise, and a keen eye for detail.

“We initially started with the country clothing but expanded over time,” she explains.

Since then, Coral City 2 Country has built a reputation of quality fashion, so no one will leave the shop empty handed.

“We have customers coming from across the state visiting us, from Ayr and Home Hill to Airlie Beach, Moranbah, Collinsville,” Wendy said.

And the family don’t stop there, offering quick alterations for jeans, ensuring the best fit for the best look, with speedy turnarounds, while you wait.

Open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm, and Saturday 8.30am to 12pm, pop in next time you’re in Bowen – 42 George Street, Bowen - or visit their extensively stocked online shop at  city2country.au

Wendy’s Top Tips To Get The Perfect Fit:

1. A quick way to test pant waist size is to hold the waistline to your neck. If the waist slightly overlaps, the pants will be a perfect fit.

2. Similar to the above, your elbow to your knuckle is the same width as your waist, so you can measure pant waist with your arm.

3. An easy hack to figure your hat size is to put on a too big hat and measure the distance with your fingers. One finger equals one centimetre.

4. When fitting a top boot, the heels should rise an inch, and the back should hit the heel cap, and then go down. If the heel cap doesn’t touch back, then boot too long.

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The team at Coral City 2 Country, Wendy and Mark Bickhoff and Mary, Wendy’s mother

Wendy Bickhoff showcasing the fantastic variety at Coral City 2 Country. Photo credit: Bronte Hodge

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Dominique’s Keeping Us Best Dressed

The Dominque’s brand has been synonymous with quality and success for over 15 years, since mother-daughter duo Jenny Papale and Dominique Gorey initially opened their florist in Queen Street, Ayr.

Since then, the name has gone through a few evolutions, including transitioning into an events team, before settling on a clothing boutique almost two years ago.

“For the last 15 years, Dominque and I have always worked together, since she graduated school,” Jenny explained.

“We are a great team, with the boys often helping with our events, and now Dominique’s three children helping around the shop in the school holidays.

“But we have a lot of fun with it!”

Stocking Adorne and By Frankie, plus so much more, there is absolutely something for everyone, and often modelled by Jenny and Dominique themselves.

“We find the modelling the least fun aspect of the job, but it’s helpful for our customers to see the clothing on real people.”

But alas, Dominique’s has become a beacon for affordable, smart casual fashion, prefect for a Burdekin lifestyle.

“We are conscious about being body positive, and we want everyone to leave the shop feeling great.

Fresh and fun social media is Dominique’s passion, regularly hosting live unboxings of new stock on Instagram, and modelling the new items for Facebook and their website.

And don’t forget, with an online store, you can order the newest stock instantly, with free click and collect, and even quick delivery times, with Jenny ensuring same day dispatch with a frequent 30min dispatch.

Visit dominiques.online/s/shop or visit their Queen Street store.

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Dotty Daisy Flowers

It was an easy decision for Amy Munro 19-years-ago when the Dotty Daisy Flowers adventure began with her sister Katy, and since then a lot has changed.  

Amy is now the sole owner, and her and the Dotty team are proud of the blooming florist on Queen St in Ayr.

An entrepreneurial person, she has overseen an expansion in the business, welcoming more floral options, chocolates, gifts and even the new Sage and Clare brand of homewares into the compact and quaint shop front.

“We always have fresh flowers ready to go, and try to source the best variety,” explained Amy.

“And we offer delivery all across the Burdekin, Monday to Saturday at different times in the day.

“Dotty Daisy is a little shop, but we packed a lot into it, with our extensive range of homewares and gifts.  

“We also have an online flowers, gifts, and homewares, which makes ordering and shopping available 24hours.”

This one-stop-shop is always changing, but consistently lively, colourful, and fun.

Definitely check it out next time you’re on Queen Street.

Q Street Collective

Amy’s second business, Q Street Collective, is a new venture, taking that one on in July this year.

“It was just an amazing opportunity, the fit out was great, everything was fresh, I just had to walk in and with the existing Q Street girls and the Dotty girls have been enthusiastic and now just putting our own touch to it all,” Amy explained.

For her, fashion was something she always aspired to be involved in, and Q Street Collective was an opportunity she could not pass up.

“We have a bit of everything. Fashion for any event, for all ages and all lifestyles.

“It has all been well received by the customers, it has been amazing. There is always something new in store.”

With brands such as Country Road, Shona Joy, Daisy Says, Lokoa, and Liberty Jewellery, and so much more, Q Street Collective will have anyone dressed best for any event.

And with online ordering available, and the choice to pick up instore or shipping, you can ensure you won’t miss out on the newest stock. Visit shopqstreetcollective.com

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