Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
Crowds lined Queen Street for the marquee event which, alongside the Mardi Gras, brought an end to the three-month festival calendar. Photo: Shay KratzmanA bumper crowd packed Queen Street on Saturday night as 45 floats brought the 2026 Water Festival to a spectacular close.Read more here: www.burdekinlife.com/article/45-float-finale-caps-off-2026-water-festival
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Sarah O’Shea, 18, representing Burdekin Netball Association. Sarah is currently studying a Bachelor of Primary Education while also navigating work at Burdekin Printers, Ayr Anzac Memorial Club, and her commitments to reserve grade netball and club netball. Through being a Harvest Festival Queen, Sarah hopes to meet new people and experience new opportunities and challenges. She is passionate about being involved in her local community and enjoys connecting with people through sport and work. Sarah hopes to use this experience to grow in confidence, create lasting memories, and represent Burdekin Netball club and the Burdekin community with pride. Sarah Shepherd, 21-year-old, representing Home Hill Tennis Association. Sarah has been living in the Burdekin for over 19 years. She enjoys being in the great outdoors, either camping or down the beach or when she’s not doing that, she’s spending time with her closest friends. She is in her second year of studying primary education and when she is not studying, she works as a disability support worker. Sarah looks forward to the opportunity to represent the club she enjoys being a part of. Sarah looks forward to all the festivities and creating new bonds with the fellow queens and the community. Maddison Gallagher ,20, is proudly representing the Home Hill Rotary Club, an organization that she is greatly inspired by, she has seen firsthand how incredible the Rotary Club as organization has helped children with Disabilities including her own older sister who suffers with a rare Syndrome and has seen all the hard work and determination that they put back into the community, she is honored and proud to be doing her harvest festival journey with such an amazing group of people, she works full time at Home HILL IGA as the bakery manager ,in her free time you’ll she her out and about fishing with family down the creek or down at the local market selling cookies as she owns a baked goods business, she’s not Originally from the Burdekin but has done a hole lap of Australia and decided to call this little town home and has lived here for the last four years, she is so thrilled to have the chance to take place in this year’s Harvest festival and cannot wait to get out and about in her community Representing Home Hill/ Ayr loins club is Julea Farry who is 18 years old. She is currently completing a bachelor’s degree in psychology at James Cook University. Julea was vice captain at Burdekin Christian college graduating in 2025. Julea is excited to be involved in the 2026 home hill Harvest festival and is excited to be representing Home Hill/Ayr Lions club. When Julea isn’t studying you can find her down the creek fishing, playing football for the Burdekin rugby Union cane toads or socialising with the girls at a rodeo. She is very excited to build relationships with the other queen entrants and is looking forward to attending the community events.
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Thursday 10 September Rotary Club of Ayr Weekly Meeting, 6:15pm-8pm, Ayr Anzac Memorial Club, 101 Burke Street, Ayr Friday 11 September Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre’s Bridge Group, 9am-1pm, Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, 40 Chippendale Street, Ayr Saturday 12 September Car Boot Sale, 8am-12pm, Ashworths Rock Shop Carpark, Home Hill Giru Show Saturday, 8am-5pm Enjoy a true country day out at the Giru Show, featuring local exhibits, market stalls, live entertainment, machinery displays, yard games and family fun, including a lolly drop and sugarcane competition at Brolga Park. Brolga Park, 11 Carey Street, Giru Ayr Golf Club Men’s Open Championship, 10:30am, Ayr Golf Club, Ayr Sunday 13 September Ayr Golf Club Men’s Open Championship, 8:30am, Ayr Golf Club, Ayr Monday 14 September Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre’s Crochet Group, 1pm-5pm, Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, 40 Chippendale Street, Ayr Tuesday 15 September RSL Bingo Morning, 9am-11am, Ayr Anzac Memorial Club, 101 Burke Street, Ayr Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre’s Bridge Group, 9am-1pm, Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, 40 Chippendale Street, Ayr Wednesday 16 September Home Hill Chamber of Commerce Social & Networking Event, 5:30pm-7pm, Home Hill Community Sports Club, 87 Ninth Avenue, Home Hill Thursday 17 September Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre’s Community Cuppa, 10am-12pm, Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, 40 Chippendale Street, Ayr Rotary Club of Ayr Weekly Meeting, 6:15pm-8pm, Ayr Anzac Memorial Club, 101 Burke Street, Ayr Friday 18 September Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre’s Bridge Group, 9am-1pm, Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, 40 Chippendale Street, Ayr Saturday 19 September Beanies for Brain Cancer Triples Bowls Competition, 8:30am, Brandon Bowls Club, Brandon Beanies for Bran Cancer Barefoot Bowls Social Night, 6:30pm, Brandon Bowls Club, Brandon Sunday 20 September Cungulla Auto Show, 9am-1pm, 34-37 Empress Close, Cungulla Monday 21 September Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre’s Crochet Group, 1pm-5pm, Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, 40 Chippendale Street, Ayr Tuesday 22 September RSL Bingo Morning, 9am-11am, Ayr Anzac Memorial Club, 101 Burke Street, Ayr Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre’s Bridge Group, 9am-1pm, Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre, 40 Chippendale Street, Ayr Wednesday 23 September Morning Melodies What’s New Pussycat Wednesday, 11am-12:30pm Step back into the swinging sixties with What’s New Pussycat, a feel-good Morning Melodies show packed with iconic hits, soaring vocals, cheeky humour and cabaret flair, celebrating legends like Tom Jones, Aretha Franklin and The Beatles in style. Purchase tickets via www.burdekintheatre.com.au/Events-directory/Whats-New-Pussycat. Burdekin Theatre, Ayr
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A 45-float Grand Parade brought down the curtain on an “outstandingly successful” Burdekin Water Festival last Saturday. Crowds lined Queen Street on 5th September for the marquee event which, alongside the Mardi Gras, brought an end to the three-month festival calendar. Water Festival Committee President Eusebio Aguirre said the turnout—up on previous years— was a “pleasant surprise” and fitting end to this year's festival. “With so much happening across the weekend, I thought attendance numbers might be down,” Eusebio said. “The committee was absolutely ecstatic with the turnout.” This year’s parade followed a “River Country Burdekin style” theme, with entrants leaning into the region’s rural character for their floats and costumes. Eusebio said the theme added to the atmosphere and reflected the region’s community spirit. “The smiles on the faces of those in the parade and throughout the streets showed that people were having a fantastic time,” he said. “I also spoke to several visitors from out of town who had never attended the Water Festival before, and their reaction was simply: ‘Wow, I've never seen anything like this before.’” The weekend capped off a landmark festival that broke tradition by celebrating both Junior and Senior Ambassadors at the QMN Crowning Lunch the weekend before. Eusebio said the new Photography Competition was also a standout success, naming it alongside the Garden Competition and Window Display Competition as calendar highlights. He was quick to praise the efforts of sponsors, ambassadors, committee members and volunteers who brought the event to fruition. With the dust barely settled, sights are already set on next year’s iteration. “The Water Festival is an event that benefits the entire community. It brings people together and creates a sense of pride and connection throughout the Burdekin… We look forward to making next year's festival even bigger and better.” Anyone interested in volunteering or joining the committee can contact Eusebio Aguirre on 0499 199 767. CAPTION: A 45-float Grand Parade brought down the curtain on an “outstandingly successful” Burdekin Water Festival last Saturday. Photo: Jacob Casha.
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A motorcycle mechanic by trade who has upskilled himself because of his passion for four-wheel driving, Riley Granshaw’s business RG Customs NQ was born when he started working on his friends’ cars from his parents’ shed in Mount Kelly.
“I’ve always been involved with four-wheel drives and mechanics, I grew up on a property so it’s in my blood to be on the tools,” he said.
“I’m pretty passionate about my four-wheel driving and I got more and more enquiries, so it started from there.
“It was all just word of mouth, and it was getting very, very busy.
“Flash forward to this year and I was getting ridiculously busy and running out of space.”
In June this year, RG Customs NQ moved into its current location on the corner of Queen and Parker Streets, conveniently located in the centre of Ayr.
Ironically, it’s the exact same building in which he completed his apprenticeship, taking over the lease immediately after his former boss relocated.
“It was a no-brainer, I’ve got the showroom where I can move into the retail side, which is coming, and the workshop out the back is just unreal, there’s plenty of room,” Riley said.
“I bought my toolbox when I started my apprenticeship here and brought the same toolbox back, it’s pretty wild.”
Specialising in custom fit outs, Riley’s satisfaction comes from the transformation of a stock standard vehicle into a four-wheel driving machine, sourcing and fitting bull bars, spotlights, snorkels, suspension, roof racks and all other four-wheel driving accessories.
“The best part about it for me is when the customer sees their car and they go, ‘how good’s that,’” he said.
“They bring it here completely standard, and it leaves completely different.”
An avid four-wheel driver himself, Riley frequents driving and camping spots along the Burdekin River and up the coast, recognising the market in the Burdekin and filling the niche four-wheel drive accessories and custom fabrication.
With the assistance of his mother Sue in the office, Riley hopes to expand the business and the team, growing RG Customs NQ’s services, retail display and reputation throughout the region.
Visit RG Customs NQ on Facebook to find out more.
RG Customs NQ Owner Riley Granshaw. Photo credit: Sam Gillespie
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