Independently Owned, Locally Grown, Community Loved
All photos courtesy of Shay Kratzmann Photography.
Burdekin Water Festival Junior and Senior Ambassadors (back) Olivia Pabone (Feed Me Food), Judah Donald (Burdekin Christian College), Blaize Palmer (Burdekin Motors), Zylon Dallecort (Burdekin Neighbourhood Centre & CORES QLD), (middle) Amara Boccalatte (BT Farms), Lillea Levitt (Burdekin Netball Association), Evie Totorica (Ayr Motorcycle Club), Ella Pirrone (Rotary Club of Ayr), (front) Mia Bojack (Burdekin Christian College), Ashlyn Pearce (Lower Burdekin Celtic Dance Association), Edith Innes (East Ayr State School) Jaxsyn Pearce (Ayr State School) and Aria Fiamingo (St Francis Catholic School)
The 2026 Burdekin Water Festival Junior and Senior Ambassadors traded their usual festival duties for an afternoon of tea, treats and treasured conversations when they visited Ozcare Ayr for a special high tea.
The Ambassadors played an active role throughout the morning, helping prepare and plate food, greeting residents, serving refreshments and, most importantly, sharing their individual talents and passions with the Ozcare community.
While the visit is a much-anticipated highlight on the Ambassador calendar, it also forms an important part of the judging process, providing an opportunity for the Ambassadors to demonstrate how they work together, interact with residents and staff, and share their interests with others.
The group brought an impressive variety of talents to the afternoon, with Amara demonstrating how to toss a cast net, Aria and Evie sharing their singing talents, and Ashlyn and Edith showcasing their Highland dancing skills.
Jaxsyn gave residents a glimpse into his passion for motorbike riding through a video, while Judah shared a video tour of the Burdekin. Lillea got creative by teaching residents how to draw flowers, while Mia shared her love of horses through footage of her riding and jumping.
Blaize even set himself the ambitious challenge of completing 50 push-ups, with residents eagerly counting along and encouraging him every step of the way. Although he fell just short at 44 push-ups, the enthusiastic support from the room was enough to make the challenge a success.
Ella spoke about her love of baking and prepared brownies for residents to enjoy, while Olivia brought some extra energy to the morning by teaching the other Ambassadors the ‘Hoedown Showdown’ from Hannah Montana, eventually getting the group up and dancing.
Zylon rounded out the entertainment by playing guitar and singing for the residents.
The wonderful atmosphere was made even more special thanks to Ozcare’s Kristy, Amanda and Mel, who once again went above and beyond to transform the hall for the occasion.
This year’s decorations celebrated the Burdekin’s iconic landscape and lifestyle, with photographs of local landmarks including the Burdekin Bridge, sugar cane flowers, blooms collected by Mel from along the Burdekin River and handmade cupcakes crafted by Amanda and decorated with prickly pear, cowboy hats, gum leaves and cowboy boots.
Kristy welcomed residents, Ambassadors and their invited guests to the morning, highlighting the unique Burdekin lifestyle shaped by the Burdekin River and tying the celebration into this year’s festival theme, ‘River Country’.
The beautifully decorated hall was soon filled with conversation as residents and Ambassadors enjoyed a feast of freshly made sandwiches, sweets, cakes, quiche, sausage rolls, spring rolls and more.
With the room buzzing with chatter and laughter, the morning once again highlighted the special connection the Water Festival Ambassadors have built with the region’s aged care community.
The Burdekin Water Festival Committee extended its thanks to Kristy and the Ozcare Ayr team for their ongoing efforts in hosting the Ambassadors, as well as Sunwater for its continued sponsorship of the Ambassador Program.
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