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TACITA de Tournouer has won the five-way race to fill the vacancy in the Weipa Town Authority (WTA) chamber.
Weipa voters gave Ms de Tournouer the nod to represent the community when they went to the polls on 16 August, with WTA announcing on social media on Saturday night
she had claimed the by-election victory over fellow candidates Jeff Hughes, Rikki Cooper, Malcolm Slack and Sheridan Teizel.
Ms de Tournouer will serve as the fourth WTA elected member until the next general election in 2028, and joins Chair Jaime Gane, Deputy Chair Geoff Robins
and Trent Gordon in the chamber, alongside Rio Tinto representatives Nick Preece and Tim Ryan, and Traditional Owner representative Jackie Malacoola.
Ms Gane, who is travelling back to Australia from a holiday, told Cape York Weekly on Sunday afternoon she thought all five can-
didates had put forward compelling cases to voters, and congratulated the newest WTA elected member on her win.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on what’s happening back home, and I’m very happy to welcome Tacita to the team, and congratulate her on being elected as our newest member,” she said.
“I would also like to give my sincere thanks to all other candidates who put their hand up for the by-election; asking people to support and vote for you is not an easy thing to do, but it gave our community choice, which is always a good thing; it also goes to show how many passionate people we have in the community, who were willing to put themselves out there for the benefit of everyone, which is fantastic.”
Ms Gane also thanked the WTA team for pulling off a seamless by-election.
“There is a lot of work that goes into it, and it is done on top of all the other ‘business as usual’, but our staff go above and beyond to ensure everything runs smoothly – I give them my sincere thanks,” she said.
“I would also like to thank all of the community members who took time out of their day to go and vote; although it was not compulsory to vote in this election, we still had a great turnout, which again goes to show how many engaged and passionate community members are out there.”
Ms de Tournouer could not be contacted for comment before Cape York Weekly went to press.
by CHISA HASEGAWA
4072 4010 E: admin@hambellps.com
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THE lead-up to this year’s Archies exhibition is highlighting the growing strength of the Cooktown gallery scene as artists excitedly start on their portraits in preparation for next month’s showcase.
Now in its third year, the Archies invites artists of all levels to highlight their favourite local characters through portraiture, and many have already put colour to canvas for opening night on 26 September.
Cooktown School of Art Society president Jane Dennis said she has already received entries and expressions of interest from many artists, which was great to see.
“Last year was pretty quiet, but this year, everybody’s coming and saying, ‘I’ve already started my portrait’,” she said.
“It’s settled into being an event now, not just a one-off, so I think people have it set in their brains now that they can be involved.”
“It can be a bit tricky getting kids involved through school, because the school has its own curriculum.
“It just so happens that the school is using portraiture as part of their curriculum at the moment, so they can easily be involved with that.”
She said the Archies was a wonderful way to celebrate a variety of local faces, many who made big impacts without asking for any recognition.
“I think the exhibition certainly hopes to create an awareness of community,” Ms Dennis said.
“A lot of kids are doing it through the school, so it’s going to be quite a large representation this year,” she said.
With local school students being involved this year, Ms Dennis said she was expecting a wide range of portraits on the Elizabeth Guzsely Gallery walls.
“Things like the Australia Day Awards recognises one or two people for their contribution, but I think, in a way, this kind of fills that gap of acknowledging lots of different people who are the silent achievers.”
by LYNDON KEANE
THEY say good things come to those who wait, and that certainly seems to be the case when it comes to supermarket
baron Graham Cornett’s plan to develop a new IGA in Cooktown.
In what has become a three-and-a-half year process to construct a bigger and better supermarket in the southeastern Cape York community, Mr Cornett’s Kwikbridge Pty Ltd this month submitted a development application (DA) for the facility to now
be sited across adjacent blocks at 83-93 Charlotte Street, 40-44 Adelaide Street and 2-6 Walker Street.
In September 2024, Cook Shire Council approved a DA for the new supermarket to be built at 81 Savage Street, however, Mr Cornett told Cape York Weekly the logistics relating to that site had proved too much of a commercial hurdle.
“The location is a lot better than the Savage Street location,” he explained.
“Because of the gradient of the land … one
area just started to become problematic; the more we drew up the centre, the less land I ended up with, and the more problematic it became.
“The [site] in Charlotte Street’s a lot more level, and it’s a lot more workable from a trafficable point of view.”
In addition to a new supermarket Mr Cornett described as “twice as big” as Cooktown’s current IGA, the DA identifies a second, small-scale retail and commercial building “designed to provide opportunities
for outdoor dining and … creating an informal plaza area for local residents to utilise”.
Mr Cornett said if everything went to plan, the community could expect to see the first physical stages of the development under way in early 2026.
“I was trying to get it started before the end of this year, but it looks like we’ll probably start turning soil early next year,” he said.
“We’re trying to get it open as quick as we can; it’s been dragging on for way too long.”
The DA will be considered by Cook Shire elected members at a coming ordinary meeting of council, but Mayor Robyn Homes said she believed the new proposed siting represented a better outcome for Cooktown.
“This IGA development proposal is a positive sign for Cooktown, with a new location that’s central, accessible and safer for the community,” she said.
“It’s encouraging to see investment that reflects the growth and confidence in our town.”
MOTORISTS travelling to or from Cape York today (Tuesday) need to be mindful of visibility on the road after the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) issued a smoke alert ahead of conducting planned burns around Mount Molloy on 18-19 August.
The fuel reduction burn
will be carried out weather permitting and, as a result, smoke may be seen in nearby areas.
Travellers around Mount Molloy are asked to observe all signs, barriers, and directions from QPWS rangers during the planned burn, and reminded to never enter closed areas.
A QPWS spokesperson said
the exact timing of the burn would depend on local weather conditions.
“Planned burns are highly weather dependent, and generally require milder conditions and minimal wind,” they said.
“These same weather conditions can also allow smoke to accumulate and linger until
weather conditions change and winds assist in dispersing the smoke.”
Members of the public can stay up to date on the planned burn by using the Park Alerts feature on the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation website at www.parks.desi.qld. gov.au/park-alerts.
The Batavia Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation (BTOAC) has commenced compliance patrols across Batavia Country, including Batavia National Park, as part of its annual dry season land management program.
This program will run from June-December 2025 and is aimed at protecting the land, enforcing cultural and environmental protocols, and supporting safe visitor behaviour during the critical fire season.
The rangers will also be carrying out hazard reduction burns and traditional fire management practices with other stakeholders during this period.
To ensure transparency, accountability and the safety of all involved, the rangers will wear body-worn cameras while undertaking patrols. For more information about the program, contact the General Manager on 0438 880 289 or visit www.batavia.org.au
On Monday 14 July 2025, the notice of election was published for the by-election for the position of one (1) Member.
Notice is hereby given that at the By-election for the vacant position of Member for the Weipa Town Authority held on 16 August 2025, the following candidate was duly elected for the Weipa Town Authority –DE TOURNOUER, Tacita
Nicky Perriman
Returning Officer
August 2025
HELPING hands can come in many sizes, shapes and forms – sometimes, that includes two wheels.
four silent killers – high blood pressure, diabetes, alcohol abuse and depression.
group
The founder and president of Psychs on Bikes, psychiatrist Dr Joe Dunn, and his clinical nurse wife, Susan, are on Cape York this week carrying out reconnaissance for a tour in August 2026 the group hopes will pay dividends for remote health outcomes.
The motorcycle-loving Dr Dunn founded the group during a ride across the Nullarbor Plain in 2011, and it has evolved into a movement that has mental health professionals from across the country joining him on “epic rides” to raise health awareness and destigmatise the idea of seeking help in rural and remote Australia.
Dr Dunn said this week’s Cape York trip was all about “spying the lie of the land and meeting people with whom we can engage and work”.
“Our interest is in rural and remote mental health, with a particular interest in reducing the rate of suicide in men,” he explained.
“We’ll talk to anyone who’ll stop to listen; we off er free health checks, which are aimed at fi nding people who live with one of the
“We’re trying to desensitise people, especially men, to the experience of sitting with a professional who’s asking after your emotional wellbeing; we hope that that will make it easier for people to reach out for help long after we’ve ridden on.”
Dr Dunn said he hoped to have up to a dozen mental health professionals astride their iron horses for the Cape York leg of the ride next year, adding he believed the final stretch of the journey – to Wilsons Promontory on the southern end of Victoria – would be a cinch after the corrugations and bulldust holes of the Peninsula Developmental Road.
“We’ll be limited to the riders with off-road bikes, and Psychs on Bikes who ride big street machines will have to join us when we return to Cooktown or Cairns,” he said.
“The personal challenge will be to ride the thousand-or-so kilometres of dirt right to the tip of Australia; Wilsons Promontory, on the other end of the ride, will be a walk in the park in comparison.
“We’re keen to interact with as many locals as many times as we can fit into a week or two on the Cape.”
Cape York health stakeholders, businesses and community organisations keen to play a part in next year’s tour can contact Psychs on Bikes through its website – www.psychsonbikes.com – or by emailing hello@psychsonbikes.com.
https://form.jotform.com/252247795917875
As well as the new Barron River Bridge, here are some of the ways the new Queensland Government is delivering for the Far North:
➡ Delivering a new youth justice school
➡ Upgrading the Edmonton Police Station
➡ Fixing the Bruce Highway
➡ Upgrading Barlow Park and the Manunda Sports Precinct
➡ Backing tourism with the Wangetti Trail and the Smithfield Mountain Bike Trail
➡ Returning maternity services to Cooktown
➡ Expanding Cairns Hospital with more beds and a multi-storey car park.
Find out what else we’re delivering for you.
Delivering for Queensland
YEAR 11 and 12 physics students from Western Cape College swapped Weipa for the bright lights of Brisbane and the Gold Coast as part of an excursion to experience science outside the classroom last month.
From 24-27 July, the students took part in an actionpacked educational excursion to the state’s south-east corner that combined fun with applied physics.
The adventure began at Dreamworld, where students wore data-logging vests on rollercoasters to compare their theoretical G-force and velocity calculations with real world data.
Later that evening, they tackled brain-bending challenges at an escape room in the city.
On 26 July, the group took flight – literally – at iFly in-
door skydiving, modelling their bodies to predict terminal velocity before testing it in the wind tunnel.
Despite rainy winter weather, they then powered on to the top of Brisbane’s Story Bridge, which rises to 80 meters, to get a firsthand lesson about its structural design.
The final day of the excursion featured a tour of QUT’s science facilities, including hands-on university-level experiments.
At SparkLab, students experienced lightning via a Tesla coil, conducted vacuum experiments and observed a cloud chamber in action.
Thanks to teachers Jemma Collins and Declan Downes, the physics-focused trip was a memorable, engaging way for students to see science come to life in the real world.
ABOUT 250 students in the Northern Peninsula Area (NPA) had a colourful lesson about the importance of education last week.
AFL Cape York returned to the NPA on 13 August to host its annual No School, No Play football, barbecue and Colour Run event, with fancy footwork, strong ball skills and ex-
plosions of colour par for the course.
AFL Cape York game development co-ordinator Kieran Sciberras said while the afternoon at Bamaga’s Yusia Ginau Oval was all about fun, there had been a strong underlying message tied to the activities.
“In the lead-up to the event each year, we have students
and staff from AFL Cape York House come up and visit all the NPA schools in Bamaga and Injinoo,” he said.
“A big part of that is to promote that message that you have to go to school every day.
“And then they tell the kids, while they’re running the clinics, to come down to the oval after school and have a Colour
Run and a barbecue and a kick around.”
Mr Sciberras said the overwhelming turnout demonstrated the initiative was playing a vital role in school attendance in the NPA.
“I reckon we had 250 kids from all the five communities just jumping in Troopies and getting dropped at the oval to enjoy the day,” he said.
by CHISA HASEGAWA
COOKTOWN’S love of the water, sport and music will come together for a night of live entertainment by the waterfront sunset next weekend.
Cooktown Blue Water Club (CBWC) will host the Saturday Sundowner fundraiser on 30 August from 4pm at their clubhouse, utilising the local talents of the Cooktown Music Collective in a small town collaboration highlighting water sports and performing arts in the region.
CBWC treasurer Helen Greaves said fundraiser would help the club in the process of raising its profile in the community.
“The club has been a bit lowkey for a few years, so we’re really trying to start to build it up again, so that’s why we’re holding more events,” she said.
“We’re hoping to improve the facilities at the clubhouse – get a proper kitchen, for instance, so that more events can be held there, because it’s a beautiful spot on the waterfront.”
The Cooktown Music Collective is a not-
for-profit organisation dedicated to keeping live music alive in Far North Queensland, with professional local musicians mentoring young and aspiring musicians on their journey to performing on stage.
Attendees of Saturday Sundowner will see acts such as Flick the Switch, Pete and Merv, Jarrah, Ian Grant, and many more.
“I think it’s really great that we can help
support the Music Collective, too, because this event gives new people into music a chance to actually perform in front of people,” Ms Greaves said.
“I think it’s just absolutely lovely to cheer people along that are taking on music as a form of entertainment for themselves and for others, and there’s a really good music vibe in Cooktown.”
Cape art centres score $25k
ART centres in Aurukun, Hope Vale and Pormpuraaw will all undertake facility upgrades through a $25,000 uplift through the State Government’s Backing Indigenous Arts initiative.
The announcement came amid a $1.5 million commitment by the government to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art centres deliver “new projects that share their stories and create exceptional arts experiences for all Queenslanders”.
The funding will support small-scale infrastructure and equipment upgrades, including building repairs, new lighting and the purchase of pottery kilns to improve workspaces.
Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek said “additional investment in Queensland’s Indigenous art centres helps to ensure local artists’ careers can grow and flourish”.
THE Rescue 510 aeromedical helicopter was used to airlift a motorcyclist to Cairns following an incident between the bike he was riding and a vehicle at Bloomfield on 9 August.
Paramedics responded to the vehicle and motorcycle crash on Bloomfield Road at 5:36pm last weekend.
A male in his 30s, who was riding the motorcycle, suffered arm and chest injuries, and was airlifted in a stable condition via rescue helicopter to Cairns Hospital.
QLD ag plan unveiled
AFTER a six-month consultation across the state, the Queensland Government says its Primary Industries Prosper 2050 represents a “fresh start” for local primary production.
The key priorities identified through the consultation were market growth and value-adding, innovation, readiness and adoption, a skilled and agile workforce, connected and shared infrastructure, coexistence and community support, and ease of business through co-ordinated regulation and systems.
Strangely, biosecurity – which has been repeatedly identified by Cape York producers as a significant area of concern – did not appear to feature as an integral part of the plan’s long-term vision. Three regional industry government working groups made up of primary producers, industry representatives and departmental staff will now prepare plans for the state’s seven regions, including Far North Queensland.
THE community Ran Back to the 80s to show their support for Michael Collins and David Tuckwood on Saturday, but residents are going to have to set their alarms to cheer them on when they commence their mammoth fundraising run on Friday morning.
The pair will set off on the first leg of their 17-day, 820-kilometre trek from Weipa to Cairns well before the sun makes an appearance on 22 August, with Mr Collins explaining the symbolism of their chosen starting point.
“We will be setting off from the north side of the Mission River Bridge at 4am on Friday to symbolise crossing the bridge for the last time before heading out of town,” he said.
“After that, we will hit the parkrun shelter and continue on from there at 6am, with the first run finishing past the Scherger base.”
Saturday’s 80s party and send-off at the Weipa Bowls Club added an incredible $6,857.65 to the men’s fundraising kitty.
“Thank you to all who came down to support and got right into the 80s spirit – there were some awesome costumes and moves on display,” Mr Collins said.
And with only days remaining before the men set off on their marathon fundraising effort, how are they both feeling?
“We’re ready to get going and knock out some kilometres,” Mr Tuckwood said.
by CHISA HASEGAWA
THE Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service (TCHHS)
is reminding Cape York residents to practice safe sex after syphilis was declared a Communicable Disease Incident of National Significance in Australia this month.
While Cape York and the Torres Strait have not yet seen any effects, Australian chief medical officer Michael Kidd made the declaration based on the rising number of infectious syphilis cases in the country resulting in congenital syphilis and infant deaths.
TCHHS acting executive
director of medical services Dr Ineke Wever encouraged sexually active community members to get regular checkups.
“Confidential sexual health checks are readily available throughout our region at all our primary health care facilities, and can be administered as part of a general health check-up,” she said.
Fortunately, Dr Wever advised that the rate of sexually transmissible infections on Cape York and the Torres Strait, including syphilis, was currently either on par with or lower than previous year to date periods.
“Notifications of infectious syphilis – eight cases to date – in the Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service region are on a par with previous year to date numbers or a little lower,” she said.
Late-stage syphilis cases - 7 cases to date - also are on par with previous year to date figures, and the most recent case of congenital syphilis in the region was in 2018.”
In 2024, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians had infectious syphilis rates seven times higher than non-Indigenous Australians.
Since 2016, more than half
of all congenital syphilis cases have occurred in First Nations babies, and one in three affected infants has died.
Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) president Dr Rod Martin said the declaration was a sobering reminder of the health inequities facing rural, remote, and First Nations communities.
“Every one of those deaths is a tragedy,” Dr Martin said.
“We know syphilis often presents without symptoms, but with early testing and treatment, congenital syphilis is entirely preventable.”
THE Mission River Bridge will be closed for up to two hours at a time early this week to allow annual maintenance work to the infrastructure.
The closure will be implemented from 8pm on 18 August until 2am on 19 August (today), and from 8pm on 19 August (today) to 2am on 20 August.
The maximum single closure will be two hours during these windows, and Mapoon residents are being urged to plan travel to and from Weipa accordingly.
The bridge will be open to normal traffic outside these hours.
For more information, call 1800 820 711 or email RTAWeipaFeedback@riotinto.com.
THE Greens have thrown their support behind a call from the Australian Council of Trade Unions for shorter working weeks for the same pay.
The party took the policy to this year’s federal election and want to see Australia pave the way for a four-day work week through nationwide trials across a range of industries.
Greens Senator Barbara Pocock said she believed a move away from the traditional five-day week would boost productivity.
“Workers are fed up and burnt out,” she said.
“They’ve done unpaid overtime, suffered real wage cuts, and face an expectation of constant connection with their workplace.
“Four-day working weeks boost the health and happiness of workers, while allowing the productivity of businesses to soar.”
PARTICIPANTS are selecting their eyecatching outfits and curating their walking playlists as they prepare to pound the Peninsula Developmental Road for mental health in October.
The 2025 Conquer the Corrugations will be held on 4-5 October, with registrations for the annual two-day mental health awareness and support walk now open.
This year’s event celebrates a theme of Be the Light, and will have Conquerors walking about 42 kilometres over the two days, returning each night to Conquer HQ at 28 Mile Lagoon.
To register, go to www.trybooking.com/ events/landing/1435148.
by CHISA HASEGAWA
DURING a year of leading with quiet confidence, a student at St Joseph’s Parish School Weipa has been honoured with her Catholic Education Diocese of Cairns (CEDC) First Nations Leadership Badge.
Year 6 student Lala-Sue Bowie was presented with the badge earlier this month by CEDC executive director Durm O’Riordan, highlighting her achievements as a 2025 First Nations student leader.
Lala-Sue said she aimed to be a positive influence for peers and younger students, and help them grow their confidence as hers had over the years.
“I want to set a good example, and I think in the last three years, I’ve been showing who I really am,” she said.
“I want to show them that everyone is unique, and you don’t always have to be perfect, even when you’re a leader, because we’ll all make mistakes.”
The young leader said it was especially important for her to inspire confidence in her fellow First Nations students and future leaders.
“[I hope] they won’t be shy if
they get to be a leader, and they’ll just be proud of who they are,” she said.
Mum Ada Bowie added her daughter was a selfless person who was always happy to help others.
“The leadership role she has been given at school this year required her to write an application about why she would be a good leader,” she said.
“She spoke about wanting to help others and set a positive example for others to follow.
“She has a heart to serve while also leading, and it shows in the way she applies herself to her schoolwork, sports, and any other tasks we give her.”
Ms Bowie said their family moved from the Northern Peninsula Area community of Injinoo when Lala-Sue was in year 1, and that her daughter hoped to take her leadership skills back to her hometown community.
“She has grown a lot over the years, especially in confidence, and St Joseph’s have helped nurture that growth in many ways,” Ms Bowie said.
“She does hope to one day return to Injinoo when she’s older, and take all that she’s learned home.”
by CHISA HASEGAWA
IT is not every day the crew at AFL Cape York swap their jerseys for a beautiful dress or a sharp suit, but a gala dinner has raised more than $80,000 for the organisation.
The inaugural event featured a spirited live auction led by AFL Cape York Boys House manager Kane Richter, raising funds to support programs that empower young Indigenous students living away from home in pursuit of education to do so in a culturally safe environment.
“It was such a great vibe in the room, with passionate engagement from the crowd,” Mr Richter said.
“People were genuinely excited to bid, but more importantly, they understood the difference their contribution would make for our young people.”
The feature item up for grabs was a Toyota Prado donated by Pacific Toyota, which went to highest bidder Damien Ingram.
AFL Cape York general manager Rick Hanlon said the four-wheel drive had been a significant contributor to the event’s overall fundraising total.
“It was important for us to have a major item for the auction, and we were delighted that Pacific Toyota was able to provide
AN on-Country boarding home in the Torres Strait is one of 13 industry and community groups across the state sharing $2.3 million to help develop diverse workforces.
The Queensland Government announced on 14 August that Torres Strait Kaziw Meta, based on Thursday Island (Waiben), was one of the successful round four recipients of a grant up to $200,000 through the Growing Workforce Participation Fund (GWPF).
Torres Strait Kaziw Meta is a not-forprofit, co-educational boarding home for secondary students from the outer islands, and the organisation will use the funding to drive its Remote Indigenous Boarding Students Mentoring and Employment Support project, which will support up to 45 boarding students transition from school to their chosen careers.
The funded projects focus on supporting young people aged 15-24, Aboriginal
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this amazing Prado for the cause,” he said.
Gala guests were also treated to powerful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance performances, as well as an onstage panel discussion featuring AFL chief executive officer Andrew Dillon, AFL Cape York House alumni Yehusha Lifu and Anthony Nicholls, and current student Mistee Sagigi.
“Our goal was to create a community event that offered the people of Cairns a meaningful opportunity to support AFL Cape York programs, and we’re proud to say we achieved every objective we set,” Mr Hanlon said.
and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with disability, the culturally and linguistically diverse, and the long-term unemployed to find meaningful employment.
The Northern Peninsula Area Regional Council was a successful local applicant in the previous round of funding, with the local government receiving $200,000 to deliver a project designed to improve staff retention, reduce staff shortages and improve the employment and career progression prospects for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff.
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said GWPF helped employers and jobseekers to build workplace confidence while expanding the pipeline of skilled workers for the future.
“This initiative gives businesses the confidence to employ Queenslanders who have experienced a period of unemployment, and provides disadvantaged jobseekers with pre-employment support, so they can join the workforce with confidence,” she said.
“These 13 projects from Thursday Island to Ipswich create innovative plans to address local skills shortages, diversify our workforce and strengthen our communities and economy.”
the code and take the survey now For T&Cs, learn more and see previous survey insights visit: voconiqlocalvoices.com/riotinto/weipa facebook.com/LocalVoicesWeipa
by CHISA HASEGAWA
FROM plastic bottle rocket launches to dancing sultanas and much more, Weipa, Mapoon and Cooktown students got handson with the mysteries of the universe during National Science Week 2025.
In honour of this year’s school theme, Decoding the Universe – Exploring the Unknown With Nature’s Hidden Language, students at Western Cape College (WCC) and Endeavour Christian College (ECC) delved into chemistry and physics through a range of exciting activities.
WCC Weipa and Mapoon campus students were treated to a thrilling workshop led by It’s Rocket Science facilitator Cran Middlecoat.
“He spoke inspirationally to our students about flying and rockets, and he worked with various cohorts across the schools, across two days,” WCC curriculum head of department Fiona Dyer said.
“He also hosted Launchtime Lunchtimes across the campuses, and they were just a huge hit.
“What he did was he launched rockets and he was doing fair testing; we had an empty bottle that was launched, and then a bottle half full of water, and then a full bottle under the same pressure, and the kids had to predict which one would fly higher.”
Ms Dyer said staff also hosted various lunchtime activities throughout the rest of
the week, such as invisible ink and lemon volcanoes, creating fun opportunities to inspire curiosity in the students.
“Especially living remote, we’re so in touch with the community, cultural links, and have a very diverse environment,” she said.
“Many of our students will work for the town’s major employer, Rio Tinto, in the future, and they use scientific knowledge and human inquiry in their workplace for many purposes.
“We have other students who aspire for tertiary studies, so we really need to build a foundation of useful science knowledge that they will extend and apply over time.”
At ECC, staff led activities in their respective classrooms, with prep students exploring yeast and straw planes, and year 5 and 6 students learning about circuit breakers, allowing students of all ages to dive into the science behind the universe in interesting ways.
Year 3 and 4 students performed the dancing sultana experiment as they learned about object density, and the milk dish soap experiment to learn about surface tension.
“It is important to keep science not only fun for the kids, but engaging and exciting,” teacher Shelly-Ann Williams said.
“Science Week is important to celebrate as it is an integral part of our world; it helps us understand how things work, and how to solve real world problems.”
Ef fective immediately, approved not-for-profit organisations connected to the Weipa electricit y net work will be eligible to receive electricit y free of charge under Tarif f N This initiative reflects our ongoing commitment to suppor ting the impor tant work you do and easing the burden of energy costs
APPLY TODAY
To apply please submit a formal letter addressed to Weipa Electricit y@riotinto com including the following information: The registered name and not-for-profit status of your organisation
A summar y of the ser vices you provide to the Weipa and/or surrounding communities
Details of any current grants or funding received to of fset remote operating costs
Your current Rio T into power account number
Our team will review each application and provide feedback Additionally, Rio T into will review current account balances for organisations approved under this scheme
Please note: This subsidy applies only to electricit y connections on the Weipa net work where billing is managed directly by Rio T into It does not apply to connections on the Napranum net work, which is ser viced by Ergon Energy Organisations operating in Napranum are encouraged to contact Ergon directly to explore similar suppor t options
We thank you for your continued dedication to the Weipa communit y and look for ward to suppor ting your ef for ts through this initiative
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Weipa Electricit y@riotinto com
by CHISA HSAEGAWA
DESPITE another challenging year for tourism on Cape York, a local adventure tour provider has received national recognition at the Bx Business xCellence Awards held earlier this month in Sydney.
Pioneering off-road motorcycle tour operator Cape York Motorcycle Adventures was crowned the 2025 Travel and Tourism Sector winner at the prestigious awards, and director Renae Kunda said it had been an honour to represent the remote, northernmost part of the state in a room full of big city businesses.
“It just brings so much pride to everybody,” she said.
“We are a little business in a big, big landscape, so just bringing everybody’s attention to our area is great.
“Especially this year, when we’ve all struggled with a few issues, like the ferry and things like that, that all chip in and do their damage along the way.”
Founded in 1990, Cape York Motorcycle Adventures offers fully guided, all-inclusive tours
from Cairns to the Tip of Australia, and is renowned for its access to remote national parks, private properties, and hidden gems – all while championing environmental sustainability and cultural respect.
As a business that is active in the award scene, Ms Kunda said it was impossible to attend them all in person, particularly when leading a small team.
“When I found out, I was utterly disappointed, because I wasn’t in the room,” she laughed.
“I’d arranged for a friend in Sydney to, if we did win or anything, go up and collect the award for me.
“It’s a long way to go down for an award program, and we kind of do go through a few of them through the year, so you have to pick and choose, which is devastating, especially when you’ve got a mate in the room that’s drinking champagne and you’re not.”
Cape York Motorcycle Adventures is now shooting for gold at the 2025 Queensland Training Awards to complete a trifecta after winning bronze in 2023 and silver in 2024.
WE’VE all had jobs we’ve hated to the point they nearly broke us.
You know, those gigs where you end up spending most of your time daydreaming about scenarios that would represent an improvement in circumstances. Things like attempting to extract a piece of bread from a toaster with a knife and tongs, for example. Or cleaning out a clogged and extremely ripe septic tank with nothing but an ice cream container and your bare hands.
I’ve had a few jobs over the years that found themselves on the significant regret end of the employment opportunity spectrum.
One of my all-time stinkers was pretending I could sell during a brief stint for a well-known marque (it definitely wasn’t Toyota) upon my arrival in the big smoke of Brisbane as a 20-yearold. I had all the attributes the dealership was apparently looking for: cocky, clueless and, most importantly, willing to work a sixday week for a $500 base salary just because I got to drive around like a pompous wanker in a flash new offering from the well-known manufacturer that absolutely was not Toyota. I was from western Queensland and had scuffed RMs,
a combination the sales manager seemed to think made me perfect for selling four-wheel drives to unsuspecting prospects.
During my first fortnight on the job, a family came in to look at a new four-wheel drive, the flagship of the fleet. Let’s call it a HandBruiser. It was their first outing to check it out, and they sure as hell weren’t going to part with about a hundred grand on day one just because their salesman hit them with the country boy puppy dog eyes. We swapped details and shook
hands, and I told them I’d follow them up in a few days.
Apparently, this approach wasn’t what my sales manager was expecting. As I walked back to my desk after seeing them off, he bellowed for me to come to his office. When I entered, his apoplectic stare and the throbbing vein in his forehead suggested he was less than enthused with my performance.
To cut a long story short, I knew my automotive sales career was over when he told me in no uncertain terms how useless I was as he
threw a ring binder that weighed the same as a masonry block in my direction. As other staff intervened, I identified the part of his body he could acquaint with his chosen projectile before storming out of the showroom, never to return to the land of car sales.
As you lean back and ponder which dalliances with gainful employment over the years have left you permanently traumatised, spare a thought for four blokes about to be on the receiving end of a whole lot of bull when they clock
onto the job at the 20th Weipa Rodeo in a few days.
They go by many names. Protection athletes. Bullfighters. Rodeo clowns. Well, maybe not so regularly the latter these days, but what hasn’t changed is that their primary occupational function remains making themselves a more appealing target to an enraged side of beef that can tip the scales at 1,000 kilograms than the cowboy that has just come off its back, either voluntarily or in a manner completely bereft of panache. Suddenly, working a bit harder to close a sale doesn’t seem so much of an impost.
To Joel Fabiani, Liam Wellby, Zac Maher and Jared Borghero, the intrepid foursome set to put their bodies on the line to keep rodeo competitors out of harm’s way on Friday and Saturday, thank you –please be safe.
If you happen to cross paths with any of the lads over the weekend, make sure you take the time to let them know what an incredible job they do in a role most of us wouldn’t want for quids.
Also, maybe don’t complain just so much about your employment situation the next time Deb from accounts payable starts munching too loudly on her tuna, egg and lettuce wrap in her cubicle. It could be worse. She could weigh the best part of a tonne and have her sights set on skewering certain parts of your anatomy with her horns.
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Fit the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 into the hexagons so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers will be the same. No number is repeated in any hexagon.
Fit the numbers 1-6 once into every hexagon so that where the hexagons touch, the numbers are the same. No number is repeated in any single hexagon.
Weipa celebrates 20 years of rodeo
RODEO fans in Aurukun are in for a treat today (19 August) when the Weipa Rodeo crew take their school and some special helpers to the western Cape York community.
The rodeo school will be held where else but at Aurukun State School, and feature a mechanical bull, roping and games for the kids from 9am on Tuesday, before a community meet and greet gets under way in the town square from 12pm.
Plenty of Weipa Rodeo merchandise will be available, with 1998 PBR World Champion Troy Dunn, pro bull rider and
Cape of Origin captain Braydon Wellby, and bullfighter Jared Borghero also on hand to sign autographs and take photos.
“Come say hi, meet the stars, and get a taste of the rodeo before the big weekend,” a Weipa Rodeo Association spokesperson said.
Later in the week in Weipa, the bull riding school will be held on 21 August, with seniors and youth from 9am-2pm, and juniors and poddies from 3-5pm.
The horse sports school will run from 3:30-5:30pm on 21 August, and from 8-10am on 22 August.
by LYNDON KEANE PROFESSIONAL bull rider
Eli Hunter will be aiming to make up for lost time when he returns to western Cape York this weekend to captain one of the three Cape of Origin teams at the 20th Weipa Rodeo.
Hunter missed last year’s event due to an injury sustained competing just a week before he was due to travel to Weipa, and he told Cape York Weekly he was chomping at the bit to come back to where he learned how to ride a bull.
“It feels really good,” he said.
“Going back to the hometown’s one thing, and getting on bulls there and teaching kids how to ride bulls [at the rodeo school].
“I first started riding bulls there myself, so it’s a really
homely feeling, to be honest, going back up there and getting on a few bulls while teaching the young kids how to start off their careers.”
Hunter will skipper one of the three teams, with fellow pro riders Zane Hall and Braydon Wellby also set to lead by example during one of the rodeo’s most popular events.
Wellby’s Northern team triumphed in 2024, and with a $13,000 prize purse, buckles and bragging rights on the line for the rodeo’s 20th anniversary, Hunter said he was expecting some friendly rivalry between the captains.
“Having those teams just gives it a whole other feeling,” he explained.
“My mates are captaining the other teams, but there’s nothing better than a bit of friendly rivalry.”
Wellby said he was thrilled to be returning for the milestone instalment of the rodeo, adding he was confident whichever team he drew to lead would put on a show for what is tipped to be a bumper crowd.
“I’m always excited to get back up to Weipa,” he said.
“Any team I end up with are going to hopefully come away with the win again; whatever team we end up with, we’ll definitely put a lot of effort in.
“It’s just a unique event, I reckon; everyone backs it and gets behind it, so it’s always a really good atmosphere.
“It’s a great feeling to ride in front of that crowd up there.”
Gates open at Andoom Oval at 3pm on 22 August and 2pm on 23 August.
by LYNDON KEANE
WESTERN Cape York loves its country music, and that will never be more evident than when James Blundell and Danny Phegan take to the stage when the dust settles in the Weipa Rodeo arena this weekend.
Phegan is a beloved member of the rodeo’s extended family – some would say part of the furniture – and Blundell said he had been fired up for his first trip to Weipa since being announced as the event’s headline live entertainment act in March.
“I’m so ready for this rodeo it’s not funny,” the 10-time Golden Guitar winner told Cape York Weekly
And just how ready is “so ready” in the parlance of musicians?
“It’s probably the most prepared I’ve been for anything for a long time,” Blundell laughed.
“The set list is actually written out, which never happens in my world; everybody that ever plays
with me says, ‘is there a set list?’ and the look on my face gives them the answer.
“But Danny Phegan, I’m working with his band, so I actually know what I’m doing this time.”
Blundell will head to Weipa after spending a week in the saddle riding in the Great Australian Charity Cattle Drive and said he was hoping to watch some of the in-arena action over the two days of the rodeo.
“It’s sort of a forgotten or overlooked background that before I knew I was going to have a detour of 40 years through the music industry, that was my recreation – campdrafting and rough riding,” he said.
“I was never a bull rider; I spent too long catching him, and had too much respect for how quick and cranky they are to want to tie myself onto one, so I’ll watch them (the competitors) doing that.”
While he may be part of Australian country music royalty, Blundell
urged rodeo fans to come up and say hello to him if they spotted him walking around over the weekend.
“I’m very approachable, mate, particularly if it’s good weather and there’s horses about the place – I’m at my best,” he said.
THERE will be no confusion for patrons about where they are this weekend after a few last-minute infrastructure inclusions for the 2025 Weipa Rodeo.
One of the first things thousands of rodeo fans see when they arrive at Andoom Oval on 22-23 August will undoubtedly be the newly-signed Bucking Bull Bar, which is set to do a roaring trade as Weipa celebrates the 20th anniversary of its rodeo.
In addition, a new portable grandstand – complete with stun-
ning Weipa Rodeo livery – has been built to give the crowd a bird’s-eye view of all the action from the arena.
Weipa Rodeo Association
president Reuben Slingo said the new infrastructure was part of a longstanding plan to make setting up and pulling down each year’s event just that little bit easier for the committee and volunteers.
“How good is that bar?” he said.
“Every year, we try to do something that improves our event and
the infrastructure at the grounds.
“The bar is something that has been on my list for a few years now – it is something that will benefit not just the Weipa Rodeo, but any event or community group that use the space.
“Everything we build as a permanent structure is one less thing that needs to be set up and torn down for every event; this gives us time to focus on improvements elsewhere; there is so much potential at the grounds for more than just a couple of events a year, and
we are always thinking about what we can do next – watch this space.”
The milestone rodeo will boast six professional riders as well as special guest Troy Dunn, the only Australian to ever be crowned PBR World Champion, with the program teasing to provide two full days of entertainment in and out of the arena.
As the final countdown to the event begins, Mr Slingo praised his army of volunteers and said it would be an “impossible task” to work out how many hours had
gone into this year’s rodeo to make it one to remember for competitors and the community.
“We would love to put a figure on the number of volunteers and hours that go into organising our event, but that would be an impossible task,” he said.
“All we can say is that we are incredibly fortunate to have an amazing committee and a very supportive network of sponsors that are willing to volunteer so much of their personal time and resources to bring this event to the community.”
NINE first time participants laced up their shoes for Weipa parkrun #432 on 16 August, including Kye Chapple, who took to the event like a duck to water as the first runner to greet the timekeepers.
Chapple found the finish line in a time of 20 minutes, 59 seconds, with Weipa parkrun veterans Ross Dawson (21:37) and Michael Collins (24:01) rounding out the top three finishers.
In a weekend for strong newbie performances, jun-
ior participant Sage McKinnon stamped her mark on her maiden Weipa parkrun by being the first female across the finish line - and only three seconds behind Collins - in 24:04.
It was a bittersweet edition of the event for the Weipa running family as Collins saluted the judges in his last western Cape York parkrun for the foreseeable future.
Cara Shelley, Wilkee Querubin and Mia Aldcroft were the three participants
to record personal best performances around the 5-kilometre circuit.
Katrina Scholefield, Julie Zeimer, Narelle Dealy, Camille Freiberg, Fiona Dyer, Georgi Jenkins, Nanthini Kanthan and Louise Jones threw on the red volunteer vests for the event.
Weipa parkrun is held every Saturday morning at 7am at the shelter opposite the hospital roundabout on the corner of John Evans and Kerr Point drives.
A FIELD of 12 made the most of the Weipa winter dawn conditions when they stepped up to the tee block at Carpentaria Golf Club on 17 August.
Some described the Sunday morning outing as a “bash”, given how many of the players returned to the clubhouse more than a dozen strokes above what their natural ability would dictate. We have to assume this includes the gross 53 carded by a certain 2025 Weipa Goodline Open C-grade (should have been Seniors) champion.
After catching the bridesmaid’s bouquet in succession over the past 10 days, Laurie Turner (68/30) finally broke through to secure the coveted winner’s polo shirt, while the ever-consistent Peter Kenny (49/22) had to settle for this week’s runner-up honours.
When quizzed about his ascension
to greatness, Turner said it was simply down to “persistence”.
For the second consecutive week, the girls showed their contemporaries how it was done, with Viv Chan firing the best off-the-stick round of the day with 46.
She also claimed the women’s long drive gong, while Peter Moore took the men’s prize by nearly driving the first green.
Julie Howard claimed her third Hoffman’s in succession.
Despite the ludicrous handicap hurdles thrown out by Dawnbusters deity Dall and demagogue Crossley, a certain Cape York newspaper editor will return to the course on 24 August to claim some longoverdue bragging rights.
New players are welcome to join the back nine fun from about 6:45am on Sunday.
by LYNDON KEANE
IF you were ever curious about how passionate Weipa’s Hancock family are about dirt kart racing, a round trip of nearly 60 hours to be on the starting grid for the 2025 NT Dirt Kart Titles at the weekend should allay your inquisitiveness.
While Lucas, 17, and Samuel, 15, made their trek to Top End Dirt Karts’ Hidden Valley track for the 14-17 August titles showdown at 35,000 feet, father Dave spent about two-and-a-half full days behind the wheel driving from Weipa to ensure the boys had everything they needed to compete.
“I think we drove for about 28 hours (from Weipa to Darwin), not non-stop, on Wednesday and Thursday, and got in about lunchtime Thursday and hit the ground running,” the Weipa Dirt Karts president said.
“We weren’t in an enclosed truck or container or anything, so we had to hit the ground running and strip the karts right down, and then put on their new sticker kits.”
After a successful FNQ Dirt Kart Titles in Weipa earlier this year, Lucas raced in the KT Medium class in the Northern Territory, while Samuel donned his helmet in the KT Light category.
The pair admitted the elevated Hidden Valley track, which features a rise of about six metres, had presented a challenge compared to the flat surface they were used to competing on.
“It’s a really tough track,” Lucas said.
“Even just the race surface is a bit different, and some of the corners are really fast and scary to hit.
“It’s been nerve-racking, but it’s also been a great experience racing against really competitive
drivers, and having a look at what the racing scene outside of Weipa is like.”
Ahead of the titles presentation dinner on Sunday night – which Mr Hancock did not get to attend, as he was already hours into his return trip to Weipa – Samuel said there had been plenty of interest show from other drivers about the brothers and their western Cape York home.
“There’s been some questions about the distance travelled, and how different the track is, and the community overall,” he said.
As the boys contemplate their next dirt track challenge, Lucas said the Top End experience would not have been possible without some dedicated sponsors.
“I’d just like to thank our sponsors, Robon Electrical, Junction Engineering, FH Laser Works and Husseys,” he said.
“Without sponsors like them, it definitely makes it hard to get over here and compete.”
CAN’T Touch This and Scrambled Legs delivered the game of the first round of Weipa Touch Association finals on 14 August.
The teams battled until the final siren, with the former securing a narrow 10-9 win over its opponent.
Top End Taggers defeated Villains 9-1 and The OGs toppled Spartans 8-7 in another thrilling finals encounter, while Untouchables beat Res Strong 12-10.
Lacking Stamina had an easy victory after Weipa Weapons forfeited their clash.
EDDY Tiemens will be shopping for more new clubs after securing his first Wackers win at Carpentaria Golf Club on Wednesday afternoon.
In a result mirroring Dawnbusters barely three days earlier, Tiemens (54/36) returned to the clubhouse victorious after the three-club showdown on the front nine, with Laurie Turner (50/37.5) having to settle for bridesmaid honours for the second round in a row.
Mick Foy bagged the pin prize on hole seven, while bragging rights went begging on the 9th.
Julie Turner was crowned the weekly Bradman’s winner.
RUNNERS will test their limits in one of the most spectacular parts of Cape York when a when a full marathon social run is held in the Northern Peninsula Area this Saturday. The 42-kilometre run, which will include a visit to Pajinka, will allow participants to travel at their own pace as they experience the feeling of conquering a marathondistance event.
“Whether you’re a seasoned runner or just looking for a new challenge, this is your chance to get active and make memories along the way,” a run spokesperson said.
The event will commence on 23 August at 6am at the Northern Peninsula Airport. For more information, check out the NPA Sports Facebook page.
