Wet Tropic Times, 2023, May 11, Newspaper Edition

Padre Aurelio Fragapane from Melbourne (with microphone), offered prayers as the Vara containing the Three Saints moved in a solemn procession from St John's Catholic Church, Silkwood.

Were you paying attention Hinchinbrook Community?!

THIS last week, a lot of action was happening in Ingham and surrounding areas as the 3-Brigade – Australian Army came and engaged in a hostile simulation.

You may have noticed Army members walking the streets; you may have noticed Army members engaged in patrols with the local authorities - the Queensland Police Service; you may have noticed troops have been involved in activities on local farmland.

The Wet Tropic Times shared the details of the mock simulation on Facebook and Instagram:

Ingham was the central township of a country called Belesia and had been invaded over the last six months by Olvanan.

In their role in the simulation 3-Brigade – Australian Army came to assist the Ingham community. They were

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part of a coalition force of allied, peace-loving nations who had united to liberate Belesia. To free Belesia, they met with community leaders to assist them in ensuring their mission to identify and defeat the enemy operating in/around Ingham.

3-Brigade engaged in patrols to protect vital Belesian assets such as infrastructure and public facilities as part of their mission. They conducted

vehicle checkpoints and local foot and vehicle patrols. They conducted raids.

In June 3-Brigade will return to Hinchinbrook for Ex Diamond Strike and in July for Talisman Sabre.

The Wet Tropic Times is looking forward to sharing the new scenarios in which 3-Brigade is engaged as they come to Ingham and surrounding areas later in the year.

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Silkwood came alive with the 73rd Feast of the Three Saints celebration

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARIA GIRGENTI

THE chant of Viva Sant'Alfio and the boom of daytime fireworks echoed throughout Silkwood last Sunday as thousands of devoted followers joined in the celebrations at the 73rd Feast of the Three Saints.

As Australia's most prominent religious and cultural festival, the small town came alive once again with the sights, sounds and smells of the Sicilian heritage.

This annual festival, held on the first Sunday of May, unites two towns separated by around 15,000 kilometres of land and sea with a devout faith.

Padre Aurelio Fragapane from Melbourne concelebrated the two Masses with local parish priest Father Kerry Crowley and Father Hilary

Flynn. Despite the overcast weather, miraculously, the rain held off during the procession and for the duration of the event.

The tiny rural town of Silkwood in North Queensland and the town of Sant'Alfio, located on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, both dedicate the day to the Feast of the Three Saints - Alfio, Filadelfo and Cirino, an age-old tradition in Sant'Alfio, celebrating the three brothers brutally martyred in AD 253 for refusing to denounce their Christian faith.

The Vara first featured in the 1973 Three Saints festival and has been a central part of the annual event's procession since then.

The 'Vara' consists of a large baldachin, laminated in 18-carat gold, bordered with red velvet, and crowned by six richly decorated columns.

Construction of the Vara took place in Sicily, and Giovanni Grasso, a committee member, travelled to Sant'Alfio to discuss details of its construction.

Here, Giovanni met Monsignor Pelluzza, and both met with local skilled artisans commissioned to make a replica of the Vara, used for the Three Saints' Feast in Sant'Alfio, Sicily.

It took less than a year to complete Vara's construction.

The Catholic Sisters in Santa Venerina fitted beautiful gold embroidery above the underlying motif made by a goldsmith from Acireale.

Giovanni then arranged for his brother Ignazio Grasso to transport the Vara to Silkwood, Australia.

Giovanni Grasso, a life member of the Feast of the Three Saints committee, sadly passed away last year.

The Three Saints committee and its members are eternally grateful to Giovanni Grasso and all other members of the early 1970s for their efforts in ensuring the construction and commissioning of the 'Vara'.

This year's festival featured an English and Italian Mass, a solemn street procession of the statues accompanied by the Cairns Municipal Band, a spread of traditional Sicilian fare, and rides and amusements by Wonder Fair.

The celebrations culminated in dynamic fireworks which lit up the night sky, singing, live entertainment by

Santo Silvestro holding his 11-month-old grandson Graysen Gardiner at his first Feast of the Three Saints, with his two brothers Charlie and Vince Silvestro.

Fortunato Isgro and Francesco Maugeri from Brisbane, music and dancing until late.

Feast of the Saints committee Vice President Vince Silvestro lifted his grandson Gerard Grieve for a special blessing from the Three Saints.

New Feast of the Three Saints committee President Cosimo

Tedesco with Sicilian, Padre Aurelio Fragapane from Melbourne.

Young girls dressed in traditional Sicilian attire and took part in the procession.

WEATHER

News in Brief Cassowary Coast

New shared pathway project at Bingil Bay completed

CASSOWARY COAST REGIONAL COUNCIL

COMPLETION of a shared pathway now connects the popular Bingil Bay foreshore and beach area to Bingil Bay Café.

This new shared pathway is 1.6 metres wide on deco gravel material which provides a safe off-road space for pedestrians and cyclists.

Through community consultation, residents advised Council they wanted the final design to fit in with the natural beauty of the area.

A collaboration between CCRC and the Bingil Bay community collaborated ensured the pathway kept in with the surrounding environment, with minimal impacts on existing vegetation.

The project outcome demonstrated the value of connection with the local community to ensure incorporation of their feedback into the delivery of CCRC projects.

On April 28, the Bingil Bay community held a barbeque event to celebrate the project and thank all involved.

Community members thanked the Australian Government, CCRC, and community members for their contributions to making the pathway a success.

CCRC wanted to thank all the community members who showed their support and patience throughout the extensive planning and construction process.

OUR TEAM

Managing Editor/ Director

Sari Russo management@ wettropictimes.com.au

Advertising ads @wettropictimes.com.au

Production

Clare Watson designs@ wettropictimes.com.au

Reception/ Administration

Katriina Hyytinen info@ wettropictimes.com.au

OUR DETAILS

Office: 22 Lannercost Street

Ingham, QLD 4850

Phone: (07) 4776 0485

Website: wettropictimes.com.au

Email: info@ wettropictimes.com.au

Mail: PO Box 1100 Tully QLD 4854

The path provides a more connected area for our community to allow users to enjoy the great outdoors while riding and walking more safely.

The Australian Government’s Local Roads and Community Infrastructure (LRCI) Program funded this project, with a financial contribution of $325,000.

The LRCI Program assists local councils to deliver priority road and community infrastructure projects across Australia, supporting jobs and delivering benefits to local communities.

For further information on the project, please visit yoursay.cassowarycoast.qld.gov. au/bingil-bay-pathway.

News in Brief Hinchinbrook

Ingham Listed as Queensland Top Small Tourism Town Finalist

HINCHINBROOK SHIRE COUNCIL

VOTE for Ingham, the gateway to the Hinchinbrook Region in the 2023 Queensland Top Tourism Town Awards.

Presented by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC), the annual awards recognise outstanding regional destinations, honouring communities that demonstrate a commitment to excellence.

Ingham was nominated for the Top Small Tourism Town Award category population between 1,500 – 5,000 residents. Ingham is now a finalist and is up against Airlie Beach, which was last year’s winner in this category.

After an extensive judging process by a panel of tourism experts, QTIC CEO, Brett Fraser said it is now up to the public to help decide the winners.

“I urge everyone to please take time to get behind our town and vote! Those who vote can nominate to be in the running to win a three night stay at the five star RACV Noosa Resort in a luxurious three bedroom villa”

Spiritual food with Jess

The Bride of Christ

I had two dreams recently. I was racing around from shop to shop, trying to find a white dress to get married in. When I awoke from this dream, I realised I had another dream like this a few weeks ago but had forgotten.

In my dream, I found a white dress with black stripes, so I kept looking. I was in a desperate search to find a gown.

My first thought was about Christ preparing

his Bride.

Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.) Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."

Revelation 19:7-9 NIV

Regional

said Mayor Ramon Jayo.

To cast your vote for Ingham as the Top Small Tourism Town, please visit QTIC’s website, Top Town Voting page or www.qtic. com.au/top-tourism-award/top-town-voting. Please note, voting closes Wednesday, May 24, 2023.

“It is not only homegrown attractions that drive guests to a destination. It is a combined effort from local communities and tourism operators that help holidaymakers feel welcome. The awards shine a light on these communities and celebrate their dedication to visitor excellence. Congratulations to all the remarkable finalists” said QTIC CEO Brett Fraser.

Tourism Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said “This is a wonderful opportunity for Queenslanders to reward their favourite regional Tourism Towns for unforgettable visitor experiences. From tourism and accommodation operators to cafes, restaurants, and the local supermarket, being a Top Tourism Town is all about a united community commitment to excellence. Congratulations to this year’s finalists”.

Queensland’s three Top Tourism Towns will be announced in June at an awards ceremony being held in Brisbane.

This is an encouragement to keep walking in the Lord's way and be prepared and ready for what's to come.

Repentance and forgiveness are only part of the journey. Use your spiritual gifts and, at times, crucify your flesh. Choose God's way no matter how hard it seems to be.

We must walk in the fullness of what God has called us to. Intimacy with God is a must; it's where we allow him to talk to us in our secret place.

And to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Ephesians 5:27 NIV

Rainfall Report

Dametto’s Last Ride a success for charity

ON BEHALF OF NICK DAMETTO HINCINBROOK MP, KAP DEPUTY LEADER

MEMBER for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto saved his best ride for last on the weekend and successful raised $2,940 for Audrey’s Angels of Hope.

The Hinchinbrook MP has ridden bulls at the annual Ingham Sugar City Rodeo since 2019 and with this year being his last ride it was only fitting that the athletic MP managed a personal best time of 5 seconds.

Mr Dametto was thrilled to be able to raise funds for such a worthy cause and said it was an absolute honour to ride in memory of Judy Reardon.

“With a time of 5 seconds and a whopping $2,940.00 raised, I want to thank everyone who donated or helped me prepare for this last ride,” Mr Dametto said.

“I want to say a massive thanks to the Ingham Sugar City Rodeo Committee for giving me the opportunity to ride and for hosting such a successful rodeo yet again.

“Special mention must also go to Brad Morley and his son Cooper for inviting out to their property for a training session beforehand as it was a massive help.

“There is nothing more heart-warming than hearing the roar of your hometown as you exit that chute and although I didn’t ride time, I hope I haven’t let anyone down.

“Audrey’s Angels do amazing work in our community and I'm proud to have been able to help in some small way.”

Judy Reardon’s daughter, Hollie Roveglia, said that her mum would have been so proud of the local MP

riding in her honour.

“I want to thank Nick so much. What he has done for Audrey’s Angels and our community in the last few years has been amazing.”

The success and thrill of Dametto’s Last Ride has created doubt about whether or not the Hinchinbrook

Train Safety Awareness

THE2023 crushing season is planned to commence on Wednesday, May 24, 2023 (weather permitting). As part of our pre-season operations, Tully Sugar locomotives will commence the placement of empty cane bins across its cane railway network from Tuesday May 9.

This provides pre-season on the job training for our new 17 loco crew starters and at the same time placement of bins in sidings in readiness for the 2023 crushing season.

This year as in the past Tully Sugar takes added safety precautions for cane trains traversing the rail network for the first time prior to crushing season operations.

This includes reduced travel speeds along the mainline track and speed restrictions for our trains when approaching and crossing our cane railway level crossings and occupational

crossings for the first time.

It is a timely reminder to motorists, cyclists, school children, pedestrians, local residents and tourists to our region to “Beware of Cane Trains “

It is a sad reality that accidents involving Cane Trains can end tragically. There will be an increasing presence of trains on the cane rail network and Tully Sugar asks that people be more alert when approaching our railway crossings.

Look out For Trains

Follow the signage located at our passive railway level crossings (They are the sign posted level crossings without flashing lights.)

Stop at the active railway level crossings when the lights are flashing.

Pedestrians including school children are to cross the cane railway corridor, especially through town at the existing

MP will in fact hang up his spurs or if he will swap bull riding for another high-adrenaline event, all in the name of charity.

“We’ll have to wait and see what happens in 2024,” Mr Dametto said.

road level crossings..

A simple safety message for all of us to bear in mind as we go about our daily activities whether it be going to work or

“Play it safe, stay away from cane

Tom Peatey Cane Supply and Transport Manager

Fay Camilleri celebrated her 101st birthday

WET TROPIC

Times

Ingham got invaded

SARI RUSSO NEE HYYTINEN

IT was great to drive past the Botanical Gardens in Ingham and see the armed forces practising their defensive maneuvers in the event that our area is invaded.

I know it has been a long time since we almost lost Far North Queensland to war, but understanding what happened, how we got there and how we came through in combat is necessary. ANZAC day commemorations are essential ‘Lest We Forget.’

In my opinion, there seems to be a significant disconnect between our nation’s history and the battles our ancestors fought to ensure that we lived in a good country and those who never lived through it. I want to live in a country where we are willing to fight alongside each other and not against each other.

I am looking forward to more stories being shared of our previous generations to ensure that we understand the battles they fought for us. These people fought so we no longer need to worry about our physical needs.

When I think back to my studies, I reflect on learning about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs which informs that the basic needs of every person are physiological: breathing, food, water, shelter, clothing, and sleep, and once we obtain these, it is safety and security: health, employment, property, family and social ability.

The further up we go, the further away we go from physical/practical needs; we are looking more to fulfil our emotional needs. Life becomes more about how we feel and not about meeting our physical needs as they are being met.

If we choose not to maintain our access to

STORY AND PHOTO BY MARIA GIRGENTI

LAST Wednesday, long-term Innisfail resident Fay Camilleri celebrated her 101st birthday milestone with family and friends.

Rafaella (Fay) Bufi was born on May 3, 1922, in the city of Molfetta, province of Bari, southern Italy, to parents Onofrio and Angelena Bufi and was the eldest of three siblings.

Fay is the only surviving member of her generation. At the age of seven, she lost her mother, and her father later remarried.

Fay travelled with her mother to Australia by boat just shy of two years old. Her father was already in Australia, and they first docked at Mourilyan Harbour.

In the early 1920s, Fay lived in a tin shed at Pin Gin Hill while her father worked as a labourer cutting down trees. Fay's father, born in 1891, lived to the ripe old age of 101.

Fay attended Coorumba State School, which opened in 1924 and at the time had 30 children enrolled and one teacher.

When Fay lost her mother, she had to leave school and look after her younger siblings at home, as her father was working away.

Two years later, Fay returned to school and had to start her learning all over again.

Fay loved learning and spent the next six years at school until 14.

In 1941, at the age of 19, Fay married Francesco (Frank) Camilleri at the Mother of Good Counsel Catholic Church in Innisfail.

After the couple were married, they lived on the cane farm at Henderson Drive, which her husband had established before their marriage.

They had five children, Joe, Michael, Frank, Rose and Lena.

They lived in the house Frank built until his passing in 1970, and during this time, Fay helped with the farm work.

Widowed at 47, Fay continued living in the house until 1977, having sold her farm share in 1975.

On December 20, 1977, she moved into her newly built house at Belvedere, which Fay designed and still lives there today.

Fay has 14 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

Fay made a living at home with her sewing and alterations.

She sewed wedding dresses for her two daughters and passed these valuable skills on to them.

At age 86, Fay travelled for the first time overseas with family members and visited Rome, Naples and Malta.

As Fay is a very friendly person, she enjoys attending respite once a week. She is happiest when in the company of family and friends.

"In my life, I worked hard and have been blessed with good health, so I am always thankful to God for the life I've had."

l a x e d

l i f e s t y l e t o b r i n g u p a f a m i l y

N u r t u r i n g o u r n a t u r a l a s s e t s a n d w o n d e r s a s w e l l a s k e e p i n g s e c u r e a n d s t a b l e w o r k p l a c e s i s a v i t a l p r i o r i t y

t o k e e p I n g h a m a l i v e a n d g r o w i n g

W e w o u l d l i k e t o i n v i t e y o u t o b e c o m e

p a r t o f t h e j o u r n e y . . .

C r e a t i n g a m o r e s u s t a i n a b l e , b u t y e t p r o f i t a b l e s u g a r i n d u s t r y t o g u a r a n t e e a v i b r a n t , g r o w i n g L o w e r H e r b e r t

C o m m u n i t y f o r n o w a n d i n t o t h e f u t u r e

Fay Camilleri celebrated her 101st birthday last Wednesday, May 3.

Ingham Listed as Queensland Top Small Tourism Town Finalist and Parking Restrictions to be Enforced

Ingham

Listed as Queensland Top Small Tourism Town Finalist

Vote for Ingham, the gateway to the Hinchinbrook Region in the 2023 Queensland Top Tourism Town Awards.

Presented by the Queensland Tourism Industry Council (QTIC), the annual awards recognise outstanding regional destinations, honouring communities that demonstrate a commitment to excellence.

Ingham was nominated for the Top Small Tourism Town Award category population between 1,500 – 5,000 residents.

Ingham is now a finalist and is up against Airlie Beach, which was last year’s winner in this category.

Please take time to get behind our town and vote!

Those who vote can nominate to be in the running to win a three night stay at the five star RACV Noosa Resort in a luxurious three bedroom villa.

To cast your vote for Ingham as the Top Small Tourism Town, please visit QTIC’s website, Top Town Voting page.

Please note, voting closes Wednesday 24 May 2023. Queensland’s three Top Tourism Towns will be announced in June at an awards ceremony being held in Brisbane.

Parking Restrictions to be Enforced

Parking restrictions are in place to assist local businesses and their customers.

Parking signs are positioned throughout the town, so please take note of where you are parking and abide by the signs.

Drivers must obey line markings and official signs advising you how to park. If there is no line markings or official signs, park so that the left side of your vehicle is parallel to, and as close to the left side of the road as you safely can.

Parking fines can be issued by Local Laws Officers in the form of a Penalty Infringement Notice.

Local Laws Officers will commence enforcing these parking restrictions, and drivers may face fines.

WORKS NOTICE

TOKALON ROAD RECONSTRUCTION

Council wishes to advise that reconstruction works are scheduled to occur on Tokalon Road Blackrock from Monday 15 May 2023 until Friday 16 June 2023, weather permitting.

Works may occur between 7.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Saturday.

A full road closure will be in place between 169 Tokalon Road and 232 Tokalon Road for the duration of these works.

Council would like to thank you for your cooperation during this necessary phase of works

For further information on current roadworks, please visit Council’s website, Roadworks page or contact Council.

WORKS NOTICE

BOSWORTHS ROAD CONSTRUCTION

Council wishes to advise that pavement reconstruction and stabilisation works are currently taking place on Bosworths Road until Friday 16 June 2023, weather permitting.

Works may occur between 6.00am and 6.00pm with possible single lane operations during these times.

Council would like to thank you for your cooperation during this necessary phase of works.

For further information on current roadworks, please visit Council’s website, Roadworks page or contact Council.

Hinchinbrook Shire Releases Draft Shoreline Erosion Management Plan

After 12 months of investigations, community consultation, cost benefit analysis and expert advice, Council is pleased to release the final draft of its Shoreline Erosion Management Plan (SEMP) for Hinchinbrook’s coastal localities.

The SEMP provides a road map of potential actions for Council to consider as the challenges of increased erosion, due to changes in environmental conditions, sand supply, rising sea levels and likely increase in severe weather events, impact the future and longevity of our coastal communities.

It is important to note that although these options and activities have been investigated and assessed using the best available information, Council is not obligated to implement these actions, and will need to consider the cost and public benefit on a case by case basis.

This will take into consideration the relative threat to public infrastructure, available funding, likelihood of success and support for such actions.

Council is seeking submissions from the public before considering the SEMP for endorsement.

Once adopted by Council, the document will be submitted to the Queensland Government for approval, where the actions in the SEMP will be assessed, making future application for any necessary works easier to obtain.

A copy of the draft SEMP is available on Council’s website, Hinchinbrook Shoreline Erosion Management Plan Community Consultation page.

Submissions are to be made in writing to council@hinchinbrook.qld.gov.au by 11.59pm Sunday 14 May 2023

Should you require any further information regarding this project, please visit Council’s website, or contact the project team by phone on 4776 4740.

National Road Safety Week

National Road Safety Week (NRSW) runs from Sunday 14 May to Sunday 21 May 2023.

NRSW is an annual initiative from the Safer Australian Roads and Highways (SARAH) Group, partnering road safety organisations and Government.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Council is excited to offer the following opportunities:

• Custodian Gardener.

Applications close 5.00pm Thursday 11 May 2023.

• Design Technical Officer; and

• Senior Finance and Revenue Officer.

Applications close 5.00pm Wednesday 17 May 2023.

For further information visit Council's website, Careers at Council page or scan the QR code below.

The week highlights the impact of road trauma and ways to reduce it.

Get involved by displaying a yellow ribbon or sticker on your vehicle to show your support for safer roads.

You can also 'pledge to drive so others survive' on the Road Safety Week website, www.roadsafetyweek.com.au.

Tree Planting Ceremony

Wrap Up for the Coronation of His Majesty, King Charles III

On Saturday 6 May 2023, Council hosted a Tree Planting Ceremony for the Coronation of His Majesty, King Charles III.

The Tree Planting Ceremony took place at the Ingham Memorial Gardens alongside the tree planted in honour of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II who sadly passed in 2022. Council thanks those who attended on the day.

Tea & Trivia

Date: Friday 26 May 2023

Time: 9.30am to 11.30am

Where: TYTO Conference and Events Centre 73-75 McIlwraith Street Ingham QLD 4850

Image: Parking signs throughout Shire.

Image: Mayor Ramon Jayo, Councillors, staff and Army representatives at the Tree Planting Ceremony.

Drawing YOU In

DR BIANKA VIDONJA BALANATEGUI

THE Tyto Regional Art Gallery was crowded on the evening of Friday, May 5, by not only locals but guests from as far afield as Norway for the opening of the exhibition ‘Drawing YOU In: Carl Lumholtz in the Herbert’ showcasing the work of Dr Valerie Keenan, Artist, Curator and Historian.

This exhibition results from four years of research. It reflects the artist’s interest in local history, traditional culture, creativity and her local environment. Working closely with six Indigenous groups, the Warrgamay, Girramay, Djiru, Jirrbal, Bandjin and Warungnu, and the Natural History Museum of Norway, Dr Keenan has privileged Ingham by choosing Tyto to be the first location to exhibit this body of work.

The starting point for Dr Keenan’s body of work displayed in ‘Drawing YOU In’ was Carl Sophus Lumholtz (1851-1922), a Norwegian explorer and naturalist best known in Australia for his 1889 book Among Cannibals. Lumholtz visited Australia between 1880 and 1884, travelling to various locations, including the Herbert River Valley, into the traditional country of the Warrgamay, Warungnu, Jirrbal and Girramay peoples. He gathered a comprehensive collection of fauna for scientific purposes, which were sent

to the University of Christian (now the University of Oslo), which sponsored his travels.

Dr Keenan’s artworks, black ink wash on cotton rag paper, depict birds and mammals of the wet tropics region of north Queensland. Dr Keenan isolated the bird or animal depicted from their backgrounds, emphasizing the detail by flattening them on a 2D surface so that the subject is seen in isolation without distraction.

These subjects were drawn from clearly identifiable photographic images of often elusive birds and animals captured during Dr Keenan’s forays into the bush to see the birds and animals Lumholtz collected in the wild. Alongside these renditions of living specimens are black ink sketches of Lumholtz specimens she made during research conducted at the Natural History Museum Norway.

Alongside these artworks are oral histories narrated by Warrgamay, Girramay, Djiru, Jirrbal, Bandjin and Warungnu Traditional Owners. These narratives reflect various perspectives and experiences, revealing how Indigenous people of the past and present interact with these particular birds and animals and the landscape.

Complimenting the exhibition is a display of commissioned, traditionally manufactured hunting tools.

Though 140 years have passed since Lumholtz collected his specimens and how we collect and interact with such material has changed, the collection survives as a valuable knowledge resource. And as Dr Keenan emphasizes, a representation of different narratives: that of the Indigenous people, the 19thcentury collector, and the 21st-century artist and historian can offer new ways of understanding, not only for all those involved in the project but the many audiences who will be privileged to view these narratives.

The exhibition is complimented by a beautiful hardback colour book titled ‘Drawing YOU In: Carl Lumholtz in the Herbert, which can be purchased at the Tyto Regional Gallery gift shop.

The exhibition will be on display until 4.00 pm Sunday, May 28 2023. The

CULTURAL FUSION FUELS PASSION FOR FASHION

Afusion of Australian, Italian and Indigenous Australian culture delivered by a diverse array of designers and models will fuel your passion for fashion at the Australian Italian Festival Fashion Show on Friday, 2 June 2023, at TYTO Precinct.

The exciting showcase of existing and emerging fashion designers, bespoke microbusinesses and local fashion houses will take North Queensland by storm as organisers prepare to unveil a fresh, new format at this year’s extravaganza.

Living mannequins, a focus on accessories, brand new categories, and a more engaging and immersive experience are just some of the innovative features the Event Coordinator Sharyn Parker says will make the 2023 Fashion show “a night to remember”.

“We have assembled a team of organisers this year who are passionate about creating a contemporary event that celebrates diversity and inclusion,” said Mrs Parker.

“From the designers and fashion houses through to the models, layout and even the food, we have worked really hard on cultivating an experience that leaves a lasting impression on the audience”, she said.

“The high-end fashion and formal wear will definitely appeal to the ladies. But adding “Tradie Wear” and striking fishing shirts in our casual wear category will provide something for the men. So, this year’s program will definitely have something for everyone”.

The impressive line-up will include labels such as Pipsilk, R Mahony Design, 1 Step ART and Balgarra Designs, and members of the audience will also be captivated by this season’s latest fashion from the local boutiques such as I Love, Lisa Maree, Bossi Boots and Friends of the Wild.

The living mannequin component will feature jewellery and accessories in an accessible format that allows the audience to interact with the designers and models. At the same time, the ‘One Outfit, Two Different Ways” will demonstrate the versatility of fashion staples like the little black dress and the classic pantsuit.

Head to Townsville Tickets or check out the Australian Italian Festival Website or Facebook page to purchase tickets to this incredible night of fashion, culture and entertainment. Or you can come into the Australian Italian Festival Office in Herbert Street, and we can assist with your purchases.

TYTO Regional Art Gallery is open daily from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

CRIME WRAP

Serious traffic crash, Tully area

MYPOLICE MAY 8

A pedestrian remains in a critical condition after a traffic incident in the Tully area early this morning.

Initial investigations indicate at 1.50am a 4WD was travelling north on

the Bruce Highway at Midgenoo when it struck a man who appeared to have been lying on the road.

The man, aged in his twenties, sustained life threatening injuries and has been airlifted to Townsville Hospital where he remains in a critical condition.

The driver of the 4WD was not physically injured in the incident.

Forensic Crash Unit investigations are continuing.

Weekly Bible Verse

Proverbs

The LORD

detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Church times across the region

AOG / ACC / Churches of Christ Baptist Family Centre Innisfail, 9:30am, Sun, 12 Tierney St, Innisfail Estate

6:30pm, Sun, Ladies Church Tully Baptist Church, 10am, Sun, 6 Plumb Street, Tully Cardwell Baptist Church, 11am, Sun, Bruce Highway, Cardwell Sugar Reef Baptist Church, 9:30am, S, “The Knightclub” 38 Herbert St, Ingham Baptist Independent, 11am, Sun, 77 Halifax Rd, Ingham

Uniting

Catholic Churches

St Rita’s Babinda, 7am, Sun, 15 Church St, Babinda

Mother of Good Counsel, 6:30pm Sat Vigil, 9am, Sun, 90 Rankin St, Innisfail

Our Lady of Fatima, 10am, Sun, 32 Glasgow Street, El Arish, St John the Evangelist, 6pm, Sat, 4 Harold Street, Silkwood, St Rita’s South Johnstone, 7am, 1st, 3rd & 5th/month, 5 Green Street, South Johnstone

Christ the King, 7am, 2nd & 4th/month, 10 Harbour Road, Mourilyan Holy Spirit, Mission Beach 7am Sun, 12 Webb Rd, Wongaling Beach

St Clare of Montefalco

Church, 6pm Vigil Mass, Sat 9am, Sun, 13 Mars St, Tully

Our Lady Star of the Sea, 5pm Sun (except 1st Sunday), 121 Victoria St, Cardwell Ingham Region Catholic

Parishes:

St Patrick’s, 8:30am, Sunday, 18 Abbott Street, Ingham

St Peter’s, 7am, Sunday, 10 Scott Street, Halifax, Canossa Chapel, 10am, Sunday, St Teresa’s College / 3819 Abergowrie Rd

St Teresa’s, Trebonne, 10am

Seventh Day Adventist

Seventh Day Adventist Innisfail, 10:30am, Sat ,Bible Study, 11am, Sat, 114 Lawrence Road, Bamboo Creek Tully Seventh Day Adventist Church, Sat 9:30am Sabbath School, Sat 11am, 1 Edward St, Tully

Cassowary Coast Uniting Churchs: Innisfail, 10.30am, Sun, 8 Scullen Ave, Mighell, Innisfail Mission Beach, 8am, Sun, 2224 Tully-Mission Beach Rd, Mission Beach, Tully Tongan Uniting, 9am, Sun, 16 Mcquillan st,Tully, Ingham District Uniting Churches: Ingham, 10am, Sun 16 Herbert St, Ingham Halifax, 8am, Sun 12 Anderssen St, Halifax Blue Haven Lodge, Ingham, 11am (2nd & 4th Tues)

Lutheran

St Marks Lutheran Church, 9am, Sun, 34 Townsville Road, Ingham Non-denominational

Empower Church Innisfail, 10am, Sun, 191-193 Mourilyan Rd, South Innisfail

Anglican Churches

St Albans Anglican Church, 9am, Sun, 83 Rankin Street, Innisfail St John Anglican Church, 5pm, Sat, 2 Black Street, Tully John Oliver Feetham Pioneer Memorial 11am, Sun, 45 Bruce Highway, Cardwell St John Anglican Church, 3pm, 3rd Sun of month, Motel Chapel, Kurrimine Beach Holy Trinity (Ingham) 6pm Saturday Service. 9am, Sunday. 37 McIlwraith Street, Ingham All Souls, 7.30am, Sun, 10 Four Mile Road, Victoria Estate

Why mosses are vital for the health of our soil and Earth

UNSW SYDNEY

OFTEN ignored or even removed, moss provides stabilisation for plant ecosystems the world over.

Some people see moss growing in their gardens as a problem, but what they may not realise is this ancient ancestor of all plants is bringing lots of benefits to our green spaces, such as protecting against erosion.

Now a massive global study led by UNSW Sydney has found mosses are not just good for the garden, but are just as vital for the health of the entire planet when they grow on topsoil. Not only do they lay the foundations for plants to flourish in ecosystems around the world, they may play an important role mitigating against climate change by capturing vast amounts of carbon.

In a study published today in the journal Nature Geoscience, lead author Dr David Eldridge and more than 50 colleagues from international research institutions described how they collected samples of mosses growing on soil from more than 123 ecosystems across the globe, ranging from lush, tropical rainforest, to barren polar landscapes, through to arid deserts like those found in Australia. The researchers found that mosses cover a staggering 9.4 million km2 in the environments surveyed, which compares in size to Canada or China.

“We were originally really interested in how natural systems of native vegetation that haven't been disturbed much differ from human made systems like parks and gardens – our green spaces,” says Dr Eldridge, who is with UNSW’s School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences.

“So for this study, we wanted to look at a bit more detail about mosses and what they actually do, in terms of providing essential services to the environment. We looked at what was happening in soils dominated by mosses and what was happening in soils where there were no mosses. And we were gobsmacked to find that mosses were doing all these amazing things.”

It turns out that mosses are the lifeblood of plant ecosystems, that plants actually benefit from having moss as a neighbour. The researchers assessed 24

and NOW Then

QRL History Committee

NEWS last weekend that Wayne Bennett had coached his 900th game caused plenty of discussions.

Well-known rugby league historian David Middleton has chronicled Wayne Bennett, and when Wayne's time coaching in the old Ipswich League (1976), Brisbane Rugby League (BRL) clubs Brisbane Souths and Brothers are taken into account, Wayne has actually coached more than 1200 first-grade games.

Another milestone Wayne Bennet was part of in the game occurred 52 years ago. 1971 was the year, and the rugby league, like most things in life, was different in that era.

ways that moss provided benefits to soil and other plants. In patches of soil where mosses were present, there was more nutrient cycling, decomposition of organic matter and even control of pathogens harmful to other plants and people.

On top of that, the authors say mosses may be instrumental in reabsorbing carbon dioxide. They estimated that compared to bare soils where there was no moss, this ancient precursor to plants is supporting the storage of 6.43 gigatonnes – or 6.43 billion tonnes – of carbon from the atmosphere. These levels of carbon capture are of a similar magnitude of levels of carbon release from agricultural practices such as land clearing and overgrazing.

“So you’ve got all the global emissions from land use change, such as grazing, clearing vegetation and activities associated with agriculture – we think mosses are sucking up six times more carbon dioxide, so it’s not one to one, it’s six times better,” Dr Eldridge says.

The researchers say that the positive ecological functions of soil mosses are also likely associated with their influence on surface microclimates, such as by affecting soil temperature and moisture.

What exactly is moss?

Mosses are different to vascular plants. They have roots and leaves, but their roots are different, with rootlike growths called rhizoids that anchor them to the soil surface.

“Mosses don’t have the plumbing that an ordinary plant has, called a xylem and a phloem, which water moves through,” Dr Eldridge says.

“But moss survives by picking up water from the atmosphere. And some mosses, like the ones in the dry parts of Australia, curl when they get dry, but they don’t die – they live in suspended animation forever. We’ve taken mosses out of a packet after 100 years, squirted them with water and watched them come to life. Their cells don’t disintegrate like ordinary plants do.”

Without moss, our ecosystems would be in big trouble, says Dr Eldridge. He is amazed that people often see moss as a problem in urban settings when

SPORT

eluded us during that era of the game.

it’s actually playing an important role in nature.

“People think if moss is growing on soil it means the soil is sterile or has something wrong with it. But it's actually doing great things, you know, in terms of the chemistry of the soil, like adding more carbon and nitrogen, as well as being primary stabilisers when you get lots of disturbance.”

He says when you lose moss through land clearing or natural disturbances, you lose the ability to hold the soil together, leading to erosion.

“And it means you're going to lose nutrients, you're going to lose habitat for microbes, the whole system becomes destabilised.”

Moss can even come to the rescue in disturbed ecosystems. Dr Eldridge points to research examining the area around the Mount St Helens Volcano following a devastating eruption in the early 1980s. Most of the flora and fauna was denuded near the eruption site, but researchers who tracked how life returned to the mountain noticed that mosses were among the first forms of life to reappear.

“The first things to come back were cyanobacteria, blue green algae, because they're very primitive, and then mosses came back,” he says.

“What we show in our research is that where you have mosses you have a greater level of soil health, such as more carbon and more nitrogen. So they're helping to prime the soil for the return of trees, shrubs, and grasses, that eventually end up getting outcompeted in the process. So they're the first guys that get in there and fix things up and then first to leave.”

Up next

Future research aims to examine whether urban mosses can create healthy soils as effectively as those growing in natural areas.

“We are also keen to develop strategies to reintroduce mosses into degraded soils to speed up the regeneration process,” Dr Eldridge says.

“Mosses may well provide the perfect vehicle to kick start the recovery of severely degraded urban and natural area soils.”

Throughout Qld, we had excellent rugby league competitions in both the city and the country and many talented players. Still, we needed help winning a series when it came to playing NSW.

There are many reasons why this was the case, and playing ability certainly wasn't one. Keeping a side together for successive seasons certainly was, with Sydney clubs able to poach Qld players by the mid-1960s so that every year it seemed we would have to find new players to replace those lured away. Qld sides could beat NZ and England and win against NSW on some occasions, but to win an entire series

However, we did have plenty of ideas and a great desire to win, so in 1971, one of those ideas was to get a group of young up-and-coming players throughout the state together and train in one big pre-season footy camp. This was groundbreaking at the time, remembering that all players worked fulltime. Hence, it was s a huge undertaking to get players from across the state in one place to train constantly for several weeks.

So the QRL, backed by business sponsors like Thiess Toyota (yes, Toyota have been sponsoring rugby league a long time) and Caltex, organized what was called an "intensive Training Squad" of 20 young players to live under the grandstand of the old Lang park (now Suncorp Stadium) and train every day for several

weeks in the pre-season

The QRL bought in dieticians and trainers, and the players lived and worked together in this intensive camp with the hope of developing a core group of players for future Qld sides. It worked to a fair degree, too, with eight of the squad representing Qld that year or soon after, and four went on to represent Australia.

The squad Captain Bruce Hatcher is still contributing enormously to the game as the current Chair of the QRL, and other notable players in the squad include Innisfail's Henry Williamson, great uncle of Current Qld player Lindsay Collins and John Lang, who went on to represent both Qld and Australia and coach in the NRL.

Another player, Greg Vievers, who went on to Captain Qld and Australia, and Wayne Stewart played for Australia in 1972.

Also in the squad was a 21-year-old policeman from Toowoomba, Wayne Bennet, who played for Qld and Australia that year. Then he went into coaching, and the rest, as they say, is history!

QRL Intensive training squad.

Bowls News

Ingham Ladies Bowls

CLUB Championships continue:

Singles: - J. Fenolgio defeated J .Craven 25/12 then went on to win against N. Evans 25/15.

Pairs: - L. Melvin, E. Piotto v J. Fenoglio, A. Rutherford 20/15. K. Rotondo, S. Ryan went to an extra end to win against M. Moore, Y. Roberts 19/15.

Wednesday saw the Ingham Club host the Macknade Shield against their sister clubs Macknade and Noorla.

Ingham players L. Melvin, M. Spano, P. Miguel, M. Moore, N. Evans, J. Fenolglio, J. Craven, S. Ryan were the outright winners with 3 wins +104. Noorla had 3 wins + 81, Macknade 3 wins +76.

Ingham Bowls

PRIZE winning team of the barefoot bowls played on May 4 with the highest winning margin were:

Golf News

Innisfail Golf Club

IT was fantastic to see some good weather last week and the course is in spectacular condition.

A huge thank you to the grounds crew for mowing of the course this week which is looking a million bucks for members and visitors’ last weekend.

Last week, the crew re-turfed parts of eight green to see how the grass from the practice chipping green will bond.

The areas have been marked Ground Under Repair (GUR) and players can take free relief, no closer the hole if you are chipping or putting through the GUR.

IGC Rules & Etiquette

Last week’s Quiz

Hayley is in the bunker on the fourth hole during the Monthly Medal. When making her backswing, she touches a leaf in the bunker with her club.

C Brehaut, M Girgenti & J Dickerson 19 defeating T Cottel, L Perhouse & P Dickerson 12

D Gosney, A Foti 7 I Wood def J Johnson, D Chappell & A Di Bella 9-6

Fluer, D Tomba & B Bell def Chance, M Cole & J Piotto 16-10

Men’s Pairs results for May 5:

T Pallanza & T George def J Eyres & G Byrns 27-7

S Scott & T Koop def T Morton & R Peterson 31-12

B Bell & K Walker def G Brierley & I Wood 21-13

Prize winning team of the mixed social bowls played on Sunday, May 7 were, M Moore, J Fenoglio, J Eddleston & P Herman defeating A Foti, S Scott, P Reyland & R Cantatore 35-6 (23 points to 5)

T Arkink, B Bell, J Craven & A Di Bella def B Eddleston, J Holmes, D Horsley & L Mahon 20-15 (17 points to 10)

Happening at our club this week: Phone 47762117 or 0487240397 to nominate for any of the following games.

Barefoot Bowls played every Thursday between 6 pm – 8 pm

Names on the board by 5:30 pm

C. Glen is disqualified.

Members and non-members welcomed.

Men’s pairs played every Friday at 2:15 pm

Names into the club by 1:45 pm

P Herman on pairs duty for May 12:

Mixed social bowls played on Sunday’s at 1:30 pm.

Names on the board by 12:30 pm

On roster for May 14:

Bar: G Brierley

Social Selector: P Herman

Innisfail Ladies Bowls

LAST Wednesday, Lyn Stevenson and Bev Anderson played in the next round of the club A-Grade Singles competition.

At 19 ends, rain interrupted play and the game was called with Stevenson claiming the win 16 - 9.

In a Club Pairs game, Louise Hoskins and Vera Rowe defeated Marilyn Allen and Ann Rule, 13 - 5.

The team of Jan Dunn, Daphne Kirkman, Dian Catelan and skip Eileen Hamann were the winners against Maisie Smith, Catrina Cook, Joan Atkinson, and Sue Morrison 9 - 3.

and the clubhouse lead.

What is the ruling?

A. No penalty

B. Hayley receives a one stroke penalty.

C. Hayley receives a general penalty.

Answer: A. Before playing in a bunker, a player may remove loose impediments and movable obstructions. Rule 12.2a.

This week’s Quiz

Glen starts the Monthly Medal and uses his distance measuring device before the second and third shot. This device can make adjustment for slope, and it was turned on.

What is the ruling?

A. Glen gets two penalty strokes.

B. Glen gets four penalty strokes.

John Lombardi and Luke Peters battled it out in Wednesday’s All Sporters competition on April 26, with Lombardi just getting the win by count back.

Results

1st: John Lombardi 23pts

2nd: Luke Peters 23pts c/b

3rd: Joshua Jones 22pts

NTP - Norm Stewart

In Friday’s Sporters competition on April 28, it seemed like the old boys just got it over the young ones this week, with Ian McDonald picking up the win over Colin Bidgood on countback.

Results

1st: Ian McDonald 19ptsc/b

2nd: Colin Bidgood 19pts

3rd: Vaughan Smith 17pts c/b

NTP - Bryce Hoad

The course was in good condition for the Peak Aviation 4BBB Stableford on April 29, and it was great to see Innisfail’s young gun Caine Cockle back on the local course after a long break.

The morning groups posted some great scores with Caine Cockle and Marc Di Carlo on 42 points and Andrew Rose and Peter Stenzel with 43 points

Quite a few stories came from the afternoon groups. Craig Alman chipped in for a birdie on seven, whilst Ian Street squared him with a chip in birdie through the trees.

It was all happening, however Vaughan and Deb Smith got up on the ticket over Bobby and Ian Saunderson.

Jake Cockle and Bryce Hoad teamed up well to post 43 points and Hoad licked his lips for the victory, until Vaughan and Deb Smith stormed home with a convincing 45 points and the win.

Results

1st: Vaughan and Debra Smith 45pts

2nd: Jake Cockle and Bryce Hoad 43pts c/b

3rd: Andrew Rose and Peter Stenzel 43pts

NTPs

1/10 - E Nest 4/13 - Vaughan Smith 7/16 - Barry Scott

2/11 - Marc Di Carlo 5/14 - Colin Bidgood 8/17 - E Nest

3/12 - Ian Street/Debra Smith 6/15Andrew Rose 9/18 - Peter Stenzel

Upcoming Events

Wednesday All Sporters 9-hole competition - from 12.00 pm and 3.00 pm

Friday Sporters 9-hole competition - from 12.00 pm and 2.00 pm - online bookings

John Lombardi won Wednesday’s All Sporters on April 26, with Luke Peters in second place, whilst Ian McDonald won Friday’s Sporters competition on April 28.

Joshua Jones finished third in Wednesday’s All Sporters competition on April 26.

Debra and Vaughan Smith won the Peak Aviation 4BBB Stableford on April 29.

Colin Bidgood finished second in Friday’s Sporters competition on April 28.

Innisfail United Football Club teams registered wins against Mareeba and Southside

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MARIA GIRGENTI

INNISFAIL United Premier

Men’s team, currently sitting third on the ladder, faced the second-placed Mareeba Bulls

at home last Saturday and finished with a gritty 2 - 2 draw.

Innisfail United Reserve team registered a 2 - 1 victory over Mareeba, whilst the Under 18 team went down 3 - 2 to Mareeba.

Shane Muriata

THE trip over the Palmerston Highway to face the Atherton Roosters is said to be one of the most challenging tasks in rugby league for any team in the North. So it was with great relief that the Tully Tigers A-Grade side rolled into Gumboot town late last Saturday night with two valuable competition points after beating the Tablelands team in a close contest.

It was an effort that has set up the biggest, if not the most crucial, game in the club's history when they head up to Calendar Park to take on the inform Innisfail Leprechauns this Saturday night.

For a minute, if you will, imagine Superman taking on Thor, or KFC tackling Maccas, Tully River going head-to-head with the Johnston River, then times that by at least 6 million, because that will be what it will be like come the night after Friday evening in Innisfail when the local derby takes centre stage.

Former Tiger and current Leps coach Leon Hallie will be up for the game, as always, when these games roll around, so it will be a challenging task for the Tigers.

If we are to break this game down to footy talk, we must recognize the Leps forward pack, which is easily the best in the comp. With current Foley Shield players amongst their ranks, this game will definitely see if the black and gold are contenders or pretenders. The most dangerous player for the Leps is none other than Aron Jolly. His kicking game and footy brain will be the key to how this game will pan out; plus, I know the bloke, and he's one of the good ones.

For the team from under Mt Tyson, their main strike guy is former State League player and Hopevale product centre Mark Rosendale. His size and strength have been a sight to see in recent games, and the speed he possesses is just a little slower than me in

These games were part of a massive weekend of soccer at Castor Park, Mourilyan. The Johnstone River Conference hosted its first games of the season, which saw over 40 junior teams in action from Under 6/7 to Under 12.

Last Friday evening, Innisfail United Ladies secured their first win of the season with a 3 - 0 win against Southside Comets at Walker Park, Edmonton.

Round 8 -FNQPL Far North & Gulf fixtures - May 5 - 6

May 5 - Steve Corica Oval, Mourilyan Innisfail United Division 2 Men’s vs Southside Comets

Full time: 7 - 1 to Innisfail

Innisfail United Division 1 Men’s vs Mareeba Bulls

Full time: 1 - 0 win to Innisfail

May 5 - Walker Road, Edmonton

Innisfail United Women’s vs Southside Comets

Full time: 3 - 0 win to Innisfail

Goals:

Bianca Borg (penalty goal)

Chloe Musumeci

Isabelle Bushby

May 6 - Steve Corica Oval, Mourilyan

Innisfail United Under 12 vs Mareeba Bulls

Full time: 5 - 5 draw

Innisfail United Under 13

Division 1

Full time: 10 - 2 win to Innisfail

Innisfail United Under 18 Men’s vs Mareeba Bulls

Full time: 3 - 2 loss to Innisfail

Goals:

Tyler Purcell

Jasper Di Carlo

Innisfail United Under 23 Men’s vs Mareeba Bulls

Full time: 2 - 1 win to Innisfail

Goals:

Jacob Moloney

Leo Di Carlo

Innisfail United Premier Men’s vs Mareeba Bulls

Full time: 2 - 2 draw

Goals:

Patrick Pat

N Iaukou

Innisfail

the KFC queue.

Suppose you're not too busy this Saturday night and fancy some good live footy. In that case, you're in luck because the North's most extraordinary rivalry will once again commence banter in a clash that will make Elvis Presley's dance moves look like housework.

This game will have more Stars than Star Wars and Star Trek combined. The last time the planets aligned for something this big was when the dinosaurs got wiped out by a gigantic asteroid. This time, the biggest rock will be the players wiping each other out.

Brace yourself; it's the Tully Tigers V the Innisfail Leprechauns this weekend when Calendar Park becomes the centre of the Rugby League universe. Be there, or be square…….

What do you call a dog that does magic? A LabraCadabra-dor. With my best impersonation of a magician out of the way and well behind me, the real fairy-tale stuff happened in the real world of Rugby League was when the NRL went to Brisbane for their annual Magic Round, where all single games were played at the one venue.

It was the greatest weekend in footy, and by all accounts, was the most attended footy festival in history, with over 140,000 people coming through the gates at Suncorp Stadium.

If there's one thing that the league does when a footy marathon hits the TV nonstop all weekend is make you feel a part of the atmosphere, and boy, was I a happy

Chappy after Friday night.

The Broncos continued their winning ways when they ran over the Nicholas Muriata's Manly in a onesided affair.

The Raylene Leo Raiders showed how mean the green machine could get.

Rohan Nona's Rabbits blew the Storms away, and Linda Davis Cowboys finally had something to smile about when they managed a rare w in 2023.

The New Kids on the Block sang their way to victory when the Dolphins celebrated the Master coach Wayne Bennett's 900 games in the top league by winning their game.

Followed by the Titans completing the quadfector for Qld teams by bringing down the Sharks in an incredible fashion.

Stuart Russell's West Tigers blew the Dragons away spectacularly to round out the weekend's shenanigans.

I cannot recall when Rugby League has been so far ahead of every other code in this country since the incredible Tina Turner anthem days. When our game ruled the nation's favourite weekend pastime, which is a testament to the players and people running the game.

Well, done to all teams who played well at Magic Round; that was more fairy-tale-like than any jokes I have ever told. Bring on the rest of the season 2023.

Innisfail United and Mareeba Bulls Under 12 teams in action last Saturday at Castor Park, Mourilyan.

United and Mareeba Bulls Under 18 teams battled it out in wet and greasy conditions at Steve Corica Oval.

Jasper Di Carlo (red/white) scored a goal for Innisfail United in the Under 18s game against Mareeba.

Innisfail United Under 18 player Tyler Purcell (red/white), a goal scorer against Mareeba.

Mark Rosendale will need his A game for the Tigers this weekend against Innisfail.

Hamiso Tabuai Fidow continues his rich vein of form in a Dolphins Jersey.

Mission Beach Cricket Club end-ofseason junior awards presentation

MARIA GIRGENTI

IN March, the combined junior end-of-season awards presentations for Mission Beach Cricket Club, Tully

District Cricket Association and Cassowary Coast Cyclones took place at MARCS Park, Mission Beach, to celebrate individual and team achievements during 2022 - 2023.

Tier 2 juniors is a Mission Beach team, Tier 3 juniors is a combined Tully and Mission Beach team, whilst the Cassowary Coast Cyclones has senior teams.

Mission Beach Cricket Club award winners:

Batting Award: Archie Walker

Bowling Award: Sekove Hart

Coaches Award: Most

Improved: Jack Fischer

Coaches Award: Most

Improved: Shaun Riley

Frank Fillis Junior Cricketer Encouragement Award: Riley Berge

Mission Beach Cricket Far North representative players: Tadhg McDavitt, Shaun Riley, Archie Walker and Riley Berge. Chase Frumento and Shaun Riley put in an outstanding effort at the Queensland School Sport 10-12 years Cricket Championships held in late March at Rockhampton. They represented the

Peninsula region and helped their team to defeat the SouthWest and Wide Bay regions.

Frumento, a leg spin bowler, performed well with the ball and bagged wickets, whilst Shaun Riley attacked with the bat and finished as a top-three run scorer for the team.

Shaun Riley from the Mission Beach Cricket Club was recently drafted to the Darling Dingoes Under 12 team in the 2023 Century Cricket competition, formerly the Brisbane Premier League, which is a franchisedriven T20 club cricket junior

tournament.

Club presidents and coaches congratulated all award winners. They thanked everyone involved in every aspect of the game, especially all the parents and volunteers who helped prepare the grounds and pitches throughout the season.

The players, parents, and volunteers’ commitment, grit, tenacity, and positive attitudes make these clubs great and a wonderful cricket community.

A special thanks to all coaches, volunteer scorers, and club sponsors Agape Family Dental, Strongsafe Workwear, Art by Lavinia and One Fish Technologies for their valued contributions this season.

Silkwood Clay Target Club monthly shoot results

ON Sunday, May 7, twenty-six members participated in Silkwood Clay Target Club’s monthly shoot in perfect weather conditions.

This was not a bad result, considering the Feast of the Three Saints in Silkwood was on the same day.

Two events took place, the 25 Target Cash Divide, followed by the Cassowary Coast 100 Target Point

Score Championship. Results:

Event 1 - 25 Target Cash Divide

AA - 1st: Angelo Russo and Mark Stella 25/25

A - 1st: Joe Zappala and Barry Lansdown 25/25

B - 1st: Liane Robertson 24/25; 2nd: Michael Heidenreich and Rob Draper

23/25

C - 1st: Peter Neubecker 22/25; 2nd: Russell Howlett 21/25

Event 2 - 100 Target Cassowary Coast Point Score Championship

Overall winner: Paul Crapella 297/312 (285/300 Shoot off)

AA - 1st: Barry Bosworth 296/312 (285/300 shoot off); 2nd: Angelo Russo

279/300; 3rd: Mark Stella 288/321 (267/300 Shoot off)

A - 1st: Peter Threlfall 281/300; 2nd: George Bugeja 279/300; 3rd: Rebekah Rosendahl 278/300

B - 1st: Liane Robertson 273/300; 2nd: Michael Heidenreich 262/300; 3rd: John Stella 261/300

C 1st: Peter Neubecker 264/300; 2nd: Russell Howlett 249/300; 3rd: Alan Millwood 232/300

Barry Lansdown (left) with Paul Crapella, overall winner of the Cassowary Coast Point Score Championship.

Barry Lansdown (right) with Barry Bosworth, AA winner of the Cassowary Coast Point Score Championship.

Barry Lansdown (right) with Liane Robertson, B-Grade winner of the Cassowary Coast Point Score Championship.

Barry Lansdown (right) congratulated Peter Threlfall, A-Grade winner of the Cassowary Coast Point Score Championship.

MBCC President Peter Riley (left) and major sponsor Ollie from Agape Family Dental, congratulated Riley Berge (middle), winner of the Frank Fillis Junior Encouragement Award.

MBCC Tier 2 coach Justin Walker with Jack Fischer, winner of the Coaches Award for Most Improved.

MBCC Tier 2 coach Justin Walker with Sekove Hart, winner of the club’s Bowling Award.

MBCC CFN representative players Tadhg McDavitt, Shaun Riley, Archie Walker and Riley Berge.

MBCC Tier 1 players.

Local MMA athletes win a swag of medals in Caloundra and Cairns

MARIA GIRGENTI

LAST month, local athletes from Fight and Fitness Innisfail and Cairns, Athlete Muay Thai Innisfail Grounded Mats Sports for BJJ and DJ Gyms recently competed at the QBJJC Caloundra Open at Caloundra Indoor Sports Stadium, Golden Beach and the FNQ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Championships at PCYC Edmonton. They returned home with a haul of medals.

Caloundra Open results - April 2:

Kyle Mayocchi

Gold: Male Gi/Brown/Adult (-76kg)

Light

Gold: Male No-Gi/Brown/Adult/-

73.5kg/Light

Silver: Male Absolute No-Gi/Brown/ Adult/Open Weight

Brodie Mayocchi

Gold: Male/Absolute Gi/Purple/Adult/ Open Weight

Gold: Male No-Gi/Purple/Adult/-

79.5kg/Middle

Gold: Male Absolute No-Gi/Purple/ Adult/Open Weight

Silver: Male Gi/Purple/Adult/-88.3kg/ Medium-Heavy

Kristy Mayocchi

Gold: Female Gi/Blue/Master 1 (30+) +79.3kg/Super-Heavy

Silver: Female Absolute No-Gi/Blue/ Adult/Open Weight

Isaiah Singh

Gold: Juvenile Boys No-Gi/Blue/ Juvenile 2/-56.5kg/Light-Feather

Bronze: Juvenile Boys Gi//Blue/ Juvenile 2/-58.5kg/Light-Feather

Joshua Singh

Silver: Kids Gi/Male/Orange/Teen 1 (13 years)/-45.3kg

Silver: Kids No-Gi/Male/Teen I (13 years)/-43.5kg

FNQ Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Championships results - PCYC Edmonton - April 2

Will Haley

Silver: Kids Gi/-28kg/8 - 9 years

Silver: Kids No Gi/-28kg/8 - 9 years

Mason Zadelj

Bronze: Kids Gi/-40kg/10-11 years

Bronze: Kids No-Gi/-37kg/10 - 11 years

Oliver Zadelj

Lessons in Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Arnis De Mano

S O much to learn when you train at Tait’s Family Martial defence skills builds more Thursdays State School.

Training is like sweeping the floor. Just because we’ve done it once, doesn’t mean the floor is clean forever. Every day the dust comes back. Every day we must sweep.

Bronze: Kids No-Gi/-56kg/14 - 15 years

Ethan Cannon

Gold: Male Gi/Brown Purple/Adult/88.3kg/Medium-Heavy

Gold: Male Absolute Gi//Brown Purple/Adult

Jonathan Kuhn

Gold: Male No-Gi/Purple/Adult/-85.50 kg/Medium-Heavy

Silver: Male Gi/Brown Purple/Adult/88.3kg/Medium-Heavy

Silver: Male Absolute Gi/Adult/Brown Purple

Silver: Male Absolute No-Gi/Adult/ Brown Purple

Troy Kapea

Gold: Male Absolute Gi/Adult/White

Gold: Male Absolute No-Gi/Adult/ White

Silver: Male No-Gi/White/ Adult/97.50kg+/Ultra Heavy

After a quick turnaround, Lachlan Bradtke and Blake Grima from Fusion Fight and Fitness Innisfail returned to the winner’s circle with fantastic wins at Sunstate Amateur Boxing League’s Redlynch Boxing Fight Night held on April 22 at Caravonica State School Hall, Cairns.

In his first bout, Bradtke won against Nick Lui from Redlynch Boxing.

Bradtke then backed up and finished with two wins for the night after a secondround TKO against Semias Donnelly from Redlynch Boxing, whilst Grima had a convincing unanimous decision in his bout against Rubyn Olsen from Weipa Cape York Boxing.

Will Haley, Mason Zadelj, Oliver Zadelj and Xavier Zadelj who competed in Edmonton.

Jonathan Kuhn (black Gi) won silver and Ethan Cannon won gold in Edmonton.

Kristy Mayocchi (left) won gold and silver at the Caloundra Open.

Photo: QBJJC.

Joshua Singh, aged 13 won two silver and Isaiah Singh, aged 15 won gold and bronze at the Caloundra Open.

Brodie Mayocchi (purple/white shirt) won triple gold and a silver at the Caloundra Open. Photo: QBJJC.

Kyle Mayocchi (right) won double gold and one silver at the Caloundra Open. Photo: QBJJC.

Victorious boxers, Lachlan Bradtke and Blake Grima in the Sunstate Amateur Boxing League’s Redlynch Fight Night in Cairns.

Fishing News

RoLy Newton

UNFORTUNATELY, the strong winds we experienced last weekend were unsuitable for offshore fishing, which has frustrated many anglers. With the arrival of the cooler conditions, we started to see the first numbers of migratory Spanish and School Mackerel showing up both around the islands and the various shipping channel shoals.

Many of the Spanish were juvenile fish around the 60cm. mark indicating that they had a very successful spawning run last year. Last year was the first of the closed spawning closures for Spanish Mackerel, and I personally believe that there should be closures for most species. Look at how successful the Barramundi and Coral Reef Finfish Closures have been.

The School or Doggy Mackerel have also started turning up at many close-in inshore grounds, such as the Barnard Islands and the Family Group. These grounds usually begin to fish well for this species during mid to late May. Of course, the massive schools of School and Spotted Mackerel arrive in mid-July; however, in the last few years, the Spotted Mackerel numbers have been considerably lower than in earlier years.

The estuaries in the coastal creeks are starting to return to normal; however, the massive tides last weekend kept the water clarity poor, resulting in tough fishing. There were some very lovely Mangrove Jacks and, to a lesser extent, Barra caught, but the going was pretty tough. There was also some school Trevally, Flathead, and even some small creek Fingermark caught.

The popular waterways were reasonably busy, with most boats concentrating on working their crab pots. Reasonable numbers of Mud Crabs were caught, and the coastal creeks are full of Banana Prawns at present.

As usual, under these conditions, the Hinchinbrook Channel offered plenty of opportunities, Mud Crabs, Barra, Mangrove Jacks, Grunter and Fingermark. Even though the fishing was still challenging, some great reports came in. The number of metre plus Barra being caught from land-based locations around Cardwell has been staggering this year.

The freshwater is still fishing well, along with the Barra; there was also some excellent fishing for Sooty Grunter and Jungle Perch in the headwaters and feeder creeks.

Unfortunately, looking forward to this coming weekend; strong winds are predicted. This will once

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again confine fishing to the estuaries and freshwater. The good news is that the smaller tides should result in cleaner water conditions which are ideal for many species, especially Mangrove Jacks. I know what I will be chasing. I will set a few crab pots Saturday afternoon, chase some Jacks, and repeat during the Sunday morning run-out tide.

The early morning run-out tide will also suit fishing for Grunter both in the coastal creeks and in the Hinchinbrook Channel.

Good Fishing

Roly Newton

Tackle World Tully

SAMAKI HARDLICIOUS VIBE RE-STOCK!

TIDE TIMES

MAY

JOHNSTONE RIVER MAY

HULL HEADS MAY

Dave Bluett.

Still plenty of jacks around at the moment –Derek Maynard caught this one on a Jackson Jester.

Pro Staffer Ryan Sanger with a quality Jack caught skip casting a Squidgies soft plastic.

SPORT

Local MMA athletes win a swag of medals in Caloundra and Cairns... Page 18

Cairns Men’s rugby league team ended a 15year drought and claimed Foley Shield glory, and the Townsville team, who defeated Cairns and Mackay to clinch the women’s competition

MARIA GIRGENTI

THREE Innisfail Leprechauns A-grade players featured in the victorious Cairns Men’s team defeated Townsville. They broke a 15-year voodoo to claim the coveted XXXX Foley Shield at Barlow Park, Cairns, on May 1.

This was the first time the competition took place outside of Townsville, and over the three days, around 5,000 spectators flocked to Cairns.

Aaron Jolley, Jason Hallie and Taulata Fakalelu were part of the Cairns Men’s team who returned the Shield to Cairns

after a convincing 38 - 18 win over southern rivals Townsville.

Both sides defeated Mackay to meet in the decider, and it took a while for Cairns to find their momentum.

In the first half, Townsville held an 18 - 6 lead before Cairns’ Bradley Stephen crashed over the line Cairns right on halftime.

Both teams came out fired up in the

second half, with the likes of Cairns’ Aidan Day, Taulata Fakalelu and Joseph Ratuvakacereivalu gaining valuable metres up the middle.

In the opening 20 minutes of the second half, Cairns dominated and posted four tries which stunned their opposition.

The last time Cairns defeated Townsville was back in 2008, whilst Innisfail-Eacham defeated Cape Torres in 2009.

Former Northern Pride assistant coach Jono Zangrande and former Northern Pride duo Joel Riethmuller and Jason Roos led the winning Cairns Men’s team.

Herbert River Crushers captain Eryn McCulloch starred in the Townsville team, who defeated Cairns and Mackay to clinch the women’s competition.

Fakalelu and Jolley were two of eight Cairns/FNQRL players, whilst Herbert River Crushers A-grade captain Dylan Gaggiano gained selection in the XXXX Men’s Merit team.

McCulloch’s game control and kicking performance earned her the Women’s Foley Shield Player of the Series award and selection in the XXXX Women’s Merit team.

In the women’s competition, after a convincing victory over Mackay on the first day, Townsville faced Cairns in the decider.

Midway through the first half, both teams traded tries before a try to

Townsville gave them a slim 10 - 6 lead at halftime.

Townsville scored the first two tries in the second half. Despite a surge of momentum from Cairns, Townsville clung on to claim the championship.

These teams now play in the XXXX League Championship final in Brisbane or Toowoomba or Brisbane on the July 29 - 30 weekend.

XXXX Foley Shield results

Saturday, April 29

Women’s Mackay 28 def Cairns 18

Men’s Cairns 34 def Mackay 16

Sunday, April 30

Women’s

Townsville 28 def Mackay 14

Men’s

Townsville 36 def Mackay 22

Monday, May 1

Women’s

Townsville 26 def Cairns 10

Men’s Cairns 38 def Townsville 18

Steeped in history, the Foley Shield started in 1948, then called the NQ Country Carnival and, prior to that, the Crowley Cup.

The shield honours North Queensland rugby league pioneer Arch Foley, an instrumental figure in establishing the game in Townsville.

The victorious Cairns Men’s rugby league team with the XXXX Foley Shield. Photo: Dominic Chaplin.

The victorious Townsville Women’s rugby league team who defeated Cairns and Mackay.

Photo: Julie Thompson.

Ingham’s Eryn McCulloch, who starred in the winning Townsville Women’s Foley Shield team received the Women’s Player of the Series award.

Ingham’s Dylan Gaggiano and Eryn McCulloch were both named in the XXXX Men’s and Women’s Merit teams.