Triple M’s Jay and Dave share their views on Mackay issues
‘Spending time with family. Being humble. Showing gratitude. Whatever it means to you, find the happiness that comes along with Christmas.’
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Jay:
Christmas. When we are kids, it means tinsel, toys, santa and lollies.
As a teenager it means technology, music, gadgets and food.
As an adult it means memories and reminiscing.
That‘s what I will be doing this year. Remembering.
This year has been a hard year for my family.
We are still deep in grief after the passing of my Nana, Elsie Scott.
A longtime resident of Donaldson Street, Mackay.
That was the very location of one of my most memorable Christmas’s.
I was under 10, I had all of my uncles and aunts, my siblings and my mum in the one house, along with my dear Nana and Pop.
The sounds of many voices, and music and chaos.
It was so similar to the opening scenes of “Home Alone” the movie. So much happening.
Family everywhere. It makes me smile. I loved it.
The memories are clear and like they were yesterday.
This year will be the first without you Nan, but you will always be part of our day.
So if you are missing someone this Christmas, know I am thinking of you.
I feel you. I hear you. I know that hollow feeling.
Christmas won’t be the same as it was before, but our loved one’s will be celebrating with us from afar.
Dave:
Christmas still has that shine about it, doesn‘t it?
No matter what has gone on during the year, it all seems to fade away to be replaced by a lot of different emotions.
The vast majority of emotions would be happiness and family.
You get the rest of the year to spend with friends, either close or not-so-close.
But spare a thought for those people that do not have any family and are looking at spending Christmas alone.
Your plans will be your plans this Christmas but for me this year, it‘s all about showing gratitude and volunteering time towards others.
This year I’ll be without family again and as much as that can be painful (I only get to see everyone once a year), I have a choice to make - either sulk into eggnog for one with a pizza for Christmas dinner or use that time to help those less fortunate and have nobody in their life at all.
I have some great friends and my family knows that I love them immensely.
Christmas means different things to different people.
Spending time with family. Being humble. Showing gratitude.
Whatever it means to you, find the happiness that comes along with Christmas.
Homelessness threat real if crisis continues
Jay: This week we saw the government hand down the budget for the year, with some focus looking after housing crisis.
Is that enough to help families who are struggling? Coming into the Christmas period when bills build up, and work slows down (for some industries) before some breaks, it would be playing on some families’ minds.
My worry is homelessness. In Australia on any given night, 116,000 people can be homeless.
When I read that stat on Mission Australia’s website, it made it more real. Not that it wasn’t real to me prior to this moment.
I remember one morning, Dave and I went for a walk before the breakfast show started and we bumped into a lady who had asked us for some change.
She was very hungry and was looking for accommodation.
We gave her some money, and made sure she was looked after with some of our local contacts.
Her story was short but relatable to so many. Her circumstances had changed in the blink of an eye. She became widowed, her children were old enough to leave home and had done so.
She told them she was staying with a friend. She wasn’t. She had no-one.
There is such a stigma sometimes when it comes to the homeless community. In such a judgmental world we live in, it was a moment that taught me to even sit and listen to the story that had this lady in this position.
I don’t know where she is now, or if she is even here in Mackay. If you are, I hope life is going OK for you now.
Dave: If you’ve ever been to the park where the mini trains are in Ooralea, you’ll see a growing number of cars lined up there at night.
It happened during the last mining boom before the bust.
How do I know? It’s not something I’ve told anyone, not even Jay because I was embarrassed by it – I spent more than a few nights there.
Let me explain …
About 11 years ago the landlord put up the rent. One of the housemates said she was going to move to WA to be closer to her partner and the other one said she was moving back home to Rockhampton.
So I started looking around for a room to rent – there was nothing on the market. Not exaggerating, literally nothing available.
A hotel room at that stage was out of the question so there was no choice.
That was until a friend said they were heading overseas for a month and needed someone to look after their place. Even during that time, it took another month after that to find a room to rent.
But there was a full week between having to move out before I “couch-surfed” at their place.
With nothing but the dog, a few belongings, and the car, I drove around town until too tired to keep doing so and found myself at that park in Ooralea.
I’ve been scared at certain times in my life, but nothing like that week. I was absolutely terrified. But seeing about people living rough on the streets like the lady Jay mentioned earlier is another level – at least I had a car to sleep in.
If we don’t do something when it comes to the cost of living for everybody, there’s going to be a lot more on the streets, living in the car or couch surfing.
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show together. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
‘Lost art’: Christmas snail mail sending Jay postal
Jay: Christmas cards … unfortunately, I feel like they are a lost art. Gone are the days where I would get a few in the letterbox at home, and some of our listeners would send them to us here at the radio station.
It’s sad to see them go but we are now with the modern times now, right???
Text messages, Facebook messages, emails and phone calls are all acceptable to me. We are all busy people.
Kids, work, life in general, it all prevents us from being organised with Christmas dinners, presents and events, let alone the ol’ Christmas card.
I know I will have some of you agree with me, and I know some of you will agree with Dave, but it’s really about the thought of the message.
It costs nothing for a Christmas wish with the above communication.
The cost of living also will affect the amount of people who are able to go and purchase the cards for friends, family, work colleagues, doctors, someone you met in 1980s and haven’t seen since then but insist on sending a card to.
Let’s just make it less complicated Mackay and the Whitsundays. Use technology to spread the Christmas joy this year.
Dave: I always make sure I send Christmas cards each and every year.
I mean how nice is it to open the mailbox when you get home from work and find something in there that isn’t either junk mail or a bill that needs to be paid?
And I get that it’s old-fashioned to send something via snail mail’ but isn’t that what Christmas is all about – tradition?
I think it stems back from being a kid. Your mother would sit you down one evening and watch you as you write in your best cursive wishing a school buddy a Merry Christmas (and then repeat the process to finish the 20-pack of cards).
And then you would wait for the cards to come back to you in the mail from others wishing you a Merry Christmas.
And of course, you always wanted to showcase them off to your neighbours by hanging them on the venetian blinds in the living room window.
It was always a rivalry up and down the street.
I say go get a 20 (or 50) pack of Christmas cards and send them out.
It’s such a small tradition but it makes the world of difference when someone opens their mailbox and finds your best wishes for the season.
And hopefully it will inspire the recipients to go out and buy a pack to do the same and maybe, just maybe, bring back that lost tradition.
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show together. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
Events guaranteed to bring more to the region
Jay: Over the years, I have definitely seen an increase of events coming through to Mackay.
Sir Elton John, KISS, bands, travelling shows and, of course, sporting events.
To me, the increase of the activity coming to our region is for a few reasons.
The council does a great job at securing these events, and you, the public, do a great job in supporting each of the shows/sporting events.
I have heard directly from the organisers and promoters that the reason we have repeat visits is because Mackay is great at supporting!
So good on you for having your part in the growth of our region and putting Mackay on the map.
It’s not only great for us to go and watch something that’s new and exciting, its great for our hotels, motels, restaurants, cafes etc.
During Covid we were able to host multiple football games at BB Print, and the teams told us they enjoyed the hospitality and how Mackay responded.
With the WBBL on at the Great Barrier Reef Arena again, it’s just another tick for our region and for it to be broadcast to the rest of the country is leaps and bounds from where we were 15 years ago.
So Mackay, go forth and keep supporting these events when they come to town, cause it’s guaranteed to bring more to the region.
Dave: The big events have me in awe. As Jay says, partly because we go out and support the events.
But with the council, it has talked about the “liveability” factor over the years.
It cops a fair bit of stick for it, too. I might not be as favourable towards a famous classical music performance by the world’s best orchestra as I am towards an NRL match but both are as important for everyone who lives here.
One of the best concerts I’ve ever been to was right here in our region. KISS at the stadium was an absolutely magical night.
Many remember the Brothers In Arms tour when Dire Straits came in 1985.
All of these big events, such as concerts, NRL and AFL matches, the WBBL kicking off their season in Mackay, all of these big events contribute to why this is the best place in Australia (if not the world) to live.
It’s the “liveability” factor mentioned earlier.
Just because you may not like an event such as Swan Lake with a full production rolling into town and wondering why the council dips into its event funding for it doesn’t mean it isn’t as important as the NRL coming to town – I say bring on more big events!
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show together. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
‘With a sledgehammer’: Hydro surprise a cruel blow for landowners
Dave: You can’t escape the news delivered by the Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk announcing the state government will build the world’s biggest hydro-electric scheme in the Pioneer Valley and, boy, did she do it with a sledgehammer.
Not one person saw this coming, even Mackay Mayor Greg Williamson was not told about this!
Look, I get that we need to look at other ways to produce electricity.
The coal-fired power stations are getting old and from news on the TV it sounds half the time they aren’t working or in the process of being repaired.
And kudos to the state government for getting on the front foot with the $62bn energy and jobs plan to bring our energy supply to 70 per cent renewables by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035 (especially if we’re meant to be heading towards electric cars, we are going to need a massive amount of power to fuel the future), but is it just me thinking this announcement is a massive rush job?
I mean, nobody in the Mackay area has been consulted on any specifics – in fact, there’s so many holes in the concept of damming the valley I get the feeling it was almost like the government wanted something positive for us to take the talk away from what’s been happening at the Mackay Base Hospital report.
Does anyone else feel that way?
Jay: I’m with Dave.
How on earth are locals meant to be happy about this decision, when they weren’t consulted on the project.
Even the mayor said he didn’t know.
Why? How?
We opened the phone lines on the breakfast show and one local, Rob, told us there are multiple people who have purchased their land in the area for their retirement only to be told that they won’t be living there for too much longer if this project goes ahead.
I agree we need to be doing more to save our environment and becoming “green” but what happened to the good old communication to the people that this affects?
Finding out such news when everyone else is, is completely wrong.
Other feedback we had during the breakfast show on Triple M, the area would be in danger should the dam be full and loses its banks.
Similar to what we saw in the Lockyer Valley a few years ago.
If the project does go ahead, I would like to see the plans in place to keep the region safe.
To the folks in the valley and surrounding areas that this affects, I’m sorry this has happened to you.
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show together. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
‘Something is coming’: Blooming good signs of a wet season
Jay: La Niña, El Nino, troughs, tropical lows … These are all weather terms we read about, see on the tele and hear on the radio.
If you’re anything like me, they are just words.
Even though I am fascinated by weather and how it works, I need it to be a whole lot simpler for me to get my head around.
One thing we can all agree on is our wet season hasn’t been normal for a long time.
Ask the old time locals, and they will tell you how much they put weight into the old wives tales, and subtle signs that something is brewing.
In my time here, I’ve had people tell me about their buds on the cactus plants blooming and flowering before we get a weather event.
Others say the sight of black cockatoos in a pack is a sure sign of the rain. Ants making tracks indoors is another sign.
Now for me, it’s my desert roses.
Yes, I’m adding to the old wives tales, but I have a pattern with my roses.
The 2008 floods, ex Tropical Cyclone Ului, Debbie and Marcia all made my desert roses bloom with eight flowers within weeks prior to an event.
Now, longtime Merc readers or Triple M breakfast show listeners might know that I’m into that “hocus pocus” stuff – star signs, signs from the other side and intuition.
But this is different, the roses haven’t let me down yet.
So let’s entertain my desert roses for a minute.
If they do predict the wet weather coming, you need to be prepared.
We are just weeks away from the official start to the wet season.
Mackay Regional Council and Whitsunday Regional Council both work a great dashboard tool on their websites that gives you the information, contact details and processes you need to know about before we are in the thick of a possible bumpy season.
The Bureau of Meteorology have also confirmed what my roses have already told me.
The BoM tells me the ‘La Niña’ is the atmospheric circulation across the tropical Pacific and the warmth of the water creates strong trade winds and drags moisture into the atmosphere along our coastline, bringing heavy rains and flooding.
So, now is the time to be prepared.
So whether it’s the black cockatoos, the cactus, your body joints aching, or Jay’s desert roses in bloom, something is coming.
I can feel it.
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show together. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
Queens’s death delivers unexpected blow to hearts of the nation
Jay: The passing of the Queen has had an effect on me that I wasn’t expecting. How?
Well, I only lost my dear Nan a few weeks before the passing of the Queen, so it was a fresh reminder of my own grief that I am going through.
But what I didn’t expect was the feeling of it’s the end of an era.
This strong woman who we all knew and saw on our screens, in newspapers and magazines for so many years, has now gone.
Just as we start to process the loss of her majesty, we are also watching the dynamics change within the royal family.
A new King and Queen Consort, a new Prince and Princess of Wales, just to name a few.
Then came the questions of our currency – when will King Charles appear on our money, and does the Queen’s Birthday holiday remain etc.
It’s a lot to take in at once. My brain can’t keep up.
I was talking to Mayor Greg Williamson about all of these things just this week.
I have been fascinated by the process, the inside look at the most famous family in the world. I know dealing with my own grief has been hard, but imagine having to share your grief with the whole globe.
One thing I realised, these people are just that. People, living with their own grief.
I will admit, I will miss seeing the Queen.
Dave: I can see what Jay is saying. Queen Elizabeth II was almost like a grandmother to all of the countries that fall under the banner of the Commonwealth.
Not only that, she was a pillar of stabilisation when the world was in chaos, the one thing we could count on that wouldn’t change.
Her commitment to the job was unwavering and she did it with such poise.
It’s no secret that I’m a republican.
But I also don’t think it’s the right time to be having that discussion yet.
I mean we are in the middle of what will be a pivotal moment in history.
You will remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard the terrible news.
Queen Elizabeth II was an absolute icon the world over and our focus should be on mourning the longest-reigning monarch we will ever see in our lifetime.
Think about it: King Charles is rather old compared to when the queen took over, Prince William is in his forties now and his first-born could be waiting some time too.
I think there are a lot of people like Jay which are taking it particularly hard.
And even as a republican, I must admit I’m feeling sad too.
But after everything has begun to calm down and we have a little normality, let’s have that conversation on a referendum.
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show together. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
Learning curve: Why blokes shouldn’t be ashamed of the dad bod
Jay: You know the saying, “You learn something new every day”? Well, I have recently confirmed this. The good old “dad bod” apparently is widely sought-after.
According to our listeners on the Triple M Breakfast Show, that is.
We jokingly thought we should look for the best dad bod in Mackay and the Whitsundays.
Then the entries came flowing in. All of those years while I was single were spent trying to shake the pudge I had, when all along it’s what some look for.
The humble dad bod starts creeping in middle age, and for some after becoming a father.
Since Dave and I don’t have children, our excuse is just the middle-age spread.
I was curious to find out more about the dad bod, and after some research, I found one site online saying the average guy puts on 5-6kg from the age of 18 to 40.
Say what?
I think Dave and I are absolute overachievers. Six kilos, no way. We have both put on 15kg each, at least, since 18.
Not that there is anything wrong with that.
While we don’t encourage you to live a bad lifestyle, I say flaunt those curves if you’ve got them and are comfortable with them.
I have them and am currently downsizing a few of them.
Dave: The ordinary rig, the pappa pudge, or the Manly mudslide. Call it what you will, the dad bod is the ultimate man – the male body type built around the theory that once he’s off the market and had offspring, he’s done his job in society and doesn’t need to worry about maintaining a ripped physique.
It’s just nature, folks.
The male peacock doesn’t have to fan out as many colourful feathers any more.
And finally, there’s now a beauty pageant the two of us can aspire to – here’s to the average bloke.
Over the past 10-15 years, there’s been a big shift to embrace the “normal” body type.
Especially when it comes to female body types.
I think “body positivity” is the term in magazines.
It’s taken a little longer but it’s now there for men as well.
Fellas, so what if you have a few love handles? As long as you’re happy in your own skin, embrace it like a boss.
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show. They have presented on-air together for more than 10 years.
Why Jay and Dave disagree on Qld premier’s Hammo break
JAY says: Look, I know we as Aussies like to take politicians to task and we do it often.
We all had the same thoughts about former prime minister ScoMo when he flew to the US in the middle of a fire emergency here in Australia. It was in poor taste.
This week Annastacia Palaszczuk took three days of annual leave, shifted some meetings around so she could take that time off for Hamilton Island Race Week and, boy, has she been roasted over it.
Why? Now before you get grumpy at me, we need to understand we are all entitled to some annual leave.
It’s great for our mental health, right? The Premier of Queensland is no different.
Like her or not, she is the leader of the state, and she worked almost the whole two-year time frame when the pandemic began.
That’s a long time without a break. I cannot function properly after six months without a break.
Before we put the judgmental hat on, and decide that the premier shouldn’t have had the time off, she obviously has a responsibility to make sure meetings were moved, and any business that was needed to tend to, was tended to and had a plan with her team.
If all of those processes were undertaken, I’m happy she had a breather. Our leader should be refreshed and focused.
Oh, and I’m pretty happy she took the break here in the Whitsundays.
Dave says: How can she justify cancelling a cabinet meeting just to go on a luxury yacht getaway?
This is an absurd turn of events for the premier of the state, just because she can let power go and delegate a cabinet meeting to her second in charge.
The meeting was planned, she knew it was planned, and she can’t bear the thought of someone other than herself being the top dog.
I mean with today’s technology and after the way everyone has embraced it during the Covid-19 lockdowns, she could have been chairing the meeting via video conference for an hour.
My opinion is that if you’re going to take annual leave, make sure your work affairs are in order.
As the premier, she is no different from anyone else in a management position. I’ve also noticed a number of people on social media comparing Palaszczuk’s break to when Scott Morrison took his planned family holiday to Hawaii while the country burned.
I don’t agree the two can be compared as one was a state of emergency while one was a standard state cabinet meeting.
But even still, Annastacia cancelled it so she could go on a luxury yacht for a few days – just let your deputy premier do the job while you’re taking a breather.
In my opinion, she has just shown her true self – one hell of a micromanager who can’t let power slip away.
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show. They have presented on air together for more than 10 years.
Why Jay and Dave disagree on drug and alcohol tests for Qld councillors
Jay: Two of our Mackay Regional councillors have suggested three drug and alcohol tests a year, to make sure those responsible in making decisions for our region, are in the “right mind” and not under the influence.
We spoke about this on the breakfast show during the week, and a lot of our callers were for both sides.
One caller, Dan in Eimeo suggested “there is a fine line of being under the influence and having alcohol in your system”.
I do agree with this statement.
Let me explain.
Firstly, I’m not at all suggesting that councillors shouldn’t be tested, but I think there needs to be a line for anyone subjected to a test.
How do you determine how many drinks is too much to fail an alcohol test?
Should the sample be 100 per cent clear?
Or is there a certain amount that is allowed to be in the sample?
I’m talking about alcohol in this instance, but when it comes to drugs, that should be a clear sample.
I’ve never been tested for drugs or alcohol, but I’d be happy to submit a test if needed.
There might be a time or two where alcohol might still be in my sample though.
I like to have a beer or a wine after work sometimes.
What happens if I had a positive test?
Where is the line?
That is all I’m trying to get at.
Dave: I agree to disagree, Jay. If the council workers have random drug and alcohol testing imposed on them, wouldn’t you think it’s wise for the elected officials to be subject to the same?
I mean, you can’t really have one rule for a type of employee and not have the same rule apply to everyone in the organisation, right?
The mining sector has had mandatory drug and alcohol testing for quite some time now and for good reason – while operating large machinery you need to have your wits about you. Councillors for Mackay Regional Council make decisions that affect all of us living in the region.
As the leading group of people within our community, you kind of expect them to make those decisions with a clear and unencumbered mind. And sure, while at official and social events we expect them to be pillars of our society – as the caliber of people to look up to.
Although I can’t remember a time when any councillors were anything less than exemplary in their roles while at a function, having mandatory drug and alcohol testing would guarantee our elected officials represented the council with the utmost professionalism.
Besides, we’re talking only being tested three times a year.
Is that really too much to ask for?
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show together. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
Don’t ignore mental health issues if they knock on your door
Dave: The death of former Cowboys and Queensland Maroons coach Paul Green last week was something nobody could have foreseen.
Here was a guy that was all laughs. But now he’s not with us, and I’ll admit – a few years ago, that could have been me.
Why? Because of a long-held belief that men are meant to harden up and not talk about our feelings.
Johnathan Thurston hit the nail on the head when talking about his good mate and former coach on Channel Nine’s 100% Footy program: “mental health has really come to the forefront the last 10-15 years, before that it was an era of she’ll be right mate.
“But it won’t be right.
“We need to be there for our mates and get them to talk about their feelings and what they are going through.”
There was a very long time where I had suicidal thoughts.
Thinking I wasn’t good enough or couldn’t do anything right.
But after a mate sat me down I got the help I needed.
But it wasn’t until someone mentioned you’d go to a doctor if you’re sick physically so why would you continue to be sick mentally, that it really stuck.
Your mental health is like any other health condition – the longer you leave it, the worse it will get.
And on top of this, it’s up to us blokes to make sure our mates are OK – more talk, get out and ask your mates how they are.
Jay: Dave makes such a great point. Mental health issues are something we are going to come across ourselves at one stage of our lives, and if not us, someone we know.
Seeing the sadness from the NRL community, the fans, and those closest to Paul Green after his sudden passing, was just a reminder to me to look after my own mental health.
I’ve had a pretty bumpy past few weeks, and I took my own advice and sought the help I deserved to get my mind clear.
I spoke to some of my closest about not feeling 100 per cent and I had a bit of embarrassment attached to the admission, but it was something I had to do.
I’m glad I did, because while it’s not a magic pill, it’s definitely helped to halve the anxiety.
Losing such a public figure like Paul Green, is just another reminder that those who seem to have their “stuff together” might not feel like it to those people.
Depression and anxiety does not discriminate.
No warning at all, and you can be battling some inner demons.
All we ask of you is to stay.
Stay and be with your friends and family.
If you need help at any time, 24/7, call Lifeline on 131 114.
Dave Peters and Jay Shipston host the Triple M Breakfast Show together. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years
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Sports stars’ sparkle fades as rainbows shine with pride
Jay: Who would have thought that a little rainbow can cause so much controversy.
This is the news that you can’t escape from at the moment.
Seven Manly Sea Eagles had refused to play in the pride round on Thursday night, because of the pride rainbow representation that is designed into the jersey.
I like to think I’m the kinda guy where this sort of stuff doesn’t bother me. And to be honest, it doesn’t. Honestly it doesn’t.
I, as a gay man, have found myself enough to not let this get to me. What does bother me is that these “professionals” get paid to play the game they love.
They play in front of a crowd who love them. They have thousands of members who pay membership to be part of the club.
And yes, to the seven players, even some of your club members are gay (oh the horror) and some of your sponsors who also contribute to your wages, are gay.
I thought we had come a long way from this drama, but yet here we are. The people I worry about are the young people who are still figuring themselves out.
Some of them, yes, are gay. This has made us take a few steps back in the LGBTQI+ progress.
Be better “sporting stars”, just be better. You are looked up to by so many young individuals.
What a shame this is what you will be remembered for.
Dave: As Jay said above, this story has dominated the news the past few days.
You may or may not agree, like the players that have boycotted the match you have your beliefs.
Personally, I don’t understand. Not about why the players have chosen the jersey for the NRL’s pride round to boycott over the gambling and alcohol company sponsors (FYI – all three aren’t sins according to the Bible), but more of what this message is giving young fans of the game.
Having a good think over the past few days it has given me a chance to ask a few deeper questions: kids look up to their idols in these players.
Is it sending a message to them that not everyone is equal?
Will they think other kids can be excluded, not only in playing footy but also in everyday life? Kids have it really tough growing up in today’s society – just look at the stories of bullying (both real and cyber) out there.
Now compound this with trying to discover who they are?
Will a young teenager see their idol boycott due to a rainbow symbol on the team jersey?
If they are already being bullied in school, would something like this shame them to a tipping point?
Incredible discovery by iconic Southern Cross a remarkable feat
It’s exciting finding out something new, isn’t it?
I’ve always been fascinated about space.
It probably came about by the original Star Wars movie from the late ‘70s.
For a birthday present, Jay even bought the naming rights to a comet, that’s how fascinated I am about “the final frontier”.
To say I was eagerly awaiting for the first images from the James Webb telescope recently would be an understatement.
And when Habana history enthusiast Danielle Jesser said that one of Mackay’s pioneers has a comet named after him after he discovered it back in 1899 (133 years ago this month), it completely blew my mind.
READ MORE: How a Walkerston farmer thrust region into space race
Scotsman John Ewen Davidson was a pioneer of the sugar industry in the region roughly around where Wests Leagues Club is now, and in his spare time loved showing his telescope housed in his own observatory for favoured guests.
In fact, going through some old records from the Queensland State Archives, it says “he had quite a good instrument of which he was justifiably proud”.
“At the time there was no better in Queensland, or, probably, in Australia.”
Not a bad effort from someone who said he was a man with a single idea – to make Australia produce sugar.
The thing is, he saw this “hazy” star roughly where the iconic Southern Cross is with the naked eye.
After checking the comet with the telescope, he made the trek from the Pioneer Valley to the Mackay Post office to send his findings to the Sydney Observatory and yep, that’s how the Davidson Comet got his name – how cool is that?
Look if you’re roughly the same age as I am you may remember getting a glimpse of Halley’s Comet in 1986.
It comes to visit us once about every 75 years.
It would be great to see Davidson’s Comet but sadly, it’s not coming near the Earth any time soon (in just more than 9000 years).
But reading about this amateur astronomer from Mackay and looking up into the night sky, it makes you think what’s out there?
There’s so little we know about the stars. And I get the feeling the next time there’s a road trip to Marian, Mirani, and Eungella, when I drive through the row of old mango trees along Mackay-Eungella Rd near the Branscombe Rd intersection, I might remember John Ewen Davidson’s farm which was his driveway and his celestial claim to fame.
Wine and food event promises to serve up what it couldn’t before
Dave: July in Mackay is one of the best times of the year.
The weather is (usually) perfect, Mackay’s Festival of Arts gives us all so many different things to see and do, and the biggest event for the entire year is on: the Wisely Wine and Food Day.
It’s enjoyed by families, friends, lovers of live music, those that wish to soak in some culture and foodies alike.
Personally, I love the casual atmosphere watching some of the best headline acts that Australian music has to offer.
Artists such as the Models, Uncanny X-Men, Chocolate Starfish and this year’s headliner, the Choirboys.
This one day is just fantastic for the entire community to come together.
The entertainment during the day at Queens Park is brilliantly diverse, and although the food component is good, with a number of options to choose from, the lines to wait to be served is a bit ridiculous each year. Am I right?
I remember one year waiting for close to an hour.
>> IN PHOTOS: All the social photos from the 2021 event
Don’t get me wrong, it tasted wonderfully delicious, but by the time we sat down to eat it, it kind of lost its appeal to try another vendor.
And being a bit of a foodie, I want to sample as many styles of cuisine on a day like the wine and food day.
Each year it seems to be the same too.
The crew from Mackay Regional Council does an exceptional job organising the entire day, and something like the wine and food day is a mammoth undertaking.
>> BIGGER, BETTER: Why wait times will be a memory at this year’s event
But after the event each year you see the comments on social media slamming the wait times for tucker.
It’s the only blight on the biggest showcase for Mackay’s annual events.
But it looks like this may be a thing of the past.
This year, more than 30 food vendors have registered to be there on the day.
Anything from Alf and his Mr Skippy ice cream van and Let’z Waffle, through to seafood, Indian, Asian, pizza and even the team from Mount Jukes Family Farm will be cooking up a storm.
That’s on top of the featured food events such as the team from Plattered Up showcasing how to pair wine with cheese.
Like everyone else I’ll be at Queens Park tomorrow, enjoying the great entertainment and looking forward to sampling even more types of culinary delights this year.
Rareness of weather is cold comfort for us Queenslanders
Jay: We all know someone who complains about how cold it is.
This week, I complained more than most winters, and for good reason because we came within a whisker of recording a new coldest July day since 1986 in the Mackay region.
Top temperatures of 12 degrees during the day is not OK.
The Pioneer Valley had it colder.
So when conditions are like this, give me some room to complain.
I’m a Queensland boy through and through.
That’s why it has been hard to stomach the cold front, and I know I’m not alone.
One thing I noticed though, were the “Suck it up buttercup brigade”.
You know the ones.
Those friends and family who say, “Huh, this is nothing! Try living in a hut in Antarctica”, or “It was much colder than this when I lived in the coldest part of the world”.
Karen, please.
This was one of the times I could use the “Karen phrase”.
This isn’t a competition, but if it was, yes, you would win.
But to all of you people who are part of the “brigade” I just mentioned, spare a thought for your true-blooded Queenslander.
The reason we complain is because we live in an area that the temps don’t get that low during the day. So when it does come out of the blue, yes, it’s a shock to the system.
It would be like having 30C weather in Antarctica for a couple of days straight.
We would expect the locals to say, “Boy, this is really hot”.
And they would have a right to, because it’s not weather they are used too.
But would I chime in with “Well where I live in Mackay, our temps get to 37 degrees in summer. This is nothing, you complaining penguin”?
Get where I am going with this?
Yes? Good.
So in summary, yes it’s a lot colder in other parts of the world, but in our little part of the world, it shouldn’t be.
Not for more than a week at least.
That’s longer than we have a winter in any other year.
So cold, in fact, that lots of us never left the comfort of our Oodies, and some even purchased heaters.
I feel like this will be one of the times we say to our kids and grandkids, “Back in 2022, we had just a top of 12 degrees in Mackay”, and the kids will look at us with absolute disbelief.
Until we pull out the screen shots we all took and posted on social media of the current temperatures outside.
Ha! Keep warm Mackay.
Jay Shipston and Dave Peters are the Triple M Breakfast Show hosts. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
Race ends in running from Covid and prize for second ain’t pretty
JAY: Two and a half years … That’s how long I have been hiding.
No not from the tax department, not from an ex, but Covid.
I think I did pretty well. But my chase came to an end after spending some time with my nan.
She unknowingly had the virus, and we had spent most of the day talking and laughing and having cups of coffee over a jigsaw puzzle.
I got a call on Sunday morning saying she had tested positive to the virus and I should test immediately.
I had a negative result. For a brief minute, I was triumphant in dodging the spicy cough.
I worked from home on Monday just to be on the safe side.
The next test was a positive.
The one 24 hours after that was negative and then followed by another positive. So confusing.
I spoke with my GP and she said it could be a dodgy test or I might not be pushing the swab far enough to where it needs to be.
Yep, the testing is uncomfortable, but I do have to say that the symptoms of Covid didn’t seem so bad, until the ears not popping started, the sore throat and the headaches kicked in. While I am at home Dave is in the studio pressing the buttons for the show.
But that’s where his pain began, right Dave?
DAVE: You’re bang on the money, Jay.
Has anyone else been in the situation where they’ve learned a skill and then not used said skill for quite a number of years, and then needed to jump into using said skill and realised they are not only rusty but forgotten most of it?
That was the first pain – Jay usually pushes all the shiny buttons in the studio and he is an absolute master at it.
Me, well I think it’s fair to say I’ve struggled with it, being thrown in the deep end after a number of years.
And then when it seemed I was back on the bike, I locked myself out of the office while the show was going.
Quite embarrassing but while trying to get back in and keep the show going, a tug on the front doors of the office was a tad too much for the shoulder and there’s been some damage to the shoulder.
So, although I haven’t had Covid yet, it has still hurt in an odd and awkward way.
The moral to this story?
Look after yourself, wear a mask even if it isn’t mandatory and avoid a workplace injury for both yourself and others around you.
Mackay scoots into the future with funky, purple CBD additions
Jay: They’re purple, they stand on the corner waiting for you and they have taken over Mackay.
No, its not the purple people eater, but the latest thing, it’s the scooters.
Dave and I had a tip off that Mackay would soon have the Beam (the company who supplied them for the region) scooters making an appearance on our streets.
Having travelled to Townsville a bit last year, we saw them everywhere and people using them.
When we had heard that we were the next regional town to get them, we asked our listeners on the Breakfast Show if they thought they would be used, and if it were a good idea for the city, and the majority said yes.
Personally, I was worried we would have them delivered ready to use, and they would sit and not be embraced.
I was very wrong. The first day I had a chance to get on a scooter, was the day they were released.
I walked in the CBD for some time to finally find one (tip: Download the Beam app first and you can find where they are so you don’t have to go on a wild-goose chase to find them) and when I did, I was so surprised on how easy it was to connect to my phone and how user friendly they are.
I had a whiz around the CBD and passed a few of the employees of the scooter company who were monitoring the use of them, and helping those who were new to the scooters.
I had so many questions:
What happens when they are flat? Who recharges them?
Who collects them from weird locations? Can they be stolen?
And all of the answers were explained by one of their staff.
The scooters are tracked by GPS. Staff find them using the app and swap out batteries when needed and move some of the scooters back to high traffic areas. How clever.
So in short, some people may think they are an eyesore, but the overwhelming response has been very positive, and proof is in the pudding when the scooters are being used on the app.
Welcome to Mackay Beam.
You’ve given some of us a reason to get out and about and enjoy our region again.
Nostalgia and blasts from the past is main attraction of the show
Dave: It’s show time again! No matter how old you are, it’s always exciting seeing the spectacle when the trucks and caravans roll into the showgrounds – there’s just something magical about it all.
It’s instilled into us at an early age. All your senses are just bursting at the seams.
The excitement of the rides, from the bumping of the dodgem cars to the claw.
The thrill of winning a prize down sideshow alley, games such as the pellet guns to the clowns with their ping pong balls.
And who can’t forget the food you can only get at the show – sure you can buy a lot of it elsewhere, but it’s a gastronomical smorgasbord that you can’t beat.
Everything about the show when it rolls into town is special, no matter which town it rolls into.
Not a lot of people know this, but the Royal Easter Show in Sydney was a big part of me as a kid. No, I don’t mean it’s because the parents used to take me all the time, a large part of my father’s side of the family worked in different areas of the show each year.
Dad worked on the main gate. My uncle was a big part of the farmyard nursery (the ducklings had their own little pool complete with slide they would go down – I remember it was awesome to watch them for an hour or two). My grandfather was in the carpark area for close to 30 years and my grandmother was the matron of the lost and found area.
This was at the old Moore Park showgrounds where you will find the iconic Hordern Pavilion and Sydney Cricket Ground.
So many memories of the 20c showbags, free rides (thanks to Pop who knew everyone) and having an afternoon nap above the livestock where most of the folks from the country slept above their entries in the competitions.
I think that’s why I go to the show each year.
It’s not because it’s the biggest or best show I’ve been to, it’s because the memories keep flooding back and just overwhelm.
It takes me back to my childhood every time.
If you’re thinking to yourself “it’s just too expensive to go to the show,” I get it.
With the cost of living skyrocketing, the RBA increasing interest rates and $14 lettuce at the supermarket, it’s easy to cut back on as many things as possible.
But before you say no to the show, think back to that little kid inside when they went to their first show; the wonder, the excitement, the thrill of everything, and then re-evaluate the first decision.
Origin selections again proves Mackay region’s football credentials
Dave: Mackay and The Whitsundays. Home to stunning tropical islands, the gateway to the workhorse of the Australian economy, and the nursery of exceptional State of Origin players.
And from a guy that hails from south of the border, you can’t help but sit back and think what it is about this region that breeds some of the best that have played, still playing, and are yet to play in the most incredible showcase of rugby league?
At the start of this week, we have found that five players from Mackay are set to go into the Queensland camp – two of them on debut.
Sure, we have the current stalwarts of the Maroons team: Daly Cherry-Evans will captain the side for the 10th time, followed by Alligator Creek State School alumni Dane Gagai, Kalyn Ponga who called Shark Park South Mackay home as a 13-year-old, and Tom Dearden in the reserves (you could see his ability in the Cutters’ Cyril Connell Cup side back in 2016).
But what a ride it’s been for the “man of the hour” Reuben Cotter.
If you look at Reub’s playing career, it’s an amazing story. He started as this junior from the Sarina Crocs with a fair bit of natural talent who went through the Mackay Cutters’ junior grades.
Along the way, he was in rep squads (even captained a few) and it looked like everything was going smoothly.
Then 2016 happened.
After forcing his way into the Cowboys’ under-20 team through a sensational rise through the ranks, he played two games before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (you would have heard TV commentators say the abbreviation ACL).
Everything was right for him and then it comes to a crashing halt for almost all of a season.
After getting back to match fitness for the 2017 season, he tore his ACL a second time – and this time kept him out of the game for not one but two seasons!
For many, that would be the end of their playing career – to come back from three seasons barely playing a game due to not one, but two serious injuries are really tough on both the body and more importantly the mind.
After all this, in 2019 he was match-ready again, this time for the Mackay Cutters’ Intrust Super Cup squad.
And just watching him at BB Print Stadium score nine tries in 15 games, you wouldn’t have noticed he had any injury at all.
That year he also made his debut for the Cowboys and ended up playing five games off the bench for them.
And this brings us to Reuben Cotter for the 2022 season.
What a tough little guy he is, from two major injuries to showing the NRL world who this fella from Sarina State High is.
He gets to represent his state in one of the biggest showcase games for the sport.
I get the feeling it won’t be the last either!
Jay: Community theatre is alive and well in the Mackay region.
I’ll get to that in a moment.
Ever since I was 13 years old, I was doing drama classes and was enrolled in the Helen O'Grady Drama Academy in Brisbane.
I’ve always been involved in production and performance subjects at school, the Rock Eisteddfods and musicals.
In 2012, I was contacted by Mackay Musical Comedy Players to be in its production of Grease after one the cast members had to withdraw.
“Of course I can,” I replied to the message.
All of these years later, I’m still part of the club and on the committee board for the group.
As a performer, we focus on our “blocking” (where the director positions you on the stage), the choreography, the characterisations and everything else an actor needs to focus on.
It can be a lot.
Not as much as I was about to embark on.
These past four years, I have been creating, directing, producing, and being a publicity manager for various productions.
What an experience it has been.
I have a new appreciation for the hard work our volunteers do when it comes to creating these shows.
Our latest production of Shrek, The Musical, was one of mammoth proportions.
I was enlisted as one of two producers for the show.
Our role is to make sure the production gets to stage.
We work with the directing team to make sure the show is on track and tickets are sold.
I had also taken on the role of assistant director as a back-up in case our talented director, Tonia Beckmann, was unable to lead the cast because of Covid.
Yes, Covid has even taught us thespians to have a “Plan B”.
All lead characters had an understudy to step into the role in case of illness.
If that wasn’t enough juggling, I too had become an understudy for one of the roles in the show.
Usually I’m flat out juggling two tennis balls like a circus clown, but this time I was juggling a musical, full-time work, a marriage, my health, and life in general.
I don’t know how parents do the “juggling act” in every day life.
I am proud to say though, Shrek, The Musical was a huge success.
Two sold-out shows, two close to selling out, and rave reviews.
Next time you check out a production at the MECC, or any other performance, spare a thought for the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make it work.
It’s definitely exhausting yet rewarding.
Oh, and ever thought about joining the club? We would love to hear from you.
Search Mackay Musical Comedy Players on Facebook.
For now, I’m off to have a lay down and turning off my mobile phone, before I say “yes” to anything else.
Oh wait, too late, Chicago the musical is on stage this coming September. Ha.
George’s replacement has big shoes (um, a leotard) to fill
Dave: Only one more sleep before it’s all done and dusted.
And no matter who wins the federal election tomorrow night, we here in the seat of Dawson will have a new representative as George Christensen retires from the lower house (even though he’s giving the Senate a crack for the One Nation Party).
And look, his views came to blows with many people in his electorate. It’s been clearly noted in the press and on TV.
I’ll be the first to admit there were a number of things I didn’t agree with but as they say – you can’t please everybody all of the time.
I don’t think anyone can deny, though, that what he wanted was for the Dawson electorate to stand out among the pack.
And in a lot of ways, he hit the mark.
He has been a major campaigner for the sugar cane industry (after all, that’s his family’s history), safe schools and anti-bullying campaigns, and even drove the length of the Bruce Highway (and brought a few other politicians with him) to highlight how bad the goat track was/still is.
So now he passes the baton, after four terms in office, to one of the other contenders: current Whitsunday Council Mayor Andrew Willcox for the LNP, Labor’s candidate Shane Hamilton, Julie Hall for One Nation, Great Australian Party’s Jim Jackson, UAP’s Christian Young, Ciaron Paterson for KAP and Paula Creen for the Greens. Who it’s going to be? Well, that’s up to us to vote for.
But could you see any of these candidates getting up to some of the antics that George did over the years?
Could you see Andrew Willcox donning the leotard and dancing along with Beyonce on social media as a fun way to get funding for Stage 2 of the ring road?
Maybe Jim Jackson on stage in the Nutcracker Suite for the Festival of Arts?
Possibly Julie Hall playing in a charity football match to help get a new stadium built?
Personally, whoever is the new member for Dawson, I really hope they do something out of the ordinary to get our seat what we deserve – infrastructure, prosperity, and a great place to call home.
Dave Peters is a Triple M Breakfast Show host with Jay Shipston. They have presented
on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
We seem to be getting the raw prawn from our so-called leaders
Dave: I would like to file a missing person report.
Actually, I’d like to file two thank you.
Could you please find Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese and bring them to Mackay and the Whitsundays?
They have both been missing during this election campaign.
Look, I get both of them are working hard, crossing the country to pose for photo opportunities in front of the cameras and spilling out promises we all know they will hardly keep.
Shaking hands, kissing babies, even going as far as getting into the meat of everyday life by spot welding a bit of metal to another.
But with a previously “safe” seat like our federal seat of Dawson, we deserve a little more respect than sending a string of lackies to spread their words of wisdom.
The Prime Minister was last in Mackay in 2018.
That’s nearing four years ago, long before the last election.
Sure we have seen Michael McCormack and Barnaby Joyce as the deputy prime ministers and Nationals leaders in Nationals heartland but does our main man really have such disdain for us or is he just so confident of winning the seat that he need not bother?
Anthony Albanese fares a little better, having visited in January and a few times during the pandemic when he was probably keen not to be in the 2021 Covid heartland, ole Sydney.
But not a whiff since the election campaign began in earnest.
Is it me or are we getting the raw prawn here?
For a seat that has mining, agriculture and tourism and plays a big part in paying for the needs of the country’s economy, I think we deserve a visit from the leader of the country as well as the federal Opposition Leader for at least a full day to share first hand their policies and their grand vision for the country under their tenure.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not much for politics – never have been.
But with Dawson now basically anyone’s for the taking, after George Christensen decided to retire from the House of Representatives to give the upper house (Senate) a crack, do you feel like they just don’t care about us at all?
Quite frankly, I feel hurt and angry they couldn’t be bothered to put us into their diaries.
Sending the likes of Barnaby Joyce and Bill Shorten will attempt to send the party’s messages of hope and prosperity “if” we elect their local nominees, but it doesn’t cut it.
If the major parties (or even the smaller parties) were actually serious about winning the federal seat of Dawson they would have had their party leaders here already by this stage.
With less than two weeks left before the election, I get the feeling they won’t be coming at all.
Dave Peters is a Triple M Breakfast Show host with Jay Shipston. They have presented
on air together in the Mackay region for more than 10 years.
These four-day weeks are darn easy to get used to
Dave: Easter long weekend – four days off.
Anzac Day long weekend – three days off.
Labour Day long weekend – another three days off.
We could all get used to this, yeah?
Or at the very least a four-day work week.
How good would that be?
A few around Mackay and Whitsundays are lucky to have this already, work 12 hours a day to make up for the hours to take that third day for a permanent long weekend.
In Australia, the Australian Capital Territory government has called for submissions, with their Legislative Assembly examining a transition for the three-day weekend for public servants.
I can see small to medium business owners scoffing while reading this.
“Oh great, just as we’re getting over the business-related effects of Covid during the past two years, you want us to pay the same for less work?”
I get it.
You’d feel a little ripped off.
But how better would your employees feel working for a boss that is actively concerned for their wellbeing?
Research conducted by the Standing Committee on Economy and Gender Economic Equality says “the reduced working week model places an emphasis on outcomes and the amount of work a worker has achieved, rather than how long a worker spends at work or producing deliverables”.
It also goes on to say that a four-day working week brings with it reduced employee stress levels, lower sick leave, and increased staff retention.
They also noted it shifted the focus from time employees spent doing the job to the outcomes they achieved.
In other words: happier workers that are more productive in less time spent at the office.
From an employee’s point of view, it means you get more done in fewer days spent at work, it frees you up to spend time with your family, you’re less stressed, you’ll have more time to recharge the batteries and I’m sure because of all this you’ll be happier at work when you’re there.
It seems to be catching on around the world too.
Belgium is offering the option to employees who want it.
Spain is experimenting with the idea, while Scotland, Iceland, and New Zealand have trialled the idea (in fact manufacturing giant Unilever NZ still has it running).
The results in our neighbours over the ditch found working four days a week increased productivity by 20 per cent.
So, what do you think?
Should Australia (or at least Mackay and Whitsundays) give it a crack?
Should we switch to a four-day work week?
Messing with buns could leave some people hot and cross
Do traditional hot cross buns get you all excited or do you turn your stare straight to their popular cousins of the chocolate variety?
Jay: I get that traditionally hot cross buns are made with fruit, but come on, chocolate chips is a better option.
They are much tastier and everyone likes them more than fruit.
Let’s look at things that have changed over time.
The lamington has been recreated many times over the years, but it’s still a lamington. Sausage sandwiches have changed many times, but yep … its still a sausage sandwich.
I’m one for tradition, don’t get me wrong, but I think change is as good as a holiday.
Ask any of our bakers in Mackay … They will tell you that yes, hot cross buns are very popular but chocolate hot cross buns have overlapped the fruit-based ones.
I was talking to a baker, who works in the Mackay CBD, who told me that just last week.
One thing I think needs to change is cinnamon being used in fruit and chocolate buns.
Who even enjoys that? Let alone the white lines made of flour and water. Blergh.
White chocolate cross and chocolate chips in the buns, you will have the family happy.
Even the kids. But one thing we can all agree on, hot cross buns should be sold all year round. Not just Easter.
Dave: Sorry but no – tradition has to be upheld when it comes to hot cross buns, Jay.
Hot cross buns are always made with fruit, not chocolate. And they taste so much better with the traditional mix of currants, raisins, and candied orange.
To throw chocolate pieces in a hot cross bun is just wrong on so many levels.
I mean, the entire point of a hot cross bun is to mark the end of Lent, commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting and giving up luxuries as he walked into the desert before the crucifixion.
So many traditions surrounding Easter have already been erased from the four days off, such as only eating hot cross buns solely on Good Friday (and to that extent, selling them almost all year round).
If you want chocolate in a small bun that’s not made with dairy (traditionally), how about calling it something else?
Maybe invent a word for them and sell them at a different time of the year?
Here are a couple of suggestions: – it’s a chocolate bun, so how about a ‘chocbun’ or ‘bunchoc’?
Sell them during one of the winter months and heat them up so the chocolate is all warm and gooey?
I mean come on – is it that hard to just leave the hot cross bun alone?
I’ve just turned 50 and couldn’t be happier – now for a nanna nap
Dave: Remember when turning 40 was considered “over the hill?” Well, today I’m not only over the hill, but I’ve also hit the big Hawaii 5-0.
Now, normally I don’t celebrate birthdays.
You may be the complete opposite. In fact, you may not just have a birth day more a birth weekend or birth week.
There are a few people I know in Mackay, as well as the Whitsundays, who celebrate for an entire week. Good on them, but it’s just not for me.
In fact, the last actual birthday party was the 16th – 34 years ago. Wow!
Nowadays, it’s more breaking hips than breakdancing, more tea tree oil than tequila, and a good night out is dinner and in bed by 9pm on a Saturday.
But this year, I’ll admit I have been looking forward to this birthday the same way I would if I were at the crease sitting on 49 for the past 20 minutes (Yeah, those days are gone, too, but you know what I mean).
Don’t get me wrong: All the old ailments are still current and new ones are making themselves known, but I’m genuinely looking at this milestone in a positive way.
When you’re over 50, you can leave many cares and worries behind and just embrace life.
You’re not afraid to have opinions, it’s easier to laugh at yourself, easier to laugh at others, you joke more often, you don’t sweat the small stuff, and something that I’ve only begun to start doing in the past year or two is that you don’t care about what others think.
But I’m going to let you in on a little secret: You can get away with so much.
You now have a reason for forgetting things (This works great if you don’t want to go to a party or barbecue).
On the back of being forgetful, you now have a reason for telling the same story (or joke) constantly.
You can be as grumpy as you want.
Nanna naps are expected.
You’re expected to be a bad dancer, too – which is a bonus if you couldn’t dance to begin with.
For me, though, hitting the half ton means it’s easier to take life less seriously.
Sure, the number of celebrities in the news recently who are dying around the same age has definitely put the rocket up the you-know-what.
And it’s been written about in the past to get the regular check-ups and tests done.
But for some reason, hitting this milestone just has me in a positive frame of mind.
And because I’m now old enough to be classified as a senior by some, I’m happy to give you advice – even if you don’t want or never asked for it.
Five years ago horror took hold as Debbie hit, flattening region
Jay: Can you remember what you were doing five years ago?
A lot of residents in Mackay and Whitsundays region know exactly what they were doing this time five years ago.
Cleaning up after Tropical Cyclone Debbie smashed into the coastline and left a world of devastation.
Some of those locals have still not recovered.
You only need to drive through Proserpine and see some of the motels with part of their establishment still closed off.
The newly unveiled Proserpine Entertainment Centre only reopened last week after being damaged by TC Debbie.
IN PICTURES: Flashback five years to Cyclone Debbie heartbreak
Some people will tell you it’s a part of living here, others have said that one cyclone was enough and they have relocated to the south of the state.
Debbie was the strongest tropical cyclone to hit our region since Marcia in 2015.
She formed as a tropical low on March 23, 2017 and eventually made landfall near Airlie Beach on the March 28, causing $3.5bn in damage, not just in our region but all the way down the coastline.
She was also responsible for the loss of 14 lives.
I remember being on air and broadcasting the emergency siren, which meant the cyclone was coming. It’s actually a very hard thing to do.
Warning listeners and giving them advice about what to do next.
It’s a matter of life and death.
From the sky: How Whitsundays recovered after Cyclone Debbie
Dave and I were bunkered down in the studios in Victoria St.
It’s a secure building, but let me tell you I could feel the building shake a little and hear those windows rattle at times.
Our studio phones were burning hot, callers ringing in from all over, just wanting to give us an update on what was happening where they were.
I remember one particular phone call very clearly.
A woman called and the line was full of static and wind noise. She was calling from Hamilton Island.
“Oh this is bad. This is really going to be bad” she said.
“There is a toilet block near where I am, and we are all bunkered down, waiting to ride this out. I was one of those people who didn’t expect this to come our way.”
That lady ended up calling us back after the cyclone had passed.
She was OK, as were the others in the makeshift cyclone shelter.
She stated that she would be prepared for every cyclone from here on in.
To her it was “the most terrifying night of my life”.
As we come to the end of this storm and cyclone season, I think now is a good time to be prepared for the next one.
It’s our way of life.
Region’s top tourism attractions deserve Aussie recognition
Dave: The Whitsundays is one of the sparkling jewels Australia has to offer and the tourism operators around Airlie Beach and the islands have been recognised once again at the Qantas Australian Tourism Awards – you little beauty.
After such a tumultuous time the past two years, all tourism operators deserve a medal, not just the select few that scored the gongs.
A big congratulations to the Intercontinental Hayman Island resort for a bronze in the 5 Star accommodation section as well as Pinnacles Resort in Airlie for their silver in the Self-Contained Accommodation category.
But the stars of the night would have to be Jules and Asher Telford and their crew at Redcat Adventures.
They almost became a “hall of famer” of the Australian tourism industry in one category, but won one of the most coveted awards – the Adventure Tourism gold award.
It’s important to recognise when our region wins these things, especially after the last two years of a very hard slog.
The Whitsundays has had such a rough time due to restrictions, it’s a breath of fresh air when the judges of the awards say “hey, you are the best in the industry”.
But we as locals already know that.
Who here has been on the Wildcat Adventures cruise around St Bees or Keswick Island in Mackay, or stayed at Pinnacles in Airlie for a weekend getaway?
The experience is something else.
Now that we are open to the rest of the world, it’s still going to be tough to lure those international visitors back again.
It’s been pretty slow to start with, but fingers crossed, the $60m injection announced by the federal government to market us to the wanderlust brigade will bring more to our region.
We need it. We want to share our piece of paradise – and get them to spend a little money.
Not sure about you, but I love holidaying at home. Do we really need to go anywhere when there is paradise in our own backyard?
Bowser blowout’: Those who can afford to fill up are lucky
Jay: “When I was a boy” is a phrase I’ve had thrown at me so many times in my 42 years.
It’s usually followed up with a longwinded story about money, relationship, food or petrol … yes petrol.
You know where I am going right? Let’s talk about petrol, ’cause when I was a boy (I’ve always wanted to say that) I remember the fuel being between 50–60c a litre.
That feels a like a million years ago.
Fast forward to present day, and we are paying on average, between $2 and $2.10 for unleaded and even higher for diesel.
This is so far from affordable for a lot of Mackay families.
We recently took calls about this on the Breakfast Show and people who were paying about $90 per car (with two cars in the household) are now paying about $150 per car to fill them up.
Do the math, folks. Those who can afford to fill up are lucky.
We also heard stories of people putting $50 into their tanks and it not even making a mark on the fuel gauge.
What needs to happen here?
Everyone is outraged but not a lot of people have any ideas to throw at the government to make fuel cheaper again.
Do the top bosses cut the excise? Do we have more promotional schemes to make it more affordable?
Some have even suggested salary sacrifice. Can you believe that?
We have always questioned why the fuel is a little exy in our region, but this problem is a national and global issue now.
As if families hadn’t had enough of a bad trot thanks to Covid – some losing jobs, having their hours cut and being back – now we are being robbed at the bowser.
It wasn’t until recently that I seriously considered purchasing an electric car.
When I hinted at the idea, my friends scoffed and remarked, “That’s exactly what the government want you to do – you’re falling for the control”.
Yes, I may have some friends who think it’s all a scheme by the pollies to push us into electric cars. But what good would it do them? Wouldn’t they miss out on all of the exorbitant tax and profits made by us fuelling up weekly?
At more than $2 a litre, I don’t think they will make much money out of us as a lot of us are carpooling and even using bikes just to avoid the bowser.
One of the most upsetting things about most of my money being spent getting from A to A. 5 (instead of B ’cause it’s too expensive to get there), is it’s eating up all my money for impulse purchases of Coke Zero and Mars Bars.
King of Spin’s death delivers blow far too close to home
Dave: Last weekend we woke to the news that Shane Warne had died from a suspected heart attack at the age of 52.
Not only did it rock the cricketing fraternity, but it has also shocked the entire world.
I mean, he was a larger-than-life character, a celebrity who was bulletproof.
Why is it that the death of a celebrity is such a poignant moment?
I was never the biggest cricket fan but when I heard the news I was numb.
I couldn’t understand why (not being the biggest fan in the world). and then it dawned on me – his heart (allegedly) gave in.
He was only two years older than me. two years.
If that doesn’t shock a guy to look into their own mortality, nothing will.
It also had me thinking “when was the last time I had a full medical with the doctor?”
The answer to the question was well over 10 years ago. I’m talking about a proper examination, from head to toe.
Why? Tough question but maybe it’s a mixture of machoism and being afraid of what could be the diagnosis.
And the way I feel seems to be the way most Aussie blokes feel too. In an online survey back in 2016, more than 20 per cent of guys that took the survey said they were nervous to find out what could be wrong.
Others said they should be strong and self-reliant.
But there is a positive in all this – 20 per cent of blokes said in this same article that they would go and do the exam if their family kept nagging them about it (even if it’s just to stop the nagging).
But with the death of such an icon in the form of Warnie I get the feeling the family won’t need to nag.
This has shocked me into doing something and I dare say for other blokes around the same age. I’ll admit I’m not the perfect specimen of a man I may have been in the past and the potential outcome from all the tests scares me a little.
But look, what happened to the King of Spin happened at the age of 52. I’d much rather know so I can fix (or limit) anything that needs fixing. So guys, around my age, just go and get all the tests done. Not just for your loved ones, do it for yourself.
Stand up everyone to show appreciation of women everywhere
Jay: This International Women’s Day I want to take this opportunity to thank those women in my life and in my career who have had such an impact on where I find myself.
Firstly, my mum. Mums are the best, aren’t they?!
Well, I’m sorry, but my mum is better than any other. I’ve probably put her through enough stress and worry over the years, yet she still tells me she’s proud of me.
That’s what I love about women.
They are more compassionate, more understanding and have more faith in us as men than men do.
My sister is a resilient woman, she raised a son on her own and it wasn’t easy.
I watched her every struggle from a safe distance. Only jumped in when I was needed.
She’s my little sister, it’s what we do. We “protect” right? I reminded her of that many times, and I was met with, “I’m a woman, not a child. I’ve got this”. And she did.
I had to back off. She taught me that she was as strong as me, if not stronger.
Women are the stronger of the sexes. Sorry blokes, but, in my opinion, it’s true.
Fast forward all of these years later, and I am working in a career that I have loved for more than half of my living years. Radio.
When I first started in broadcasting, there were more men than women.
I can proudly say in our Mackay studios, we have more women working than men.
Our general manager, promotions manager, sales manager, co-ordinators, traffic department, street patrol driver and account specialists are all women!
That’s pretty awesome if you ask me.
I’ve celebrated 17 years full-time at Triple M and it’s a complete change to what it was in 2005.
The Jay and Dave Breakfast Show is produced here in Mackay and all of the content you hear coming out of the speakers wouldn’t happen if it wasn’t for the hard work of this talented group of hard-working ladies who make it possible day in and day out.
It’s them who should receive the accolades.
So not only on Tuesday for International Women’s Day, but every day, show appreciation to the women in your life.
Really sit back and think about how much they contribute to you and your life.
Even outside of your life circle.
Your doctor, your shopkeeper, your neighbour.
Even the two editors of this publication you are reading now, The Daily Mercury. Rae Wilson and Tara Miko, you ladies are also valued (and your team of women) and we thank you also for the work you do. Happy International Women’s Day!
Wasted paradise as lessees fail to return resorts to glory days
Dave: Last week, Janessa Ekert looked into the state of disrepair of some of the Whitsunday (and Mackay) island resorts.
Being a Whitsunday local, she would have a lot of stories to tell as a kid, zipping over to Lindeman for a day trip and a dip in the pool.
These days you can still visit the island for a day trip or camp overnight, but the resort was severely damaged by TC Yasi in 2011 and still hasn’t been restored to its former glory.
It seems to be a recurring theme with those resorts we all loved: Long Island, South Molle (pictured), and even Brampton Island in the Mackay region beginning to look like a paradise lost.
These places have held memories for most of us over the years, whether it be weddings, engagement parties, or simply great times with friends and family.
There have been some of the best times I’ve had in my life at South Molle working for a backpackers magazine many years ago and even a few of the old Contiki-style nights at Long Island Resort were a blast.
To see the images of places like the pool at Brampton Island or the inside of Long Island Resort abandoned and derelict, in the Daily Mercury pages last week, makes you both sad and angry at the same time.
But why aren’t the powers that be getting heavy on the owners of the islands to fix them up?
Brampton Island Resort, the sparkling jewel for Mackay, was bought in 2010 by United Petroleum for half of what Mandalay House is worth with plans to rebuild the resort, and then was put on the market a year later with the owners just “land banking” until someone comes with a sizeable offer. It’s disgraceful.
But all of these owners of the dilapidated resorts don’t actually own the islands – isn’t that the state government?
Why can’t they say “hey – get up and running or give up the lease?”
Not only will we locals spend some cash heading to the islands for lunch or other activities for day trips (or even for a weekend getaway a lot more often), the number of options for both domestic and international tourists will help sustain and grow the region after the two Covid-ridden years we’ve had.
It would be fantastic to see all of our once-spectacular resorts back to their shining glory.
Bonza opportunity knocks for business tourism industry
Dave: Well, the news during the week about Australia’s newest airline Bonza has been fantastic hasn’t it?
A lot of us were wondering when and where they were going to fly to after it was announced last year by founder and ex-Virgin administrator Tim Jordan when he said they were going to ‘think outside’ the normal routes of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
Not only are we going to welcome visitors to the Whitsundays (and Mackay) from different locations, but it also means more choice for us – we now have the ability to visit different parts of Australia without it costing too much.
And as adventurous people, we love to explore somewhere new as a whole.
So many of us have been champing at the bit to fly and explore.
I know quite a few people (pre-Covid) would fly out of Cairns to head overseas to destinations like Bali, etc but to get there would either be a long drive (and then park the car for a few days or weeks) or take the mail run flight stopping at Townsville before getting to Cairns.
It’s fantastic news there’s a direct flight with a low-cost carrier.
It not only opens up a chance for us here to explore other areas, but it also offers those locations to spend some of their money here – and lord knows our tourism industry has had it tough the past two years.
But it also opens up more of the business tourism market. How many business seminars did we have pre-Covid?
Mackay especially was having a red-hot go at cracking that market and it was paying off (and increasing our share of the pie too). All of this means a better place for us to live with more money in the economy coming in.
But I want you to think of another reason why this is such great news – family.
Quite a few of us haven’t really had a chance to see our families for some time. You may be in the same boat as I have been, with the family not based in Mackay or the Whitsundays – this provides a chance to reconnect with loved ones like never before.
How many families have moved here from Newcastle for work?
Or other parts of the country where you have needed to spend more money on connecting flights?
Or maybe you need to see family that are sick – the last thing you want to be worried about is how to get to see them (or the cost).
The news from Bonza earlier in the week is so much more than just tourism dollars rolling in.
It’s a chance for the family to reconnect in one way, shape, or form.
Sometimes the best help comes in the form of a four-legged friend
Jay: I still remember the first dog that I came across in my younger years.
Her name was “Polly” and she was a Pekingese breed.
She belonged to the neighbours but would spend her time at number 19. My place.
I was a very young four-year-old boy, infatuated with this dog that didn’t even belong to me.
I would feed her, play with her, cuddle her and care for her. I guess that’s where my obsession with dogs started.
Polly died before I was 10 years old and I was shattered.
That little matted, smelly, and unique-looking dog stole my heart and took a piece of it with her when she died.
I know some people like to share photos of their children with friends and family.
Even if I had children, the photos I shared would be of my pack.
To me, dogs play an important part in our lives.
They have been bred to catch food, fetch the newspaper, look after the visually impaired, to protect us both at home and in the community when employed by the police services.
The biggest job the dog has in this life is to be our companions.
In my time as a dog owner, I’ve realised they play a much deeper role than just companions.
Dogs have this ability to lift your spirits, to know when you are down and out.
They know when you’re sad and they know when you’re happy.
I moved to Mackay in the early 2000s after living in Melbourne.
I moved here with a broken heart, and not knowing what I was going to do next.
I missed having a dog, I wanted one badly. More than just for companionship, but to help me get better again.
I was in a dark place.
The accommodation I was in at the time prevented me from getting a dog until I moved into a place where I was given permission to get a puppy.
That’s when I met Harley. My best mate.
Anyone who follows my social media accounts would be familiar with Harley (pictured with Jay).
He’s an orange cocker spaniel, who is now old, weathered and deaf, yet has the energy of the puppy he used to be.
I see Harley as the one thing that got me through some of my most challenging years here in Mackay.
He was there for a cuddle when I needed it.
For protection when I needed it.
For love when I needed it and for patience when I needed to learn it.
Sadly, in the not too distant future, my Harley will cross the rainbow bridge when his time is up.
While I will be very sad, he should know he did more than just be my dog.
He saved me. Love your dogs, folks.
They might only be a small bit in your world, but to them, you are their world.
Jay Shipston is a Triple M Breakfast Show host with Dave Peters. They have presented on air together in the Mackay region for 10 years.
Ants on the move and Dave’s knees are crook but still no cyclone
What’s there not to love about Mackay and the Whitsundays?
We have the beaches, the ranges, the people, the tourist attractions, and we have cyclones … or do we?
It’s been a while since we have had a blow here in the region.
Some would say we are well overdue for a visit from Mother Nature.
The old wives tales say when the ants are on the move, or when the cactus blooms when the desert roses have flowers, and when the black cockatoos fly above, there is rain and or a cyclone on the way.
Well, if I was to confirm or bust those tales, I’d say they are busted.
I’ve had all of those things happen at my place in Rural View this year alone, and still no real weather event.
I’m not wanting to jinx it, because I do love a bit of a weather event.
Just not as extreme as we saw in 2017 when TC Debbie crossed the coast around Airlie Beach.
In my time here in the region, and on the Triple M Breakfast show, I’ve covered cyclones, floods and even an earthquake.
Of them all, the cyclones are the ones that get the heart pumping.
Cyclones give you plenty of time and warning that they are on the way, but we still have people who leave their preparation to the last minute.
So, you’re new to Mackay and the Whitsundays and not sure how to prepare?
Non-perishable food items, bottled water, insurance documentation, torches, power banks to recharge your devices and tarps are a good start to creating a cyclone kit.
Keep it all together in a safe and lockable plastic storage container that can be accessed at a moment’s notice.
Mackay Regional Council, along with Whitsunday Regional Council, have ample information on their websites to have you prepared for the next weather event.
I’m interested to hear from locals who have theories about signs and “old wives tales” about cyclones and weather events.
I know Dave, my co-host, has had nothing but sore knee joints in the lead-up to a weather event. Or maybe it’s just his age? (Sorry Dave). But all jokes aside, keep safe through this wet season, it’s just part of living in Mackay and the Whitsundays.
Jay Shipston is a Triple M breakfast show co-host with Dave Peters for Mackay and Whitsundays
The one thing we can all agree on – it’s best to be in Australia
Dave: What it was like for us in the early ’80s celebrating Australia Day was the backyard barbecue at someone’s place with a lot of families, with us kids in the pool from 9.30am until 6pm.
The other side of Sydney (you know, the ones that never really had to struggle like us in the working class western suburbs) would always go to the beaches inside Sydney Harbour and watch the annual ferry race they used to hold, with all of them fully decked out in banners in the green and gold or red, white and blue.
That’s if they didn’t have their own yacht or boat – there were plenty of those in the harbour at the time, too.
Regardless of which side of the city you lived in, there was this sense of optimism within our Aussie carefree culture back then.
How times have changed over the years.
As all of us have grown up, so has Australia. As much as I’d love to say we still have a carefree nature about us, it has turned to cynicism.
Not as many backyard parties while some think it’s just a full-on drinking session listening to hear who hit the top of the annual Hottest 100 list.
And in more recent years, the elephant in the room has come to the forefront – do we change Australia’s national day to be more inclusive for everyone?
Geez I wish we could go back to those days of splashing around until I started looking like the grandfather’s wrinkly skin, only jumping out to suck down a good old Sunnyboy ice block!
Jay: Australia Day has so many different meanings for so many people. I was asked, “what does it mean to be an Aussie”. I struggled to answer it.
Not long after I was asked that question, I was driving down Nebo Rd (on Australia Day), looking at the blue sky, the clouds, feeling the breeze and recognising that, yes, we are in a bit of a mess at the moment, but I would rather be in the mess here than to be overseas.
While I was waiting at the red lights near KFC, I saw a car to my right. It was a Sandman and it had the Aussie flag flying from the back of if. How Australian is that!?
I drove alongside the car and I gave him the thumbs up. He replied with the same. That’s what Australia Day is for me.
Recognising how lucky we are to live here. We all have this unwritten rule about being an Australian. It’s a feeling of being united. Cue the Seekers and “we are one, but we are many”.
Having said that, a lot of things have changed in the years I have been on the planet.
We work more now, technology is more advanced than it was in the ’80s and we aren’t as friendly as we used to be.
I miss that. I miss the days where we would go to the harbour for a barbecue on Australia Day, and I remember my family inviting strangers, who were in the same park, over to have some sausages with us because we had too many snags.
That family shared their soft drinks with our family.
Community is what makes this region thrive.
Community is what makes our country thrive. Going back to the “C word” (Covid) for a second, it’s changed a lot.
Division from vaccines, and division over the date of Australia Day.
I don’t want any more division.
I want those days back again where everyone becomes part of your family. Not just on one day of the year, but all year round.
Jay and Dave are Triple M breakfast show hosts for Mackay and Whitsundays.
Resolutions work best when seen as series of small wins
Dave: January 1. It’s the chance to wipe the slate clean, start again, a “do-over” if you will.
We count down to midnight to ring in the new year with fireworks, and some of us make big plans with new year’s resolutions.
Don’t deny it, you’ve probably made one or two in your lifetime.
I guess I’ve inadvertently done it again this year without saying it’s a resolution – to lose weight
in 2022.
And now it’s in print, I really have to follow through.
So why do we make (and in most cases break) resolutions at the start of the year?
Well, it’s human nature to set goals at the start of something new, it makes sense to start it at the beginning of the year.
Whether your plan is to lose weight (it’s the biggest new
year’s resolution), to exercise more, quit the durries, save
money or whatever, we all start with good intentions.
But here’s the kicker – even though half of Aussies over 18 make a resolution, only 10 per cent of that number stick it out until the end of the year.
We aren’t alone, it’s roughly the same across the globe.
There’s even a day that’s specifically for it – January 17 (Monday just gone) is Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day!
I’m sure there are lots of reasons why people fail in their goals but, for me, the biggest thing is a problem breaking old habits.
They are ingrained and basically on automation – how easy is it to say g’day to the colonel for fried chicken on the way home from work?
>> Finger lickin’ good news for Whitsunday fast food fans
It’s now a conscious decision not to go through the drive-through instead of the other
way around!
It’s hard not to overeat even when you cook your own dinner – if it’s spag bol, guaranteed I’m eating for four!
But with the big 5-0 looming it’s made me realise that losing the tub needs to happen.
And the experts say that to keep new year’s resolutions it is best to break it down into components and set realistic goals, so that’s what I’m trying to do. The end goal, for me, is 22 kilos in 2022.
Maybe if you’re trying to ditch the Winnie Blues it might be to have one less per week for a month, then once every three days for a month, etc.
Same goes for the drink.
Don’t go full-on, it’s not
a sprint. Get to the finish line – be one of the 10 per cent who is successful in the new year’s resolution!
Mackay’s Simone Rolleston took this spectacular sunrise photo overlooking Bluewater Quay on the morning ash clouds had travelled west from the Tonga volcano eruption.
Can you smell that? It’s an election on the way!
Jay: Can you smell that? What is it? Oh it’s an election on the way, yes?
Well, it appears to be so, because all of the promises and things we as a community have campaigned for are now getting the attention we have been demanding.
But he rated Mackay’s chance as “high” for that project to come to fruition.
In my many years here in Mackay, I have lived in Andergrove, West Mackay, East Mackay and now live in the Rural View in the Northern Beaches.
In the past nine years of being here, we have seen an absolute BOOM in the construction of housing estates, of four different fuel stations right opposite each other, high schools and fast food outlets.
But for our population here, we still don’t have a functioning community hub.
Section 1a is a $10m project to build community hub facilities, including a library, daycare and meeting rooms for clubs.
Section 1b will be an aquatics facility with parks and public service facilities.
Yes Yes Yes!!!
That is what we need here on the beaches.
BUT (you knew it was coming right), what about a plan for roads in and out of the beaches?
We only have one.
If you have been stuck in traffic going to or from the beaches when there has been an accident or a delay, you know how much time it can take to get to where you were headed.
It’s a nightmare.
I was discussing all of this with some friends of mine, who had varied opinions.
Some say the roads and the expansion of traffic planning are more important than the hub.
Others have the hub as a priority.
Me, I am a fence sitter with this one because I know we need the road issues to be fixed but the hub is going to attract more people to the beaches.
It’s a hard one.
I know one thing for sure, over the coming weeks and months we will hear a lot of promises and commentary on both of these topics.
Is it enough to get the tick of approval for our politicians trying to win votes, and will we see these promises fulfilled?
Jay Shipston and Dave Peters are Triple M breakfast show presenters for Mackay and Whitsundays.
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