What started as a small initiative to bridge a social gap in the Cassowary Coast has grown into a flourishing network of mothers, united by connection, support and a shared desire to build a strong, uplifting community.  

Tahlia Morrison, a local mum of three young children, founded the Cassowary Coast Mums Club Collective (MCC) in January 2026 after returning to the region and recognising a clear gap in the social landscape for mothers.  

“Mums Club Collective creates a welcoming, relaxed, and genuinely enjoyable space, where mums can show up for themselves, not just as part of their child’s routine,” she said.  

The Mums Club Collective’s inaugural meeting welcomed just four mothers; now, the group regularly draws more than 10 women, many of whom attend with their children several times a week.  

“What’s been most important is that the core feeling hasn’t changed, and the group remains relaxed, inclusive, low-pressure, and a space where mums can simply be themselves,” Tahlia explained.  

“The impact of the group has been significant. We regularly see mums arrive feeling unsure, then gradually relax, connect, and leave with a sense of belonging.”  

With its community growing rapidly, the women behind the Mums Club Collective have begun expanding into a more structured program of events alongside their regular meet-up opportunities.  

“Motherhood often revolves entirely around a child’s needs and schedule, and it's easy for mums to lose a sense of identity in that,” said Tahlia.  

“It’s clear that what mums are really seeking is genuine connection, something deeper than surface-level interaction. Creating opportunities for social connection is not only valuable, but essential for maternal mental health, and overall wellbeing.”  

Over the past four months, Tahlia describes running MCC as both grounding and rewarding, saying it has been especially meaningful to watch initially hesitant mothers flourish, form genuine connections, and come to describe the group as a deep breath of fresh air.  

“Running the Mums Club Collective has connected me with other women in a similar stage of life and reinforced that many of the feelings that come with motherhood are widely shared,” she said.  

“The most rewarding aspect has been witnessing connections form, seeing friendships develop and hearing directly from mums how valued and needed this space is within the community.”  

Currently, the Mums Club Collective are in the process of becoming a not-for-profit organisation, a move that will allow the group to expand its offerings through additional programs and events.  

“Our goal is to grow in a way that remains intentional, while continuing to provide a space that feels accessible and welcoming,” explained Tahlia.  

“Loneliness in motherhood can feel very heavy when you’re in it, but it’s more common than many realise. Taking a single step, like reaching out or attending something new, can be enough to begin building connection and support. Often, the people you meet are feeling the same way.”

To become part of MCC, search Mums Club Collective on social media, and come along to one of the group’s regular meet-up events held across the Cassowary Coast Shire.  

“You don’t have to navigate motherhood alone; there are others who understand and are looking for connection too.”

CAPTION: The Mums Club Collective has flourished into a supportive group of like-minded women. Photo supplied

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The Touring Queensland Fund (The Fund) Round 2 is focused on supporting regional communities’ access to high quality arts and cultural products and events, including music gigs to foster a vibrant arts scene, underpinned by the values of respect, opportunity, and aspiration, where art is celebrated, and every Queenslander is welcomed. The Fund supports delivery of the key priorities of the Queensland’s Time to Shine: 10-year arts and cultural strategy

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Program objectives

• Increase arts engagement in Queensland’s regional communities through touring

• Grow audiences and markets for artists and organisations through touring

• Increase access to inclusive and quality arts and cultural experiences

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Funding of up to $100,000 is available to support a single tour of any length or a program of tours taking place over a period no longer than 12 months. Applicants can apply for up to 50% of project costs. Additional funding of up to $10,000 is available to support costs associated with increasing access for artists and/or audiences with disability.

Activities must be tour-ready and can be in any artform for which Arts Queensland has responsibility including visual arts, craft and design; cultural heritage; performing arts; contemporary and classical music; and writing. Touring itineraries must include at least three locations, excluding the touring party’s home location.

Applicants are encouraged to read the General Funding Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) before submitting an application.

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For further information, please visit Touring Queensland Fund | Arts Queensland | Queensland Government or contact an Arts Investment Officer on: (07) 3034 4016 or Toll Free – 1800 175 531 and email at investment@arts.qld.gov.au.

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Caption: Tchundal Malar Dancers at Between The Tides, 2025. Photo credit: Cherrie Hughes.

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St Peter's Catholic School held a colourful Easter bonnet parade on the last day of term, 2 April. Top hats sat atop every head in an adorable display of creative unity. Rabbit ears, pom-poms, feathers, little eggs and colourful paint allowed each hat to shine differently as every student brought their bonnets to life with Easter charm.

Parents, students and teachers had such fun showing them off during the parade as students showed off their handiwork to family and friends. Excitement fitting for Easter and the last day of the school term. St Peters wishes everyone a happy Easter!

Photos supplied by St Peters Catholic School

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Find your photo here: https://www.hinchinbrooklife.com/social-pics/st-peters-easter-bonnets-parade

The RV Park in Forrest Beach is back open again. From the beginning of April, the popular camping spot has reopened for travellers.

The Forrest Beach RV Park will now be managed by the Forrest Beach Progress Association, who were previously caretakers of the park. They are looking forward to a very busy year, as even with challenging weather and fuel concerns, the park saw healthy numbers over the Easter long weekend.

The RV Park primarily caters to travellers escaping the colder southern climates, with peak occupancy occurring between late June and early August. However, the Progress Association has the foresight to keep the park open and available to travellers all year round.

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The Forrest Beach Progress Association provides essential information to new arrivals about local attractions, encouraging extended visits and return trips. Many travellers revisit the area on their journey home, further boosting local businesses. With amendments made to the facilities in 2025, the RV Park has become an even more accessible spot for all types of campers and travellers.

Rooftop tents have popped up among the usual campervans and caravans; the variety of travellers has expanded.

As the season progresses, the Forrest Beach Progress Association expects a gradual increase in visitors, with peak occupancy in mid-year. The RV Park remains a vital asset to the local economy, providing a welcoming stop for travellers and a comfortable home base for holidaymakers coming to Forrest Beach to enjoy the fishing and local businesses.

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Captions: Aerial view of the Forrest Beach RV Park. Photo credit: Happy Campers Australia

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Get ready for an action-packed day of excitement with Outer Limits Adventure Fitness!

If you're aged 8-15, this is your chance to level up your Youth Week with:

• Mountain Biking thrills

• Archery Tag battles

• Epic Team Games

• Loads of laughs and new friends

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Kicking off at 8:15am with a quick event rundown before diving into three awesome 75-minute sessions, with snack breaks in between to refuel and recharge.  

It's going to be a warm one, so come prepared! Please bring:

• A hat

• Closed-in shoes

• A water bottle

• Morning tea & lunch

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Spots will fill fast - don't miss out on the adventure of Youth Week!

Tickets: Youth Week – Outer Limits Adventure Fitness Tickets at Ingham Showgrounds (Ingham, QLD) on Tuesday, 14 April 2026

*Stock image from: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-in-black-and-orange-bicycle-riding-jacket-with-green-off-road-bike-90454/

Ingham Squash Club recently hosted a fantastic weekend of junior squash. Forty-two players from Cairns, Townsville and Ingham took part in the second Northern Region qualifier tournament. Our Ingham juniors, consisting of novice and experienced players performed well, making the club proud. Place holders were:

Division one – Liam Fascetti third place

Division four – Clint Seri winner and Ashton Hoyle third place

Division five – Braydon Rynne winner

Novice A – Flynn Scovazzi winner, Charlie Borello second, Skylah Veltmeyer third

Novice B – Max Quabba winner, Albin Daijo second, Matisse Scovazzi third

Players are now training hard for their next tournament in May. New junior players are welcome to come on Tuesday afternoons from 3:15pm.

Contributed with thanks by Kim DiBella

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“Paul the Seagull,” who originates from Teignmouth Promenade parkrun in England, made a special appearance at Palm Creek last weekend as part of his global parkrun journey. Paul has been travelling the world with different participants, passed from one custodian to the next across various locations.

“My husband Brett was lucky enough to become Paul’s custodian while doing a parkrun in Roma. Brett will have the seagull this week for the Palm Creek parkrun before passing him onto the next custodian. It usually goes to the person who has travelled the furthest to participate in the parkrun,” said Mandy Griffiths.

“Paul the Seagull came all the way from Teignmouth Promenade parkrun in the UK to take part in our very wet parkrun here in North Queensland. Next stop for Paul is Aplins Weir parkrun in Townsville. Safe travels, Paul!” a Palm Creek parkrun spokesperson said.

“Not only is Paul the Seagull from Teignmouth Promenade parkrun heading south to Townsville, but he’s being escorted by another Paul, this one from Aplins Weir parkrun,” added visiting runner Paul Millers, who became the seagulls next custodian.

Although I wasn’t able to attend this week’s run as I was out of the region, I can only imagine Paul had a very fun and soggy outing. Best of luck to the two Pauls as they make their way to the next parkrun stop in this one little seagull’s grand adventure.

Parkrun Results: 21st March 2026

Palm Creek #117 – 13 participants
Fastest time: Julian Lee (21:57)
Final finisher: Sandra Coco (55:51)
PBs: Todd Cockburn (30:10), Ruby Cockburn (35:50)
First-timers: Paul Millers (24:38), Amie Brown (28:23), Ciara Dunleavy (32:30)
Volunteers: Bridgette Duffy, Donna Panzenbock, Julie Mac Pherson, Matteo Mancuso, Sandra Coco
Special Guest: Paul the Seagull

Cardwell #379 – 10 participants
Fastest time: Will Ritchie (28:00)
Final finisher: Anita Davina (47:28)
Volunteers: Kellie Ball, Kerry Snell, Jan Ferguson, Terry Curtin, Anita Davina

Photos sourced from Palm Creek Parkrun’s Facebook page

Anglers from across Queensland are set to descend on the region for the annual Hinchinbrook Catch and Release Tournament, a major event hosted by the Ingham Rod & Reel Club.

The tournament will run from Friday 15 May to Saturday 16 May, kicking off with team registrations, a welcome dinner and briefing at the Lucinda Hotel.

Fishing will take place over two days, with teams departing from the Dungeness Boat Ramp from 5.30am each morning. Competition hours are scheduled for Friday from 7am to 5pm and Saturday from 7am to 4.30pm, before concluding with a presentation evening back at the Lucinda Hotel.

The popular event attracts competitors from across the state, and occasionally interstate, with strong support from local sponsors and the wider fishing community.

Importantly, funds raised from the tournament go towards the club’s juvenile barramundi restocking program, helping to support the sustainability of local fisheries.

Further details and sponsor highlights will be shared in the lead-up to the event via the Ingham Rod & Reel Club’s social media pages.

What: Annual Hinchinbrook Catch and Release Tournament

When: Friday 15 May to Saturday 16 May

Where: Dungeness Boat Ramp

The Annual Hinchinbrook Catch and Release Tournament is a major event for the Ingham Rod & Reel Club. Photo source: Ingham Rod & Reel Club

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This week brought another humid morning out on both courses, with hardly a breeze to help keep runners cool. Even so, the conditions didn’t stop a number of new faces from turning up, and several participants achieved personal bests along the way. One visitor to Palm Creek mentioned they had our course on their list of parkruns to complete and were pleased to tick it off. I hadn’t really considered that some people might keep a “parkrun bucket list” or checklist of courses to visit, but it does sound like a great way to plan a road trip, by stopping at different parkruns along the way and ticking them off as you go.

Next week is Cardwell’s 8th birthday, and they’re encouraging everyone to wear a silly, funny, or crazy hat and join them for a walk or run, followed by a small celebration at the Seabreeze Café. I’ll be directing Palm Creek next week so I won’t be able to make it, but hopefully many of our local runners can head over to Cardwell to support their volunteers and join in the birthday spirit.

Parkrun Results: 7th March 2026

Palm Creek #115 – 23 participants

Fastest time: Scout Murray (24:03)
Final finisher: Steven Veltmeyer (1:00:49)
PBs: Christopher Gunston (30:38), Matthew Turner (31:34), Carolyn Gunston (44:54)
First-timers: Mila Ellis (32:13), Sofia Palombi (32:14)
Volunteers: Ted Cogger, Julie Mac Pherson, Amanda Towner, Matteo Mancuso, Steven Veltmeyer, Bridgette Duffy, V Velton

Cardwell #377 – 23 participants

Fastest time: Jake Ball (20:49)
Final finisher: Matthew Gardiner (54:21)
PBs: Jake Ball (20:49), Jenny Irwin (33:29), Graeme Lake (49:48)
First-timers: Mark Fifield (22:49), Samantha Fifield (25:31), Jemma Atkins (26:22), Ellen Atkins (27:37)
Volunteers: Judith Clarke, Luke Tamblyn, Jan Ferguson, Terry Curtin, Graeme Lake, Dave Ball, Kerry Snell

Photo sourced: Palm Creek and Cardwell Parkrun’s Facebook pages.

At the Ingham Ladies Bowls Club our 1st Round of the Rinks Championships was played in very windy conditions making bowling a little tricky.

I. Byrns, K. Rotondo, J. Craven, S. Ryan 23 vs 12 J. Johnson, A. Foti, D. Tomba, T. Rhodes.

G.Wright, L. DiBella, E. Piotto, L. Melvin 23 vs 16 D. Bull, B. Eddleston, M. Moore, A. Rutherford.

Social Play saw N. Mammerella, T. Mawson, N. Evans, J. Fenoglio 16 vs 22 A. Burns, J. Casanovas, M. Owen.

Contributed with thanks by Ryan, and John & Elsa Piotto.

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The future of fishing at Koombooloomba Dam is looking bright following a successful barramundi fingerling release led by local volunteers and fisheries officers.

In late January, Queensland Boating and Fishing Patrol in Ingham joined the Koombooloomba Barramundi Restocking Program to assist with the latest stocking effort, helping release thousands of young barramundi into the dam.

Around 10 boats took part in last year’s release, with 10,320 fingerlings stocked across several locations. This followed an earlier release of 3,000 fingerlings, marking the first time barramundi had been stocked in the dam in six years after the program was revived by passionate local anglers.

The restocking program has been made possible through permit funding secured by the Koombooloomba Barramundi Restocking Program, whose volunteers have worked tirelessly to rebuild the dam’s barramundi fishery for future generations.

Koombooloomba Dam remains one of the few locations where barramundi can still be targeted during the annual closed season from 1 November to 31 January, provided fishers hold a stocked impoundment permit.

Fisheries Queensland is encouraging locals and visitors alike to take advantage of the opportunity and enjoy one of North Queensland’s standout freshwater fishing destinations.

Koombooloomba Dam is one of the few spots you can still target barramundi during the closure. Photo source: Fisheries Queensland

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Members of Forrest Beach Surf Life Saving Club have returned home with medals and personal bests after an outstanding performance at the State Youth Championships, capping off a huge few days of competition for the club and the wider North Barrier Branch.

Competing in their final State Youth Championships, the club’s Under-15 athletes delivered impressive results on the sand. Antwoine secured a bronze medal in the Under-15 Male Beach Sprint, while teammate Lane from Sarina claimed gold in the same event. Stephen narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in a fiercely contested Beach Flags final and recording a personal best in the process.

The Under-15 success continued in the Beach Relay, with Antwoine and Stephen teaming up with Lane and Cooper (Sarina) to claim gold, dominating the field in a standout performance.

Strong results were also recorded in the Under-14 division, with Jahmarley showing determination and speed to reach the semi-finals of the beach sprint, adding to the club’s strong showing across age groups.

Off the sand, the North Barrier Branch March Past team once again impressed, securing silver under the guidance of Coach Lenny. Achieving such a high-quality performance with minimal training was a credit to both the coach and the dedication of the athletes, who represented multiple clubs across the branch.

Forrest Beach SLSC congratulated all competitors on a successful championships campaign, praising the spirit of teamwork and the way branch clubs came together to showcase the strength and talent of the north.

“It’s always fantastic to see our athletes supporting each other and representing our region with pride,” the club said.

The results highlight a bright future for the young lifesavers as they continue to develop their skills and represent their communities at the highest levels of competition.

Photos curtesy of Forrest Beach Surf Life Saving Club.

Last weekend brought some very warm conditions for parkrunners, especially at Palm Creek, where the lack of breeze made it feel even hotter. I definitely felt the heat. Remember that exercising in high temperatures increases the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke, which can cause dizziness, nausea, headaches, and even fainting. It’s important to drink plenty of water before, during, and after running to replace fluids lost through sweat. Pace yourself while running in the heat to keep your body functioning safely while you enjoy the run.

A special shout-out to John, who kicked off his Bucks Day celebrations with a run at Cardwell parkrun. The Cardwell course treated everyone to some spectacular double rainbows and shaded stretches beneath the trees along the shoreline with lush scenery, even if a little steamy!

Parkrun Results: 28th February 2026

Palm Creek #114 – 29 participants
Fastest time: Ron New (21:25)
Final finisher: Sandra Coco (1:01:51)
First-timers: Ron New, Christopher Gunston, Elise Gunston, Danielle Scovazzi, Carolyn Gunston
Volunteers: Julie Mac Pherson, Erin Cerutti, Amanda Towner, Matteo Mancuso, Sandra Coco, Bridgette Duffy, Steven Veltmeyer

Cardwell #376 – 19 participants
Fastest time: John Gillett (22:32)
Final finisher: Graeme Lake (51:21)
PBs: Layla Morris (25:16), Graeme Lake (51:21)
First-timers: Jesse Callaway
Volunteers: Anita Davina, Jan Ferguson, Graeme Lake, Terry Curtin, Kerry Snell

Photos sourced from Cardwell and Palm Creek Parkrun’s Facebook pages.

Tennis has restarted for the year and is in full swing, with four the club juniors doing squad training with our coach Tom Casey on Saturday. They’re learning how to serve and hit the ball, at this level, the group is a red ball group. Children are placed into groups depending on their ability to make tennis a positive experience.

Contributed with thanks by Geoff Caso.

Children in the pictured are Harry, Chad, Felix and Otis (not in order)

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When most of us couldn't get out of bed because of partying to hard with Tones and I, these heroes still rallied to the course for the few who still had energy to burn. A big thank you goes out to all the incredible volunteers who make parkrun possible each and every week.

From timekeeping and barcode scanning to marshalling and cheering participants along the course, your dedication keeps both Palm Creek and Cardwell running smoothly. Parkrun simply wouldn’t happen without you, and the community truly appreciates the time and energy you give each Saturday morning.

Parkrun Results: 21st February 2026

Palm Creek #113 – 19 participants
Fastest time: Julian Lee (19:10)
Final finisher: Kelly Krumin (48:42)
PBs: Carter Hague (19:35), Emerson Hague (28:12), Sophie Parker (30:36), Bernard Di Bartolo (38:17)
First-timers: Rowan Lee, Mal Williams
Volunteers: Sandra Coco, Bridgette Duffy, Kelly Krumin, Matteo Mancuso, Donna Panzenbock

Cardwell #375 – 17 participants
Fastest time: Jake Ball (21:46)
Final finisher: Graeme Lake (51:46)
PBs: Kay Rowe (40:29), Graeme Lake (51:46)
Volunteers: Dave Ball, Kellie Ball, Terry Curtin, Jan Ferguson, Graeme Lake