Sport

Kirstin Nicholson. Two local cricket stalwarts have been honoured with a new annual shield. Bruce Milthorpe from Cohuna and George Keath from Leitchville have been recognised for the many years of dedication and work they have put into their local cricket clubs.

Tottenham Picnic Race Club

After announcing the Mornington Peninsula Bowls Region (MPBR) as the new location for the 2022 Carnival late last year, it is with mixed emotions that we now advise that the Carnival will not be moving to the MPBR, and will instead be held in Echuca Moama, hosted by the Campaspe Playing area of the Bendigo Campaspe Goldfields Bowls Region (BCGBR).

“I believe this object is a very early version of a wooden bowl possibly used in ‘crown green bowls’. This bowl was passed on to me from my late English stepfather. It was dug up in Kent, Southern England about 50 years ago during renovations to an old horse stable. Where did it originate? Maybe Sir Francis Drake used this bowl while the Spanish Armada was sailing up the English Channel in 1588 or maybe it was used earlier than that date": Glenn Johnson, Elliot Heads Bowls Club.

Last month, the Queensland weather lashed across the State and flooded two of our clubs, Tansey Bowls Club and Maryborough Services Memorial Bowls Club. Tansey Bowls Club was hit the worst, with about a metre of water inside the clubhouse. Tansey’s President Rainer Marschall said they had to remove the wall linings so that the walls could dry out properly.

Abalone fishers took advantage of the third fishing hour of the West Coast Zone abalone fishing season, including at Yanchep Lagoon. Yanchep Surf Life Saving Club and Marine Rescue Two Rocks volunteers were at the lagoon this morning keeping a watch on fishers searching for the reef-dwelling mollusc.

The NSW Government has partnered with Ironman Australia to bring the prestigious Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) World Series to Mt Kosciuszko in December this year.

Maldon will once again host an event where classic steel bicycles are displayed and ridden. Whether it is an early piece of cycling history from the 1800s, or a more recent steel frame from those artisans still producing steel bikes, it is hoped there will be a solid representation across the eras.

Jeff Hanson. A sense of deja vu must have swept over the Narrandera Rodeo Club committee on Friday night, with organisers reluctantly deciding to cancel their 2022 rodeo ... the hard-working committee was expecting a bumper crowd for a big night of thrills and spills but for the second year in a row, the Covid-19 pandemic has reared its ugly head.

Frank Lampard. After celebrating their 40 Year Anniversary in 2021 The Maclean Bobcats Men’s and Womens Premier League Football (soccer) teams embark on season 2022 with renewed vigour. The proud club with a trophy laden history is renowned for developing local talent from all over the Clarence Valley as young players gravitate to the only club that can offer Premier League level football.

The small-town kid from Cape York has been given the task of turning around the Far North's biggest rugby league club, the Northern Pride. Garreth Smith explains how his background will help restore the Pride and provide a pathway for kids from the Cape and Torres Strait.

The countdown to the 2022 barramundi season is well and truly on with keen anglers across the Rockhampton region and country ready to wet a line and chase their New Year barra personal bests (PB’s) from the 1st of February. Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams said the number of trophy Barra over the magic metre in length continues to grow each season.

Jeff Hanson. The Hume League finals beckoned in 2021, and after the season was cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic, many footballing pundits were predicting the Lockhart Demons to be a powerhouse in 2022 ... In good news, former Azzi Medal winner, two-time club best and fairest and former coach, Nathan McPherson will return as a non-playing coach in 2022.

Kirstin Nicholson. “With so many pools closing across the regions, kids will be using creeks, rivers, lakes and dams as their local swimming holes. If we don’t teach them how to be safe in these situations, it is highly likely that we see drowning rates increase in the future”: Mikayla Gibson, Cohuna teacher in charge.

Kendall Jennings. Growing up 10 km from Barham, Daniel Searle's life changed at 16 years of age when he suffered rapid vision loss. However, this did not slow the local lad down. He completed Year 12, studied at university and is now a physiotherapist in Albury. Searle competed in the National Road Cycling Championships held in Ballarat from January 12 to 16.

Lesley Sutton. Clarence Coast Dragon Boat Club returned to the water after our Christmas break with enthusiasm. The first session was to revisit the very important safety drills to ensure all paddlers are familiar with safety calls, medical issues and possible capsize.

Peter Rookas. The first of the finals for this year’s Bowls Queensland Junior State Championships being conducted in Toowoomba were played on Tuesday 18/1/22 in superb summer weather at North Toowoomba bowls greens.

Born and bred local Efsta Konidaris’ newest hobby has been taking the Barkly by storm! The keen mountain biking local is well known for her businesses Tennant Creek Emporium and Total Sports, and it was by chance on a ride she took a photo with her phone and the social media reception went viral.

Kendall Jennings. On a hot summer day at Barham’s Riverside Park, locals were treated to a world-class experience when former world and current Australian champion Jaydyn Coggins held a sport stacking demonstration and coaching session on Wednesday, January 5.

Emma Pritchard. After achieving a national qualifying time and establishing a top two ranking in Australia for her age group in the 5000m open water swim, along with a silver medal, Andrea 'Torpedo' Thomson (13) is currently training to compete in the Australian Open Water National Championship in Adelaide on January 30 and focused on adding further accolades to her impressive record.

Australia’s history is populated with maritime related stories. With over 1,000 rivers and a coast that stretches for more than 36,000 kilometres, it is no surprise that Australia abounds with stories of people who have lived and worked on the water. This exhibition presents some of those stories, exploring the remarkable connections between people and their boats.

A giant of the Cape York fishing industry has pulled anchor on his long-standing career. Alan “Fish” Philliskirk was a pioneer of the fishing guide business in Cape York – along with a couple of others – and is one of the reasons why Weipa is now one of the most desirable fishing destinations in Australia, if not the world.