GET  ready for a free performance poetry workshop with renowned bush poet NOEL STALLARD who will be coming to Mackay to host a workshop at the Gordon White Library meeting room from 2pm to 4pm on Saturday, July 19. It is a big day for the Mackay Festival of Arts which will stage its popular Wine and Food Day at Queens Park, but for poets, you can spend a delightful two hours learning the skills of performance poetry with Noel, who will also entertain us at the Poets in the Pub that night at the Old Railway Hotel. Want to know more or book in for the workshop. Contact us at mkywriters@gmail.com or call/leave a message on Paul's mobile 0432 541 812. Also, don't forget to buy an admission ticket through the Mackay Entertainment and Convention Centre to see our poets, musicians, and Noel entertain at on the Saturday night of the festival.

Mackay is a coastal city in what some define as central Queensland while others say we are in north Queensland. The climate is tropical with usually lots of rain in the summer, and winters that are glorious and not too hot, not too cold. Our region has some beautiful sandy beaches, and the coastal national parks of Cape Palmerston to our south, and Cape Hillsborough to our north. At the head of our Pioneer River valley is the community and national park of Eungella where you can chance upon the platypus and a number of birds and native creatures. The islands of the Whitsundays are to our north, while we have a number of islands off our coast, including Keswick, St Bees and Brampton among the most popular.