Latest news with #FitzroyRiver
ABC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Premier David Crisafulli's Rockhampton rowing commitment for 2032 Olympic Games a message to regional Queensland
They say the two don't mix, but there's a lot of politics in sport, and even more sport in politics. It's hardly been more apparent than this week. Who would've thought a croc-infested Central Queensland river would become such a flashpoint in the journey to the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games? The "mighty Fitzroy", in the words of Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, is slated to host rowing and canoeing in 2032. Not so mighty in the eyes of national and international rowing bodies, which have expressed concerns over whether it meets technical requirements. Good luck convincing the government of that. The premier and his deputy have repeatedly said if it's good enough for local kids, it's good enough for "Pierre from Paris" (at times in a bad accent). When asked on Wednesday about what would be done about the Fitzroy's croc population for the Games, Jarrod Bleijie first responded, "What crocodiles?". For reference, a government monitoring program from 2016 to 2019 found there were 0.2 crocodiles per kilometre in the Fitzroy River. How do you like those odds, Pierre? When pushed on the issue, Mr Bleijie snapped back with a gold medal sound bite. "These things are not jumping on canoes and downing things, just like Jaws is not downing the surfers when the surfers surfed in Tahiti for the Olympic and Paralympic Games." Prehistoric apex predators aside, the river has verifiable issues around its length and current. While technical assessments have begun, the decision on whether the Central Queensland waterway is suitable ultimately lies with World Rowing, not the Queensland government. So that's the sport of it all, what about the politics? Standing behind the premier on the banks of the Fitzroy on Wednesday were Donna Kirkland and Nigel Hutton, the LNP members for Rockhampton and Keppel, respectively. The first-time MPs clinched their electorates on the back of massive swings against Labor. Central Queensland was Labor heartland, and the October election was the first time since 1932 that the party lost the seat of Rockhampton. The LNP came to government through the regions, where concerns about youth crime were more acute than in the south-east. Of Labor's 36 seats, just three are outside of south-east Queensland. Its return to power can only be found through wins in the regions, something the premier and his government are distinctly aware of. Mr Crisafulli's commitment to rowing in Rocky is a commitment to its constituents, repaying the faith they've shown the LNP. And if the Fitzroy is deemed not up to scratch, that'll come from an international body, conveniently absolving the premier of blame. Maybe Pierre from Paris will cop another spray. Politicians trying their hand at sport is etched into Australian folklore. Peter Dutton kicking a footy into a camera and cutting the operator's head, Scott Morrison tackling a small child, John Howard's failed bowling attempt. Mr Crisafulli, a former television journalist, is no stranger to the spotlight. But he's cautious with his carefully cultivated image and brand, reticent to join that storied group. When the opportunity arose this week to take to the river to experience what rowing might be like, he instead sent his sports minister. Watching from a boat alongside, Mr Crisafulli saved himself from any potential embarrassment or puns from eager journalists. It's not the first time the premier has opted out of sporting endeavours, his pre-election small target strategy extending to what his media team would allow him to do for the cameras. Perhaps he'll become more intrepid in the future if his firm grip on the electorate waivers.
ABC News
22-07-2025
- Climate
- ABC News
Fire destroys Kimberley campsite, 4WD vehicles and equipment
Fire has destroyed two four-wheel-drive vehicles and valuable camping equipment at a campsite in Western Australia's north. Three men, aged in their 70s, had set up camp at Uralla-Snake Creek, near Camballin, 2,400 kilometres north of Perth, in the Kimberley region last Thursday. The group was exploring the Fitzroy River for just two hours on Saturday when they returned to their creek-side campsite to find an apocalyptic scene. "We could see the smoke … black smoke, so we knew it was a vehicle. It was devastating," vehicle owner Gary Case said. Mr Case and his "best mates" have spent months on the road, camping and prospecting, since leaving northern New South Wales earlier this year. The 75-year-old said he visited family in Broome and the group were spending a long weekend at the idyllic freshwater creek system near Camballin when the disaster struck. Mr Case said there was no obvious cause of the fire since they had taken precautions with a small generator and ensured the campfire was cold before they headed off. "It could have been an electrical fault somewhere else in one of the trucks or something shorted out in a 12 volt," he said. "We just don't know. The fire left the experienced campers with just the clothes they were wearing and their phones. "I'm so relieved I had my dog with me. Losing her would have been worse than the troopy," Mr Case said. Mr Case, who lives in Carool, NSW, said the trio were taking the disaster in their stride because each of them had faced major health scares and personal losses in the past. "My mate's had open heart surgery. I've had issues — they said I actually died on the operating table, but I came back," he said. Without insurance and no way of getting home, online fundraisers have been set up to help the men. "I'm a bit embarrassed [by the donations] — I'm not that sort of person," Mr Case said.
The Australian
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Australian
Gone fishing: hook to get Rawiller back to Rocky
Top Sydney jockey Nash Rawiller's eyes lit up when he watched a couple of fishermen haul in a huge barramundi within a stone's throw from a Rockhampton waterfront pub. Rawiller was sinking a few beers with his manager Liam Prior and local race-caller Russell 'Brolga' Leonard at the Criterion Hotel on the banks of the Fitzroy River on the day after The Archer in early May. Rawiller had ridden the Bjorn Baker-trained Sandpaper to fifth place in the $1 million slot race and was unwinding on the Monday before flying back to Sydney. 'Nash had never been to Rockhampton before and he just wanted a day out on the Monday before going home,' Leonard explained. PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'We were just walking down to our local hotel and there was a couple of guys in a tinnie pulling in a barra. 'Nash is a mad fisherman and he said to me 'unbelievable, they catch barra just in here'. 'We got talking and as the afternoon wore on, he said 'do you go out fishing out wide here?' and I said 'yeah we can go out'.' READ: 'Like a war zone': Beriman reflects on nasty Ipswich race fall The 50-year-old Rawiller then suggested coming up again to Australia's beef capital for the Rockhampton Cup Racing Carnival. 'I said to him 'it's all good but that's Caloundra Cup Day, you'll be in demand there'. He did say 'I've ridden plenty of winners at Caloundra, I don't need to go there',' Leonard recalled. Nash Rawiller 'We always try to get a guest rider up here. We even got Willie Pike three years ago and he rode here for the two days.' Rockhampton Jockey Club organised the trip for Rawiller, who was the guest speaker at the Calcutta dinner last Friday night. Rawiller ended up riding in four races at Callaghan Park on Friday, when he won on $1.40 favourite Lone Artist for Liam Birchley, and just once on Saturday (third on Nagamie). He was meant to ride the Chris Waller-trained Caboche in the $150,000 Rockhampton Cup, won by Logan Street Lion, but the gelding was scratched and will now likely head to the $80,000 South Grafton Cup (1600m) next Sunday. 'I love my fishing so I was keen to get back there,' 71-time Group 1 champion Rawiller said about Rockhampton. 'And the track is as good as any I've ridden on. It's got a lovely, sweeping turn and the 600m straight is one of the longest in Australia, I believe. 'It's nice to do these things to refresh the mind so it's a bit of a working holiday for me. 'I've been on a bit of a break already so I'm just giving the body a rest because I was getting a bit rundown. 'I'm already starting to feel better and it doesn't take me long to get the itch back.' Leonard said the two-day fishing expedition would take Rawiller to Port Clinton, Island Head Creek and Pearl Bay, where major joint military exercises are often staged between Australia and the US.
News.com.au
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
Keen angler Nash Rawiller was happy to return to Rockhampton for a few rides over the northern carnival
Top Sydney jockey Nash Rawiller's eyes lit up when he watched a couple of fishermen haul in a huge barramundi within a stone's throw from a Rockhampton waterfront pub. Rawiller was sinking a few beers with his manager Liam Prior and local race-caller Russell 'Brolga' Leonard at the Criterion Hotel on the banks of the Fitzroy River on the day after The Archer in early May. Rawiller had ridden the Bjorn Baker -trained Sandpaper to fifth place in the $1 million slot race and was unwinding on the Monday before flying back to Sydney. 'Nash had never been to Rockhampton before and he just wanted a day out on the Monday before going home,' Leonard explained. 'We were just walking down to our local hotel and there was a couple of guys in a tinnie pulling in a barra. 'Nash is a mad fisherman and he said to me 'unbelievable, they catch barra just in here'. 'We got talking and as the afternoon wore on, he said 'do you go out fishing out wide here?' and I said 'yeah we can go out'.' The 50-year-old Rawiller then suggested coming up again to Australia's beef capital for the Rockhampton Cup Racing Carnival. 'I said to him 'it's all good but that's Caloundra Cup Day, you'll be in demand there'. He did say 'I've ridden plenty of winners at Caloundra, I don't need to go there',' Leonard recalled. 'We always try to get a guest rider up here. We even got Willie Pike three years ago and he rode here for the two days.' Rockhampton Jockey Club organised the trip for Rawiller, who was the guest speaker at the Calcutta dinner last Friday night. Rawiller ended up riding in four races at Callaghan Park on Friday, when he won on $1.40 favourite Lone Artist for Liam Birchley, and just once on Saturday (third on Nagamie). He was meant to ride the Chris Waller -trained Caboche in the $150,000 Rockhampton Cup, won by Logan Street Lion, but the gelding was scratched and will now likely head to the $80,000 South Grafton Cup (1600m) next Sunday. 'I love my fishing so I was keen to get back there,' 71-time Group 1 champion Rawiller said about Rockhampton. 'And the track is as good as any I've ridden on. It's got a lovely, sweeping turn and the 600m straight is one of the longest in Australia, I believe. 'It's nice to do these things to refresh the mind so it's a bit of a working holiday for me. Hear him roar! ðŸ¦� Logan Street Lion claims the TAB Rockhampton Cup! ðŸ�† @ParkCallaghan — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) July 5, 2025 'I've been on a bit of a break already so I'm just giving the body a rest because I was getting a bit rundown. 'I'm already starting to feel better and it doesn't take me long to get the itch back.' Leonard said the two-day fishing expedition would take Rawiller to Port Clinton, Island Head Creek and Pearl Bay, where major joint military exercises are often staged between Australia and the US.
ABC News
07-06-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Rockhampton's Callaghan Park celebrates more than 125 years of racing
Cut from scrub on the banks of a river at the end of the 19th century, a unique Australian racecourse boasts a history like no other. From a plane crash, crocodiles taking residence during extreme flood events and bachelor and spinster — or B&S — balls, Rockhampton's Callaghan Park in central Queensland has a rich and colourful past. The present location of the racecourse, a stone's throw from the mighty Fitzroy River, was established more than 125 years ago by a dapper group of racing folk. Rockhampton Jockey Club (RJC) chief executive David Aldred said 60 hectares of thick bushland was selected for the racecourse in 1898 for its proximity to the town centre. "There were actually two racecourses in Rockhampton in those days, west of the CBD past Rockhampton Airport, but it was too far out of town to go to the races," Mr Aldred said. "They picked this site beside the river and a team of guys were engaged to carve out the track from scrub and within a few months had a racetrack." The opening of Callaghan Park was celebrated with a two-day race meeting, the first of which was on June 2, 1899. "They had 3,000 people each day for the first meeting, which is a big thing when you consider how those people had to get to the races," Mr Aldred said. The first properly constituted racing body in the Rockhampton region was the Fitzroy Jockey Club, formed in 1863, before the RJC was established in 1868. While horse racing is the club's bread and butter, colourful characters and international news stories also hold a place in Callaghan Park folklore. In 1912, a race around the track between a Bleriot monoplane and car attracted a crowd of 7,000 spectators. The main attraction was Hollywood stunt man and famous American aviator Mr A.B. "Wizard" Stone. At the conclusion of the race on the final lap, the crowd was horrified to see the plane crash land on the nearby cricket ground. Mr Aldred said patrons rushed to the site and were relieved to see Mr Stone climb from the wreckage uninjured. The course has also endured times of hardship and tragedy. Major floods over the years have engulfed Callaghan Park. In the record 1991 Rockhampton flood, the grass track was completely destroyed and rebuilt with a new type of grass to better withstand weather events. "If you have a look at the water marks we've got engraved on the buildings downstairs, they've come up to the roof of those buildings," Mr Aldred said. In the 2011 floods, authorities had to issue warnings about marauding snakes and crocodiles in the murky, brown floodwaters around the course and surrounding flood-hit suburbs. From floods to frocks, Callaghan Park hosted modern B&S balls in the 1980s and 90s before growing concerns about insurance and liquor licensing saw events dry up. "That's what people forget, racecourses are seven-day-a-week venues and we host a lot of events here," Mr Aldred said. "It's a unique facility that has catered for a lot of interesting people over many, many years." While Sydney's Royal Randwick racecourse is recognised as Australia's oldest key racing venue, established in 1833, Callaghan Park has also hosted racing royalty through the decades. Trainer Gai Waterhouse, world-class jockey Craig Williams and former Melbourne Cup winners have graced the popular country Queensland track. Racing Queensland acting chief executive Lachlan Murray said the venue was one of the state's oldest and most important regional racing hubs — hosting more than 30 meetings each year. "Callaghan Park is at the coalface of racing in the region both on race day and as a vital training facility for in excess of 30 local trainers," Mr Murray said. "Thoroughbred racing in the Rockhampton region also plays a significant role in the Central Queensland economy, contributing close to $70 million in value whilst supporting almost 450 full-time roles in the wider region. "We look forward to another 125 years of gallopers thundering down the famous Callaghan Park straight."
