February 2026 Magazine

Issue of 2026 February Magazine

Read Story

1 min read

February 2026 Magazine

February 2026 Magazine

Issue of 2026 February Magazine

Read Story

1 min read

Magazine

February 2026 Magazine

Issue of 2026 February Magazine

Feb 5, 2026

1 min read

Author:

Bay Islands

Community Notices

RUSSELL ISLAND COMMUNITY ARTS (RICArts)

RICArts is a Non-for-profit, community-based organisation offering a variety of art mediums such as; Patchwork, Sewing & Craft, Art, Clay Sculpting, Pottery Wheel Throwing, Woodwork, Abstract Painting, Ukulele, Mosaics and more. Opening hours Monday to Friday, 9.30 am - 12.30 pm.

RICArts Arthouse & Gallery: Entry via Robert St, Russell Island (short walk from the jetty). Gallery only opens on weekends as needed. All welcome! While you’re here, grab a coffee from ROSIE’S – Island Beans Coffee Cart.

SMBI COMMUNITY CONCERT BAND

Island community band (started in 2023) welcomes new players of all ages and levels—woodwind, brass, percussion and more.

Rehearsals: Sundays (school terms), 2:00–3:30pm, Macleay Island Progress Hall. Just come along and join!

Enquiries: Eve Newsome – evenewsome@hotmail.com

THE BAY ISLAND SINGERS INC

Practice Every Monday 2–4pm, Russell Island Recreation Hall

The Bay Island Singers are now meeting at the Recreation Hall, Russell Island (near the ferry terminal) every Monday from 2–4pm. Everyone is welcome — no experience necessary! Come along, lift your voice in song, share some laughter, and enjoy afternoon tea with a friendly group of locals who simply love to sing together. Cost is just $5 per week. Last practice for 2025 will be on 14 December. For more information contact:

info@thebayislandsingers.com

BERNIE’S ARTISAN MARKET & SOCIAL

Every 3rd Saturday at the Macleay Island Progress Hall and grounds.

TENNIS ON MACLEAY & LAMB ISLANDS

Social tennis three times per week:

Mon 3:00pm – Macleay Tue 4:00pm – Lamb

Thu 2:00 or 3:00pm – Macleay Cost: $2 per day. All welcome (players 18–88!). Text Graham 0492 951 458.

GIRLS’ DAY OUT LUNCHES

Held last Thursday of the month. Raffle proceeds go to the Animal Welfare League. New and returning participants welcome. Info: Sue 0434 969 790.

VISTA GROUP – MACLEAY ISLAND

Improving Streetscapes & Facilities. Join us for 2hr Tuesdays 4:00pm-6:00pm. WHERE: VISTA PLACE (Near Energex Depot-Southsea Tce) OR: Txt Suzanne 0435 006 365

START IN THE PARK

Light exercise with Council equipment (bring your own dumbbells too). Thursdays 8:00am, opposite Macleay Community Centre. Info: 0400 463 443.

MACLEAY ISLAND UKULELE GROUP (MUGS)

Over 10 years strong! Fridays 12:00–3:00pm, Progress Hall, Russell Terrace, Macleay Island.

Fee $5 casual (includes afternoon tea). First time free.

Bring your uke and join the fun—or just pop in and say hi.

See our Facebook Group for updates.

CAN DO COMPANION LINE

Need help or just want a chat? Feeling a bit isolated? We can keep in contact, check you’re okay, run a few errands, and listen. Mon–Fri 9:00am–3:00pm – Lea 0422 465 493.

JPS IN THE COMMUNITY – MACLEAY ISLAND LIBRARY

Need a document witnessed or certified? Walk-in service, no appointment needed. 26 Russell Terrace, Macleay Island, Fridays, 10am–12pm Ph: (07) 3409 4243

LAMB ISLAND CRAFT GROUP

Tuesdays 9:00am–12:00pm, LIRA building near Progress Hall.

All welcome for good company and a cuppa.

MACLEAY ISLAND TOURISM CENTRE

Office open 5 days a week at the Macleay Island Community Hall complex.

LIONS CLUB COMMUNITY MARKETS

Community Market held @ The Community Centre (Macleay Island) 8 am - 12 pm. On the first Saturday of the Month.

COME DANCE WITH US – LINE DANCING

Thursdays 9:30am–1:00pm, Bay Islands Community Services, 55 Jackson Road, Russell Island. Girls & Guys Line Dancing to Country, Pop, Rock ’n’ Roll, Waltz. Contact Joanne 0419 999 540.

TABLE TENNIS

First night free! Mondays 5:00–7:00pm, Recreational Hall, Alison Cres. Contacts: Siobhan 0406 108 882, Alan 0418 799 765.

SMBI NATURE ACTION GROUP

This recently formed group welcomes all residents to help with projects big and small to protect and enhance our unique island environment. In 2026 they will be working with the Council Parkcare program to improve and beautify our island parks. Please contact Eve Newsome to join up! evenewsome@hotmail.com

HUNTING TRASH AND TREASURES

Macleay Island Clean Up - Facebook page or call Sam at 0490 758 016, first Sunday of the month at 3pm

Russell Island Clean Up Walk - Facebook group, first Sunday of the month at 8am

BAY ISLANDS UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

Tue, 3 Feb, 4pm: Sign on day&fun training for all

Thur, 5 Feb: Sign on& fun training

Training days 2026 are Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.

THE FRIENDS OF THE FARM SUNRISE MARKETS

are fast becoming a monthly favourite, held on the second Sunday of every month at the Russell Island Community Arts Grounds on Robert Street. It’s free to have a stall, call Bob on 0432 092 676 to organise.

Feb 5, 2026

4 min read

Author:

Bay Islands

Hot Goss

LETTERBOX LEGENDS

Our inbox was inundated with Christmas letterbox entries, but the crown goes to John and Gillian Dunn. John isn’t new to festive mischief, he made the Santa that’s been hanging out at the Bowls Club for a few years. So when the competition came along, he thought it was time to add to it. Every piece of their winning entry was cut from MDF and painted by John himself. The $500 prize couldn’t have landed at a better time, and from what I heard, spending it was almost as fun as making the creation. A little chaos, a lot of talent, and just the right amount of island style showmanship.

ISLANDERS PUSH BACK ON

WOOLWORTHS DELIVERY FEE

Woolworths’ newly announced $20 delivery fee for island postcodes has islanders across the Bay asking one simple question. How is this fair? From 3rd February, deliveries to postcodes 4183 and 4184 will attract a $20 “service fee,” with an additional charge on Sundays and public holidays. This fee comes on top of existing delivery or subscription costs. Woolworths cites transport and staffing costs, but many locals aren’t buying it. The truck doesn’t cross for one household at a time. It comes with multiple orders. By the time every delivery is charged $20, islanders are wondering whether the costs are already more than covered, and whether this is less about logistics and more about penalising people for living on an island. The backlash has gained momentum, with support now coming from three levels of government, including Councillor, Shane Rendalls, who has backed the community’s push for fairness. I also tried to get answers directly from Woolworths. I waited on hold, explained my questions, and was passed from person to person. I was hoping to understand how the charges were calculated, including where profits sit elsewhere in the system. Eventually I gave up, worn down by the run around. Islanders aren’t asking for special treatment. We’re asking not to be penalised for where we live. NB: At the time of writing, Woolworths had not responded to community backlash by scrapping the proposed delivery fee. Any updates will be published in a future issue.

MANGOES AT THE FERRY TERMINAL

Pulled up to the ferry terminal and found a crate of unripe mangoes. No sign. No explanation. Just mangoes. We stood there like they were suspicious. Who left them? Were they edible? Was this a trap? An onlooker filled us in; someone had too many and left them for the community. Mind blown. Because suddenly it wasn’t about mangoes. It was about waste, and how many people here would happily turn excess fruit into chutney, jam, curry, cake, or something wildly experimental. So why don’t we do this more often? Maybe it’s time for a communal give back spot for surplus fruit and veg. Today it was mangoes. Tomorrow? Lemons. Zucchini. Bananas. That one neighbour with too many tomatoes. And to whoever left them there, thank you. It’s the first time since I was a kid that I could really smell and taste a mango.

POWER DRAMA ON RUSSELL ISLAND

So….about that “new” Energex charge. Word around the island is residents may be getting charged twice for reticulated power. Back in 1995, $7.8 million of ratepayer money was paid to cover street power connections on Russell Island right through to 2050. Poles, infrastructure, the lot. Paid for. Done. Now? Residents are being hit with “planning” or “assessment” fees just to connect power that’s already outside their property. Some have even been told to insure Energex owned poles on council footpaths. Yes. Really. Energex has reportedly waived fees only when pushed, case by case. No blanket fixes. No automatic refunds. If you’ve paid one of these fees, email your invoice or receipt to shane.rendalls@redland.qld.gov.au

WHAT’S ON AROUND THE ISLANDS

The Friends of the Farm Sunrise Markets are fast becoming a monthly favourite, held on the second Sunday of every month at the Russell Island Community Arts Grounds on Robert Street. Each market is also a chance to step into the gallery, purchase one-of-a-kind gifts, and support the creative talent living right here on the island. The fifth edition lands on 8th February, and with growing community interest, attendance just keeps climbing. It’s free to have a stall, call Bob on 0432 092 676 to organise. And this is just the beginning. If you’re hosting markets, events, workshops, gatherings, or community activations around the islands, we want to hear about them. Send details to editor@thefriendlybayislander.com

Feb 5, 2026

4 min read

Author:

Arts

Every Wall Speaks – the World of Artist Kinga Rypinska

Paintings lean into photographs. Family history sits beside found objects. Antiques, bric-a-brac, bones, birds, birdcages, skulls, mosaics, glass, colour layered on colour. Jewelled kitchen cupboard doors catch the light, throwing small flashes of colour across the kitchen. Lamps are bejewelled. Ceilings are decorated so richly you feel as if you’re floating rather than standing. Mosaics appear where plainness once lived. Colourful carpets and rugs are layered over tiles she couldn’t replace. Ceramic ducks and fruit became cupboard handles. Nothing matches, yet everything belongs. The home doesn’t just hold art, it is the art.

You could easily mistake it for a private museum and you could also easily misunderstand the woman who lives there. At first glance, the space suggests someone eccentric, maximalist, possibly loud. Someone desperate to be seen, to be noticed, to sit at the centre of attention. But on meeting Kinga, you realise immediately that the opposite is true.

The excess is not ego, it’s expression. She is quiet, humble and charismatic in a way that sneaks up on you. There is something almost gypsy like about her, not performative or styled, but natural. A warmth that fills the room long before she speaks. She welcomes you in as though you’ve always belonged there.

Kinga is sixty-five and has lived on Russell Island for eight years. Before that came many other lives; growing up in Poland, studying art, being selected in her twenties as one of ten young Polish artists sponsored by the Prince Charles Trust and flown to the UK to meet the man who is now King. She trained as an engineer in animal husbandry, migrated to Australia in 1993 as a single mother, married, settled on a farm in Langwarrin, and survived a serious road accident that changed her body and her future.

When Victoria became too expensive and the climate increasingly unforgiving, she chose something else; not a compromise, but a reset. She googled the cheapest property in Australia and found Russell Island. On the final day of a holiday with her daughter, she caught the barge across, looked out through the portholes at the water and the islands, and fell in love. She bought the house on the first day.

Inside was white. White walls. White rooms. White silence. Kinga doesn’t like white, it erases too much. What followed was years of building, not just a home but an inner landscape made visible. She doesn’t design. She responds. If something feels wrong, she changes it. If it catches her eye, it stays.

Kinga is a surrealist painter, a master of tapestry, and an artist who also paints on glass. She sketches sometimes, keeps hundreds of photographs as reference, but mostly lets the work lead. She has little patience for art that needs explaining.

Collaboration holds little appeal as it usually means compromise. The rare exception is family; her daughter Aga, a tattoo artist, who occasionally translates Kinga’s paintings onto skin. Canvas becomes body. Story becomes permanence. Even then, it’s not strategy, just continuity.

She doesn’t talk about rules because she doesn’t really see them. She doesn’t measure herself against other artists, movements, or markets. She runs her own life and always has. Painting has threaded through everything. Art was never a career plan, just a constant companion.

“I don’t push boundaries to be known,” she says. “I’m very happy I can make my art and show it to people who appreciate it.”

What surprises her most isn’t praise or success, but something simpler - seeing her paintings living inside other people’s homes. Hung on walls. Part of daily life.

“People smile when they look at them, and that’s enough,” she says.

Her work isn’t philosophical by design. It’s humorous, surreal and alive. That’s the legacy she values most - art that gives happiness without asking to be explained.

Inspiration comes from everywhere and nowhere specific. From Bruegel and Bosch, from religious paintings and surrealism, but also from a small green spider that lives at her house. It jumps onto her when she sits. She talks to it. It looks back.

“It has its own personality,” she says, matter-of-factly.

“That’s why I paint animals doing very human things; because everything, to me, has a soul worth noticing.”

Her process would confuse anyone looking for strategy. She paints for herself first. Always. The house is layered because she likes it that way. The paintings exist because she wants to tell herself stories. If others connect with them, that’s a gift, not the point. Some works sit unfinished for years, waiting. Others arrive quickly.

“My brain is on a different vibration when I paint,” she explains.

“It’s the same feeling anyone gets when a problem won’t let go.”

These days, life is simple. Long hours painting. Gardening until lunchtime. Multiple projects always running. Wine in the afternoon while feeding the ibis she calls by name. Quiet routines. A small circle. A rich interior life.

This year looks much like the last, and very much like the next. Kinga will submit work to the same three exhibitions she always does - Mornington, Camberwell, and the Luxembourg Art shows. She has no grand plans beyond that, no appetite for reinvention. A future solo exhibition sits somewhere ahead, unforced and unhurried, when the time feels right.

Kinga paints because she always has. Because something inside her asks for colour, and silence, and time. What she has built - the house, the work, the life - isn’t a statement. It’s a state of being.

And perhaps that’s the quiet truth running through everything she makes; that a life doesn’t need to be explained, optimised, or performed to be complete.

Feb 5, 2026

5 min read

Author:

Magazine

February 2026 Magazine

Issue of 2026 February Magazine

Bay Islands

Community Notices

RUSSELL ISLAND COMMUNITY ARTS (RICArts)

SMBI COMMUNITY CONCERT BAND

Island community band (started in 2023) welcomes new players of all ages and levels—woodwind, brass, percussion and more.

Rehearsals: Sundays (school terms), 2:00–3:30pm, Macleay Island Progress Hall. Just come along and join!

Enquiries: Eve Newsome – evenewsome@hotmail.com

THE BAY ISLAND SINGERS INC

Practice Every Monday 2–4pm, Russell Island Recreation Hall

info@thebayislandsingers.com

BERNIE’S ARTISAN MARKET & SOCIAL

Every 3rd Saturday at the Macleay Island Progress Hall and grounds.

TENNIS ON MACLEAY & LAMB ISLANDS

Social tennis three times per week:

Mon 3:00pm – Macleay Tue 4:00pm – Lamb

Thu 2:00 or 3:00pm – Macleay Cost: $2 per day. All welcome (players 18–88!). Text Graham 0492 951 458.

GIRLS’ DAY OUT LUNCHES

Held last Thursday of the month. Raffle proceeds go to the Animal Welfare League. New and returning participants welcome. Info: Sue 0434 969 790.

VISTA GROUP – MACLEAY ISLAND

Improving Streetscapes & Facilities. Join us for 2hr Tuesdays 4:00pm-6:00pm. WHERE: VISTA PLACE (Near Energex Depot-Southsea Tce) OR: Txt Suzanne 0435 006 365

START IN THE PARK

Light exercise with Council equipment (bring your own dumbbells too). Thursdays 8:00am, opposite Macleay Community Centre. Info: 0400 463 443.

MACLEAY ISLAND UKULELE GROUP (MUGS)

Over 10 years strong! Fridays 12:00–3:00pm, Progress Hall, Russell Terrace, Macleay Island.

Fee $5 casual (includes afternoon tea). First time free.

Bring your uke and join the fun—or just pop in and say hi.

See our Facebook Group for updates.

CAN DO COMPANION LINE

Need help or just want a chat? Feeling a bit isolated? We can keep in contact, check you’re okay, run a few errands, and listen. Mon–Fri 9:00am–3:00pm – Lea 0422 465 493.

JPS IN THE COMMUNITY – MACLEAY ISLAND LIBRARY

Need a document witnessed or certified? Walk-in service, no appointment needed. 26 Russell Terrace, Macleay Island, Fridays, 10am–12pm Ph: (07) 3409 4243

LAMB ISLAND CRAFT GROUP

Tuesdays 9:00am–12:00pm, LIRA building near Progress Hall.

All welcome for good company and a cuppa.

MACLEAY ISLAND TOURISM CENTRE

Office open 5 days a week at the Macleay Island Community Hall complex.

LIONS CLUB COMMUNITY MARKETS

Community Market held @ The Community Centre (Macleay Island) 8 am - 12 pm. On the first Saturday of the Month.

COME DANCE WITH US – LINE DANCING

Thursdays 9:30am–1:00pm, Bay Islands Community Services, 55 Jackson Road, Russell Island. Girls & Guys Line Dancing to Country, Pop, Rock ’n’ Roll, Waltz. Contact Joanne 0419 999 540.

TABLE TENNIS

First night free! Mondays 5:00–7:00pm, Recreational Hall, Alison Cres. Contacts: Siobhan 0406 108 882, Alan 0418 799 765.

SMBI NATURE ACTION GROUP

HUNTING TRASH AND TREASURES

Macleay Island Clean Up - Facebook page or call Sam at 0490 758 016, first Sunday of the month at 3pm

Russell Island Clean Up Walk - Facebook group, first Sunday of the month at 8am

BAY ISLANDS UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

Tue, 3 Feb, 4pm: Sign on day&fun training for all

Thur, 5 Feb: Sign on& fun training

Training days 2026 are Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.

THE FRIENDS OF THE FARM SUNRISE MARKETS

Bay Islands

Hot Goss

LETTERBOX LEGENDS

ISLANDERS PUSH BACK ON

WOOLWORTHS DELIVERY FEE

MANGOES AT THE FERRY TERMINAL

POWER DRAMA ON RUSSELL ISLAND

WHAT’S ON AROUND THE ISLANDS

Arts

Every Wall Speaks – the World of Artist Kinga Rypinska

“I don’t push boundaries to be known,” she says. “I’m very happy I can make my art and show it to people who appreciate it.”

What surprises her most isn’t praise or success, but something simpler - seeing her paintings living inside other people’s homes. Hung on walls. Part of daily life.

“People smile when they look at them, and that’s enough,” she says.

Her work isn’t philosophical by design. It’s humorous, surreal and alive. That’s the legacy she values most - art that gives happiness without asking to be explained.

“It has its own personality,” she says, matter-of-factly.

“That’s why I paint animals doing very human things; because everything, to me, has a soul worth noticing.”

“My brain is on a different vibration when I paint,” she explains.

“It’s the same feeling anyone gets when a problem won’t let go.”

And perhaps that’s the quiet truth running through everything she makes; that a life doesn’t need to be explained, optimised, or performed to be complete.

Bay Islands

The Unofficial Town Square

Most days, if you pass through, you’ll see two men sitting on the back of a ute tray, tucked into the shade. There’s usually a dog too - Little Dog. He’s not keen on heights, so he stays on a lead under the tray, watching feet go by. People wave, cars slow, and conversations start and finish.

Robert and Shane don’t advertise themselves as anything. They’re just there. Over time, they’ve become part of the place, a pause between groceries and the rest of life. People stop for a chat, ask a question, borrow a bit of help. Someone needs a jump start? Shane has the gear in his ute. Locked out of a car? They’ll sort it. Tyre change, directions, a dog minding moment, a kid needing watching while a parent runs inside; it all happens casually, without fuss.

“People notice when you’re around,” Robert said, “so we might as well be around for something good.”

Shane has been coming to this carpark for 51 months, right from the day he got sober. He grew up in South Tweed, is originally from the Gold Coast, and has lived on Russell Island for more than 30 years. When he stopped drinking, he volunteered to help reopen the RSL. That led to a job behind the bar, and a new chapter.

“I didn’t have a licence back then, so I used to walk everywhere,” he said. “If I saw three cars on that walk, it was a busy day and now I can sit five minutes just trying to get out of my street.”

He talks easily about how the island has changed; land prices, new builds, parking now stretching further up the mainland than it ever used to. He remembers when you could buy a block of land here for $15,000.

“We paid $13.5k for the one next door not that long ago,” he said. “It wasn’t until after COVID that everything went nuts.”

Robert’s path to the island was accidental. Originally from Sydney, he moved to Russell Island from Ipswich after coming over to meet friends of his ex. He fell in love with the place and bought a property that same weekend, two years before COVID hit.

“I didn’t plan it, it just felt right,” he said.

They met because they live around the corner from each other. The carpark became the meeting point. The meeting point became a habit. The habit became a presence.

“If we drove around trying to catch up with everyone we know, we’d be driving all week,” Robert said.

“But if we sit here, everyone comes past eventually.”

And they do. You could be anyone. People from all walks of life stop to chat; friends, new arrivals, long timers, tradies, retirees, families. Coffee appears sometimes without being asked for, already paid for by the time they reach the cafe counter. They laugh about it. They laugh about most things.

“The inconveniences are what make living here special,” Shane said, when asked about his thoughts on a bridge.

Shane tells stories of drag racing his ute on the mainland, as a sport, while Robert drinks chocolate milk and Little Dog supervises from below. They don’t ask to be noticed, and they don’t ask to be understood. They just turn up. There’s a sticker on Shane’s ute that probably says more about them than anything else:

“Some do drugs, others pop bottles. We solve our problems with wide open throttles.”

Sometimes all it takes is a wave, a hello, or stopping for five minutes in a carpark. Once you start saying hi to the people around you, something shifts. The place feels smaller, kinder, and less anonymous.

Everyone has a backstory. Most of them don’t get told. But if you slow down long enough in the IGA carpark, you might just hear a few, and realise the island’s quiet magic lives in places you weren’t looking. Or maybe places you walked past because you’d already made up your mind.

Magazine

February 2026 Magazine

Issue of 2026 February Magazine

Bay Islands

Community Notices

RUSSELL ISLAND COMMUNITY ARTS (RICArts)

SMBI COMMUNITY CONCERT BAND

Island community band (started in 2023) welcomes new players of all ages and levels—woodwind, brass, percussion and more.

Rehearsals: Sundays (school terms), 2:00–3:30pm, Macleay Island Progress Hall. Just come along and join!

Enquiries: Eve Newsome – evenewsome@hotmail.com

THE BAY ISLAND SINGERS INC

Practice Every Monday 2–4pm, Russell Island Recreation Hall

info@thebayislandsingers.com

BERNIE’S ARTISAN MARKET & SOCIAL

Every 3rd Saturday at the Macleay Island Progress Hall and grounds.

TENNIS ON MACLEAY & LAMB ISLANDS

Social tennis three times per week:

Mon 3:00pm – Macleay Tue 4:00pm – Lamb

Thu 2:00 or 3:00pm – Macleay Cost: $2 per day. All welcome (players 18–88!). Text Graham 0492 951 458.

GIRLS’ DAY OUT LUNCHES

Held last Thursday of the month. Raffle proceeds go to the Animal Welfare League. New and returning participants welcome. Info: Sue 0434 969 790.

VISTA GROUP – MACLEAY ISLAND

Improving Streetscapes & Facilities. Join us for 2hr Tuesdays 4:00pm-6:00pm. WHERE: VISTA PLACE (Near Energex Depot-Southsea Tce) OR: Txt Suzanne 0435 006 365

START IN THE PARK

Light exercise with Council equipment (bring your own dumbbells too). Thursdays 8:00am, opposite Macleay Community Centre. Info: 0400 463 443.

MACLEAY ISLAND UKULELE GROUP (MUGS)

Over 10 years strong! Fridays 12:00–3:00pm, Progress Hall, Russell Terrace, Macleay Island.

Fee $5 casual (includes afternoon tea). First time free.

Bring your uke and join the fun—or just pop in and say hi.

See our Facebook Group for updates.

CAN DO COMPANION LINE

Need help or just want a chat? Feeling a bit isolated? We can keep in contact, check you’re okay, run a few errands, and listen. Mon–Fri 9:00am–3:00pm – Lea 0422 465 493.

JPS IN THE COMMUNITY – MACLEAY ISLAND LIBRARY

Need a document witnessed or certified? Walk-in service, no appointment needed. 26 Russell Terrace, Macleay Island, Fridays, 10am–12pm Ph: (07) 3409 4243

LAMB ISLAND CRAFT GROUP

Tuesdays 9:00am–12:00pm, LIRA building near Progress Hall.

All welcome for good company and a cuppa.

MACLEAY ISLAND TOURISM CENTRE

Office open 5 days a week at the Macleay Island Community Hall complex.

LIONS CLUB COMMUNITY MARKETS

Community Market held @ The Community Centre (Macleay Island) 8 am - 12 pm. On the first Saturday of the Month.

COME DANCE WITH US – LINE DANCING

Thursdays 9:30am–1:00pm, Bay Islands Community Services, 55 Jackson Road, Russell Island. Girls & Guys Line Dancing to Country, Pop, Rock ’n’ Roll, Waltz. Contact Joanne 0419 999 540.

TABLE TENNIS

First night free! Mondays 5:00–7:00pm, Recreational Hall, Alison Cres. Contacts: Siobhan 0406 108 882, Alan 0418 799 765.

SMBI NATURE ACTION GROUP

HUNTING TRASH AND TREASURES

Macleay Island Clean Up - Facebook page or call Sam at 0490 758 016, first Sunday of the month at 3pm

Russell Island Clean Up Walk - Facebook group, first Sunday of the month at 8am

BAY ISLANDS UNITED FOOTBALL CLUB

Tue, 3 Feb, 4pm: Sign on day&fun training for all

Thur, 5 Feb: Sign on& fun training

Training days 2026 are Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.

THE FRIENDS OF THE FARM SUNRISE MARKETS

Bay Islands

Hot Goss

LETTERBOX LEGENDS

ISLANDERS PUSH BACK ON

WOOLWORTHS DELIVERY FEE

MANGOES AT THE FERRY TERMINAL

POWER DRAMA ON RUSSELL ISLAND

WHAT’S ON AROUND THE ISLANDS

Arts

Every Wall Speaks – the World of Artist Kinga Rypinska

“I don’t push boundaries to be known,” she says. “I’m very happy I can make my art and show it to people who appreciate it.”

What surprises her most isn’t praise or success, but something simpler - seeing her paintings living inside other people’s homes. Hung on walls. Part of daily life.

“People smile when they look at them, and that’s enough,” she says.

Her work isn’t philosophical by design. It’s humorous, surreal and alive. That’s the legacy she values most - art that gives happiness without asking to be explained.

“It has its own personality,” she says, matter-of-factly.

“That’s why I paint animals doing very human things; because everything, to me, has a soul worth noticing.”

“My brain is on a different vibration when I paint,” she explains.

“It’s the same feeling anyone gets when a problem won’t let go.”

And perhaps that’s the quiet truth running through everything she makes; that a life doesn’t need to be explained, optimised, or performed to be complete.

Bay Islands

The Unofficial Town Square

“People notice when you’re around,” Robert said, “so we might as well be around for something good.”

“We paid $13.5k for the one next door not that long ago,” he said. “It wasn’t until after COVID that everything went nuts.”

“I didn’t plan it, it just felt right,” he said.

They met because they live around the corner from each other. The carpark became the meeting point. The meeting point became a habit. The habit became a presence.

“If we drove around trying to catch up with everyone we know, we’d be driving all week,” Robert said.

“But if we sit here, everyone comes past eventually.”

“The inconveniences are what make living here special,” Shane said, when asked about his thoughts on a bridge.

“Some do drugs, others pop bottles. We solve our problems with wide open throttles.”

Bay Islands

How Island Youth Are Building Real Futures

But venture out and you’ll see young locals heading out early, boots on, tools packed, moving between islands to work on bushland, community gardens, and regeneration sites.

TK is there too, not as a teenager looking for something to do, but as someone who deliberately chose the same path.

“I wanted practical skills and work that actually contributes to the place I live,” she says.

After moving to Russell Island with her partner and building their home, TK enrolled full time in Running Wild’s conservation and ecosystem management program. The days are physical and varied - soil regeneration, planting, composting, woodwork, and safe use of tools.

“It’s hands on, it’s honest and you can see the impact of what you’re doing straight away,” said TK.

Running Wild works across the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, providing accredited training while delivering on-the-ground environmental projects that benefit the local community. Participants work on bush regeneration, wildlife awareness, and land care, while gaining practical licences that support future employment pathways.

For TK, bush regeneration changed how she thinks about problem solving.

“You learn that helping something recover isn’t about forcing outcomes,” she says.

“It’s about understanding systems and knowing when to step back.”

The group travels by ferry to surrounding islands for community garden and conservation projects, while learning to identify invasive weeds and native plants. They also take part in wildlife and turtle rescue training, bird identification, kayaking, excursions, and more.

The program itself grew from community concern about disengaged youth. What’s developed is something more constructive; a space where young people are trusted with responsibility and supported to build real skills. “That trust matters and when people are given meaningful work, they rise to it.”

Before moving to the island, TK worked primarily online. She put that work on pause to focus on learning face-to-face and grounding herself in practical knowledge.

Looking ahead, TK wants to apply what she’s learning beyond the Bay Islands. She speaks plainly about her future goals; land care, soil health, agriculture, and eventually contributing to water access and environmental projects overseas, particularly in Africa.

For now, Running Wild has given her something solid; skills, structure, and experience that connect directly to the land.

“It’s been an incredible experience and it’s knowledge I know I’ll use,” she says.

“There are opportunities here; people just need to know they exist.”

For island families, young people, and anyone wondering what pathways are actually available, programs like Running Wild offer a different narrative. One built on contribution, responsibility, and connection to place.

For further information head to www.runningwild.org.au

Magazine

January 2026 Magazine

Happy New Year to all our Island Readers

Bay Islands

HOT GOSS

CHRISTMAS CHEER ACROSS THE ISLANDS

There’s plenty of great Christmas shopping to be done around the islands this December! From local markets to our island stores, you’ll find everything you need for the festive season close to home. As you enjoy the hustle and bustle of Christmas, remember to be kind and patient with your fellow islanders and our hardworking retail staff, it’s the season for smiles and goodwill.

ALIEN CATS CONQUER MACLEAY Word on the island? Kim Downs just unleashed alien cats on the world via story, and it was glorious chaos. Sculptor, musician, and accidental comedy legend, Kim’s story had the room in stitches imagining our feline overlords. 29 writers entered Art My Word, multi award winning author, Melissa Ashley picked the winners and Kim’s absurd, relatable, laugh out loud vision stole the show. And then came internationally acclaimed writer, Sarah A. Parker, dropping life truths: “Do what you love. Stay true to yourself.” Hot tip: the full storybook is chilling at MIAC. Grab it before the cats do. By Cindy Jensen

STRADBROKE ISLAND BUS SERVICES ARE GETTING A MAKEOVER! From 1st December, locals and tourists can hop aboard new and improved services linking Dunwich, Amity Point and Point Lookout. A new stop is also being added at Quandamooka Arts and Culture Centre for those craving creativity with their commute. Route 881 now rolls straight from One Mile Ferry to Amity (no more roadside swaps at Beehive Road and East Coast Road), while route 880 is adding earlier, later and extra holiday runs. More buses, better ferry links, and still just 50 cents a ride. Straddie’s transport scene is officially on the move. Beach towels optional, good times guaranteed.

BAY ISLANDS STAR SHINES IN FRANCE! Last month, OJ Rushton swapped mangroves for baguettes, flying to France as part of the On Country, For Country - Voices of Remembrance tour. The Co-Founder of The OZY Youth Choir Honouring Defence Service wowed audiences, connecting stories of those who died for Country and on Country. Before leaving, she stole the show at La Perouse, reciting The Ode, performing The Last Post and The Rouse, and leading both the French and Australian National Anthems for veterans and dignitaries. From local choir to Flanders fields, OJ proved that big dreams and small islands, can make a global impact.

ISLAND BEANS ON RUSSELL ISLAND isn’t just serving up caffeine hits, it’s a little hub of local mischief. Bella Curlew and Mandy Pearson have created one-of-a-kind gift cards, $5 cash, perfect for pretending you’re fancy. But the real gossip? Rosie’s gone full wildlife whisperer, selling mealworms, the only proper snack for curlews and native birds. Mince and bread? Total junk food. Swing by The Farm, sip something hot, snag an epic card, and maybe feed a curlew while you’re at it.

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Around the Islands

Community Notices

Feb 5, 2026

4 min read

Hot Goss

Feb 5, 2026

4 min read

The Unofficial Town Square

Feb 5, 2026

3 min read

How Island Youth Are Building Real Futures

Feb 5, 2026

2 min read

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Featured Events in the area

Arts

Indigenous Artwork Restored On Minjerribah

A culturally significant public artwork, installed on North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) in 2019, was recently repaired by Redland City Council after sustaining damage over time.The work, Mirriginpah – Sea Eagle Law at Cabarita Park, Amity (Pulan Pulan), features an eagle soaring over a school of three dolphins.The artwork and place marker by Quandamooka artist Belinda Close symbolised the cultural importance of Mirriginpah (the sea eagle) to the Quandamooka People.This story provides a unique insight into a connection between people and place that extends more than 21,000 years.Unfortunately, the work had sustained damage to the noses of three dolphins and one fin since its installation in December 2019.It has now been expertly repaired, ready to be enjoyed by the community during National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) and beyond, ensuring this beautiful representation of Quandamooka culture and history will continue to be a memorable attraction for visitors to the island.“National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for everyone to explore the rich Indigenous history on Redlands Coast and, in keeping with this year’s theme of ‘Bridging Now to Next’, to look ahead and use past lessons to guide us forward.”Division 2 Councillor Peter Mitchell said the innovative repairs to the sculpture were undertaken by the public art consultants who were engaged in the original planning and delivery of the work.“I am pleased this stunning artwork has been restored and will continue to promote awareness of Quandamooka Country on Redlands Coast.”