Taking advantage of our large region, the FNQ branch is on the move.  We’re planning a weekend trip to the beautiful Mission Beach.  The intention is to provide an opportunity for members living and working in the southern parts of the region to meet the committee and all have a good weekend by the beach with the restaurants and sights that area has to offer.  Whether you can come for all or part of this weekend, it promises to be a great time.

Plans are still underway looking at accommodation options and more information will follow, but at this stage, please note in your diary or contact your roster officer for this event.

Life in the far north is unique with its diversity of environment from the Great Barrier Reef to World Heritage listed rainforests and rugged outback terrain.  The local members of the IPA live and work within this environment and are proud to showcase the attractions to IPA visitors.  The combined local knowledge can provide advice to visitors for the ideal travel plans.

Some of the other activities we have been able to help visiting members with are dive and snorkling trips to the Great Barrier Reef, and even flights over some of the most spectacular ocean in the world.  The rainforests can be accessed by vehicle to places such as the Daintree National Park, Cape Tribulation or Mossman Gorge, while the Kuranda Scenic Rail and Skyrail offer visitors their unique access to the wet tropics above Cairns.

Above Cairns is the Atherton Tablelands, a region providing the farming base for our range of tropical foods, including dairy, coffee, mangoes, avocadoes, pineapples, bananas and the list goes on.  From here, travellers can hand feed the rock wallabies of Granite Gorge or explore further into the outback (with a properly equipped 4WD of course).

We welcome inquiries from IPA visitors and look forward to sharing our place with you.

Adrian Gover

Chairperson

IPA Far North Queensland.

The regular IPA Branch meetings will recommence on Tuesday 7th February 2012 at the Cairns RSL, The Esplanade (cnr Florence Street) Cairns City. The formal meeting starts at 7:30pm, but regular attendees generally meet up earlier – about 6:30pm, for a meal in the restaurant where most of the social aspects of the meeting takes place. Depending on the number of members attending, and their official bed time, the meeting may be continued with a drink and a chat in the public bar area, but as the RSL closes at 10:00pm it is never a late night.

This year it is intended to hold a number of BBQs in local parks on Friday nights or over a weekend to give members who can’t attend during the week a chance to catch up with a few like minded friends. Also, it is planned that a couple of social excursions to other parts of the region will take place, the first one possibly in April after the worst of the cyclone/wet season, possibly to Mission Beach where the tourist industry is still doing it tough after Cyclone Yasi in February 2011. If any member has any ideas or special places of interest, please let any of the office bearers know.   Keep an eye on the FNQ Branch website page for information on social events coming up.

The FNQ Branch has relatively few members, who are generally spread out over a very large police region and most are unable to attend regular meetings, so the involvement of all members on the coastal area is needed to keep some life in the Branch and be able to help and assist any IPA visitors to the region. If you are interested in helping to host or just meet up with IPA visitors, whether from other parts of Australia or internationally, contact any of the office bearers with your details.

Hope to see you at the monthly meetings.

The Christmas party has been and was a great success with sixty five (65) attendees! The story is told in the photos available on the Website (left hand side of page under Social Photos) . Thank you to all for making the event such a great night!

Sharing life stories and experiences, and spending some quality time with fellows who understand the life of a police officer is the aim of our IPA events!

Thank you to all members who have supported our events throughout the year and I look forward to meeting all again next year.

We also acknowledge all the members from near and far who would have liked to attend our functions, but due to work commitments could not attend.  We hope to meet as many of you as possible at next year’s events. Our first 2012 IPA function will be in early February, exact date and venue to be advised soon.

As you probably know by now, Queensland IPA is to host next year’s IPA National AGM between 19 and 21 October, so our our committee is hard at work as we speak to organise a successful event.

The AGM will follow immediately after the International Friendship Week organised by the NSW IPA in Sydney so we are hoping to have some international IPAers attending our AGM function. Great fun to look forward to!

On behalf of the IPA Qld Region committee we wish all IPA members and their families a Merry Christmas and a 2012 with sound health and good fortune!

Best Regards,

Dana Rusu

Social Secretary | Queensland Region | Australian Section | International Police Association
PO Box 16025 | City East QLD 4002 | Australia
Mb +61 420 982 420
E-mail: ipaqldsocialsecretary@gmail.com | danamrusu69@gmail.com

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