Latest news with #CentralHighlands
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- News.com.au
Two men charged over vile alleged crimes against children in Emerald
WARNING: Disturbing content A man is accused of pointing a firearm at two children bound with duct tape. The 44-year-old man was arrested at a property in Emerald, in Queensland's Central Highlands, after investigations into illegal firearms and illicit drugs. While items were being seized at the man's property, police located a mobile phone that allegedly contained an image of the man and two children bound with duct tape. The image also allegedly depicted the man pointing a firearm at the two children. 'It will be further alleged the image had been forwarded on to several other people after being taken,' police said Police said the children had been identified and were safe. It's alleged they are known to the man but are not related. He has been charged with unlawful possession of category H firearms, dangerous conduct with weapon and two counts of deprivation of liberty. He has been granted bail on strict conditions and is expected to face Emerald Magistrates Court on August 26. In a separate incident, a 59-year-old man was arrested and charged with numerous offences at a property in Emerald on July 18 after community members raised the alarm. It's alleged the man provided dangerous drugs to a child before sexual assaulting them between June and July 2025. 'The man has been charged with the grooming of a child under 16 years, rape, supplying dangerous drugs to a minor and breach of bail,' police said. He has been remanded in custody and is expected to face Emerald Magistrates Court on Tuesday July 22. Queensland Police Detective Sergeant Dylan Brook said police were 'committed to supporting victims of sexual abuse with compassion and worked diligently and tirelessly to hold offenders accountable through the court system'. 'I would like to thank the community members for having the courage to report the matters to the police and supporting the victim survivors,' he said.
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- News.com.au
GoFundMe set up for Renee Carla after horror Central Highlands crash
Three of the four victims killed in a horror car crash in Queensland's Central Highlands region have been identified and remembered in a heartbreaking fundraising appeal. Shaun Ranger and his children Baylee, 7, and Chandler, 6, were killed in the two-vehicle crash on Sunday that happened just before 10.50am on the Capricorn Highway between Comet and Blackwater. 'Initial investigations indicate a Holden Commodore travelling towards Blackwater with four occupants struck a Toyota HiLux utility containing two occupants travelling in the opposite direction,' the police said. 'The driver, a 28-year-old man, six-year-old boy, seven-year-old girl and 32-year-old man died as a result of the crash.' The occupants of the HiLux also suffered injuries in the crash. Paramedics took a 28-year-old man to hospital in a serious but stable condition and flew a 27-year-old man to Brisbane for treatment for life-threatening injuries. Family friend Chantel Semple has set up a fundraiser for Renee Carla, the mother to Baylee and Chandler and Mr Ranger's fiancee, with the money to help the devastated mum and two-year-old Saphora. 'It is with broken hearts that we share the loss of my dear friend's two beautiful babies and their loving and devoted father today in a devastating car accident,' she said. 'Shaun, Baylee and Chandler were cherished and loved by many and brought so much joy and light into our lives. 'Baylee, aged 7, had a cheeky smile, bubbly personality and a love for horses. 'Chandler, aged 6, was a sweet and kind-hearted little boy, full of life and loved the outdoors. 'Shaun a dedicated and selfless father, supportive friend and loving partner.' Ms Semple said the family's friends were 'heartbroken' over the unexpected loss. 'I hope to relieve the extra stress and heartache that this family already have to endure by raising much-needed funds to cover costs for funeral expenses and support Renee and little Saphora,' she said. As of Monday morning, $17,180 has been raised from a $26,000 target. Investigations into the incident are continuing. The police are expected to provide further updates on Monday. The weekend proved a catastrophe for the state's road toll, with six people killed across Saturday and Sunday.
ABC News
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Queensland road toll climbs to 158 after 10 people killed in horror weekend
Ten people have died in five fatal road crashes across Queensland since Friday night, prompting a warning from the state's peak motoring body of a worsening road toll. The recent tragedies take Queensland's road toll to 158 so far this year, with fears 2025 could end up surpassing last year's total of 302, which was the highest in 15 years. Three of the five fatal crashes over the weekend were in central Queensland. On Sunday morning, emergency services were called to the Capricorn Highway, between Comet and Blackwater, in the Central Highlands, as two vehicles had crashed and caught fire. Four people died at the scene and two men in their 20s are in a serious condition in Brisbane and Emerald hospitals. In the Mackay region, three teenagers died after a head-on collision on the Mackay Ring Road in Glenella on Friday night. The driver, aged 29, was taken to Mackay Base Hospital in a serious condition. On Saturday morning, a 45-year-old motorcyclist died after he crashed into a ute and trailer stopped in front of him at Mount Pleasant, in Mackay. Further south, an 18-year-old Kingaroy man died in Hivesville, in the South Burnett region, on Sunday morning when he was struck by a vehicle while lying on the road, police say. On Friday night, emergency services were called to Tamborine, in the Scenic Rim, to reports a man had fallen out of a car. A 26-year-old man sustained critical injuries and died at the scene. There have been 158 fatalities from Queensland road crashes so far this year. Michael Kane, head of public policy for Queensland's peak motoring body RACQ, said the latest tragedies meant the state was heading towards equalling or exceeding last year's road toll. There were 302 road crash fatalities in 2024 in Queensland — the highest in 15 years. "So many lives have been lost and so many other lives have been terribly impacted," Dr Kane said. Dr Kane said the growing road toll showed we had a lot of work to do as a community to turn it around. "There is no reason why we should accept a worsening road toll for a number of years; it was getting better," he said. Dr Kane said while there was a need for safer roads and better maintenance, particularly in regional areas, there also needed to be a focus on safer road culture. "We are driving at high speeds, we think our cars are cocoons, but if we crash at a high speed or if we're doing the wrong thing in the way we drive, we can change and lose our life… or cause the loss of life of someone else as a random person or someone we love," he said. RACQ is also calling for better traffic policing, following survey results which showed the public thought there wasn't enough police presence on the roads. Dr Kane said there had been a decline in the statistics of random roadside breath and drug testing since 2023. "We have seen in the last 12 months that start to change and the Queensland government has had a focus on getting more police into the police force and getting more random breath and drug tests, but that needs to step up," he said. "But these changes can't be made overnight."
ABC News
20-07-2025
- Automotive
- ABC News
Four dead after horror crash on Central Queensland highway
Four people have died in a horror crash in Central Queensland on Sunday morning, adding to the statewide toll of nine deaths since Friday. The crash happened about 10:50am on the Capricorn Highway, between Blackwater and Comet in the Central Highlands, 230 kilometres west of Rockhampton. One vehicle carrying four passengers and the second carrying two passengers crashed and caught fire. Queensland Ambulance Service treated four people, however they died at the scene. Emergency services could not provide their ages or gender. A further two men in their 20s were taken to Emerald Hospital with life-threatening injuries, including chest and abdominal injuries. Five ambulance crews attended with two Queensland Fire and Emergency Services vehicles. The RACQ Capricorn Rescue Service helicopter was called but was stood down. Queensland Police Service said it could not provide more details "due to the complexity of the incident". The Capricorn Highway between Comet and Blackwater remained closed on Sunday afternoon with a 50-kilometre detour in place through Rileys Crossing Road and Blackwater Cooroorah Road past Bedford Weir. The detour is not suitable for heavy vehicles. Police investigations are continuing. Nine people have been killed on Queensland roads since Friday, including three people in a head-on collision in Mackay on Friday night.
Times
27-06-2025
- Times
Ceylon Tea Trails hotel review: a bucolic bolt hole in remote Sri Lankan countryside
Sri Lanka's Central Highlands are a rolling, rippling mass of lush landscapes. Swathes of tea plantation stretch across the waistband of the country, shrouded in steamy trails of mist. It's here, buried deep within these endless acres of foliage that you'll discover Ceylon Tea Trails, the first hotel in the Resplendent Ceylon collection: a clutch of homegrown hotels owned by the Fernando family, founders of Dilmah Tea (one of the country's foremost tea brands). A quintet of colonial-era bungalows studded across the tea estates have been carefully transformed into heritage hideaways set deep within nature, ideal for slowing down and sinking into time-honoured Sri Lankan traditions. This serene retreat is best for honeymooners or loved-up couples looking to unwind. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue Score 7/10Five historic tea-planter bungalows dating back as far as 1888 have been restored and remodelled into luxe lodges, scattered across 2,000 acres of tea country. Spread apart across sprawling estates (as far as 10 miles from each other), you'll find three of the lodges perched on the banks and hills of Castlereagh Reservoir, with a further two overlooking swooping Bogawantalawa valley. More private home than hotel, each lodge has a team of personal butlers to attend to your every whim and fancy, be it delivering freshly brewed tea and biscuits to your bedroom at any hour, or laundering your clothes after long romps across the estate. There are shared sitting rooms for spreading across squashy sofas, and a formal restaurant is eschewed in favour of relaxed indoor-outdoor dining areas. Colonial accents reign supreme in the five or so suites contained within each bungalow: think graceful four-posters swathed in linen and rattan furnishings. Mod-cons such as TVs and air conditioning are missing, but there's plenty of old-school charm to make up for it, from vintage black-and-white portraits to terraces that lead onto tranquil private gardens. Spacious bathrooms feature clawfoot bath tubs, double vanities and marble checkered floors. • Discover our full guide to Sri Lanka Score 7/10Mornings begin with a pot of brew brought to your bedroom — a colonial tradition named 'bed tea' — before languid breakfasts of egg hoppers and omelettes nibbled on the verandah. Set menus for lunch and dinner are devised each day by the chef (the only choice you'll have to make is between the Western and Sri Lankan menu), with four-course suppers encompassing tea-infused dishes and warming curries. Afternoon tea is a carefully observed ritual, where you can tuck into homemade scones with lashings of rhubarb jam and clotted cream. Stays are fully inclusive of all meals, snacks and tipples, so it's impossible to go hungry; in lieu of minibars in the bedrooms, pour yourself a drink in the drawing room, and simply request something to nibble whenever you're peckish, and the team will appear with homemade cakes and sandwiches. • Best things to do in Sri Lanka• Best beaches in Sri Lanka Score 8/10There's no central hub here: instead, the lodges function almost entirely as singular properties, with separate pools and sitting areas to lounge across. Days are mostly spent outside: there's endless acreage of tea country to explore, and it's worth heading out into the tangle with one of the hotel's expert guides, who can navigate the best routes for striking views over Castlereagh Reservoir. Winding pathways snake across miles and miles of plantation, framed by mango and eucalyptus trees, centuries-old granite, and bushes blossoming with all kinds of tropical flora. Along your route, it's worth scoping out the other lodges that form Ceylon Tea Trails, followed by tea tastings and picnic lunches in the treetops. For an immersive deep dive into Sri Lankan tea culture, a visit to Dunkeld Tea Factory is a must: it's here that you'll be able to witness some of the behind-the-scenes action that's part of Dilmah Tea's production. Kayaking across Castlereagh Reservoir, sunrise hikes to Adam's Peak,and expeditions further afield to Kandy and Ella can all be arranged. There's no spa or gym here, but sun-soaked afternoons are spent by the pool and heated whirlpool. Score 7/10Found in Sri Lanka's Central Highlands, Ceylon Tea Trails is as remote as can be: it's a 4-5 hour drive from Colombo Airport (traffic dependent), or a scenic 30 minute flight by seaplane, where you'll land directly on Castlereagh Reservoir. Kandy, Ella, and Nuwara Eliya stretch out in various directions: the journey time is around 2-3 hours to each of these towns. Thanks to the rugged roads and winding pathways, mobility isn't the easiest here, but there's plenty of opportunity to roam far and wide within the plantations. Price B&B doubles £531Restaurant n/aFamily-friendly YAccessible N Gina Jackson was a guest of Ceylon Tea Trails ( • The best Sri Lanka tours• Best hotels in Sri Lanka
