MAY 2026

Meet Our Contributors Step into better foot health

Dr Julie Blaze graduated from Newcastle University in 1986 and worked as a General Practitioner in Sydney until she took over Bulli Medical Practice from the late Dr William Feneley in 1999. One of her special interests is Travel Medicine. Julie enjoys family life, cooking, yoga, reading, exercising and travelling.

Bede Ritchie has escaped the bounds of full-time work and is reconnecting with his passion for creating and performing music. He enjoys supporting quality live music across the Illawarra. Bede lives in Thirroul with his wife Linda and his son’s dog “Igby”.

Janice Creenaune is a retired English teacher. A wife and mother of three, she sees the life of a retiree as an evolution, something to be cherished, enjoyed. Her interests include travel, Letters-to-the Editor SMH, letterpress printing and film study.

CONTACT US  www.theillawarraflame.com.au, 0432 612 168; PO Box 248, Helensburgh 2508. hello@theillawarraflame.com.au

NEXT DEADLINE 18 May. Contributions welcome.

Khaled Assaad, the experienced podiatrist behind Platinum Sports Podiatry, is your go-to expert for all things foot and lower limb-related in the community. With a strong background in biomechanics and years of experience, Khaled provides high quality, personalised care tailored to your needs. He offers a wide range of services, including:

• Routine nail & skin care (incl home visits)

• Ingrown toenails & fungal treatments

• Children’s assessments

• Management of growth plate issues in kids

• Specialised care for adolescents & seniors

• Treatment of sports injuries

• Help with knee pain

• Tendinitis and nerve entrapments

www.platinumsportspodiatry.com.au

02 4214 4293 | 0481 796 781 (if urgent/after hours) Shop 1, Level 1, 338 Cemetery Rd, Helensburgh

• Custom orthotics for comfort and support Khaled is available from Mon-Sat, and home visits in Helensburgh. Book online PARTNER CONTENT

KANE DOWNIE

Designer reclaims fashion

By Amanda De George

Bulli’s Timbermill Studios is “swarming with creatives”, says Eliza Garton, a designer, maker and creative herself. “It’s such a nice community because everybody looks out for each other and just being amongst all sorts of different creatives is very cool.”

Not that she needs much inspiration. Inside the studio housing her fashion line, Hot Chip The Label, are racks of unique pieces and a wall of reclaimed fabrics – I have to hold myself back from rifling through it all. Eliza’s slow-fashion, size-inclusive label was launched in August 2024, and offers women’s clothing from sizes 6 through to 32, all designed and made in her studio.

And yes, ladies, most items have pockets!

“I’m all about acceptance and inclusivity, and I thought, well, I’m not going to limit myself with my clothing either because if somebody likes something, they should be able to have it.”

Hot Chip The Label offers ready to wear and customisable options. Customers come in, choose their style and work with Eliza to find the perfect fabrics – which have their own stories to tell. “I use vintage materials and reclaimed materials,’’ Eliza says. “I’ve always got my eye out for fabric. And most pieces are bespoke because of that.”

“I love sewing and I could talk

it day,” Eliza says, laughing.

Visit Hot Chip The Label at the Timbermill Studios, Molloy Street, Bulli or shop online at hotchipthelabel.com.au

Hook up with crochet fans

By Amanda De George

Walk into Cringila’s Finzah Yarn Studio and the first thing you notice are the yarn-filled walls.

There are hanks and skeins and balls from around the world such as the nature-inspired cult favourite Noro from Japan, and the famous Scheepjes whirls and whirlettes. And with a Turkish cafe a few doors down and burek shops up the street, a visit is a literal feast for the senses.

But the real magic of this place isn’t just what’s on the shelves. It’s the owner, Sasha Torilo, and the community of yarn lovers, crafters and artists she has built. Sasha was taught to knit by her mum when she was younger, picked up crochet as a teenager and has been teaching others for about 10 years. After being diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2022, she took the leap and opened her own studio.

“Having a purpose, getting up and getting dressed every day, leaving the house and sitting in that little shop stopped me from getting depression,” she said. “It kept me going – and what better place to recover than a yarn shop.”

Last year’s Knit in Public Day (the next is June 13 so get your needles ready) was a big hit with Finzah fans. “Everyone enjoyed it so much we decided to do it monthly,” Sasha said.

Cringila pub gatherings now take place on the first Saturday of each month.

Finzah is at Shop 1, 15-17 Lake Avenue, Cringila. Follow @finzah_yarnstudio

She also runs sewing classes from her studio.

about

Sasha Torilo (middle) brings crafters together. Photo: Amanda De George

To all the remarkable mothers

Whether you are a mum-to-be, a single mother, a grandmother, a step-mum, a grieving mother, a foster mum, a guardian or juggling multiple roles - you are the rocks of our families. Your strength, hope and guidance illuminate our paths. Your care, wisdom and unwavering support have moulded us into the people we are today.

Happy Mother's Day to every single one of you. You are treasured, admired and cherished beyond words. And to those for whom this day is difficult, please know that we are here to offer our love and support. & mother figures out there!

| 4294 9800 julie.york@helensburgh.rh.com.au

Planting party for the birds

By Tyneesha Williams

Any glossy black cockatoos finding quality shelter in the Bellambi Lagoon in the future might have Keiraville CWA members to thank after a recent planting blitz.

The volunteers of all ages came together to plant 100 native trees on April 16 April as the Country Women’s Association branch, in partnership with Wollongong City Council, hosted a community planting day to restore habitat for native birdlife.

Council supported the effort by providing the plants and equipment, and pre-digging of holes to ensure the day was accessible for all.

“We choose five areas of study each year, and this year one of them was the glossy black cockatoo and the she-oak,” says Louise Harry, agriculture and environment officer for Keiraville CWA.

“The glossy black cockatoo is listed as vulnerable nationally, but they are returning after the

Trip to parliament

By Jan Johnston of Stanwell Park CWA

Maryanne Stuart, Member for Heathcote, joined our meeting last month and gave us an insight into her role in politics, local issues being addressed, and how we can seek support for the CWA.

Maryanne arranged for CWA members to attend a parliamentary sitting day in Macquarie Street. A tour, a light lunch and the experience of question time were all eye-opening. The procedures were animated and robust, and gave us a greater understanding of the work our MPs undertake in raising and resolving issues. “ORDER!” has become our new favourite word.

In March, we hosted a meat and cake raffle for the Scarborough-Wombarra Bowlo. Many people were involved in the preparation but, on the night, it was all fun. There was so much generosity and support for the CWA as we sold tickets and raffled

bushfires. They need their natural habitat restored, and that’s what we’re planting today.”

Louise hopes that the success of the planting day will encourage more people to join the CWA and contribute to their communities. She is eager to break the traditional “tea and scones” stereotype and show that the group offers meaningful opportunities for everyone.

“The main thing would be to involve more people in the CWA and let them know that it’s not just women,” Louise says.

“We have lots of these days that anyone can join in. Any kind of planting is going to suit most birds of the native variety, so it doesn’t matter what you plant today, it’s going to be good for animals of all kinds.”

Contact keiravillecwa@gmail.com

loads of prizes, which included meat and vegetable trays supplied by the venue and, of course, our beautiful cakes. We are looking forward to the May meeting, when Wollongong Lord Mayor Tania Brown will speak and answer questions. I will also be happy to report on our proposed visit to the Sutherland Toy Restoration Centre at Jannali scheduled for 6 May.

If you would like to join us, we’re at the CWA hall, 15 The Drive Stanwell Park on the first Tuesday of the month at 10am.

Just turn up or you can send us an email on stanwellparkcwa@gmail.com

Tiny sauna fires up at Bulli

By Genevieve Swart

After travelling through Europe, a Bulli couple are stoked to share a Finnish tradition that’s become popular at coastal resorts across the continent: the mobile wood-fired sauna.

“Bondfire was created to offer something we felt was missing in the Illawarra,” says Ida-Mae Penning, who recently launched Bondfire Sauna with her partner, Grant Ferry.

“While living abroad, we were lucky enough to experience the diverse sauna culture across the UK, Europe, and Asia. We fell in love with these unique social spaces that brought people together.

“Saunas weren’t luxury add-ons or one-off wellness experiences; they were part of everyday life. We’d often go to the sauna, on Saturday mornings with friends.”

Back home, the couple missed their weekend ritual and decided to build their own sauna on wheels. The result is a cosy labour of love that fits eight people and was custom-built from the trailer up, complete with cedarwood walls and benches, a wood fire and chimney.

While Grant and family did a lot of the construction work, Ida is a social worker whose talent is connecting people. Together they’re hoping Bondfire will become one of winter’s hottest attractions. “It’s a space for people to genuinely connect and truly relax,” Ida says.

Bondfire Sauna is generally open from Friday to Sunday at Bulli’s Timbermill Studios.

Sourdough classes on the rise

By Genevieve Swart

A neighbourly chat about the challenges of baking sourdough has provided the starter for one local mum’s dream business.

Stanwell Park local Kirsty Richardson has two children, a degree in naturopathy and a passion for supporting people’s wellbeing. Channelling her personal and professional experience into a small business seemed like the natural next step, so last year she founded No Fuss Sourdough workshops.

“I did one workshop in Stanwell Park, which booked out so I opened more and so on,” Kirsty says.

“As a parent of two young children, I understand firsthand how real the juggle of everyday life can be – balancing work, family, and health.”

Kirsty has been holding her classes at local cafes in Stanwell Park, Helensburgh and Thirroul.

Workshops attract eight to 10 people and her goal is to share practical advice.

“You just need a little guidance and support to get started.”

Workshops cost $80 for a 90-minute class and this includes a starter that participants use to make a dough they can take home to bake later.

Visit www.nofuss-sourdough.com.au

Ida-Mae Penning and Grant Ferry set up Bondfire Sauna after returning from their travels. Photos supplied

Proper fish and chips lures a crowd

By Patrick Breen

Rosie’s Proper Fish and Chips at Coledale is serving high-quality takes on the beachside classic, with queues stretching down the street on weekends.

Owners Tania Ho and Ben Sinfield believe Rosie’s appeal lies in its simplicity.

“Simple food done well is the best kind of food,” Ben says. “The goal at the beginning was to make fish and chips from scratch, and that savvy is not as common as it should be.”

This savvy is clear in their thrice-cooked chips, which start out as whole potatoes that are then cut, steamed, blanched and fried fresh in beef dripping (fat). The result is a crispy and fluffy chip packed with flavour.

The fish are wild caught and sourced from the NSW South Coast. Each portion is freshly battered and cooked to order – prepared with homemade batter and served with homemade sauces.

“It’s quite hard to do that all the time but we do our best and the type of fish can change depending on what’s available,” Ben says.

“It takes a lot of time, wages are high and fresh local ingredients aren’t cheap,” Tania adds.

“Using things like frozen chips would definitely be cheaper but it’s not what we’re about.”

Tania and Ben have run Rosie’s since January 2024, however, the pair have years of experience in restaurants. Born in England, Ben started out as a chef when he was 16, while Tania moved from

Pup-arazzi call!

Send us your photos for new pet page

Woonona to work in restaurants in London. They met while working at the Michelin-starred restaurant St. John in Smithfield.

Their first joint venture was Banh Xeo Bar in Rosebery, serving Vietnamese-inspired food and snacks.

The latest step for Rosie’s has been taking over the Bistro at the Coledale RSL, serving up fish and chips, plus pub classics. “Once again things are made from scratch up there as well,” Ben says. “Parmigiana, Wagyu burgers and seafood specials too … the classics really.”

Head chef Rob Doll – who went to chef school with Ben in the UK – is running the kitchen at the Bistro, serving up the elevated pub favourites.

The Illawarra Flame is launching a new page and we need your pet pics! Simply take a snap of your furry friend enjoying a local park or beach, tell us about their likes/dislikes to be in with a chance of winning a pawsome prize.

To start, Helensburgh local James McCormack would like you to meet Scones (pictured). “We call her Scones, but her full name is Miss Scones and Cream (because she has the colourings of scones and cream),” he says.

Likes: Belly rubs, peanut butter, cheese, being in a car, moving or stationary, trains and chasing butterfly shadows

Dislikes: The wind, cockatoos, baths/ showers and deer (even if we say “I have no idea”, she just hears “deer” and she runs at the door barking).

Send pet pics to hello@ theillawarraflame.com.au

Tania and Ben at Rosie’s

2026 Influenza Vaccines are now available

The INFLUENZA vaccine is recommended for people aged > 6 mths and is FREE* to those most at risk from influenza and its complications.

The needle-free Intranasal Influenza Vaccination is also available FREE for children aged 2, 3, and 4 years and at a private cost for those aged 5-18 years.

Book online at www.thirroulpharmacy.com

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK Mon-Fri: 8.30am-6pm / Sat & Sun: 9am-4pm

Shop 4, 277a Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul NSW 2515 Ph: 02 42681067

Toughest time for farmers

Here’s how shopping local can help, writes Genevieve Swart

The true grit of Australian farmers was evident at Glenbernie Orchard last month, with the Fahey family keeping calm and carrying on with the autumn apple harvest while coping with extraordinarily tough times on two fronts.

Over summer, farmer Glenn Fahey was diagnosed with a brain tumour, an advanced Grade 4 Glioblastoma. Since then, the community has rallied round, raising thousands of dollars to support the hard-working family who have given so much to the district.

The fuel crisis added another layer of anxiety. “Being a small to medium commercial family farming has never been more challenging,” Jo Fahey said as shortages took hold.

“It’s scary not knowing if you’ll have fuel for your tractors but you have to keep doing what you can to keep going, so prioritise things that you have to do first. It’s not easy …

“Fertiliser costs and availability is also at threat.”

With over 22,000 fruit trees, Glenbernie is the Illawarra’s last commercial orchard and a popular tourist attraction. Visitors enjoy Pick Your Own tours and fresh fruit in season, and award-winning Darkes Cider tastings year round.

Day-to-day farming requires a lot of fuel as it’s used in everything from trucks to tractors and power ladders. Jo acknowledged that the team are feeling “a bit stressed” about the farm’s needs.

“We need fuel for harvesting our apple crop and

Fair food flourishes, but delivery costs bite

By Genevieve Swart

At 11 acres, Warrawong’s best-kept secret hardly needs a tractor. The small team at Green Connect Farm grow everything organically and hand-pick vegies, herbs and fruit. However, rising fuel costs

then after we pick, it also impacts our ability to transport these apples for sale in the wholesale market,” she said.

With supermarket food prices tipped to rise, shopping local can help cut food miles and boost local business. “Just keep ordering or, better still, visiting if possible, buying from our shop,” Jo said.

“Get neighbours or friends together and buy as a group a larger amount and split it up or increase size of the order or your individual shop.”

The Apple Shack farm shop/kitchen is open from Thursday to Sunday. Shop online anytime for fresh produce and pantry staples, such as apple cider vinegar, honey, jams and sauces. Online deliveries are on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Shop online at www.darkes.com.au

will affect the farm’s veg box deliveries.

“We have two vans and a diesel ute,” says farm CEO Robert Servine. “And we deliver from as far as north as Coledale and all the way down to Kiama. We’re going to raise our delivery charge.

“It’s costing us too much money and we’re actually going to be losing money on deliveries.”

Green Connect is an award-winning social enterprise. Farm hands – including former refugees, young people and volunteers – use compost and crop rotation to build healthy soil. Grazing goats, pigs and African fat-tail sheep help with land maintenance, as do a free-ranging flock of chickens, while supplying about 25 eggs a day.

“We’re sheltered in the fact that we’re local,” Robert says. “We don’t have a lot of food miles. We don’t use synthetic fertilisers, so fertiliser not coming in doesn’t impact us whatsoever.”

To boost the farm’s income, the team plan to start workshops for adults.

Visit green-connect.com.au

With constant headlines around rising interest rates, global conflict, fuel costs, and possible changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing, it’s easy to feel uncertain about property. But across 2508 and 2515 — including Helensburgh, Stanwell Park to Thirroul —the reality is different.

Buyers are still active. What has changed is their approach. They’re more considered, taking extra time and focusing on value — but they are still making strong purchasing decisions when the right property comes along.

Homes are selling. The key is strategy. Accurate pricing, strong presentation, and

lan Pepper 0403 570 041 Joshua Pepper 0437 790 052 ian.pepper@agencyhq.net.au joshua.pepper@agencyhq.net.au 9/17 Cemetery Road, Helensburgh

SERVICING ANDSYDNEY THE ILLAWARRA

a tailored campaign are more important than ever. We continue to see a two-tier market, with properties under $2 million performing strongly, while higher-end homes require a more patient approach. There’s no sign of a market collapse locally—just a shift to a more balanced, thoughtful market.

New train rollout is good news, mostly

By Jeremy Lasek

The long-awaited arrival on Tuesday of the new Mariyung trains in the Illawarra is a good news story: but not everyone is happy.

The first of the trains pulled out of Kiama at 7.56am on 14 April, offering commuters more spacious two-by-two seating, a quieter journey with modern air-conditioning, spaces for luggage, prams, bicycles and wheelchairs, enhanced safety and improved accessibility.

Seating includes tray tables, arm rests, high seat-backs and charging ports for mobile devices.

NSW Transport Minister John Graham was effusive about the positives, as Illawarra commuters will enjoy the same level of service which was rolled out on the Central Coast and Newcastle Line in December 2024 and the Blue Mountains Line in October last year.

“This is a very exciting day for commuters in the Illawarra as these brand new trains begin to enter service, bringing a new level of comfort, safety and convenience to a region where people often spend long hours on the train as part of their commute,” Minister Graham said.

However, under the new timetable to be introduced later this year, South Coast Line trains will no longer stop at Wolli Creek Station. That will inconvenience thousands of commuters who travel from the Illawarra to the Domestic and International Airport Terminals each year.

They will need to make an extra stop at Hurstville or Central to access the airport, adding

Police take to e-bikes

By Jeremy Lasek

extra time and inconvenience to their journey.

The NSW Government says that change will only impact about two per cent of current passengers, and trains will continue to stop at Wolli Creek until the new timetable is introduced.

As part of the new timetable changes, South Coast Line services will no longer run on the Eastern Suburbs railway to Bondi Junction.

Following 12 months of testing and enabling track and station works, the phased rollout of the Mariyung fleet started with seven new train in April, increasing to 16 trains by 2027.

The new train timetable, to be introduced later this year, will add a fourth service an hour in the peak. There will be a service every 30 minutes outside of the morning and afternoon peaks.

A new Mariyung train

Amid a growing number of complaints about risky and dangerous behaviour by e-bike riders, Illawarra police have adopted a “if you can’t beat them, join them” approach. Late last year, Youth Command officers in the Illawarra were allocated four e-bikes to conduct regular patrols in known trouble spots. A NSW Police spokesperson said the e-bikes also gave access to places police vehicles can’t reach. With spiralling fuel prices, the bikes are energy efficient and have an educational role. “Under Operation E-Voltage, officers regularly engage with children, parents and older riders to promote safe and lawful use of e-bikes and trail bikes,” the spokesperson said. “All riders need to wear a helmet, ride a compliant bike, comply with road rules and follow the directions of police.”

Club toasts to three years of volunteers

By Tyneesha Williams

It’s been three years since Coledale RSL reopened its doors after financial issues caused the closure of the club. Today, the club is kept alive and well by a dedicated team of volunteers who rallied together to keep their watering-hole going.

Club president Melissa Ellery said the fact that everyone in the community had a go at building something new “warms everyone’s heart”.

“I think it’s a story that resonates with people and they love to hear communities coming together to fight for something,” she said.

Mel joined the cause after the club closed, jumping on board with locals trialling a volunteerrun model in a “last ditch attempt to try to save the place”. Three years later, Coledale RSL has gone above and beyond its original standing as a small pub, and is becoming a destination for holidayers looking to support a community project.

The club now boasts more than 80 volunteers, with about half of those showing up every week to keep beers flowing and doors open. Recently, the club clocked more than 5000 volunteer shifts since reopening. For Mel, the club’s success lies in its ability to foster connection. “They go do a shift, they pour a beer, and then they sit with their

friends. It’s been a bigger story than what finance could ever be.”

After being named local business of the year for the Illawarra and South Coast last year, Coledale RSL is once again up for an award with Clubs NSW.

“The venue is not just a destination, but we also wanted it to be for the community and some of the work that we’ve been doing to support community groups,” Mel said. In the June long weekend, the club will host on a veteran surf competition in collaboration with Scarborough Boardriders.

“The future is bright for us,” Mel said.

Dementia advocate awarded

By Tyneesha Williams

At 97 years young, Val Fell OAM shows no signs of slowing down. Recently named as one of the NSW 2026 Local Women of the Year, Val was recognised for her tireless work as a dementia advocate – a mission that began two decades ago when her husband was diagnosed.

“The day he was diagnosed, I joined Alzheimer’s NSW… this year, I’m celebrating 20 years as a dementia advocate,” Val says.

“I keep on saying I’m going to retire... I said I was going to retire when I was 90, then 95... I’ll see if I can keep going ‘til I’m 100.”

Despite her impressive resume, Val says she was “astonished” to receive the award from Keira MP Ryan Park. Along with other winners, including Tamantha Stutchbury (Wollongong) and Neridah Armstrong (Heathcote), Val was invited to a breakfast at ICC Sydney.

“I immediately thought there’d been a typo about the 7am start time... I thought, ‘Oh god, is it

worth it?’ – because I’m not an early morning person!”

Throughout her journey as an advocate, Val has prioritised education, completing two massive open online courses (MOOC) with the Wicking Dementia Research Education Centre and enrolling in a Bachelor of Dementia Care at the University of Tasmania in her early 90s.

Val laughs that she’s taken a “gap year” from her formal studies, focusing on her work with the Aged Car Council of Elders, where she has spent four years representing the voices of senior Australians to the federal government. In February, Val also became a life member of the Australian Institute for Intergenerational Practice (AIIP).

“I rang Tasmania and said... ‘I really can’t fit it in anymore. I’ll have a break while I’m on the Council of Elders.’ Now I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t really think I need to go back and do the degree... I’ve got the experience and I’ve got research to read when I want to and I’ve had four gap years!” she says.

For 13 years, Val has led the Corrimal Dementia Carers support group. She’s now organising her 15th Annual Illawarra Dementia Forum, to be held on September 9. “We’ll have a facilitated conversation with a person with dementia. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions,” she says.

Gardening for the senses

By Tyneesha Williams

For more than two years, Narelle Happ, owner of A Garden For Life, has been leading a gardening program at Greenhill Estate in Figtree for residents in aged care, specifically those with dementia. “We might do seed-raising, we might do propagating, we might do succulents, we might do nature crafts,” she says. “We’ve upcycled old bicycle wheels, painted them bright colours ... it’s all nature-based.”

The sessions provide cognitive stimulation and sensory connection. Dementia often robs people of short-term memory, but long-term memories, especially those tied to the senses, remain remarkably resilient. Narelle tells how one resident was moved to tears by the smell of rosemary. “She said, ‘My mum always made bruschetta with rosemary when I was a little girl’.”

Dementia is now the leading cause of death in Australia and there is a growing demand for quality care and support services.

Narelle is calling for more formal research into the health outcomes of gardening programs. “If you see the calming effect ... it must impact health,” she says. “I wish every aged care facility had this.”

Interested researchers can contact Narelle at www.agardenforlife.com.au

Keira Woman of the Year Val Fell

Bulli Travel Medical Alliance Clinic

By Dr Julie Blaze of Bulli Medical Practice

We are proud to announce that Bulli Medical Practice has joined the Travel Medical Alliance – headed by Dr Deb Mills, a true legend in the field of travel medicine.

For close to 30 years, we have delivered specialised travel medicine services (including Yellow Fever vaccination) and this membership allows us to keep providing the most comprehensive and up-to-date advice available. Whether you are heading interstate or overseas, our team can tailor advice to your personal medical history, exact itinerary and activities.  We also stock the full range of travel vaccines as well as medical kits and other travel products.

The Three R’s of Travel Vaccination

Routine: Before you travel, visit us to review and update your routine vaccines. This includes tetanus, measles and polio – especially important in light of recent outbreaks locally and globally. Free measles vaccines are available to adults born after 1966 who have not received

PARTNER CONTENT

Open Monday to Friday: 8am - 6pm Saturday: 8am - 12 noon

Full range of general practice services including women’s and men’s health, child and adolescent health, older adult health and nursing home visits, and specialised clinics including:

y Travel medicine - accredited Yellow Fever vaccination centre

y Skin cancer checks

two doses of the vaccine or had the illness.

Recommended: Depending on your destination and activities, we may recommend vaccines for hepatitis A and B, typhoid, Japanese Encephalitis, meningococcal meningitis or rabies. Travellers to certain local government areas in Western NSW may also be eligible for a free Japanese Encephalitis vaccine before 1 June.

Required: Some destinations legally require proof of Yellow Fever vaccination for entry. As this vaccine is not suitable for all travellers and can cause serious side effects, a careful individual risk assessment must be completed before it is administered. Our team has the expertise to guide you through this safely!

Dr Julie Blaze is passionate about travel medicine and serves as Senior Medical Advisor for Sonic Health Plus Travel Doctor TMVC. Book a travel medicine consultation online or call 4284 4622.

Book online* via the website: www.bullimedicalpractice.com.au or scan QR code:

*Please call 4284 4622 for an appointment if you have any respiratory symptoms

74 Park Road, Bulli 4284 4622

Beyond the front gate

By architect Ben Wollen

As an architect in the Illawarra, I spend a lot of time thinking about what we value enough to build, and what we are quick to discard when the demo crew roll in. For decades, our built environment was defined by pure function – modest fibro shacks, weatherboard cottages with low fences built for working-class families on quarter acre blocks. Today, as our suburbs gentrify, those humble structures and their ornaments are disappearing.

Excuse my nostalgia, but what happens when the everyday architecture we’re so eager to replace is elevated to the status of an art exhibition?

That is the provocation at the heart of Elvis Richardson’s exhibition – Edge City, at Wollongong Art Gallery. Elvis isolates the language of our suburban boundaries – gates, fences, security grilles – and strips them of their context and applies a new finish. Her pink gate piece in the exhibition Settlement #8 takes a modified steel domestic gate and finishes it in a pristine powdercoat “pink blush”.

For me, it’s difficult to look at Elvis’s work without thinking of the American artist Jeff Koons. Where Jeff took banal, everyday items like vacuum cleaners or balloon dogs and elevated them through materiality to critique conspicuous consumption, Elvis imbues the hidden agenda of the suburban front gate. By casting it in poodlepink powder-coated steel and a filigree wrought word ‘Settlement’, she asks us to look at this object not as a simple property gateway, but as a

Retirees invited to try out Thirroul club

By Anne Haine

manicured tool of land acquisition. Also part of the exhibition there is a small collection of works by local artist, Chris Zanko. With his painstakingly carved painted woodblocks, Chris captures Wollongong’s fading residential vernacular – the post-war fibro cottages and triple-fronted red-brick homes – often being replaced by Instagram-inspired dastardly twin dual occs. The same neat front door presentation of these houses and their ornaments are re-contextualised into multi and mono chromatic zen landscapes.

This dialogue is rounded out by the Gallery’s coinciding exhibition, The Architecture of Feeling, curated by Megan Monte. Drawing heavily on ceramics and intimately staged objects, Megan explores how form, surface and gesture hold our memories and shape our sense of belonging. Where Elvis and Chris look at the front periphery of the home, Megan looks at the emotional architecture within it.

Art has a funny way of making the invisible built environment visible again. Definitely worth a visit.

Thirroul Probus is a club dedicated to providing opportunities for fun, friendship, and fellowship for retirees in our community. With so many activities available there is always something for everyone – from our engaging guest speakers to cycling, walking, golf, book club, musical theatre and much more. In March a group of 50 members enjoyed a short break at beautiful Fingal Bay, including a fun-filled trip on the historic Tea Gardens ferry featuring multiple dolphin encounters. If you’re interested in joining us you are welcome to attend one of our monthly meetings to get a better sense of who we are and what’s on offer. For membership enquiries, please contact Yvonne Bryce on 0425 343 674.

Residents feedback at Seaside Festival

By Annette Jones, secretary of Thirroul Village Committee (TVC)

The TVC joined many stallholders at the Thirroul Seaside and Arts Festival on Sunday, 29 March. It was a brilliant, sunny day and the TVC had a lot of visitors. Thanks to those who helped out. During the day we captured residents’ thoughts on changes or improvements needed. These have been fed back to Wollongong City Council in the hope that we can see some of the ideas actioned. Please find below a summary of these suggestions:

• Improved lighting and resurfacing of the length of the Thirroul Beach promenade

• Under-cover picnic and BBQ areas for the south end of Thirroul Beach parkland

• Restoration of the Amy monument and relocation to a more suitable location

• More lighting on the streets of Thirroul

• New fence around Telstra Telephone Exchange building

• Exercise equipment in the beach park

• Disability chair-lift for Thirroul Pool and disability access/mat and chair for the beach

• Restore/renovate Thirroul Pool. Similar to Port Kembla pool – embrace the beautiful view instead of a wall. Port Kembla pool is awesome!

• Lighting on the commuter carpark close to LHD

• Restoration of the footpath in front of the library near the fig tree damaged by water. Repair work is inadequate as it is now a trip hazard.

• Pedestrian islands to cross LHD safely

• More murals

• Library open for longer hours

• The new shared pathway at Thomas Gibson Park amenities block is an accident zone. People using the toilets may be hit by E-Bikes as there is a blind spot at the corner of the building

• Skatepark, Skatepark, Skatepark ASAP!!!

• Pedestrian crossing over Bulli Pass and footpath

• All-weather soccer pitch

• Another dog park

• Traffic reduction in Thirroul Village

• Festoon lights, or bunting permanently across LHD in the village e.g. outside Anita’s. This would increase the vibe in the town.

Next TVC meeting: 24 May at 4pm at TRIPS Hall, in Railway Parade, Thirroul

NIRAG/NF3 Report

By Ross Dearden, secretary of Northern Illawarra Residents Action Group (NIRAG)

NIRAG supports preservation of open space and the retention and enhancement of our heritage. Residents of Neighbourhood Forum 3 area (Woonona, Bulli, Thirroul and Austinmer) are welcomed to attend NIRAG meetings.

Road Safety Action Plan

NIRAG was represented at the Wollongong Road Safety Action Plan community forum on 1 April. Alternatives to Lawrence Hargrave Drive are required for emergencies. It was suggested that connections could be built as shared way/cycleways to improve network resilience.

6 – 10 Southview St, Bulli

Homes NSW’ proposal to replace 3 existing homes has been revised but still exceeds the R2 zone 2-storey height limit. Advice has been received that despite submissions Homes NSW does not plan to make any further changes to the design. The target date to start construction is December 2026.

Amy Street. Thirroul

The majority of Lot 303 (about 7ha) of the lot, west of the shared cycleway between Woodlands and Hewitts creeks, is zoned C2, Environmental Conservation. Ongoing management of this part of the land is essential as this is a vital Green Corridor. Council has agreed to review the strategic value of having this land as reserve. Advice is awaited from council.

May NIRAG Meeting

At the May meeting Council officers will attend to discuss the Draft Delivery Program and Operational Plan 2026–2027. This is a chance to influence the scope and timing of upcoming projects. Members are encouraged to bring your ideas and contribute at the meeting.

NIRAG’s next quarterly meeting will be on Wednesday, 13 May, 7pm upstairs in the Bulli Community Centre, nirag@bigpond.com

Time to dive deep

Janice Creenaune meets photographer Brodie Whalan, who dives and takes beautiful and alluring images of hidden creatures beneath the waves.

Photos: Brodie Whalan

To most people, the hidden depths of the ocean and its creatures are a mere thought imagined, a picture captured on a page or a legend we have read. To 22-year-old Brodie Whalan, they are as real as any common flower in our gardens.

He has spent years perfecting his diving craft in the waters off Ulladulla, encouraged by family and, in particular, his pop with whom he has long had a special relationship.

He moved to Thirroul and the northern Illawarra for the “hometown” vibe and proximity to so much more. Brodie dives in many pristine international dive-spots and photographs images for himself, the public and even the prestigious Australian Geographic magazine.

“Diving and generally being in water, swimming and surfing too, just normalises my world,” Brodie says. “It really allows me to reset my life, and in the silence of the water, I can think and see my life clearly. I have always known it is where I should be.”

He has dived at sites including the Maldives, Ningaloo Reef and the Cook Islands.

“I really feel a commitment to show others the great beauty of creatures hidden from most beneath the oceans.”

Brodie admits there are dangers involved, especially when diving to great depths. “Though I have never been scared of diving to depths and I am very calm and collected by nature, I have had a

couple of very uncomfortable occasions.

“Once I did lose power of my legs and arms and eventually my faculties, when diving at depth, but my dive buddies are capable and the experience is one I learned from.”

The deeper Brodie dives, the less light.

“I have special cameras housed in an underwater case with moveable lights to focus in various directions in an attempt to capture the beauty of my subject from the best angles and the best light.”

When not in the water, Brodie spends four to five hours a night working on the images he has taken, planning for future trips and various opportunities.

“I am well aware that I must keep my commitment to my employer and remain steady and steadfast. It, too, is part of who I am and I am grateful for every opportunity I am given.

“But it is when I am diving, I switch into another place and that feeling is simply amazing. I have no ‘head noise’ or anxiety and I am simply content to be underwater. When I am filming and diving, I am just me with my environment and one with my beautiful creatures. It really is my ideal place to be.”

Brodie is hoping to continue to travel to Norway and photograph orcas, and to French Polynesia and Tonga for humpback whales.

Follow @oceanbrodie to view beautiful images of underwater creatures and corals

All aboard for fun and friendship

By Judy Duckett, publicity officer for the Combined Probus Club of Helensburgh & District

Our welcoming not-for-profit Probus group meets monthly at Helensburgh Tradies for conversation, laughter, and friendship.

Our next meeting will be Thursday 14 May, 10am  for 10.30 start, when our guest speaker will be Michael Astill, singer and actor from Sutherland’s Front Row Theatre Company, a community-focused production company showcasing local talent.

• During the last few months, members of our club have enjoyed many activities including:

• Monthly meetings with interesting speakers

• Regular friendly bowls and golf tournaments

• Emerging artist concerts, Wollongong Art Gallery

• Ferry trip and lunch, Manly

• Premier’s Gala Concert, Darling Harbour

• Train trip and lunch, Kiama

• Picnic, Woronora Dam

March highlight: a Coach Trip to Wangaratta

29 Probus members enjoyed a wonderful six-day coach holiday to Wangaratta. We stayed in lovely accommodation and each day visited local

attractions such as historic towns of Glenrowan, Bright and Beechworth, cruised Lake Mulwala, enjoyed wine tastings in King Valley and Rutherglen regions, local produce experiences and opportunities to explore, relax and socialise. The trip was a great example of what Probus is all about: friendship, fun and discovery. New members are always welcome, and with many more outings and trips planned.

Enquiries Carol 0432 385 524 or email helensburghprobus@y7mail.com

The team at Transitus Legal is dedicated to helping you navigate your legal journey.

We offer assistance in the following areas:

Contact our office today Office: 32 Walker Street, Helensburgh Phone: 02 4294 9980

Email: hello@transituslegal.com.au www.transituslegal.com.au

Helensburgh Probus group and Sienna Daisy, Lake Mulwala

How family history inspired my novel

By Gwen Wilson, author of Louisa

While writing my best-selling memoir, I Belong to No One, I discovered that my great-grandmother, Louisa Whitley, born in Bradford, England, in 1854, represented the last legitimate birth on my mother’s side of the family.

Louisa’s migration to Australia was unknown to her descendants until my research shed light on her story.

Uncovering her resilience, especially through her 1890s divorce and its aftermath, allowed me to better understand our intergenerational trauma. What was once perceived as a negative legacy became a source of empowerment; Louisa’s strength inspired me to retell her journey as fiction.

As an avid researcher, I was immersed in family history long before the internet era. Australia’s rich archives offer plenty to investigate. Birth, death and marriage records were only a start.

I consulted shipboard diaries, letters – such as

those from the governesses of the Female Middle Class Emigration Society – books on funerals in the Victorian era, governesses, and divorce. I visited national and state archives and museum depositories, and I practically lived in the newspapers digitised by the National Library of Australia on Trove.

Field work is important also. I once climbed in a vintage wooden free-standing wardrobe just to confirm there was room to hide in there. The main challenge is knowing when to stop digging and deciding which findings to include. Much of the book draws from true events. Ultimately, Louisa’s own experiences shaped my narrative choices.

Rather than crafting a conventional romance, I wanted to capture the authentic experiences of Louisa and other women of her time – grappling with servitude, poverty and discrimination. Louisa lived in a society where women were regarded as men’s property, with little agency over their own lives. They had minimal parliamentary or legal influence in the 1800s.

My goal was to highlight their courage and perseverance in overcoming societal barriers, contributing to a richer understanding of Australia’s cultural history and the pivotal role women played in shaping the colony.

Gwen will be in conversation with author Suzanne Leal at the launch of Louisa on Friday, May 29, at Links Seaside by Warrigal, Wollongong, at 2pm. Book via Eventbrite

What’s On at the Writers Centre

Live & Local returns to the Gong, writes SCWC’s Elizabeth Heffernan

Illawarra readers and writers don’t need to travel to Sydney to enjoy Australia’s largest celebration of books and ideas. The Sydney Writers’ Festival ‘Live & Local’ program brings those ideas to your doorstep. This year, Live & Local Illawarra is moving to Coledale, after several successful years at Wollongong Town Hall. South Coast Writers Centre will be hosting SWF Live & Local sessions over two days, Friday 22 and Saturday 23 May, in Coledale Community Hall. “We’re excited to host this year’s Live & Local,” says SCWC Director Dr Sarah Nicholson. “The program allows readers and writers across the Illawarra to experience everything the Sydney Writers’ Festival has to offer, without the need to commute.”

Enjoy sessions direct from SWF. Plus, local

authors Gwen Wilson, Lauren Keegan and Starre Vartan will discuss their books live on stage. There will also be a workshop with bestselling author Alyssa J. Montgomery on plotting your novel.

Book tickets at southcoastwriters.org

Red alert

By John Elton of the Grevillea Park

Some of the most stunning plants in any garden are red. And there is no shortage of spectacular red grevilleas. Grevillea Katherine’s Fire will grow to about 2 metres high and wide and is always in flower. It has deeply divided dark green foliage and large red flowers. But it is the golden yellow stamens that make the flowers so special.

Birds and bees are highly attracted to this grevillea. It can be used as a feature plant, as part of a hedge, or mixed with other plants. Another lovely red grevillea is Lady O. This is a smaller growing plant that has spidery red blooms. It makes a nice pot specimen but is also a great rockery plant. Lady O flowers all year and is a bee and bird magnet. One of the best places to see a range of red grevilleas is at the Illawarra Park Botanic Garden which is open on the first two weekends in May.

Illawarra Grevillea Park Autumn Open Days 2026

Saturday 2nd & 9th May; 10am to 4pm Sunday 3rd & 10th May; 10am to 4pm

Explore vibrant display gardens featuring hundreds of grevilleas, banksias and native plants, plus a rainforest sensory trail and vine forest walk leading to a towering old blackbutt tree — perfect for a relaxed picnic!

Browse our extensive range of gardening books, native and grafted plants for sale. Want advice? We will do our best to help. Dogs welcome but must be on a leash

Grevillea Park Road, Bulli www.illawarrgrevilleapark.com.au

Author talks in May

With the team at Collins Booksellers Thirroul

Are you one of the countless fans of If You’re Listening? Award-winning podcaster Matt Bevan will be live in conversation with Elliot Stein on Sat, 2 May at Ryan’s Hotel. It starts at 5pm, a perfect pre-dinner event to kick off an evening out. This event will be one of the highlights of our program. We’re excited! Again at Ryan’s, Adriana Boisen and Rowan Cahill discussing his Cold War Kid on Wednesday 6th May, 7pm. Looks at the conscientious objectors who stood against the Vietnam War. A great one for history buffs. Does your child love writing? Do they have a story to share? Ask in the bookshop about KIDS READ KIDS, an upcoming event that will give kids a platform to share their stories. Finally, wishing all the mothers in our community a special day shared with loved ones. Happy Mother’s Day!

collins BOOKSELLERS thirroul

books, games and gifts for all ages

Shop 5/264 Lawrence Hargrave Drive www.collinsbooksthirroul.com.au

@collinsbooksellersthirroul

Is it time to trade in my petrol car?

By Elsa Evers of Electrify 2515

We still haven’t traded in the old petrol car, but with petrol prices hitting record highs, it’s looking very attractive. I asked some local EV owners what I need to know before I make the move.

How much can I save by trading my petrol car for an EV?

Assuming that you spend an extra $10,000 on an EV than you would if your next car was petrol, the average Aussie family car will save around $34,000 over 15 years charging their car at home with solar – or $17,000 without solar. It’s not just savings on fuel – the maintenance costs also drop. No oil changes, no radiators, no fan belts – expect to also save a lot on servicing costs over the life of the car.

But EVs are still so expensive…

The second-hand EV market is growing with cars from fleets and early adopters wanting to upgrade. Another option is novated leasing through salary packaging. This lets you access the fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption, which cuts the effective cost of an EV significantly.

How far can an EV go on a single charge?

Most 2026 EVs comfortably exceed 400km on a charge. Interestingly, EVs use less energy in city traffic than on the freeway – the opposite of petrol cars. That’s because EVs recharge the battery using braking energy but on the highway at 110km/h, wind resistance reduces range by 15–25%. Long journeys are all about planning. Plan a 25 to 30 minute charge into your rest stops on long trips and you’re set for another 2-3 hours on the freeway.

‍Can an EV do everything I want it to?

We expect our cars to do everything – from the daily commute to the annual camping trip towing a caravan, 4 bikes, 3 surfboards, and 2 fishing rods. I recently met a Tesla Y family that regularly tows their caravan down the south coast, and a BYD Atto 3 dad who tows a fully stocked camper trailer. Meanwhile, the electric ute market is arriving. The KGM Musso EV (around $60k) offers 380–420km range and 1800kg towing. Plug-in hybrid utes like the BYD Shark 6 bridge the gap if you need extra tow capacity right now.

Most Aussie households own two cars. If you are worried about an EV not delivering all the things you need, consider replacing one car – your around-towner – with an EV. That will give you immediate savings on petrol.

For a full EV guide and EV cost calculator, visit electrify2515.org/evfaq

Elsa at 2025’s Go Electric Open Day

Trump upped demand for EVs and house batteries

Peter Aubourg shares another entry in Diary of an EV Driver

Who would have thought? What was President Donald “Drill, baby, drill!” Trump thinking? His war has caused a spike in fuel prices that has created a corresponding spike in the already expanding EV market. This is happening in Australia and worldwide. Thanks Donald!

I’m sorry if I seem to be making light of what is a very serious problem. The fact is, we are very vulnerable without liquid fuel, particularly diesel.

High fuel prices have a knock-on effect to most things we buy, and a lot of people are hurting. But, not having any fuel would be devastating. At the time of writing, the Strait of Hormuz is closed again. Hopefully some sanity will emerge soon.

Now zooming back down into household electrification world: we have had our home battery for a full quarter and have just received our latest bill. We’ve managed to run our house and EV for $42 for the quarter – well, that’s not exactly true. I couldn’t resist trying out the fast charger at Bunnings while I was shopping and got 200km extra range for about $15.

Music & Tea with Sophia Rose Quartet

By Felicity Woodhill of Inspire Music Australia

Sophia Rose is a proud Wiradjuri and Barkindji woman raised on Dharawal country, where her love of music was fostered at the Wollongong High School of Performing Arts and Wollongong Conservatorium.

Quartet members, Nate Griffin on drums, Oscar Lubbock on piano, Alex Parsa on double bass, and Sophia all study in the jazz program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and perform at gigs across Sydney.

Join Sophia and her quartet for City Tidda (Sisters) at Music and Tea on 4 June for a program that she says will share “my love for music, my roots and my identity”.

“It explores the concept of living an urban life as a First Nations woman and celebrates how the music-making processes of Blak peoples and African American musicians have changed over time.”

My wife was very keen on the house battery, one reason being that it would protect us from future disruptions, whatever they were. Maybe the change from coal to renewables might be a bit bumpy? But Donald going bonkers was not on the radar!

I am not a “prepper” by any means, but this three-month test of the rooftop solar and house battery has shown that the system has the capacity to run the house and car off-grid… just. However, I am not looking to disconnect from the grid any time soon! For solar nerds, our system for two people is: 5kW solar inverter, 24kWh house battery and 51kWh car battery in an MG4.

Soon, I will add a Home Energy Management System (HEMS) to our house as part of the Electrify 2515 pilot project. This should be able to automatically control the house loads, house battery, roof-top solar, and EV charging. The system has built-in weather forecasts and an AI option that “learns” your usual electricity consumption patterns and shuffles power around for best results. We’ll see.

Sophia Rose trumpet | Nate Griffin drums

Oscar Lubbock piano | Alex Parsa double bass

feature Cover Bewildering A BRIDGE

By Genevieve Swart

Hidden in bushland in the far north of Wollongong, something incredible is happening. Ants are crossing a bridge.

“They weren’t here yesterday,” says Bob Crombie, a lifelong conservationist who first backed the idea for a wildlife crossing on Cawleys Road Bridge in 1974, when he was a young ranger in the Royal National Park.

“It’s very exciting,” he adds while on a walkthrough in the Garawarra State Conservation Area in February.

The new structure on the southern side of the bridge is bare bones: a series of logs have been bolted in place, including blackbutts cut down in the Mt Ousley Interchange works. Still to come are soil, plants and a $2000 rope overhead for sugar gliders and possums.

Even so, creatures are coming.

“The ants that we’ve got here, they’re little black ants – they’re going from one side to the other,” Bob says, pausing to film this remarkable proof of concept. “Life finds a way.

“Everyone thinks it’s for koalas, possums, kangaroos and all that. It’s right down to the insects and frogs and lizards and snakes; they’re just as

important. In many respects, they’re more important.

“A lot of insects won’t go into open areas, because immediately they do, they get eaten by a bird. And insects are our major pollinators.”

Traffic on the M1 roars below and headlights are still blinding at night, but just the shelter of a few logs has been enough for some. Possums and goannas have been caught on wildlife cameras, and butterflies were spotted flittering along, down low.

For Bob, this is not just any wildlife bridge. This is a 52-year-old dream to link a biodiversity hotspot carved up by four lanes of traffic on the motorway from Helensburgh to Waterfall.

“I waited for a long time. I’m very pleased,” Bob says. “It’s signalling a change in our society, because we first put this forward in 1974 – and the enthusiasm by planners, engineers and the like was right there.”

However, a crisis in politics and funding intervened and the project was mothballed. Bob moved on from his ranger role and started teaching environmental management at TAFE, but he never forgot the missed opportunity at Cawleys Road Bridge.

L to R: Cathy Woods, Sally Webb, Brenton Hays, Kylie Madden, Bob Crombie, Lara Hase

“When I wrote the ecology courses, I used to write this bridge into all of them, as an example of how you can do this [create wildlife corridors] with what’s available and how to repurpose it.”

Ancient meaning revived

As a shared bridge, to be used by people and wildlife, the Cawleys project is a prime example of Bob’s philosophy of ‘bewildering’, of humans and nature at last learning to live side by side.

Bob first used the word back in 2008 in a talk he gave on verge gardens at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. In ancient times, ‘bewildering’ meant “to be as the wilderness”, a pagan concept invoking connection with nature and the divine.

“I resurrected that old word and brought in this extra concept of rewilding, so I’ve redefined the term,” he says. “It’s recognising that we are part of nature, and wild things are ultimately very important, not only for us but for our wellbeing as well. So bewildering is looking after the wellbeing of all life on Earth. It’s a wonderful word.”

Australian gardening greats Don Burke and Costa Georgiadis thought so, and so did King Charles, who read about Bob’s theories in a London newspaper. “It inspired him to bewilder his estates

rather than to just landscape them when he was refurbishing them around 2007 to 2009,” Bob says.

Bob is long retired, but has carried on bewildering and working with the Sutherland Shire Environment Centre, where he is a life member. This is where he met Dr Catherine Reynolds, a former centre leader who helped put his dream of a wildlife crossing back on the table.

“Catherine’s very, very supportive… She does tremendous work,” Bob says.

In 2019, he made a submission to the Royal NP’s Plan of Management. He wrote to ministers and government bodies, saying they should repurpose Cawleys Road Bridge as a multi-purpose overpass for wildlife and essential services. He spoke to community groups, National Parks Association meetings, and then, finally, a koala group.

“They knew nothing about wildlife movement. They were just looking after koalas. So then I went and educated them on the significance of movement to support their communities.”

Bob explained there weren’t many different populations but one dispersed population in the area. “If it existed by itself, you’d only have one fire, and you’ve got the lot gone, or two or three fires in five or 15 years, and that’s it. It’s extinct. How do they repopulate? You have to have movement.”

Connecting koalas and more Somewhere in the halls of bureaucracy, the wheels turned and government scientists started investigating. Last year, out of the blue, Bob had a call from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

“They said, ‘Bob. We got something really exciting to tell you.’ I said, ‘I can’t believe it.’”

One reason he’s so thrilled is that, while the region has other wildlife crossings, Cawleys Road Bridge serves a unique local purpose: it links distinct areas in the Royal.

At left: Bob Crombie with ecologist Kylie Madden of DCCEEW and Brenton Hays, senior environmental officer in Transport’s biodiversity team. Photos: Anthony Warry

“There’s heathland, woodland, the dry forest and the rainforest. They’re almost four separate parks in one. Everyone thinks that 14,000 hectares is a big park. No, it’s not … they’re all separate communities, and each of those is not big in area – ecologically not big. And so, to keep them viable, you really must have connection between those areas.”

Bob says the bridge is a positive step. “It’s a real change of attitude by everybody in government and in Australia that we can now accept some of our responsibilities of wildlife…

“This will be part of the evolutionary progress of these species, to begin to learn to live with us. So it’s a real bewildering project.”

Hoot if you love wildlife crossings Fast forward six weeks to April 2026 and, while koalas are yet to use it, the wildlife crossing is a hit with humans.

Zipping along in traffic, drivers glimpse government workers on the bridge above and hoot enthusiastically. Up top, the people who’ve made it happen are clearly thrilled their project has had such a positive response.

“This has been an absolute highlight of my career,” says project officer Kylie Madden, an ecologist at the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

“It’s been something that came from community, and has become a collaboration between a whole bunch of different government organisations, with Transport for New South Wales, the Environment Department and National Parks all coming

together for a shared goal and a tremendous outcome that everyone loves.”

Today’s roads are designed with animals in mind. However, the section of the Princes Motorway below Cawleys bridge – where 40,000 vehicles travel each day – was built in the 1970s, before ‘fauna-sensitive road design’ (FSRD) became a hot topic. Almost six decades later, Cawleys is our region’s first and only safe wildlife crossing connecting Heathcote National Park and the Garawarra State Conservation Area with the Royal National Park.

Sally Webb, Deputy Secretary of Safety, Policy, Environment and Regulation at TfNSW, says: “I’m so proud of the collaboration by DCCEEW and Transport for New South Wales to bring the vision of the local community – call out to Bob – to life. We’re really looking for nature-positive solutions to protect biodiversity, and just can’t wait to see the first koala crossing.

“I think if there are other opportunities to repurpose infrastructure like this across the state, then we should definitely look at it.”

The project cost $875,000, with money coming from the NSW Koala Strategy. This section of the M1 is not a vehicle-strike hotspot, but koala deaths were recorded in 2021 and 2022.

“We were able to make the argument that this would be that dual purpose – of connecting these two iconic reserves for all fauna and also helping koala populations expand,” Kylie says.

“So many people have been involved in this project turning Bob’s idea into a reality – from Transport’s biodiversity guys, who absolutely drove

it, the engineers, project managers and everyone else. I really have to do a massive shout-out to the guys who were actually up here, week after week building it from scratch with their bare hands. I know they got lots of appreciative beeping from passing cars – but they are all legends and it wouldn’t have happened without them.”

Over the past couple of weeks, the bare concrete bridge has been transformed, with logs bolted together to form a jungle gym, a sturdy rope hanging overhead and native grasses in a soil bed below.

“It looks amazing,” Kylie says. “We were so lucky to have the skills of Brendan Taylor in designing the bridge. Brendan literally ‘wrote the book’ on wildlife crossings [The Evolution of Wildlife Crossings in Eastern Australia, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2023] and the design you see is largely credit to him.”

However, in a blow for researchers, several wildlife cameras have been vandalised and stolen.

Bob Crombie believes the key to protecting the project could be volunteers, drawn from the Sutherland Shire Environment Centre, Friends of the Royal or a new Landcare group.

“That way you’re involving a lot more people,” he says. “You’ve got community involvement in it, and it brings a lot of connection, a lot of protection.

“People then own the bridge. They become proud of it.”

a nest

Top: Retired ranger Bob Crombie with National Parks ranger Lara Hase. Middle: Bob points to where ants are building

on the crossing. On the bridge: Brenton Hays, Sally Webb and Cathy Woods of TfNSW, Lara Hase of NPWS, Kylie Madden of DCCEEW and Bob Crombie. Photos: Anthony Warry

What’s On

More events at theillawarraflame.com.au

@ Thirroul Library

Thu 14 May Let’s Try... Book Bedazzling at Thirroul Library. Ages 18+), 5:30-7:30pm. You bring the book, and we’ll provide the gems.

Tues 26 May National Simultaneous Storytime 10.30am. Preschool aged 3-5 years.

@ Helensburgh Library

Wed 13 May Helensburgh Library Book Club, 12-1pm. Adults: Read what takes your fancy. Fri 29 May National Simultaneous Storytime, 10.30am. Preschool aged 3-5 years.

Quilt Exhibition and Display

2 May Due to popular demand Bulli Corner Quilters are reinstating their quilt show, where most quilts are for sale as well as a trading/gift table. Refreshments available, gold coin entry. 10am-4pm at Northern Illawarra Uniting Church, corner Point St and Princes Highway, Bulli. Contact Lynn Kelly, 0413 963 070, lmk1703@yahoo.com.au

North Illawarra Probus Club

12 May The club meets at Woonona Bulli RSL at 10.30am and welcomes like-minded retirees, to connect, listen to interesting guest speakers and enjoy a range of activities. The May guest speaker is Mark Dombkins: ‘A Story of Adoption, Hope, and the Mountains we’re all Climbing’. More info: Shelley Tough on 0418 218 959.

Choral society presents Grace & Grandeur

30 May 2pm, St Francis Xavier Cathedral, Wollongong. The Illawarra Choral Society opens its 2026 season with Grace & Grandeur, featuring works by Vivaldi and Schubert. At the heart of the program is Vivaldi’s much-loved Gloria. In contrast, the music of Schubert invites audiences into a more intimate and poetic sound world.

Stanwell Park U3A Term 2

U3A meets on Mondays. First session is 9.3010.30am, then tea to 11, followed by music appreciation to 12pm. All welcome to Hillcrest House behind Kennett Home , Railway Street, Stanwell Park. More info: Jenny on 0406 350 025.

4 May This Crazy Language, English; Consistently inconsistent …John Watson

11 May Aboriginal Patch Burning, Kieran Tapsell

18 May Fluoridation: Dental Marvel or Menace, Brian Martin

25 May What Really Happened to Anastasia?

Judy Bull

U3A Wednesday Talks Program at Thirroul

6 May Russell Couch: First Nations’ Land Rights and Wrongs

13 May Judith Oysten OAM: Roses

20 May Alain Adolphe: Uniting NSW/ACT

27 May Angus Chrichton: National Reconciliation Week Caring for Country

U3A Northern Illawarra Film Appreciation

6 May The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (USA, 1962) starring John Wayne

13 May Bird (US 1995) directed by Clint Eastwood

20 May Dead Man (US, 1995), Johnny Depp

27 May Arrival (US, 2016) starring Amy Adams Visit www.northernillawarra.u3anet.org.au

The Mal Eastick Review

30 May 7-10.30pm. The Bombie brings an Aussie guitar legend to Wombarra Bowlo with The Mal Eastick Review – 50 Years: 1976–2026. Backed by a powerhouse band – John Makey, Peter Grey, Rudy Miranda and John Tweed – the chart-topping rock guitarist revisits defining moments, $35, www.southcoasttickets.com.au

Toastmasters marks 600th meeting

By Matthew Derbridge

In March 1998, Helensburgh and District Toastmasters was founded with locals and other Toastmasters all sharing a goal: to improve their public speaking and confidence. Twenty-eight years later, the club still meets in Helensburgh and members from outside the area Zoom in. Over the last few years, we’ve hosted Contests, we’ve had members achieve 25 and 10 years of continued membership, and other members end up in the top three of Contests. Our club has helped people with wedding speeches and job interviews.

On the 23rd of May, Helensburgh Toastmasters will be celebrating its 600th meeting.

With our club now meeting in the Community Rooms, the safe space is perfect for anyone needing to develop their communication skills and step up in leadership. The club has been a part of the Toastmasters Community for almost 30 years and needs those who are willing to take the first step and join. Our club meets on the 2nd and 4th Monday at 7pm; if you can’t make it in person, the Zoom link is available.

A Chance for a Fairer Australia

By Nicky Sloan, CEO of Community Industry Group

As Australia looks ahead to the federal budget on 12 May, all eyes will be on treasurer Jim Chalmers as he delivers a defining economic statement for the future of the country. This will be the government’s first budget since the 2025 federal election – and its fifth since taking office in 2022 – making it a critical moment to reset priorities and respond to the growing cost-of-living pressures facing households across the country.

For many Australians, the reality of economic inequality is becoming harder to ignore. Rising rents, higher energy bills, and the increasing cost of essentials are placing significant strain on people already doing it tough. At the same time, community organisations are reporting growing demand for support services, often without the funding required to meet it.

Against this backdrop, there is a clear opportunity for the government to take meaningful action. A fairer budget would focus not only on immediate relief, but also on structural reforms that strengthen Australia’s social and economic foundations over the long term.

One of the most direct ways to ease financial pressure is to increase income support payments. Current rates fall well below what is needed for a basic standard of living. Bringing these payments

closer to pension levels (still only around 60% of the minimum wage) would provide essential relief and help reduce poverty.

Equally important is the sustainability of the not-for-profit community services sector itself. These organisations are on the front line, supporting individuals and families through crisis and hardship.

We need to increase overall funding and ensure all funding contracts include at least a 20% allocation for organisational overheads to ensure service providers remain viable and responsive. And with upcoming changes to the Social, Community, Home Care and Disability Services (SCHADS) award set to lift wages in the sector, we need a funding commitment from government to ensure these increases are properly supported rather than being absorbed by already-stretched providers.

Housing remains another critical pressure point.

We need greater investment in social and affordable housing, alongside stronger support for homelessness services, to address both immediate need and long-term supply challenges. At the same time, targeted reforms to tax settings — such as reducing capital gains tax discounts and limiting negative gearing to affordable housing — could help redirect investment toward more equitable outcomes.

Energy affordability is also emerging as a major concern.

Targeted energy supplements for low-income households are needed to provide relief as prices remain volatile. Such targeted relief will ensure that no one is forced to choose between heating their home and meeting other basic needs like food and medications.

Finally, meaningful progress on inequality will require a stronger and fairer revenue base.

Measures such as increased contributions from high-wealth individuals and a proposed 25% tax on liquefied natural gas exports could generate significant public revenue. This, in turn, could fund a more robust social safety net and ensure that essential services are properly resourced.

Taken together, these measures represent more than a policy wish list — they form a blueprint for a more inclusive and resilient Australia. By investing in people, strengthening services and reforming the tax system, this budget has the potential to not only ease current pressures but to lay the groundwork for a fairer future for all Australians.

Over to you, Mr Treasurer.

Australia Institute economist Matt Grudnoff and Nicky Sloan at CI Group’s Fairer Australia workshop, held on World Social Justice Day in February. Photo: Tyneesha Williams

Capturing clouds

By Brad Chilby

I took the photo below at Scarborough Beach recently. It was a beautiful but humid day but within 30 minutes, cumulus clouds began rising.

These incredible formations are among the most spectacular cloud types and highly photogenic. Cumulus congestus, also known as towering cumulus or Cu Con, are dense clouds that expand rapidly, often reaching heights of more than 6000 metres.

They indicate atmospheric instability and almost always evolve into cumulonimbus storm clouds, which can produce severe weather, including heavy rain and possibly hail.

To photograph these clouds: Look out for them on warm, humid days.

They often appear in the afternoon after the sun has heated the ground, causing thermal uplift.

Summer is typically the best time but keep an eye out in late spring and early autumn as well. They often develop over mountain ranges, such as the Illawarra escarpment.

They rise very quickly, so try to get to a lookout or beach promptly to capture them.

Keep in mind that when they build vertically, they will probably bring a localised storm and potentially wild weather.

A wide-angle lens, such as a 16-35mm or 24-70mm, is ideal. That said, a zoom lens of 200mm or greater can produce dramatic shots of specific sections within the cloud.

Keep an eye on your exposure metering and avoid overexposing your shots as the bright whites of the cloud can easily blow out and ruin the image.

Treat for blues fans

By Bede Ritchie

Wollongong has long been a quiet but powerful engine room for Australian creativity, producing a remarkable flow of musicians, actors and artists whose influence stretches far beyond the Illawarra. The Gong’s creative lineage includes the remarkable guitarist Richard Steele, who, after a long absence, is returning for shows in late May.

Known as one of Australia’s finest slide guitarists and blues stylists, Richard has been impressing audiences with his unique sound and approach on acoustic and electric guitar for more than 30 years.

Richard was a founding member of legendary Wollongong rhythm and blues band Whose Muddy Shoes, which gained critical acclaim and a loyal following in the 90s. Since departing the region for Braidwood and then Devonport (Tasmania), Richard has performed in many bands as a powerhouse guitar gun for hire. He’s also composed and performed in solo and trio settings. Richard is among the elite guitar players on the “must invite” list of every music festival organiser.

“I don’t get up to the Gong that often and haven’t performed there for many years. The Oxford Tavern was a regular venue for The Shoes… but I know that’s gone now,” he says. “I’m stoked to be able to play at La La La’s and Coledale RSL this time because both have built a great reputation for supporting quality live music.”

Richard’s influences include old school blues, jazz, western swing and country. He can belt it out with the best, but is renowned for his mastery of tone and feel. This is striking on albums such as No Rain, Slideways and his latest volume of original works, SEVEN.

“For me, especially with the guitar, it all comes back to ‘feel’. Without ‘feel’, musical performance is like wearing a beige cardigan,” he says.

On this trip back to the Gong, Richard will team up with a killer rhythm section of Mick Malouf on bass and George Brugmans (another Shoes alumni) on drums.

Richard Steele will be at La La La’s on 21 May; 8pm and Coledale RSL on 22 May; 7pm

Distiller builds on global glow-up

By Marcus Craft

An Illawarra distilling company is looking to further cement its international reputation after receiving some of the industry’s most prestigious global awards.

Headlands Distilling Co was named runner-up for best Australian single malt whisky in the 2025 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, an award in recognition of their world-first Illawarra plum cask whisky.

The company has been adding to its collection of awards including best Australian sloe gin at the 2023 World Gin Awards for an Illawarra pluminfused gin.

Headlands Distilling Co is also active in the charity space. The company helped to raise more than $80,000 at a major fundraising event last year for SpinalCure, an Australian non-profit organisation which funds spinal cord injury research.

The company has a deep personal connection with that cause: Dean Martelozzo, one of the company’s founders, is a paraplegic.

“I’m Wollongong born and raised,” Dean said. “I completed high school and university here in the Gong and then after graduating [in 2011], I got myself a one-way ticket to Europe to go and live the backpackers’ dream.

“I started off with a season snowboarding in the French alps, but I had an accident in the terrain park. I had a severe traumatic brain injury and a spinal cord injury that resulted in paraplegia.

“After leaving hospital when I arrived home,

Bird of the Month

By Ewan Auld

I went back to university and did a master of business administration before moving into the world of financial analytics. I started Headlands and have built that into the company we have today.”

He is deeply grateful to those closest to him.

“The obvious one here is my family. Without their love and support, I would never have achieved as much as I have or be able to live the life that I do.

“The group of friends that I have built has been there to carry me across the sand and throw me into the surf, to push me up the hills so I can explore ancient cities in Spain or being there to share a drink and remember it all with afterwards.

“They are always there to help me live life to the fullest, while my girlfriend is always there to bring me back down to earth.”

Crested Pigeon (Ocyphaps lophotes)

This small pigeon species is easily recognisable by its sharp black crest and iridescent bronze colouring on its wings. Crested pigeons are common across all parts of mainland Australia and are particularly fond of open fields and grasslands, often in suburban areas. Here in the Illawarra, they are quite common around our local parklands. While they are quite easy to identify visually, they also produce a unique shrill whistle with their wings when taking flight. I photographed this individual at the main park at Stanwell Park. As there were not many people around on this overcast afternoon, the bird remained unbothered as I approached closely for a photo.

Neighbourhood Forum 1 Report

By NF1 convenor Warwick Erwin

The 2508 community is unique. It is our community and while change is inevitable that change should be on our terms. NF1 has been trying to engage with Wollongong City Council to contribute to the outcomes for the community.

Old Community Hall

From documents released to NF1 under a GIPA (freedom of information) request, the below timeline has been put together. All documents will be released on the 2508 Collaborate website.

1978: A Community Hall is built with a stage and indoor sports facilities (courts) on Crown land (main hall) and Council community land (toilets, office, meeting room and kitchen). Crown land permissible use was as a War Memorial and Hall.

1996: Addition of Youth Rooms on the front – designed and built by Council. Reports of work on this building stated “water went out under the front into Walker St and under-floor air ventilation came out where the meeting room is now”.

2008/2009: Multi-storey apartments built on Stuart St with basement parking accessed via Club Lane, now Gibbons Lane, and the lane regraded to allow for that basement parking access. The surface flow of water was redirected to the eastern side of the lane, away from the western side, causing water to flow on to the blocks the bakery and hall are on. Evidence still in place is the Helensburgh Kerb (longitudinal small mound of tar) Council installed at the rear of the bakery block and additional drains added to the existing drain behind the hall (different drain cover types).

2015: Council installs ventilation pipes on the rear and southern side of the building to “ventilate” the underfloor of the hall due to moisture build-up – this failed and the floor in the western end of the hall failed due to rot. Hall now only able to be half used with the rear “fenced off”.

2020: Scope of Works defined by Council for: floor structure replacement, sub-floor drainage and sub-floor ventilation improvements. Building and hygienist reports with photos via under floor camera supplied to Council – “Council has confirmed a way forward for this project.” Costs appear, from the documents obtained under a GIPA, this was $500,000 to $550K.

2021: Executive Management Committee of Council decides to demolish the building. No resolution of Council could be found to permanently close the hall or building. No resolution of Council could be found to demolish the building. Seems a staff-only decision, but it could have been one of those unminuted councillor “briefing sessions” that are no longer permitted.

New Community Centre and Library Council has closed comments on the proposed new Community Centre and Library. NF1’s request for an extension was refused, with Council saying residents have had “multiple opportunities to provide feedback” over recent weeks.

This is after Council delayed the project for over two years by attempting to place the new centre at the pool, then claimed it would not do this due to community feedback when it was an objection by the Aboriginal Land Council that stopped Council locating the facility there as there is a land claim on the reserves where the pool and sportsground are.

Council’s engagement has nowhere near the level carried out for the redevelopment of Bald Hill or the Helensburgh Town Centre Plan. This Council has watered down engagement.

Projects to be completed

Council Staff advised that the following projects would be completed by the end of this financial year – Vera St into Helensburgh Station, Tunnel Road drainage works around 16 Tunnel Rd, pipe reline in Hume drive (damaged pipe), Flood Warning signs for Otford Causeway (locations unknown at this time – 6 locations asked for), new playground equipment for Norm O’Brien Park (fencing requested due to Old Station Rd traffic and open drain). Fencing for Charles Harper Park playground equipment also requested.

NF1 meetings are in Helensburgh Community Rooms in front of the old centre on the second Wednesday of the month (Feb – Nov).

The old mouldridden centre (at top) and council’s sketch of the new one to be built across the road.

Council responds to NF1 concerns

By Genevieve Swart

The Illawarra Flame asked Wollongong City Council who made the decision to demolish the old Helensburgh hall and why did this not go to a council meeting for public discussion.

A spokesperson said: “The decision to permanently close the former Helensburgh Community Centre at 26A and 26B Walker Street was made by Council officers under delegated authority, in consultation with the Councillors, and was shared with the community in May 2022. It was not a decision that was made lightly.

“The decision was reached following extensive technical investigations that identified ongoing health and safety risks. It was also informed by multiple years of assessments, remediation attempts as well as broader strategic planning for community facilities in Helensburgh. A resolution of Council to consider the repair options was not required. The officers determined that the repair options did not address the fundamental cause of the building’s closure – namely chronic sub-floor water ingress and black mould contamination –and would be an irresponsible use of public funds, considering the long-term plan to replace the stand-alone facility with a new integrated community centre and library.”

The spokesperson said council looked at the existing site but even with repairs to sub-floor water ingress, it expected there would be a high moisture content, making it unsuitable for a library and community centre.

Council plans to demolish the old hall but has not set a date. “Right now there are no decisions about future use of the land because Council only owns part of the site,” the spokesperson said. “Any future usage of the land will be subject to community engagement requirements under the Local Government Act.”

The Flame also asked why a quote of about $500k to repair the hall and centre in late 2021/ early 2022 wasn’t accepted. The spokesperson said: “A repair quote was not progressed because it did not address the underlying water ingress issue and therefore could not guarantee the effective or long-term removal. The water issues are very complex and extensive.”

The Helensburgh plans form part of the Draft Delivery Program 2025-2029 and Operational Plan 2026-2027, currently on public exhibition. Feedback is due by 19 May.

What is the e-scooter hire trial costing ratepayers?

By Jeremy Lasek

About $300,000 is the short answer.

On face value, the only people who should be paying for this long-running e-scooter trial in central Wollongong should be those who climb aboard for a ride. But dig a little deeper and it’s clear the cost is shared among ratepayers.

Since the trial began amid much fanfare in September 2023, Wollongong City Council has decided not to seek any revenue from the international operator, Neuron Mobility.

Council has now confirmed that the trial has been extended for a third time, through to 22 January 2027. Again, there will be no financial benefit to the city and its ratepayers.

So, what is this free e-scooter trial costing the people of Wollongong?

In Canberra, where Neuron has been operating for years, the ACT has struck a deal where the operator pays the ACT Government $1.04 per device, per day. There are 1075 Neuron e-scooters operating in the ACT.

An ACT Government spokesperson said last financial year (2024-25), the ACT Government received $430,755 in e-scooter hire revenue.

In Wollongong, should there be a similar financial arrangement in place, with 300 e-scooters on our streets and footpaths, Council could be earning more than $100,000 a year. As the trial approaches the three-year mark, that's about $300,000 in revenue foregone.

A spokesperson for Council said: “Our focus for the trial was to determine the suitability and uptake of shared e-scooters by residents and visitors, therefore Council has not pursued revenue from the operator during the trial.”

“Transport for NSW has approved continuing the trial until 22 January 2027… Once a state-wide framework is in place, Council will consider its next steps…”

Neuron said e-scooter use in Wollongong has exceeded all expectations. They have been so successful that Neuron hopes to increase its footprint into Wollongong’s northern suburbs.

David Wagstaff

• General plumbing

• Specialising in storm water construction

• Sub divisions and easements

• Domestic drainage problems

• Mini excavator hire also available Plumbing and

CALL NOW 0417 677 345 e: davidwagstaffdrainage@gmail.com

Roofing Contractors Pty Ltd

Tile – Metal – Slate 0414 533 374

FREE “LEARN TO SWIM” CLASSES

ABN 67 661625 903

Email: tmsroofing.reception@outlook.com

Hello Fish

With Duncan Leadbitter

Bushrangers Bay has become a snorkeller’s paradise due to its protected status, relatively easy access and resident grey nurse sharks.

SERVICING CUSTOM APPAREL PARTS & ACCESSORIES

FREE “LEARN TO SWIM” CLASSES

FORNIXWHEELS@GMAIL.COM

WWW.FORNIXWHEELS.COM.AU 0423 489 432

Swimming lessons for all ageschildren, adults and families of refugees and asylum seekers in the Illawarra area.

Learn to stay safe in the water at the:

BEACH

RIVERS, CREEKS & DAMS FREE “LEARN TO SWIM” CLASSES

ROCK POOLS

Swimming lessons for all ageschildren, adults and families of refugees and asylum seekers in the Illawarra area.

HOME POOLS

Learn to stay safe in the water at the:

BEACH

ROCK POOLS

HOME POOLS

RIVERS, CREEKS & DAMS

Text or Call Peter - 0424 199 299

Text or Call Peter - 0424 199 299

Swimming lessons for all ageschildren, adults and families of refugees and asylum seekers in the Illawarra area.

Learn to stay safe in the water at the:

BEACH

ROCK POOLS

HOME POOLS

RIVERS, CREEKS & DAMS

Text or Call Peter - 0424 199 299

The access road into Bass Point was recently fully paved, just before the pot holes became heritage listed. Long overdue, this initiative protects remnant rainforest from erosion and encroachment by those looking for car parks.

Bushrangers Bay is an Aquatic Reserve, gazetted under fisheries legislation and is fully protected. It’s very noticeable with some common species of fish like yellowfin bream being larger and less flighty than one would see outside where fishing is permitted.

The bay is also an important training ground for scuba divers and freedivers as it provides a mix of depths and is protected from swells. A major drawcard is the presence of grey nurse sharks which appear to call the bay home. They are small, from just over a metre to about 2m, with occasional larger ones. They are remarkably tolerant of visitors armed with cameras and seeking the perfect shot of a toothy grin.

Listed as critically endangered, the grey nurse are not the only at-risk species to be found. There are patches of the strapweed, Posidonia australis, in the shallows. This is a vulnerable species of seagrass found in quiet marine bays.

Fish species include yellowtail, luderick, blackspot goatfish, hulas, mado and red morwong, along with many invertebrates such as cuttlefish, sea urchins and the occasional lobster. There’s also seaweeds, including cray weed, and species of encrusting red algae.

On a recent trip there, my snorkel buddy and I aimed to arrive early but the carpark was already full. It seems that watching the sunrise is the ticket of entry for a dip in the bay.

Illawarra junior surf life saver of the year nominees Bronte White and Noah Papandreas.

Nippers end season on a high

By Stuart Brandman, Junior Chairperson at Helensburgh Stanwell Park SLSC

One of the biggest seasons on record has wrapped up for our Nippers, with more than 200 Nippers involved this year and there is plenty to be proud of across the board. From steady skill development to growing confidence in the water and on the sand, the kids showed great progress throughout the season. Week after week, they continued to challenge themselves, support one another, and embrace what surf lifesaving is all about.

This year, our Junior Surf Life Saver of the year award nominees were Bronte White and Noah Papandreas. Both showed outstanding commitment, attitude, and leadership throughout the season, and were very deserving nominees. We were also proud to see Noah Papandreas represent the club at the State Championships, a great achievement and reward for his effort and dedication.

Our Leadership Camp delivered a strong mix of leadership development, teamwork, hands-on learning, and plenty of laughs along the way.

We finished the season on a high with Transition Skills Day, enjoying excellent conditions that allowed the kids to really put everything they’d learned into practice.

On the back of incredible individual and team fundraising, the club has purchased four new Nipper boards. This is a fantastic outcome and a real credit to the Fundraising Team.

Thank you to our committee, water safety teams, age managers, and the many parents who consistently pitch in, whether carrying boards, setting up tents, cooking snags, or cheering from the sand. Most importantly, thank you to the kids. Your enthusiasm, resilience, and willingness to give things a go are what make Nippers such a special part of the club.

WHAT’S ON

at Stanwell Park Arts Theatre

SPAT Bush Dance – Sat night 30th May

In May SPAT is holding a bush dance which may include one or two European folk dances. The musicians and caller are all SPAT members. We feel especially proud and grateful that we have so many multi-talented musicians within our ranks.  This is the first time SPAT has held a bush dance, and it promises to be a fantastic fun-filled evening.  However, this event will be for only one night, Saturday May 30 from 7:30 to 9 pm at the Stanwell Park CWA Hall.  If you don’t want to miss out, you need to book early, and tickets are now on sale via our website www.spat.org.au.  Adults are $20 and concession $15

SPAT Singers Dinner/ Show - 28 June (soirée), 4 July (dinner), and 5 July (soirée)

This year the SPAT Singers Show will feature two soirée performances (show followed by afternoon tea) and 1 evening performance. (three-course supper show). The event offers an enjoyable mix of music, audience participation, and a threecourse meal or afternoon tea provided by SPAT members. The 2026 theme, Beatles and Other Animals, is led by musical director Lindy Sharp. New performers are welcome. Rehearsals are held every Friday at 7:30pm at the CWA Hall, with opportunities for both singers and instrumentalists.

Upcoming Productions

At this stage, it looks fairly certain that a hybrid radio play paired with a one-act play is on the cards, but we’ll keep you posted.

Youth Workshop – September/October school holidays

We are seeking someone experienced to run a youth drama workshop in the September/ October school holidays. If you are interested,  email us at spartstheatre@gmail.com

Annual Christmas Pantomime

We are keen to hear from anyone who would like to get involved in a non-acting capacity. These roles are all essential to the success of any show and include stage manager, backstage helper, producer, advertising coordinator, frontofhouse organiser, set painter, poster and program designer.

Membership

Renewing is easy at www.spat.org.au

Cycling gives Matt independence

By Tyneesha Williams

Long before 34-year-old Matt McMaugh became a legend on the northern Illawarra cycle paths, he was a toddler fascinated by anything on two wheels.

Matt’s mum, Tess, said her son had always been keen on bikes, even as a tiny tot. “That was his favourite thing… to see a bike or those little plastic toys they sit on and push,” Tess says.

“He always loved that, and we did lots of balancing stuff with him. He rode horses and we took him skiing... he’s just besotted with bikes and it has been wonderful.”

Matt’s childhood passion for cycling set him on a path toward independence as someone living with an intellectual disability. His parents, Tess and Ian, brought him up in Thirroul, channelling his love of bikes into important life skills.

While Matt lives with a developmental delay that remains undiagnosed, his life is defined by what he can do, rather than a medical label.

“Unfortunately, it can’t be diagnosed; we’ve tried and tried. He’s what we call developmentally delayed... but he’s such a happy, social boy and everyone adores him who meets him. He’s just so happy and content with life,” she says.

Matt lives independently in Woonona, where he cycles every day. He uses his bike for almost everything, recognised by the community in his signature helmet as he commutes to his jobs at Flagstaff and Greenacres.

“We put spikes in his helmet to stop the magpies... so everyone tends to recognise him,”

Tess says. “He’s become a bit of a local legend, which is good for us because it means if he got into trouble, people would look out for him.”

Matt’s relationship with cycling has come full circle. First, he took part in the CycleAbility program, started by Illawarra Bicycle Users Group (IBUG) president Ed Birt, a former chief operating officer at the Disability Trust. Then Matt stepped into a volunteer role, helping young children with disabilities experience the same freedom he found on two wheels.

“Matt was helping the kids learn to ride on a Saturday, which made him feel really good. It just makes him feel part of the community and wanted, and, you know, it’s lovely,” Tess says.

Scarborough at Kirra Teams Challenge

By Ian Pepper of the Scarborough Boardriders

On the 27-29th of March our team ascended on the Gold Coast for the 2026 Kirra Teams Challenge. The iconic event sees 36 boardriding clubs from around Australia for a long weekend of grassroots surfing, club spirit and good times.

Scarborough has sent a team to the event for well

over a decade with six open men and two junior boys selected to attend. The format is simple; each surfer participates in one four man 20 minute heat and scores points for their club in the order they finish. First gets 4 points, second three points and so on and there is loads of prize money for the top teams.

Thank you and well done to our entire team for making the effort and cost to attend on behalf of the club. Congratulations to our open surfers Joshua Pepper and Fin McLaren for winning their respective heats and in club tradition being carried up the beach by fellow club members. Overall, we finished 25th and well done Noosa for taking the win.

Next pointscore Sunday 3rd of May.

Matt and Tess.

Photo: Tyneesha Williams

2

17

8

Port Kembla Tidal Chart

PORT KEMBLA – NEW SOUTH WALES

1 FR MAY Time

2 SA 0242 0.46

3

4

5 TU

6

7

8

9

3

LAT 34° 28ʼ S LONG 150° 54ʼ E Times and Heights of High and Low Waters

May 2026

4

5

2

6

3

7 TH 0613 0.55 1210 1.15 1714 0.79 2352 1.59

18

TIMES AND HEIGHTS OF HIGH AND LOW WATERS LAT 340 29’ LONG 1500 55’ TIME

19

16

20

17

18

22

4 TH 0502 0.47 1100 1.21 1609 0.73 2244 1.70

19

28

8 FR 0706 0.58 1307 1.14 1808 0.83

23

5 FR 0545 0.50 1145 1.20 1654 0.75 2326 1.65

20

29

PORT KEMBLA – NEW SOUTH WALES

9 SA 0045 1.54 0803 0.58 1410 1.16 1915 0.85

24

6 SA 0630 0.51 1234 1.21 1745 0.78

25

7 SU 0011 1.60 0715 0.51 1328 1.25 1845 0.80

26

8 MO 0101 1.54 0801 0.51 1421 1.32 1951 0.80

12 TU 0350 1.50 1029 0.47 1651 1.44 2244 0.69

© Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2025, Bureau of Meteorology. Datum of Predictions is Lowest Astronomical Tide. Times are in local standard time (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect. The Bureau of Meteorology gives no warranty of any kind whether express, implied, statutory or otherwise in respect to the availability, accuracy, currency, completeness, quality or reliability of the information or that the information will be fit for any particular purpose or will not infringe any third party Intellectual Property rights. The Bureau’s liability for any loss, damage, cost or expense resulting from use of, or reliance on, the information is entirely excluded. Scan the QR to download a fresh Tide Chart each month

21

30

13 WE 0445 1.52 1109 0.43 1733 1.58 2342 0.57 14 TH 0539 1.53 1150 0.40 1816 1.72 15 FR 0037

9 TU 0200 1.49 0847 0.49 1514 1.41 2103 0.76 10 WE 0302 1.45 0933 0.48 1604 1.53 2215 0.67 11 TH 0407 1.41 1019 0.47 1654 1.67 2321 0.56 12 FR 0511 1.39 1107 0.46 1744 1.81

27 WE 0514 1.37

MOON PHASE SYMBOLS New Moon  First Quarter  Full Moon  Last Quarter

Golf news

Tradies Social Golf

Barry Thompson reports

St Patrick may have cleared the snakes from Ivan’s native Ireland but his encounter with a red belly black reminded him that he was in Australia. I don’t agree that his forlorn card was due to the shock encounter. The snake appeared on the 12th, and Ivan’s game was in tatters long before that.

Hayden Overton won with 43 Stableford points, Craig Murphy (39) clinched second, and Preso Terry (36) took third, although rumour has it there may have been marker creep involved. Dave Astill won the Helensburgh Driving Range Bucket of Balls voucher. Results in the first round of our Match Play comp were: Mick d Gary (1 up), Geoff won a coin toss over Kynan, Terry bested Rod (2 up, and I suspect this may be the reason for the above rumour), and Hayden beat John (8 and 6).

We welcomed Neil Wotton who handed in his first card to the whims of Mick the Merciless. It was also great to see Gavin Sinclair back from injury.

Our next round – May 16 at Boomerang (7am tee-off) – is a stroke event and the first round of the Club Championships. Please arrive early.

Thanks to our sponsors, Tradies, Helensburgh Butchery, Gallardo’s Pizzeria, and Helensburgh Driving Range.

Helensburgh Sunday Social Golf Club

Robert ‘Indy’ Jones reports On another fine day at Boomerang Golf Course we welcomed Gary Evans, and the returning Dave Morris and Kyle Brown.

A stableford event to which Rob Carter gets to engrave his name on the Joe Doherty Mug, wiping holes and complaining to the end, scored 37 to take the Christian’s Premium Meats voucher followed by Frank Morgan (34) who received Bunnings spending money. Nathan Lerond in 3rd (32) collected the Helensburgh Golf Range prize and Daniel G. scooped FATOE.

Chuckie, Pikey, Hodgey, Peter G., Rob C., Dave Morris, Frank Morgan shared on-course rewards, and the Club won three holes to keep the treasury afloat. The 19th had a warm feel about it with spicy burgers to assist beer consumption and sales.

Thanks to our sponsors Christian’s Premium Meats and Helensburgh Driving Range.

Our upcoming events are: May 3, June 14, and July 5 –all 8am tee-offs. Call Tony (0418 863 100) to register your attendance and cart requirements on the Tuesday ahead of the date of our next event.

Indy signing off: Golfers struggle to count past 5 but their greatest handicap is the ability to add correctly.

hyslop

Happy Mother’s Day to the ones who make every house feel like home.

Your Local Real Estate Expert in the 2515 Market

David Hyslop - 0417 784 945

tpg.com.au Country Companion Animal Rescue

More properties sold in 2508 & 2515

Over the past six months, we've successfully helped more local homeowners achieve a result across 2508 and 2515, through considered strategy, strong buyer relationships, and consistent follow-through. If you're thinking of selling, it pays to work with an agent who's actively getting deals done.