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Record setters row into Coffs Harbour
FROM Page 1
dessert because it travelled from NZ to Australia.
Marine Rescue Coffs Harbour Unit
Commander Jane Leach told News Of The Area, “The night before arriving in Coffs, Grant and Luke had to deal with massive swells and 30 knot wind pushing them to the north.
“Rowing hard, they completed the last few nautical miles and Marine Rescue Coffs Harbour's vessel guided them to the public wharf at the marina to a terrific reception.”
Known as “The Ditch”, the Tasman has long been considered one of the world’s most unpredictable and challenging stretches of ocean, making this record-breaking row even more impressive.
The record was previously held by a fourperson Australian team who completed the same crossing in 2007 in 31 days.
Fish kill response
THE NSW Government is responding to several fish death events in waterways in northern NSW as the impacts of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred linger.
The Environment Protection Authority (EPA), Department of Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and local councils have received reports of major fish death events in the Richmond, Clarence and Macleay catchments.
“The fish deaths are the result of a series of Hypoxic water events, which occur when floodplain vegetation dies, and organic material is washed into waterways during
flooding,” the EPA said in a statement.
“As this organic material breaks down in the water, it depletes the levels of dissolved oxygen.
“Without sufficient levels of dissolved oxygen, fish and other aquatic organisms struggle to breathe, and in some cases, this causes them to die.
“Water can appear dark brown or black as the organic matter decays due to the release of dissolved carbon compounds, including tannins.”
The EPA and DPIRD are working with local councils to manage clean-up actions in
key locations where fish deaths have been reported.
As part of flood debris clean-up in waterways, the EPA has engaged specialist clean-up contractors to assist with the collection of dead fish from accessible riverbanks in urban areas during their search for large and hazardous flood debris.
Last week, clean up contractors were deployed in the Tweed, Clarence and Manning Rivers.
Clean up contractors commenced work in the Richmond River this week.
Community members are encouraged to report any fish deaths or water quality concerns to the Fishers Watch phoneline on 1800 043 536.
q A jubilant Luke Richmond.
q Grant ‘Axe’ Rawlinson.
q Welcomed into Coffs Harbour by Marine Rescue Vessel-7.
BYPASS BREAKTHROUGH
FROM Page 1
Shephards Lane means people can pass from one side of the 320m tunnel to the other and follows a breakthrough at the 410m Gatelys Road tunnel in November last year.
Transport for NSW North Region Director, Anna Zycki, said breaking through was a significant achievement but there was still plenty of work to do before the tunnels could take traffic.
“The top of the tunnel tube, called the heading, will be excavated and then the project team will go through
again to excavate the base of the tunnel tube, known as the bench,” Ms Zycki said.
“All the electrical equipment needs to be installed, the inside of the tunnel waterproof sealed, the road and cycleways constructed, and system testing carried out.
“Waterproof sealing stops water getting onto the road, which improves safety. It also increases the tunnel lifespan.
“This work will continue over the next 18-20 months, but this milestone is worth celebrating.”
Ms Zycki said work was
also progressing well on Gatelys Road tunnel, which is already being sprayed with a waterproof lining, and excavation would start next month on the 160m Roberts Hill tunnel.
“That work will be carried out 24/7 and we’re anticipating we’ll have breakthrough there by midyear,” she said.
"We expect all three tunnels will be waterproofed by Christmas this year and then we’ll spray them with concrete, install the paving and finally carry out the electrical fit out.”
q Light spills into the tunnel after the breakthrough.
q The breakthrough at Shephards Lane means people can pass from one side of the 320m tunnel to the other
Coalition pledge funds for tourism information centre
THE Coalition has pledged $850,000 in funding to create a purposebuilt tourism information facility for the Coffs Coast, if successful at May’s federal election.
The new centre would be housed at the Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary.
A statement from Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan said the centre would be a “one-stop-shop for visitors to pop in, get information on the full range of local attractions and ask advice and tips from knowledgeable purpose trained staff”.
Mr Conaghan said the funding was the result of
a year of discussions with the Sanctuary’s Managing Director, Tiga Cross, who is a member of the City of Coffs Harbour’s Destination Coffs Coast Committee.
“Investing in facilities like this has a number of positive implications, not just on the tourism industries, but on our student and business communities more broadly on the Coffs
Have you been affected by Tropical Cyclone Alfred?
The New South Wales Reconstruction Authority is here to help you recover.
Assistance is available in the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast.
You can visit a local recovery assistance point or mobile outreach location for practical advice and support, including:
• Replacing lost documents
• Accessing mental health services
• Applying for Hardship Assistance Grants
For more information, scan the QR code, visit nsw.gov.au/CycloneAlfredRecovery, or call 13 77 88
Coast,” Mr Conaghan said.
“To see Tiga’s drive and vision for not only the Sanctuary but the Coffs Coast tourism industry as a whole is nothing short of inspiring.”
Ms Cross believes a tourism information centre would have positive impacts on the wider business community.
“Seeing this facility brought to life means attracting more visitors to the region, educating them on the full range of
amazing attractions and destinations that we have and supporting our wider tourism ecosystem," she said.
“Our aim is to grow the local economy, create jobs and enhance business relationships across our region.
“Together, we are stronger and we make our region more attractive to tourists, so housing all our strengths in one place will create better opportunities for all of us to thrive.”
q A concept image of the proposed tourism information facility. Photo: supplied.
NSW Reconstruction Authority
q Cowper MP Pat Conaghan and Coffs Coast Wildlife Sanctuary Managing Director Tiga Cross.
New report identifies region’s labour and skills shortage
By Andrew VIVIAN
REGIONAL Development
Australia Mid North Coast (RDAMNC) has released a new study that highlights the growing labour and skills shortages in the region.
The report shows these will pose a significant barrier to economic growth.
Conducted by Charles Sturt University (CSU), the
2024 Skills Audit identifies several critical challenges, including labour and skills shortages, skills gaps, limited vocational training, and infrastructure issues such as housing affordability and access to early childcare education.
The report reveals that the Mid North Coast (MNC) has a lower proportion of working-age individuals compared to the state
average, making it more difficult for businesses to find the skilled workers they need.
At the same time, the region is experiencing a significant outflow of skilled individuals, particularly in sectors such as healthcare, aged care, and construction.
The study also underscores the region’s limited access to vocational training, which forces many
Candidates outline childcare policies
By Ned COWIE
FOUR of the candidates for Cowper in the Federal Election on 3 May, have discussed their positions on childcare at a forum in Nambucca Heads.
Held last Saturday at the town’s Community and Arts Centre, the event was organised by notfor-profit lobby group “The Parenthood”, which represents the interests of more than 80,000 parents and carers.
However, very few representatives of this demographic attended.
Organisers told News Of The Area that they had hoped for a better turnout.
The 35 people at the forum included candidates Greg Vigors (Labor), Caz Heise (Independent), Wendy Firefly (Greens) and Chris Walsh (One Nation), as well as Nambucca Valley councillors David Jones, Susan Jenvey and Ljubov Simson.
Pat Conaghan of the Nationals said he could not attend due to a prior commitment to present medals to outstanding RFS members at a ceremony in Kempsey on Saturday.
“I have held forums and consulted individually with providers and parents over the last six years in my role as Federal Member for Cowper,” he told News Of The Area.
“I have made a number of speeches in parliament on the issue to highlight our region specifically and continue to fight for appropriate reforms to be made.”
Family First candidate Peter Jackel also sent his apologies.
Five pre-prepared questions were directed at candidates, allowing each of them a minute to deliver their response.
Speakers acknowledged that the problems facing working parents in the area included a shortage of available carers, long waits for early childhood places, no spaces in nearby facilities and few options for shift workers.
Other problems were a lack of appropriate staff training and the cost of childcare.
Most agreed that problems with finding staff were linked to poor pay, low respect, and the shortage of facilities; and they
workers to travel to larger cities for education.
Other key challenges highlighted in the report include the lack of affordable housing, insufficient childcare services, and inadequate infrastructure such as transport and digital connectivity, all of which hinder both workers and businesses.
RDAMNC's CEO, Dr Madeleine Lawler, said,
“The Mid North Coast is experiencing pressure in the labour market across
many of the key industry sectors like health and social care, construction and manufacturing.
“We know we need to be working collectively across the region to trial community led solutions over the next few years to ensure we are being as responsive to the needs of industry as possible.
“We have the bones we need but we need to improve connections by working together.”
The report’s
recommendations to address the identified issues include the development of a cohesive regional housing strategy aligned with workforce planning; universal access to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) to support workforce participation, particularly for women; strengthening the regional skills ecosystem through closer collaboration between employers, training providers, and community services and enhancing infrastructure to improve transport, housing, and digital connectivity across the region.
committed to working hard for the sector if elected.
Candidate for Labor Greg Vigors pointed to several commitments the Albanese Government has made, including three days of paid childcare and a grant to providers who offer a 15 percent increase to childcare wages over the next two years.
He also spoke of Labor’s December announcement of a $1b fund to “work with councils to build big [childcare] centres around schools in regional areas.
Caz Heise, the Independent candidate chosen by the
Voices4Cowper, said the commitments from Labor were encouraging but noted that “nothing had been done” to improve the situation in the past four years.
She said the region had been overlooked in a variety of areas due to it being viewed as a “safe seat” for the National Party, and committed to listening to the wishes of the people in a way that she believed the larger parties could not.
One Nation’s Chris Walsh said his was a party for “the people” and advocated for better support of parents in general.
He also said that more should be done to encourage in-home care, such as that provided by grandparents and stay-at-home parents.
Greens candidate Wendy Firefly reiterated her commitment to First Nations peoples.
“This land has been stolen, and we wouldn’t be facing these problems if it had not been,” she began.
She advocated for childcare to be free and accused sitting member Pat Conaghan of “letting us down”.
“One in three corporations don’t pay tax,” she said. “If we had that
revenue, we could solve this problem and we could have free education, free healthcare and people could get the wages they deserve.”
One attendee, Sue Parker of Midcoast Family Day Care, expressed her frustration after the forum.
“It wasn’t really what I thought it would be,” she told NOTA.
“I thought we would get a chance to ask questions and come up with solutions but it was really just about the candidates.”
Ms Parker also thought some of the prepared questions were unrelated to the issues of the industry.
q The Parenthood’s Maddy Butler with Cowper candidates Greg Vigors (Labor), Caz Heise (Voices4Cowper), Wendy Firefly (Greens) and Chris Walsh (One Nation) at the forum on childcare.
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Drone vision shows GKNP logging
By Andrew VIVIAN CONSERVATIONISTS
are concerned that the public is not completely aware of the type and scale of forestry operations in the proposed Great Koala National Park (GKNP).
They have shared a new drone video of logging in Sheas Nob State Forest, inland from Coffs Harbour, to highlight the damage being done.
The process shown is a large harvester that grabs large trees and slices through them, with the fallen trunks then being dragged to a collection point, damaging the forest floor vegetation.
Darren Grover, the Head of Regenerative Country at the World Wildlife Fund Australia (WWF) said, “The video will be shocking to many people.
“It shows the brutal efficiency of heavy logging machinery, destroying trees which will take many decades to replace, if at all.”
The WWF says that a number of reports, based on publicly-available data from Forestry Corporation NSW (FCNSW) show that logging has already occurred across 7185 hectares within the GKNP assessment area since the Minns Government was elected, and that currently-available
harvest plans show logging is currently underway across a further 1924 hectares within the assessment area.
It says that a delay of six months could take the total logged area to 12,578 hectares, equivalent to more than 6700 Sydney Cricket Grounds.
Greens MP and spokesperson for the environment Sue Higginson, has cited a report from Wilderness Australia titled, “The Plan to Keep Logging the Great Koala National Park”, which draws the same conclusion.
“Even in the National Party seat of Coffs Harbour, 70 percent of the community support the creation of the Great Koala
National Park,” she said.
“This will go down as one of the biggest environmental political failures of our time.”
Gumbaynggirr Elder Uncle Micklo Jarrett said, “One of my main totems is the Dunggirr, the koala.
“My identity and my being is sustained, nourished, upheld and defined by the Dunggirr.
“For the benefit and wellbeing of all in the Gumbaynggirr Nation we must stop logging our forests and the entire 176,000 hectare Great Koala National Park must be declared immediately, because that is what our government promised us."
The following pages establish the standards of how to use the design elements which make up The Residential Lift Company logo and the RESiLIFT® logo, as well as the writing style for the brand in the digital space. The specifications detailed here are to be strictly adhered to. Please note the RESiLIFT® logo is the prime public logo for all communications in line with the 2019 Marketing Strategy. The Residential Lift Company logo is only used by Head Office for internal communications.
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q Logging in Sheas Nob State Forest. Photo: Paul Hilton and Calumn Hockey for Earth Tree Images.
Alarm raised as tough on crime policy 'infects' nation
By Keira JENKINS, AAP
ABORIGINAL and Torres
Strait Islander children are being set up for a life of suffering, legal services say, as 'tough on crime' policy sweeps the country.
More state and territory governments are locking up children at increasing rates, and not listening to community or evidence about what is best for kids, according to National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services chair Karly Warner.
"These new laws that we're seeing infect the majority of state and territory governments ... are really dangerous," she told AAP.
"They're going to backfire and compound the disadvantage and trauma experienced by too many of our young people and communities."
The Northern Territory Government has lowered the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10, reformed bail legislation and reintroduced the use of spit hoods.
Queensland's "adult
crime, adult time" policy, introduced in 2024, means children face the same maximum sentences as adults for a number of offences, including life sentences for murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm.
The state has also criminalised breach of bail for children.
Changes to bail legislation in NSW and Victoria have also attracted the concern of legal services and justice advocates.
Imprisoning children has never worked to curb crime, Ms Warner said, instead it can make young people more likely to become "trapped in an ongoing cycle" of incarceration.
In NSW and the ACT, Ms Warner said there's been a 270 percent increase in the number of bail applications going to the Supreme Court, and an increase in demand in legal services to go with it.
q A crackdown on youth crime around the country will backfire and harm children, advocates say. Photo: Richard Wainwright/AAP PHOTOS.
"There's been no reciprocal increase in funding to try and cope with these dangerous laws that governments around the country are creating," she said. "What that means is that not only are children impacted by the laws themselves but they're more likely to get trapped in the criminal justice system if they're unable to get the help they need.
"Ultimately what that means is that we've got children who are more traumatised, exposed to a life of crime and they're more likely to go on cycling into adult prisons and making communities more dangerous."
Ms Warner said it is not too late for governments to re-think youth justice laws in their jurisdictions.
"We have seen the tragic consequences of punitive, tough on crime politicking that drives mass incarceration of Aboriginal children with the death of Aboriginal teenagers in youth detention," she said. "What is it going to take for government to realise that they are ruining children's lives and they are making communities more dangerous."
A LACK of access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) on the Mid North Coast is compounding staff shortages at the region’s hospitals.
Nurse and midwife Amanda Bailey-Derrett, who serves as President of the Coffs Harbour branch of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, said the “majority” of the branch’s members are being impacted by childcare shortages in some way.
According to the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, 88 percent of nurses and midwives identify as female.
“We have a very female dominated workforce in nursing and midwifery,” Ms Bailey-Derrett told NOTA last week.
“What happens is that nurses and midwives go on maternity leave, have their babies and then when they try and return to work they are not able to get care for their children.
“They can then only return for a day or two a week, which is much less than they would like to, or they can't return to work at all.”
Ms Bailey-Derrett said the issue is not simply a lack of available and affordable childcare places, but a shortage of “shift workfriendly” childcare options for hospital workers.
“Usually kids can't be dropped off until after 7am, and they have to be picked up before 5pm.
“Members have to rely heavily on family, if they have them, to take part in that care.”
A well known advocate
for health care sector workers on the Coffs Coast, Ms Bailey-Derrett said all levels of government need to work together to deliver childcare options that are “affordable, flexible and accessible”.
One improvement she would like to see is the establishment of 24/7, onsite childcare at hospitals.
“Obviously breastfeeding mothers can’t return to work, particularly for overnight shifts,” she said.
Ms Bailey-Derrett said it was important to classify childcare access as a gender equity issue.
“It disproportionately affects women when it comes to childcare,” she said.
“It forces women into part time roles, career stagnation or leaving the workforce altogether.
“We also need to pay nurses and midwives what they are worth, and what they do in other states, in order to keep them, and so they can afford childcare.”
where at least three children compete for an ECEC place.
On average, five
Woolgoolga pool motion raises governance questions
By Andrew VIVIAN
WHEN Councillor Paul Amos moved a motion about a new swimming pool in Woolgoolga at City of Coffs Harbour Council’s 27 March meeting, he wasn’t expecting to be denied the opportunity to speak to it.
Cr Amos moved that Council “endorses a resolved position of placing the current Woolgoolga Pool into a repair and maintenance mode for the short to medium term”; “adopt a medium term desired concept of a public 50 metre pool being built in the west Woolgoolga area”; and “adopt a medium term desired outcome of converting the current Woolgoolga Pool site into park and recreational facilities and thus expanding the Woolgoolga Beach foreshore area for recreational purposes”.
In response, Councillor Gurminder Saro immediately moved an amendment that Council “continue to maintain and repair” the existing Woolgoolga pool instead.
The amended motion also proposed Council “consider the heating component of the Woolgoolga Pool in the draft 2025/26 capital program to be completed by 1 March 2026” and noted that an overarching Aquatic Strategy will be presented to Council in 2025.
Cr Saro’s motion stated that the draft strategy will “investigate issues and options concerning the Woolgoolga pool along with other key considerations”.
It also noted that the Aquatic Strategy would allow for community consultation and facilitate engagement with community groups, whilst “providing direction for aquatic facilities” across
the whole City of Coffs Harbour LGA.
As meeting Chair, Mayor Nikki Williams attempted to proceed directly to discussion of the amended motion, without allowing Cr Amos the opportunity to speak to the original motion.
Cr Amos, the former Mayor, said it was a matter of protocol for the mover of a motion to speak before any amendments were put, a point which Mayor Williams disputed.
“That’s actually not a requirement in the Code Of Meeting Practice, Cr Amos,” Mayor Williams replied.
Cr Amos then moved a motion of dissent, arguing that allowing a councillor to “jump up” and move an amendment before a motion was debated would result in frequent disruptions.
The dissent motion was lost four votes to five.
Cr Saro then discussed his amended motion, highlighting the engagement he had undertaken with the Woolgoolga community on the issue.
“Here I have emails of support from Woolgoolga High School, Woolgoolga Primary School, Corindi Primary School, Mullaway Primary School, St Francis Xavier, Woopi News and their subscribers, the Woolgoolga Swimming Club,” Cr Saro said, noting he had engaged with a range of other Woolgoolga sporting and business organisations, including the Surf Club.
Cr Saro said some groups were disappointed they had not been made aware of the original motion.
“The community said they want to be consulted,” Cr Saro said.
Cr Cath Fowler urged Council to wait for the
finalisation of an overarching aquatic strategy before making any major decisions, while repairing the Woolgoolga pool heating in the short term.
Cr Tony Judge spoke against the amendment, arguing the original motion was advocating action while the amendment simply called for council to “consider” repairing the pool heating and further consultation.
Mayor Williams spoke for the amendment, noting the need to find a solution which worked for all people in the LGA.
The amended motion was carried five votes to four.
Cr Amos said council was missing a great opportunity by voting against the original motion.
“A northern facility of substance will undoubtedly free up capacity and pool space at the southern end of
the LGA,” Cr Amos told NOTA.
“This is simple - is the area from Moonee to Woolgoolga our current major growth area?
“Does the northern beaches area need a 50 metre pool?
“Will a northern 50-metre pool take some workload off the Coffs town centre pool?
“Has the existing Woolgoolga pool site potential to be better used for the community?”
Cr Amos said his intention was for the existing pool to remain open and operating until a new one was built.
“I feel for the people of Woolgoolga and surrounds because a 50m pool is now a more distant possibility, and the opportunity to develop the current pool site into a landmark foreshore facility is gone.”
Much of the Mid North Coast is described as a “childcare desert”,
children
compete for a place in parts of Nambucca Heads, and at least six children compete for a place in Port Macquarie and Kempsey.
q Amanda Bailey-Derrett, President of the Coffs Harbour branch of the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association.
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A night for Palestine
THE “Friends of Palestine” will host a night of international food, dance and culture at the Bellingen Memorial Hall on Thursday, 17 April.
Commencing at 6.00pm, delicious Palestinian food and sweets will be available for purchase on arrival.
Audience members will then be treated to music performed by Emiliano Beltzer, an Argentinian-born Bellingen local.
“Emiliano is a highly talented guitarist and bassist, with a rich Australian and international career,” said Mike Griffin from the Friends of Palestine.
“The Arabesque dance group will add to the entertainment with a performance of traditional Palestinian dabke dancing.”
Helen O’Sullivan, a Queensland-based social work field educator, will then discuss her experiences supporting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in 2024.
“We will wrap up the evening with a charity auction, when 20 valuable items will go under the hammer,” Mike said.
“The auction items include a beautiful copy of Sister Wendy’s 1000 Masterpieces, a Tiffany-style table lamp, a hand-painted antique tea set, a large hand-painted vase from Hanoi, a rare piece of Faenza ceramic decorated with 24K gold, and much besides.”
All auction proceeds will be donated to the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Association.
“This will be an action-packed evening, and will be a great opportunity for the community to come together, to enjoy the performances, to learn about the tragedy of the military occupation of the West Bank, and to take part in the fun of the auction, which we hope will raise much-needed funds to support the Palestinian people,” said Mike.
Tickets are $20 ($10 for students/ concessions) and can be purchased on Eventbrite.
Alternatively, you can reserve your seat by phoning Mike on 6569 5419. Tickets are also available at the door.
q Helen O’Sullivan will discuss her experiences supporting Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
q Emiliano Beltzer.
Authors booked in for Bellingen festival
By Andrea FERRARI
EIGHT guest authors have been announced as speakers and panellists at the Bellingen Readers and Writers Festival in June.
They include esteemed writers, broadcasters and journalists, all of whom have penned and published a book.
Each promises to share insights into their remarkable stories and personal life.
"We are honoured, and more than a little excited, to welcome such a dynamic group of writers, thinkers, and storytellers to this year’s festival,” Program Director Adam Norris said.
“Their works span fiction, memoir, journalism, history, and Indigenous scholarshipoffering something for every reader."
Trent Dalton is the internationally bestselling author of “Boy Swallows Universe”, “All Our Shimmering Skies” and “Lola
in the Mirror”.
His debut novel’s screen adaptation became Australia’s most-watched show on Netflix within days of release.
Professor Marcia Langton AO is a leading Indigenous scholar and advocate, whose works “Welcome to Country: A Guide to Indigenous Australia” and “65,000 Years: A Short History of Australian Art” have reshaped the national conversation.
Hannah Kent has authored the multi-awardwinning “Burial Rites”, “The Good People”, and “Devotion”.
Her books have been translated into more than 30 languages and adapted for film.
David Marr is a celebrated journalist and political commentator, whose latest book “Killing for Country: A Family Story” examines Australia’s colonial past.
Virginia Trioli, two-time Walkley-winning journalist
and former ABC broadcaster, is the author of “A Bit on the Side: Reflections on What Makes Life Delicious”.
Gina Chick, Alone Australia champion and rewilding facilitator, is the bestselling author of “We Are The Stars”, a memoir about love, connection, and the power of letting go.
Markus Zusak, author of “The Book Thief”, an international bestseller translated into over 50 languages, has a new nonfiction work, “Three Wild Dogs (and the Truth)”.
Peter Greste is a foreign correspondent, journalist, academic, and media freedom activist.
After being imprisoned in Egypt for 400 days on terrorism charges while covering the political crisis in Cairo, he became a leading advocate for press freedom.
His book “The Correspondent” explores his experiences and the global
Scotswoman Margaret turning 102
By Andrea FERRARI
CELEBRATING her 102nd birthday on Sunday 6 April, Coffs Harbour great-greatgrandmother, Scotswoman Margaret, will be at home with her family and a feast of the British favourite, fish ‘n’ chips.
Born in Edinburgh in 1923, Margaret married English sailor Reg in 1942, after three months of courtship..
The couple set up home in Dover on the English coast where their first daughter, Sandra, was born.
At the end of the war, the family moved to Coventry in
England’s Midlands where they had their second daughter, Heather.
After several moves around the country, the family left for Australia as Ten Pound Poms, sailing on the Fairstar and settling in Adelaide before relocating to Millicent, South Australia.
Family commitments took them back to the UK in 1970 but on retirement Reg and Margaret decided that Australia was the place to be, so they returned in 1987, this time by air.
They settled in Armidale before finally moving to Coffs Harbour in 1991.
After 71 years of
marriage, Reg lost his battle with Alzheimer's in 2013.
Margaret now lives with the support of family and carers.
She enjoys pottering in her garden, doing crosswords and listening to the famous Dutch conductor/musician André Rieu every single night.
“I love music, and André has a fabulous orchestra full of vibrant colours and real music,” she said.
Margaret has over 50 of his music DVDs and a few CDs.
“He keeps me company whilst I’m in bed doing crosswords,” she said.
Daughter Sandy says her mum is very alert and has a memory “as sharp as
a tack, putting the rest of us to shame”.
Margaret still goes shopping on her walker and loves to go down to the Jetty for a "sea air blow".
As Sandy said, “Margaret, ‘Lang may yer lum.”
“[It’s] a saying from her native Scotland translating to ‘long may your chimney smoke’, meaning a wish for a long and healthy life, prosperity, and good fortune.”
Family to Margaret means, two daughters, five grandchildren, 17 greatgrandchildren, seven greatgreat grandchildren and another two on the way.
q Margaret celebrates her 102nd birthday on Sunday 6 April, 2025.
war on journalism, and has been adapted into a major 2025 film starring Richard
Roxburgh. More authors, special events, and program details will be announced in the coming weeks.
q Authors Trent Dalton, Hannah Kent, Professor Marcia Langton AO and David Marr will speak at the festival.
‘Big Deal’ puts democracy under scrutiny
By Andrew VIVIAN
ALMOST 100 people
attended the Sawtell Cinema on Tuesday, 25 March, to watch “Big Deal” - a film about the role of money in Australian politics.
The film is directed by Craig Reucassel, known for “The Chaser”, “The Checkout” and “The War on Waste”, and follows comedian, musician and parent Christiaan Van Vuuren, who discovers his country may not be as democratic as he thought.
Van Vuuren investigates political donations and lobbying and is shocked by what he finds.
For example, he thought Australia was far better than the US, where politicians are influenced by the National Rifle Association (NRA), but finds gun advocates in Australia spend more per capita on lobbying than the NRA.
He also finds that fossil fuel and mining companies
are the largest political donors federally - to both major parties.
Among the many people interviewed in the film are former Labor politician Sam Dastyari and former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who make it clear that donations buy influence.
Jeff McCloy, former Newcastle Mayor, talked about paying $100,000 to have lunch with influential politicians.
When seeking solutions, Van Vuuren examines the 2014 Bentley coal seam gas protests, in which the community came together to prevent fracking in their area, and also the success of Voices for Indi in having two independent Federal Members of Parliament elected.
“If you don’t have $100,000, you have to organise with other people,”
David Barrow from the Sydney Alliance says in the film.
The “Big Deal” stresses the idea that democracy is more than just voting.
It ends with a quote from anthropologist Margaret Mead; “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has”.
After the film, Independent for Cowper Caz Heise chatted with Ray Yoshida from the Australian Democracy Network about the declining trust in governments.
“Who benefits from us being disengaged?” Mr Yoshida asked.
He said powerful corporations have found ways to get what they want regardless of the party in government.
Ms Heise said Independent members have been pushing to change the rules around lobbying.
Suggestions in the film included the capping of donations and the real-time
reporting of donations.
She said her election campaign has 450 donors, including Climate 200, but most are ordinary Cowper voters.
A music of ‘very fine’ chamber music
COFFS Harbour Music Society welcomes two outstanding musicians on Saturday 12 April - Lloyd Van’t Hoff and Vatche Jambazian.
The pair will perform a concert at 7:30pm in St John Paul College Theatre, in what Society president Dr Leigh Summers said “promises to be an evening of very fine chamber music indeed”.
Van’t Hoff, an awardwinning clarinettist, director, educator and recording artist, is currently Head of Woodwind, Chamber Music and Lecturer in Clarinet at Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium.
A Yale graduate, he has previously lectured at both the University of Melbourne and Yale University’s Department of Music.
Van’t Hoff has collaborated with many
important Australian artists including singer-songwriter
Paul Kelly, recorder virtuoso Genevieve Lacey and pianist Tamara-Anna Cislowska.
He has released two outstanding CDs, one featuring the Brahms sonatas and the other twentieth
century classics, both hailed by critics.
Sydney-born pianist
Vatche Jambazian is currently the principal pianist of Omega Ensemble, Artistic Director of Bowral Autumn Music Festival and lecturer at the Australian Institute of Music.
Jambazian completed his Master of Music at the Juilliard School and at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. His performance schedule includes North America, Asia, Europe and Australia with appearances in Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Centre, Sydney Opera House, Melbourne Recital Centre and the City Recital Hall, Angel’s Place.
Climate 200 was founded by Simon Holmes à Court and is a “community crowdfunding initiative” supporting candidates committed to climate action.
In
It has raised
He has performed with many significant chamber groups including Flinders Quartet and in ensembles with Umberto Clerici and Ian Munro, and as a featured artist in the Bangalow, Adelaide and Sydney Festivals.
q Lloyd Van’t Hoff.
$25 million.
contrast, the film cites more than $300 million donated by fossil fuel companies to the major parties in the 2019 Federal election.
q Ray Yoshida and Caz Heise discuss the ‘Big Deal’.
q Vatche Jambazian.
Jambazian performed the Australian Premiere of Phillip Glass’ Third Piano Concerto and will soon perform premieres by Ross Edwards, Joe Chindamo and Graeme Koehne.
Beyond Bitumen rally swings by Coramba
By Andrea FERRARI
THE Blue Motorcycle
Project’s Coramba bike was a stop-off point for last week’s Beyond Bitumen car rally which raises funds for Beyond Blue.
While all three organisations promote awareness around mental health issues and suicide prevention, the Blue Motorcycle Project’s focus is on the motorcycling community.
Having heard about the new “blue” initiative, the car rally crew decided to swing by Coramba’s blue bike on the Taree to Grafton leg of the rally.
Orara Way is the site of the
Geoff said the rally truly has a significant impact on rural communities and the mental health sector.
As a new project, the Blue Motorcycle was bolstered by the visit, feeling positive about its future.
“Following the successful launch of the Coramba bike in March and the three to follow in Queensland, our next
project goal is to map their locations so that likeminded motorcyclists can visit these quirky machines and continue to promote our message,” Geoff said.
Blue Motorcycle Project president Heck McGregor said, “The project’s future focus will be on expanding the network of bikes thus engaging communities and raising awareness in a visible and meaningful way”.
He congratulated the Coffs team on their bike and emphasised that they have certainly met the project’s key goal, “in particular by sparking those conversations”.
q Committee members of the Blue Motorcycle Project with their family and friends.
q The Beyond Bitumen rally crews at the Coramba Blue Motorcycle.
q The Beyond Bitumen rally ‘clowns’ crew.
Gorton, whose home
Re-discovery as garden goes digital
By Andrea FERRARI
THE North Coast Regional Botanic Garden (NCRBG) in Coffs Harbour has installed a new digital recordkeeping system which is yielding significant results.
Using Hortis, a modern, cloud-based platform recommended by Botanic Gardens Australia and New Zealand, the garden’s meticulously kept records of its 5000-strong plant
collection, are being brought into the digital age.
A committed team of Friends of the Garden volunteers is working on the task, verifying the data, validating plant locations, assessing the condition of trees, and capturing high-quality photographic records, vastly improving accessibility and management for conservation, research, and development efforts.
The team has already rediscovered crucial historical data regarding two Syzygium glenum trees, a critically endangered species endemic to Cooper Creek in the Daintree Rainforest.
In onboarding the records into Hortis, it was revealed that these specimens were originally received in 2004 and 2006 from renowned botanist Lyndley Craven of the CSIRO
Canberra.
Volunteer coordinator of the Living Plant Collection records Rhonda Sorensen said, “It’s almost as if you can hear the voices of two old botanists, Alex Floyd and Lyndley Craven, strategically planning 20 years ago, knowing that these plantings might one day play an important role in conservation.”
Botanic Garden staff and volunteers swiftly located the trees within the 20-hectare garden and took immediate conservation action.
Remarkably, one of
these trees has been fruiting annually, an unusual occurrence compared to its wild counterparts.
Recognising the importance of this anomaly, the garden has contributed to conservation efforts by sending seeds back to the Daintree Rainforest Rescue nursery at Cow Bay.
Efforts are also underway to enhance visitor engagement by integrating the collection with a publicfriendly version of Hortis.
Soon, visitors will be able to use their smartphones to explore the garden’s collection interactively,
locating plants through an intuitive digital map.
“Often people think volunteering at the Botanic Garden is just about helping with garden maintenance, assisting in the information centre or guiding,” President of the Friends of the Garden Graham Tupper said.
“While they are popular ways to help, volunteers are also able to be involved in special projects like this after a little bit of training, and this has beneficial impacts well beyond our garden.”
q Volunteer coordinator Rhonda Sorensen, working on the Hortis system.
q The Syzygium glenum tree in the North Coast Regional Botanic Garden in Coffs Harbour.
Annual Art Prize entries open
By Andrea FERRARI
COFFS Harbour Creative Arts Group
(CHCAG) has announced the dates of its annual Showground Gallery Art Prize.
The long-standing exhibition runs from Saturday 3 May to Wednesday 11 June, with entries from local and member artists now open until Friday 18 April.
The official opening and prize presentation will be on Sunday 4 May, at 2pm.
CHCAG President Sue Roberts told News Of The Area, “It is a great opportunity for artists to show their works and vie for prizes thanks to the
support of the CHCAG members, along with our current sponsors, Coffs Harbour Rifle Club; Blooms the Chemist, Sawtell; Coffs Harbour Showground; Kadmium Art and Design; Sawtell Framing; Officeworks, Coffs Harbour; Book Warehouse; and Saltwater Property Maintenance.”
There are five sections: oil and acrylic, watercolour, pastel, drawing, and open (which is any medium not covered in the other sections including mixed media and collage but not photography).
First and second prizes will be awarded in each section, along with highly commended awards, and at the end of the exhibition the People’s Choice winner will be announced.
The identity of the judge and the exhibition prize winners will be announced at the opening.
“We like to keep it as much under wraps as possible so it’s a surprise for the winners and attendees alike,” Ms Roberts said.
Showground Art Gallery,
online through
or by emailing Maxine at chcagtreasurer@gmail.com.
Times Gone By: Crossing Coffs Creek
By Karen FILEWOOD
BEFORE any bridge construction, crossing through Coffs Creek was undertaken a little further west of the current Pacific Highway bridge, aligning somewhere between Moonee and Ann Streets.
The road, though not much more than a track, then turned sharply toward the east to what is now the highway, before turning northward again, creating an awkward bend in the road.
Moves to build a bridge over the crossing began in November 1882 when
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the NSW Legislative Council voted to spend £400 on a bridge.
A month later, a newspaper notice announced Mr D Mcpherson was the successful tenderer for a “bridge on road Fernmount to Grafton”.
Although the location is vague, travel writers chronicled its construction in September 1883 stating “Crossing Coff’s Creek on a new substantial bridge we reach and cross with a slight wetting Boambie and Bungle Creeks…”.
By 1908 Dorrigo Shire Council was advertising tenders for a ‘bridge renewal’
and in 1910 then 1921, their engineer noted it needed repairing.
In February 1929 the Chamber of Commerce requested bridge improvements and a year later Council received a complaint and claim of £20 from John Connolly who stated one of his bullocks was injured by a broken plank and had to be put down, but nothing was done.
In January 1937 Councillor Burke adopted the call for a new bridge, pointing out its heavy use, awkward position and suggesting a new concrete bridge. Promises were made as soon as funds
became available and after a delay of two years, it was agreed that Council pay half the cost of adding two footways to either side of the new bridge, then in 1945 the agreement was confirmed at a higher cost.
The new concrete bridge was completed in September 1947, moved to its current position after eight months of actual build time and 600 tons of concrete.
In 1979 plans appeared for a two or three lane addition which resulted in the bridge now present on the site.
The entry form, together with the terms and conditions, is available at the Coffs Harbour
q A selection of artworks from the 2024 Showground Art Gallery exhibition.
q The exhibition will run from Saturday 3 May to Wednesday 11 June.
Parties at odds over direction of youth crime reform
THE NSW opposition introduced a bill in Parliament last week aiming to crack down on the “escalating youth crime crisis gripping regional communities”.
Member for Oxley Michael Kemp, said the bill offers stronger, more effective measures than the bail reforms recently passed by the Labor Government.
“This bill is a direct
response to what I’ve been hearing from the community after a 12-month-long campaign,” Mr Kemp said.
“People are sick of weak laws that let repeat offenders run rampant with no real consequences.”
The bill proposes three key reforms:
• Expanding the definition of repeat offences – Serious indictable offences like murder or sexual assault
will now be included, not just break and enter or motor vehicle theft.
• Introducing electronic monitoring and a mandatory curfew – These will become standard conditions of bail for repeat youth offenders.
• Revoking bail for breaches – Bail will be automatically revoked if an offender breaches conditions, is charged with another offence while on
bail, or interferes with their electronic monitoring device.
• Elevating the voice of victims – Victim impact statements will play a stronger role in court to ensure victims’ experiences are properly considered.
“These are real, practical legislative reforms that will help restore safety and confidence in our communities,” Mr Kemp said.
“Our towns should not have to live in fear because of weak laws.
“This is about giving the
police the legal backing they need, standing up for victims, and making sure offenders face real consequences.”
Last Tuesday the NSW Government extended a law requiring a strict bail test for young people accused of repeat car theft and break and enter offences.
The law restricts bail for young people aged between 14 and 18 if they are charged with certain car theft or serious break and enter offences while already on bail for the same type of offence.
It requires a judicial officer to refuse bail unless they have a “high degree of
confidence the young person will not commit a serious indictable offence while on bail”.
Originally introduced in April 2024, the law would sunset next month without this extension.
“We can see this law is working and that’s why we’ve extended it – to make sure we break the cycle of youth offending and strengthen community safety,” Attorney General Michael Daley said.
The law will only remain in place until October 2026, after pushback from the Greens and Coalition shortened the extension period.
Coffs teams in Outback Air Race
By Andrea FERRARI
FOUR teams from Coffs Harbour have been accepted to compete in the twelfth Outback Air Race, taking off in September 2025.
First held in 1996, it takes place every three years and is now an event of significance in the aviation community.
This year’s race was fully subscribed within a day of release.
There are 45 entries and around 110 participants registered.
The 2022 Outback Air Race raised about $750,000 for the Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS), and since its inception, the event has raised over $4m.
The Coffs Harbour teams are:
- Show Me The MOONEY! with Tim and Marguerite Alexander flying their Mooney M20F.
- Hot Termalis with Michael Basa and Julie Jardine flying a Piper Turbo Arrow III.
- Triple Whisky on the Rocks with Warren Millar, John Harris and Greg Inwood flying a Socato Tobago TB10, and
- Bonza Bonanza with Matt and Sim Varley flying a Beechcraft Bonanza.
The 2025 event will start in Yulara NT and finish in Carnarvon WA.
Locations to be visited enroute include Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Daly Waters, Katherine (Tindal), Kununurra, Broome, Onslow, and Exmouth.
“Our team has done pretty well so far,” Tim Alexander told News Of The Area.
“[We were] first place in 2018 and third in 2022.
“This is our third time entering and we’re looking
forward to receiving some local support to continue flying the flag for Coffs Harbour.”
As a result of their extensive trips throughout the outback, Tim and Marguerite have come to appreciate the critical work of the RFDS and how highly it is regarded by outback communities.
Team Hot Termalis’ Julie Jardine and Michael Basa,
also third-timers in the Outback Air Race, told NOTA that the event “is about fun, comradery, honing our flying skills, seeing some amazing sites of this beautiful country as well as raising much needed funds for the RFDS".
“When you fly in the outback, you come across so many people that owe their lives to the RFDS.
“They all have tales to tell of how the service saved their
lives or a member of their family.”
The Outback Air Race features people from all walks of life who enjoy having fun while supporting the cause.
The Air Race, which is aiming to raise $900,000 this year, is not a speeding race but a navigational time and accuracy trial.
Humourously, the winners of each leg of the race receive a mannequin’s
leg to fill up with cash by fundraising in towns enroute.
“The Golden Leg” must be closely guarded as other Air Race participants try to steal it, resulting in heavy fines for the “leg keepers” to get it back.
To find out more or to donate to your favourite team visit Coffs Harbour Outback Air Race on Facebook or go to teams.outbackairrace.com. au.
q Team ‘Show Me the MOONEY!’, aka Tim and Marguerite Alexander.
q The fundraising “Golden Leg” of the Outback Air Race.
Interactive hub for Bellingen Show
By Andrea FERRARI
THE Bellinger River Agricultural Society is blending tradition with innovation through the introduction of an Ag Education Hub at this year’s show on 24-25 May.
“In an exciting development for 2025, the Bellingen Show will introduce the Ag Education Hub, an interactive space where hands-on learning brings agriculture to life,” said Susan Lumsdaine, President, Bellinger River Agricultural Society.
“The Hub will feature badge-making activities, scheduled workshops throughout each day covering dairy activities, virtual reality experiences and food science, a children’s sandpit, agricultural career information, and interactive activities for all ages.”
Visitors can pick up an Ag Education Passport, guiding them on an agricultural adventure across the showground.
A treasure hunt following educational signboards will feature fascinating facts about different agricultural produce.
Participants who complete their passport can claim a show prize.
A Careers in Focus
event will be held on the Friday evening, 23 May, in conjunction with the Young Cattle Paraders BBQ, to offer insights into the diverse career pathways in agriculture.
Bellingen Show Society is working with local high schools to encourage students’ participation.
The popular Artisan Tent is also making a welcome comeback.
A wide range of artistic practices including mosaics, weaving, basket making, clay work, spinning, and various textile arts will be on display.
Local artists will present their skills, with demonstrations by the Happymess Studio in art therapy experts, Richard Sampson will showcase illustration techniques, Lyn Green will demonstrate
q More than 350 pavilion classes will be available for creatives to enter.
fibre art and fleece spinning, Wendy Tanner will display stained glass craftsmanship, and the Dorrigo Plateau Fibre Group will invite visitors to try their hand at the giant Viking Loom.
Other highlights include Jerome Speekman's needle
painting, the Mid North Coast Amateur Beekeeping Club, and Camp Creative previewing their 2026 program.
The pavilion schedule is now live on the Bellingen Show website, with more than 350 classes available for entry, including jams and preserves, cookery, flowers, farm produce, photography, embroidery, and home ferments.
New reuse and repair directory
By Andrea FERRARI
THE new Midwaste Reuse and Repair directory is a free resource for residents across the Mid North Coast to help them find local repair services and reuse opportunities, meaning less “stuff” goes into landfill.
The directory is a userfriendly platform connecting people with skilled repairers, second-hand stores, and community initiatives.
From clothing and appliances to furniture and bicycles, the directory lists local businesses that prioritise repair and reuse over waste.
"Reuse and Repair practices are crucial to a circular economy," Midwaste Programs Officer Danielle Blenkhorn told News Of The Area.
"By fixing and reusing what we already have, we are reducing waste, saving resources, and supporting local businesses.
“This directory makes it easy for residents to find repair services and make a positive impact on our region’s sustainability efforts.”
Jen and Justin from the Timber Doctor say that when it comes to old or damaged timber furniture, many
people think it is done, but with the right care it can last for a long time.
“We love bringing pieces back to life, it's not just about saving money, it’s about keeping quality products out of landfill and giving something old a new story,” Jen said.
"There’s something special about repairing
furniture, bringing back its charm, and it means less waste going to landfill.
“It’s a win for you and the environment."
In NSW, reuse and resale saves the community $432 million each year and diverts about 49,900 tonnes from landfill, according to Charitable Reuse Australia’s NSW Reuse Impact study.
There is also a dedicated section for school children. For more information, visit bellingenshow.com.au.
q The Artisan Tent is returning to the Bellingen Show.
q Justin from Timber Doctor practices reuse and repair.
SCHOOL of the WEEK
TOORMINA HIGH SCHOOL
Toormina High School Recognised Among Top 20 Schools in NSW for Sustained HSC Improvements
Toormina High School is proud to announce its recognition as one of the top 20 schools in New South Wales for sustained improvements in Higher School Certificate (HSC) outcomes over the past seven years. This outstanding achievement highlights the dedication and hard work of our students, teachers, and the entire school community in striving for excellence in education. The New South Wales Education Department recently published results showcasing schools that have consistently improved their performance in the HSC, particularly in achieving Bands 4, 5, and 6. Toormina High School’s impressive results reflect our commitment to providing high-quality education that prepares our students for success in their academic pursuits and beyond.
This recognition follows our recent achievement in the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) HSC Ranking for 2024, where Toormina High School was positioned at 244th in the State and the remarkable 98.95 ATAR achieved by our students in 2023, further demonstrating our commitment to academic excellence. Over the past seven years, our school has implemented a range of innovative teaching strategies and programs aimed at enhancing student engagement
and learning outcomes. Our focus on evidence-based instructional practices, alongside our robust support systems, has empowered students to reach their full potential. Teachers have created a positive and inclusive learning environment, fostering a culture of high expectations and continuous improvement.
The recognition as a top-performing school is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our dedicated staff, who have embraced professional development opportunities to enhance their teaching practices. Regular assessments and feedback have allowed us to tailor our instruction to meet the diverse needs of our students, ensuring that each individual can thrive academically. Moreover, our commitment to the holistic development of our students has played a crucial role in our sustained success. By offering a variety of extracurricular activities, mentorship programs, and support services, we have nurtured not only academic achievement but also personal growth and resilience.
As we celebrate this significant milestone, we would like to extend our gratitude to our students, parents, and the wider community for their unwavering support. Your involvement and encouragement have been instrumental in our journey towards excellence. Looking ahead, Toormina High School remains dedicated to maintaining and furthering these achievements. We will continue to invest in our educational programs, ensuring that our students are equipped with the skills and knowledge needed to
At
Lions Youth of the Year Quest
On March 22, Eva Smith represented Bonville/Sawtell Lions Club at the District Final for the Lions Youth of the Year Quest, a prestigious competition aimed at recognising outstanding youth. The event brought together students from several schools, including Toormina High School, The Armidale School, Tamworth High School, Quirindi High School, and Chatham High School.
During the competition, students presented impromptu speeches on two topics: the importance of manners and
the question, ‘What is there to celebrate?’ They then delivered five-minute prepared speeches, showcasing their public speaking skills and thoughtful insights on a range of subjects.
Eva’s performance stood out not only for her eloquent delivery but also for the poise and confidence she exhibited throughout the entire competition. She demonstrated exceptional composure and maturity, making her an excellent ambassador for Bonville/Sawtell Lions Club and Toormina High School. Throughout the whole competition, Eva has proven herself to be an exemplary representative of the youth of our community.
our goal is to build an ethical and effective community with trust and inclusion at its heart.
for the future by providing a supportive learning community where students are encouraged
At Toormina High School our goal is to build an ethical and effective community with trust and inclusion at its heart. We aim to prepare students for the future by providing a supportive learning community where students are encouraged to strive for excellence in scholarship, personal development and citizenship. Public education building communities!
strive for excellence in scholarship, personal development and citizenship. Public education building communities!
At Toormina High School our goal is to build an ethical and effective community with trust and inclusion at its heart. We aim to prepare students for the future by providing a supportive learning community where students are encouraged to strive for excellence in scholarship, personal development and citizenship. Public education building communities!
Toormina High School
We aim to prepare students
to
A hilarious, heartfelt rollercoaster
THEATRE lovers and political satire fans alike are in for a treat this April as “Gladys: A Musical Affair” hits the stage at Jetty Memorial Theatre.
Fresh off a sold-out premiere at the Sydney Fringe, this cheeky, highly
anticipated musical brings a hilarious twist to the tumultuous reign of former NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian.
Spawned from the viral YouTube sensation that captured the absurdity of the pandemic and political
life, this performance offers an unforgettable experience for those seeking both laughter and a glimpse at recent history.
At its heart, Gladys: A Musical Affair is a journey through Gladys’ rise to fame, from her steady leadership
through bushfires and the pandemic to the very public scandal that led to her downfall.
The show creatively blends comedy, music and drama, capturing the absurdity of it all, from Daryl from Wagga Wagga
to the explosive ICAC revelations.
With music and lyrics by ABC Radio’s Nick Rheinberger, audiences can expect to hear torch songs and big musical numbers from Gladys, a bit of country from Daryl, some stern words from Kerry Chant and even some Armenian matchmaking music.
Catch this rollicking, high-energy production in Coffs Harbour next Friday night, 11 April at the Jetty Memorial Theatre.
“Political satire at its finest.
-THE
q Gladys: A Musical Affair is a journey through Gladys’ rise to fame, from her steady leadership through bushfires and the pandemic to the very public scandal that led to her downfall.
By Manny WOOD
High-stakes claim in Supreme Court
BETTY makes a will, leaving her whole estate to her daughter. She decides not to include her son, Barry.
When Betty passes-away, her estate is valued at around $400,000, consisting primarily of her principal place of residence, in which her daughter resides.
Barry makes a “family provision” claim.
Barry alleges that during his childhood, he was the victim of domestic violence.
He says that as a result, he performed poorly at school and left before completing his school certificate.
Barry says that he had a good relationship with his mother and that later in life, she enjoyed the times that he would visit her with his children.
The Court hears that Barry’s legal costs, up to the conclusion of a three day hearing, were $150,000 on a “no win, no fee” basis and that the estate had incurred $140,000 in legal costs.
The Court observes that the legal costs are “very high” and “unjustified”.
The Court finds Barry to be an “unreliable witness” and does not accept that his recollection of events and conversations were “accurate or reliable”.
Nonetheless, the Court accepts that Barry, as a child of the deceased, is eligible to make a claim and that he is entitled to “proper and adequate” provision from his late mother’s estate, as perceived by the “prevailing community standards of what is right and appropriate”.
The Court accepts that the alleged domestic violence is relevant in assessing the deceased’s moral duty to Barry. The Court also accepts that as a disability pensioner with no substantial assets, Barry had demonstrated that he has financial needs, claiming $150,000 to assist with accommodation, transport and medical expenses.
However, evidence is adduced, to the effect that Barry was estranged from the deceased for more than 10 years prior to the making of her last will.
In dismissing Barry’s claim, the Court rules that in light of the deceased’s wish that her daughter reside in her home and the lack of other assets in the estate, her “testamentary intentions” should not be disturbed.
This fictional column is not legal advice.
Campaign fails to excite so far
DEAR News Of The Area,
THE election campaign so far has done little to encourage our attention.
Mr Albanese more or less offered a direct bribe to vote Labor via the budget’s tax cut offer, then adopted the policy of not doing or saying anything which might frighten the horses.
Meanwhile the opposition leader has been reminding people that he is Peter Dutton.
In quick succession he made contributions which unkind observers could interpret as homophobic (calling the PM “limp wristed”), dishonest (alleged insider trading), unethical (numerous times in the train wreck interview with Kyle and Jackie O) and deluded (doubling down on fossil fuels).
Meanwhile at a local level, our member for Cowper Mr Conahan has broken cover via an email on the government’s budget which could be described as quite negative.
In short order he was against the ALP in general, public servants, potholes, tax cuts and more.
Emotive terms such as “slashes”, “burden”, “struggling” and “frustration” abounded.
The only positive he could find was for the coalition’s energy policy, promising “clean and efficient” nuclear energy (provided of course they can find somewhere to store the resulting waste for the next 20 or 30 thousand years).
His opponent Caz Heise doesn’t have this problem.
Her campaign is relentlessly upbeat, with earnest locals promoting the message that Caz “listens, cares and knows how to get things done.”
The only thing I could identify that she was against was cancer – perhaps this was a dig at the coalition’s energy policy.
The upshot of all this is that the unthinkable could happen – latest polling shows Cowper may ditch the Nationals. Stay tuned readers, something interesting might happen and you’d hate to miss it.
Regards, Michael TRIST, Urunga.
Answering to woke ideologies
DEAR News Of The Area,
IF you believe Ms Caz Heise is an independent, then you believe in fairies at the bottom of the garden.
The dead-set give away is the Teal colour of the banner and the sheer volume and cost of the campaign so far, even
before an election had been called.
If Caz Heise was truly independent, she could have, and should have chosen, say pink, or yellow, or purple with green polka dots, anything but Teal, blue or red.
If, as the Teal colour suggests, Caz Heise is being funded/sponsored by Simon Holmes à Court and/or Australia's biggest individual political donor, Rob Keldoulis, she will have their woke ideologies to answer to before local interests. Which is in total contradiction to her
DEAR Jasminda,
I HAVE a friend who is a beautician. She gives me cheap massages and facials but she talks the whole way through the experience and it's torture. Can I tell her to be quiet?
Rebecca D.
Dear
Rebecca,
UNFORTUNATELY in this world, you get what you pay for, and when you want an hour-long silent massage, you have to pay full price.
Your friend sees your massage and facial treatments as a chance to catch up, and rightly so if you are only paying a fraction of the normal cost.
I think you should come clean and suggest that having a massage is one of the few times you get to relax.
If your friend is a good friend, she will completely understand.
Maybe suggest that you catch up for coffee on another day, so you can chat about life without your head in the massage table face port.
It's never easy to talk during a massage anyway because you are too busy drooling or else clenching your teeth as the masseuse pummels the knots in your neck and shoulders. Alternatively, you could save your conversations for treatments that are torture anywayeyebrow and underarm waxing, chemical peels, eyeliner tattoos, and laser sunspot removal. During these treatments, you can not only chat, but also scream or cry for mercy.
While not quite the same as talking about the kids or your latest holiday plans, it will let your friend know that you are fully present.
Alternatively, book in to see a professional that you have no social ties to.
You will then be able to sigh or scream or remain as silent as a stone without feeling bad about it.
Carpe diem, Jasminda.
theme in this contest.
Do these guys splash millions of dollars out of the goodness of their hearts to signal their virtue, or do they have a vested interest?
All of the "Teals" stick to the script that they are "Independents".
That sham is fooling nobody, but it is treating everybody as idiots.
Regards, Dave WILLIAMSON, Coffs Harbour.
Honesty - are you serious?
DEAR News Of The Area,
I AM replying to several opinion pieces you ran last week.
One opinion printed, 'Honesty around funding’, that asks our one Independent candidate to come clean about funding.
I for one am donating to her campaign.
I am a retiree not a business entity.
Whereas our newly elected Mayor, Nikki Williams ran on an Independent platform but has proved to be anything but.
She is promoting Pat Conaghan on local television ads.
In fact last night on our local news, there she was spruiking Mr Conaghan. Both of them would not accept
invitations to debate other candidates so you never knew where they stood.
I have found both Williams and Conaghan only speak to and for their support base.
They do not engage with me or represent me.
Regards, Hallie HODDER, Coffs Harbour.
Electricity prices
DEAR News Of The Area,
DUTTON and his LNP members say that they will reduce electricity prices, reduce the cost of living, reduce inflation - how?
Just slogans with no policies underpinned with competent concrete data.
Their nuclear electricity “policy” was evaluated by the Australian Energy Market Operator and CSIRO as being unrealistic and unaffordable.
Under such considered scrutiny some members of the Coalition had to admit that nuclear will not reduce electricity prices in the short term or long term!
So how does that affect our electricity prices, cost of living and inflation?
Do you remember the LNP’s changing statements over the months?
- Nuclear is the cheapest form of electricity (but it isn’t);
- No taxpayer funds to build them
Renewable energy and cost of living
DEAR News Of The Area,
OPPOSITION leader Peter Dutton said on TV recently that he wanted to meet someone whose energy bills had gone down under the Albanese government.
Well Mr Dutton, here I am and I’m sure there are plenty of others like me.
After deciding to install new solar panels and a home battery about two years ago, my electricity account is currently $427.90 in credit.
Prior to installing the battery my quarterly power bill, even with solar panels, averaged $225.00 per quarter meaning that my combined saving and
profit over two years is at least $2227.90.
I pay a network supply charge of 183 cents per day and a subscription of $22 per month to Amber Electric which allows me to buy and sell electricity to the grid at wholesale prices.
Because of unreliability in the grid, I am occasionally exposed to price spikes of around $20 per kilowatt hour (kWh).
These spikes invariably occur in the evening and can last a few hours but because my battery is full, I avoid paying this exorbitant price for electricity.
However, when the price is this high my battery discharges into the grid and I get paid a feed-in tariff of around $18 /
Is the Sawtell Headland a memorial site?
DEAR
News Of The Area,
I FIRST came to Sawtell in 2009.
I drove through the main street and up to the Sawtell Headland.
I fell in love with Sawtell and moved here in 2012.
I have never stopped loving Sawtell.
The headland was a wonderful place to walk, enjoy the sea, have a coffee, and to be one with nature.
But over the years I have developed mixed feelings about the headland.
My concern is to do with all the memorial plaques that are being placed on the rocks
around the headland.
Is the headland to be a place where people can feel one with nature or is it to be a memorial site for the dead?
For the tourists and the local people, it cannot be both.
The City of Coffs Harbour should consider this issue and decide what is in the best interest of a major Sawtell tourist site.
The memorial plaques can be placed on a memorial wall elsewhere.
Regards, Marion BROOKS, Boambee East.
Holmes à Court’s ulterior motive
DEAR News Of The Area,
JANET Olney, in her Letter to the Editor on 21 March, speculates as to the agendas of the billionaire businessman Holmes à Court’s ulterior motive who is backing the Cowper Independent candidate, Caz Heise. Jim Knight wonders about his ulterior motive for Australia.
Yes, he has an agenda, but it is not a
because big business will jump at the chance to build them (but they didn’t);
- Now the taxpayer will fund them;
- Dutton’s “coke can” of radioactive waste misinformation to voters.
Changing policy on the run doesn’t pass the pub test!
Now we are expected to believe the LNP’s own “creative” modelling - an analysis in complete disagreement with competent independent analysis.
The LNP is treating all voters as pliant non thinking pawns in their power deception.
kWh - quite a difference to the average feed-in tariff of a few cents/kWh paid by traditional electricity suppliers.
Around the same time as I installed the battery, I sold my Holden car that had 350,000km on the clock and I replaced it with an electric vehicle.
Charging my electric car is mainly done at home and if it is plugged in during the middle of the day when the feedin tariff is zero, the electricity costs me nothing.
I haven’t calculated how much money I have saved by not having to buy petrol.
As a self-funded retiree, not having to pay power bills or buy petrol is a huge financial relief.
Yes, there was a capital cost but the money I save will repay this in a few years.
And every car I have owned has cost me money – a lot more than the current one does.
So remember that if you vote, with an unprejudiced mind, for the LNP’s nuclear option, you will be voting for the most expensive and delayed form of electricity for yourself, your children and the generations to come, and the consequent taxpayer cost of keeping old coal fired powered stations operative.
But perhaps these LNP promises are just “non core policies” or “aspirational policies” of two previous Liberal PMs.
Regards, Peter MEIN, Toormina.
So Mr Dutton, please bring on your nuclear fantasy with its reliance for the foreseeable future on unreliable coal and expensive gas generated electricity.
I look forward to profiting from the more frequent spikes in the wholesale price of electricity that will inevitably result.
However, I do have a lot of sympathy for those people who believe in a renewable energy future but are unable to benefit from solar panels and a home battery.
Government support for cheap renewable energy and electric vehicles is a way to reduce the cost of living in both the short and long-term.
Voters will have an opportunity to express this view in May.
Regards, Stephen OTTAWAY, Red Rock.
Where do allegiances lie?
DEAR News of the Area,
OUR local paper is to be commended for publishing letters across a broad opinion in the heating up debate of the looming Federal election.
I am obviously not alone in having concerns regarding the transparency of independent candidates not only as to their funding but also, should they gain a seat in Parliament, where their allegiances lie.
Whilst Caz Heise, who is contesting the seat of Cowper, appears at first blush to tick most of the boxes, historically Teals
global warming is often compared to that of a large African bird.
In a word, Holmes à Court’s ulterior motive is not a businessman in the alternate energy industry, or this would be trumpeted from the rooftops by the Murdoch press.
have overwhelmingly supported Labor/ Greens and those considering her at the ballot box need to be aware of where each candidate stands on all matters affecting us.
We need candidates that have a broader focus than single contentious issues such as climate change and know what they are.
Regards, Dave CHIBEBA, Toormina.
This legislation effectively allows them to spend as much as they can lay their hands on in a political campaign, but limits the spending of independents.
Yes, follow the money folks but look how it is gathered and spent rather than jump to conclusions.
business agenda.
It is the future of every person in this electorate, our children and their children.
His agenda is action on Climate Change.
Sadly, this is not possible to comprehend by followers of a certain political persuasion who can only see things in terms of “business self-interest” and whose response to the threat of
His second agenda is integrity in politics, so his organisation publishes the source of every dollar gathered and spent from the 35,800 plus citizen donors to his fund.
His third agenda is a fairer democracy as he seeks to counter the funding gerrymander created by a rare bipartisan bill enacted by the major parties on the last day of parliament.
Check out the policies of each candidate for Cowper and bypass disinformation fueled by an entrenched ideology lit by speculation and innuendo.
Regards, Max BRINSMEAD, Coffs Harbour.
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LOCALSPORT
AFL junior season gets underway
By Aiden BURGESS
THEY say a week is a long time in footy, so you can imagine the excitement of the region’s junior AFL players as they prepare for their first games in eight months.
A record number of teams are set to take the field this season, with the AFL North Coast junior competition getting underway on Sunday.
A record 55 teams will play, a gradual increase which has seen the number of teams rise from 30 in 2021.
Bellingen Bulldogs Youth Girls 17s begin their premiership defence in Sawtell, against the Sawtell/Toormina Saints at Richardson Park.
Port Macquarie Magpies Under 16 Boys begin their
premiership defence in Coffs Harbour, as they take on the Coffs Harbour Breakers at Fitzroy Oval.
Nambucca Valley Lions Youth Girls 15s and Youth Girls 13s sides both begin their premiership defence at home, as they host the Northern Beaches Blues.
Port Macquarie Magpies Under 12 Mixed side begin their premiership defence at home against the Sawtell/ Toormina Saints.
Community Football and Competition Manager for AFL Northern NSW Brad Greenshields, identified the main factors for the growth in the junior game.
“Being able to attract players to create teams as well as finding volunteers to be coaches, team managers and runners for them is a real
credit to the hard-working people at the clubs,” he said.
“In 2022, the League introduced a Youth Girls 14s age group; in 2023, it was the non-competitive Under 10s - creating a transition path from Auskick to competitive footy; and last year, a third girls age group was added so girls had a pathway where they only had to play against other girls during their entire competitive experience.
“This year though the number of age groups is the same as it was in 2024.
“That means the growth in the number of teams playing is organic and comes from clubs growing their numbers, be it Port Macquarie growing from one girls team to three, the Lower Clarence Suns growing from two teams to four or
Runners hit the trails at Washpool
THE 15th running of the Washpool World Heritage Trails was held on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 March by Coffs Trail Runners.
The event featured a 9km, 25km and 50km course through the Washpool World Heritage Area west of Grafton.
A total of 230 runners took part.
“The new two day event format was really popular with lots of people cheering on other runners finishing, volunteering and camping at Mulligans Hut,” said Race Director Keelan Birch.
"Saturday brought
warmer weather but there were plenty of creeks to cool off in.
“We had a much larger field than previous years and it was great to see the final finishers cheered on just as much as the front runners.
"Sunday was overcast and almost perfect conditions for running.
“The courses were a bit muddy but that didn't stop course records being broken by Kayden Elliott from Glen Innes in the men's 25km and Trent Irwin from Armidale in the men's 9km.
“The community feel at
the event was really strong and it is great to see the local trail running community continue to grow.
“Coffs Harbour runners featured strongly across all distances with over 50 runners travelling from Coffs Harbour for the event.”
Some of the top performing runners from Coffs Harbour include Benjamin Lambert (1st male 50km), Daniel Stein (2nd male 25km) Laura Burke (2nd female 25km), Leah Doman (3rd female 25km), Keelan Birch (2nd male 9km), Annabelle Swainston (3rd female 9km) and Harriet Brickhill (3rd female 9km).
Coffs Basketball reaches finals series
By Aiden BURGESS
CRUNCH time has arrived for the Coffs Harbour Basketball Association with semi-finals of the senior summer season set to be decided this week.
The final round of the season was played last week at Sportz Central.
Men’s A Grade minor premiers Beyond Towing -
Coffs Harbour had a 57-30 win against The Chihuahuas, their ninth win from ten games this season.
Phillip Ely had a game high 16 points for the winners.
Coffs Harbour Suns Under 18s Men 1 had a 62-40 win against All Washed Up.
Noah Light had a game high 14 points for the winners.
Men’s B Grade minor premiers Spoons had a 67-55 win against Bricklayers, their ninth win from ten games this season.
Nic Moore had a game high 32 points, and Jayden Dean
top scored for the winners with 29 points.
Sweet Home Wembanyama edged out Can’t Catch a Breath 60-59, their ninth win from ten games this season.
Jeremy McRae had a game high 25 points, and Cooper Patricks scored 24 points for the winners.
Sawtell Slammers had an 84-39 win against White Chocolate.
Samuel Schellenberger
had a game high 37 points for the winners.
Men’s C Grade minor premiers Hoop Troop finished their season undefeated with a 47-24 win against Mantastic.
Miguel Philippe Mendoza had a game high 16 points for the winners.
The Pingas beat Coffs Harbour Suns Under 16s Men 2, 57-38.
Wade Hunter had a game high 19 points for the winners.
Women’s A Grade minor
premiers Narwhals Loaded won their ninth game of the ten-game season, beating Coffs Harbour Suns Under 16s Women 1, 77-40.
Georgia Kuchel and Alexis Plater both scored 20 points each.
Coffs Harbour Suns Under 18s Women 1 also won in Round 10, beating Coffs Harbour Suns Under 16s Women 2, 72-44.
Claudia Simpson had a game high 24 points for the
winners, and Kira Juffermans scored 23 points.
Women’s Social Competition minor premiers Ring Ins won their ninth game of the ten-game season, beating Mantas Mermaids 4633.
Mantas Mummas had a 34-26 win against Mantas Mystics.
Shannon Crawford had a game high 15 points for the winners.
both Northern Beaches and Sawtell/Toormina fielding two Under 12s teams this year. “It’s fantastic to see and a lot of people should deservedly be proud of the growth that the AFL North Coast is experiencing.”
q Bellingen Bulldogs Youth Girls 17s begin their premiership defence in Sawtell.
q Female 50km top three: Eva Wilson (3rd), Amy Ryan (1st) and Trish Owen (2nd).
q Runners passed World Heritage-listed creeks.
q The event started at Mulligans Hut.
q Benjamin Lambert gave it everything to win the men's 50km.
TAS bringing 140 to Sunday swim
By Andrea FERRARI
THE Armidale School (TAS) swimmers and support team are ready to tackle the two-kilometre event in the annual Coffs Coast Ocean Swims on Sunday morning, 6 April.
They’ll be advocating for mental health support in the process.
Almost 140 students, eight staff and 17 parents, have signed up to take to the water, with TAS expected to once again make up a significant percentage of the
entries.
The swim comes at the end of TAS’ Blue Week, which is linked to the Blue Tree Project and encourages people to have open conversations about mental health.
“Back in 2023, the then school prefects and SRC chose to support the Blue Tree Project, a charity which helps change the way society talks about mental health,” Challenge and Service Coordinator Jim Pennington said.
“As the swim happened
at the end of that week, it was a great way to not only raise the profile of the cause by wearing blue swim caps, but to also do something active in a supportive, team environment, which is so important to contributing to positive mental health.”
Sunday’s two-kilometre swim is a qualifier for TAS’ Triple Crown, an award for those who complete designated physical challenges during their time at the school.
It is also a requisite component of the school's
Haldon’s five goal masterclass
By David WIGLEY
THE North Coast’s Anderson Haldon ran riot with five goals in a 6-1 demolition of Newcastle heavyweights Edgeworth Eagles in the Premier Youth League under-18s at Coffs Coast Synthetics on Sunday.
The 18-year-old striker delivered a masterclass in finishing, tormenting the Edgeworth defence with a ruthless display that had the visitors shell-shocked.
Every touch was clinical
as he showcased the kind of composure that will have scouts taking notice.
Haldon opened the scoring in the twelfth minute, weaving past defenders before coolly slotting the ball into the bottom corner.
Five minutes later, he was at it again, ghosting into the box to glance home a well-timed header from a free kick.
His hat-trick was complete before halftime, with the No.9 winning and
converting a penalty with trademark confidence, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way to put North Coast in complete control at 3-0.
And he wasn’t done yet.
Haldon added two more in the second half, capping a five-star performance that will be talked about for years to come.
North Coast were rampant and Edgeworth were stunned, as the locals romped to a statement victory.
surf lifesaving program, in which Year 11 students can achieve their Surf Bronze Medallion in conjunction with Sawtell Surf Life Saving Club, which organises the ocean swim.
Fourteen Year 12 students who gained their qualifications last year will be paddling alongside the swimmers on rescue boards to offer support.
Additional staff will also be in the water and on shore.
One of those tackling their first ocean swim is 13-year-old Will Riordan from Gunnedah.
“I’ve been going to the school pool and gym to prepare for it,” he said.
“A lot of my mates are doing it and I really like the beach.
“I haven’t done an ocean swim before, so swimming with so many people and getting a consistent pace going might be a challenge.
“But to be honest, the main thing I’m nervous about is missing the bus.”
TAS first entered the event in 2003, when just two TAS boys and a teacher took part.
More than 20 years later, it’s consolidating its long-standing relationship with Sawtell SLSC, which commenced in 1997 when the club began training TAS students as part of the school’s Surf Lifesaving program.
While Haldon stole the headlines, it was a mixed day for the North Coast squads.
The Under 13s battled to a gritty 1-0 win, but the Under 15s and Under 16s struggled against a welldrilled Edgeworth outfit, going down 4-0 and 4-1, respectively.
The Under 14s looked set for a share of the spoils thanks to Pippa Dodd’s stunning free kick, but Edgeworth struck late to snatch a 2-1 victory, rounding off a day of highs and lows for the hosts.
North Coast now turn their attention to New Lambton, making the trip south on Saturday, 5 April, as they look to build on their momentum.
Former Coffs Suns junior in NCAA tournament
By Aiden BURGESS
ONE of the Coffs Coast’s brightest young sports stars has taken part in the USA’s biggest annual basketball tournament.
Isla Juffermans was part of the Louisville Cardinals women’s basketball team that took part in the NCAA Tournament.
The NCAA Division 1 women’s basketball tournament is a singleelimination tournament to determine the women's college basketball national champion of the Division 1 level in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
Isla’s team were knocked out in the second round of the national championship tournament, beaten 85-70 by Texas Christian University.
Louisville won their opening round game, beating
Nebraska 63-58.
The 19-year-old played eight minutes scoring two points and grabbing a rebound.
The former Coffs Harbour Suns junior recently played her freshman season for the University of Louisville. Her first college season saw her average 2.3 points and 1.7 rebounds in seven minutes a game, in the top level of US women’s college basketball.
It’s been a big few years for the young centre, which saw her make her Australian Opals debut in a series against China, and represent her country at junior World Cups and Asian Cups.
She also played her debut season in the WNBL as a development player for the Sydney Flames, during the 2023/24 season.
q Isla Juffermans in action for Louisville.
q Unpacking blue caps ahead of this Sunday’s Coffs Ocean Swim are TAS swimmers Ben Elliot, Joshua Casey, Oscar Donoghue, Ella Vidler, Mosie Wright, Liv Bellinger and Grace Rodgers.
q Pippa Dodd scored a ripper free kick for North Coast under 14s.
Photo: David Wigley
q Anderson Haldon celebrating another goal for North Coast under 18s. Photo: David Wigley
Coffs to host Christian Surfers conference
Coffs Coast surfers excel at Classic
By Aiden BURGESS
COFFS Coast surfers have achieved top results at the recent Barney Miller Surf Classic at Sawtell Beach.
Coffs Harbour Boardriders Club and Sawtell Boardriders Club members excelled at the annual event.
Will Martin won the Open Men’s event, and Creed Smart came fourth.
Hamish Harrigan won the Under 16 Boys competition, and Sawtell Boardriders Club member Rio Luther Barr finished second on his home break.
Luca Martin finished third in the Under 16 Boys.
Jarrah Jay White finished second in the Under 14 Boys competition.
Matilda Harrigan won the Under 12 Girls competition, Sage White finished third, and Hazel Ralston fourth.
Sawtell Boardriders Club’s Piper O’Sullivan finished fourth in the Under 14 Girls competition on her home break.
Open Men’s winner Will Martin said winning the title at an event he had a long history with was special.
“Barney’s comp has always been special,” he said.
“I think I did my first one when I was seven in the Under 8s and won that, and then now I’ve won the Open Men’s.
“It means a lot.”
By Aiden BURGESS
NEARLY 400 Christian
Surfers from all over Australia will be gathering on the Coffs Coast this Easter, for the annual Christian Surfers National Conference.
This will be the fortythird annual conference, which is held in a different location around Australia every year. This year the attendees will enjoy daily morning talks from guest speakers Jamie and Janie Coyle, who will be travelling from the Sunshine Coast for the event.
The highlight of the conference is the Easter Sunday dawn paddle out.
A paddle out is a traditional Hawaiian tribute to honor the life and legacy of a person who has passed away, particularly within the surfing community.
It involves surfers paddling out to sea to form a circle, share memories, and sometimes spread the ashes of the deceased.
Christian Surfers paddle out on Easter Sunday to remember and reflect on the death of Jesus.
The ceremony is simple: a short talk from a respected elder in the Christian Surfers community, "Amazing Grace" is sung, and the surfers paddle out, forming the shape of a cross in the water.
Juda and Lillie Leet are the regional coordinators for Northern NSW Christian Surfers and the local North NSW hosts for this year’s event.
Juda said it will be a special moment to host the National Gathering on the Coffs Coast.
“Lillie and I have been in Christian Surfers for ages, since we were around the age of 12,” he said.
“It was and has been a place where we found our tribe, and we have been leading in some way in Christian Surfers for about 10 years now.
“The National Gathering happening in Coffs has always
been a lifelong dream of mine.
“I think our coastline is one of the most beautiful places in the world and I love showing friends around it.”
Anyone is welcome to come and join the Easter Sunday dawn paddle out.
The surfers aim to meet at 5:30am on Sunday, 20 April, in the Sawtell Island area.
The exact location of the paddle out will be confirmed on the Christian Surfers Australia Instagram page the night before or on early Sunday morning, depending on ocean conditions.
To find out more about the Christian Surfers, visit christiansurfers.org.au.
Avalon Vowels shines in the surf
By Jen HETHERINGTON
THE 25th annual Barney Miller Classic surf contest took place on the weekend of 21-23 March in Sawtell.
Yarrahapinni teenager
Avalon Vowels was placed first in the Under 18 Girls division, solidifying a backto-back result.
“I would like to give a big thank you to the ColemanSmith foundation for the generous grant that I received last year,” Avalon said.
“[It] helped to pay for NSW Team training, which has paid off in my results this year.
“I also won the Regional Titles in Sawtell two weeks ago. In my semi-final, I scored my highest single wave score yet - a 9.33.”
The Barney Miller Classic, established in 1999, is a charity event that raises funds for people in the community who are in need.
This year, proceeds will go to Coffs Coast local Mike Thorncroft, who was involved in a motocross accident in January 2024.
The Classic is supported by many local businesses, and every year Sawtell board riders come along and help out, whether it's cooking on
the barbeque, or helping set up and pack up.
What began as a tribute to Barney Miller’s resilience and love for surfing, has grown into a cornerstone event for the Coffs Harbour community and the broader Australian surfing scene.
In 25 years, the Classic has raised more than $500,000. There is more competitive surfing ahead for Avalon, with a nationwide contest in Coolum and State Titles in May. In the meantime, she’ll be staying on top of her Year 11 and 12 studies.
q Regional coordinators Juda and Lillie Lett with their daughter Ocie, outside their house build.
q Young surfing star Avalon Vowels. Photo: Sean McMahon.
q Will Martin celebrates his victory in the Open Men’s event.
Coffs Coast ready for Festival of Rugby
By Aiden BURGESS
COFFS Harbour is set to become heaven for rugby fans as it prepares to host the inaugural Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby this weekend.
The Australian Barbarians take on the Japan Under 23s team in the main event on Saturday night at the C.ex Coffs International Stadium.
Former Wallabies player Owen Finnegan will coach the Barbarians, while former Wallabies and England coach Eddie Jones will lead the Japanese side.
The Mid North Coast Rugby Union Northern Division season also kicks off this weekend, with a super round that sees all three opening games played in Coffs Harbour.
Coffs Harbour Snappers begin their premiership defence with a local derby
against the SCU Marlins at C.ex Coffs International Stadium.
Last season’s runners up the Hastings Valley Vikings take on the Kempsey Cannonballs at Geoff King Motors Oval.
Last season’s semifinalists Grafton Redmen take on the Port Macquarie Pirates at Coffs Rugby Park.
SCU Marlins playercoach AJ Gilbert claimed the underdog tag heading into their match against the reigning premiers.
“They’ve got attacking threats all through the side, they are well-coached by Mitch Walton, and really it’s theirs to lose I think,” he said.
“We’re the underdogs basically. It’s the derby, it’s what we all get up for, and being at the stadium gives it that extra flavour.”
The opening round of the Mid North Coast Rugby
non-
Women’s Premier League season kicks off
By Aiden BURGESS
THE Women's Premier League kicks off tonight, Friday 4 April, as the world game returns for another season on the Coffs Coast.
The Urunga Raiders begin their premiership defence by taking on last season’s preliminary finalists Coffs City United Lionesses, in their opening round match at Forsyth Park.
The Raiders went through undefeated to win last season’s Premier League title.
Last season’s runners-up, the Woolgoolga Wildcats, kick off their season against the Boambee Eagles at Ayrshire Park.
The Eagles are making a return to the top flight competition this season.
Last season’s semifinalists, the Orara Valley
Dingoes, begin their season with a matchup against the Northern Storm at York Street Oval.
Like the Eagles, the Storm are also stepping up to the top flight competition this season.
Having played in the Premier League last season, the Sawtell Scorpions will not feature in the top flight competition this year.
Urunga Raiders and the Woolgoolga Wildcats meet in their grand final rematch during Round 2 in Urunga.
The Women’s Division 1 season also kicks off this weekend with opening round matches on Saturday afternoon.
Coffs City United Lionesses begin their premiership defence at home when they play host to the Corindi Breakers at Forsyth Park
Coffs cricket season review
By Aiden BURGESS
ANOTHER season of the Coffs Harbour District Cricket Association competition is in the books.
This past season was one of transition, as the competition was rebranded the Sixers Cricket League as part of its partnership with the Sydney Sixers.
Here is how each club fared.
Nana Glen Lizards: The standout club of the 2024/25 season.
Lost just once on their way to winning the firstgrade premiership, and went undefeated to win the T20
Cup.
The Lizards also won the Under 16s premiership, and were runners-up in the thirdgrade competition.
Sawtell: The perennial powerhouse came close to winning the first-grade grand final, after finishing second on the ladder.
Won the Under 14s premiership with the Storm losing just once for the season.
Bellingen/Dorrigo: The early front runners in first grade, they couldn’t quite get it going at the back end of the season and exited at the Preliminary Final stage.
The only team to beat
eventual champions Nana Glen in the first-grade season.
Bellingen Green went through undefeated to win the second Under 12s season of the summer.
Coffs Colts: It was an up and down season for the firstgrade side, finishing fourth on the ladder.
Didn’t get a chance to play in the finals, after their Elimination Final was washed out.
Runners-up in the fourthgrade competition.
Woolgoolga Cricket Club Rebels: Finished last on the first-grade ladder which belied how competitive they were at stages.
Beating Bellingen/Dorrigo and the Colts in succession was the highlight of their firstgrade season.
Took home two premierships, winning the second grade and fourth grade titles.
Diggers Cricket Club: Were the minor premiers in both the second grade and third grade competitions, as they won the third-grade premiership and finished runners-up in second grade. Finished runners-up in both the first and second Under 12s competitions of the summer.
Macksville Bulls: Strong in the junior ranks, winning the first Under 12s premiership of the summer, and finishing runners-up in both the
Urunga:
q Urunga Raiders begin their premiership defence this weekend against the Coffs City United Lionesses. Photo: David Wigley.
Union Southern Division season will also be played in Coffs Harbour this weekend, with both games at Rex Hardaker Oval.
Wallamba Bulls begin
their premiership defence by taking on the Manning River Rats, and the Wauchope Thunder and Old Bar Clams face off.
The Coffs Coast Rugby
Challenge will also be a part of the festival, which is a long-standing junior,
competitive 10s tournament featuring young players from across Australia.
This year, the event expands with the addition of a “Golden Oldies” tournament, ensuring rugby enthusiasts of all ages can hit the field.
q Coffs Harbour Snappers begin their premiership defence this weekend against the SCU Marlins.
q Nana Glen Lizards were the standout club of the season.
Under 16s and Under 14s competitions.
Were semifinalists in the second-grade competition.
SPORT RESULTS
Golfer, 13, on course for professional career
By Andrea FERRARI
EXCEPTIONALLY talented Bishop Druitt College student, 13-yearold Milla Adamson, is firmly on the path to professional golfing success.
A standout athlete in both the BDC High Performance Program and BDC Golf Academy, Milla’s recent performances have been outstanding.
On Sunday 23 March, she emerged as the nett winner of the Surfers Paradise Junior Classic and placed 6th overall with a gross score of 78 (+6).
In December, she secured victory in the Cadet Junior Club Championships at Coffs Harbour Golf Club, after finishing as the nett runner-up in the prestigious Jack Newton Sub Junior International tournament in September.
Milla was recently honoured with an Encouragement Award by the North Coast Academy of Sport
Bellingen Diggers Swimming Club
By Lois LANE
27.3.25
WE HAD 15 swimmers tonight.
RACE 1 $ 25m Breaststroke HEAT 1
Julie Cornall came from nowhere coming first, in second was Jim Baird and in third was Mike Navin.
Coffs Table Tennis Results
By MARGARET ILES
FRIDAY 28th March, 2025
Division 1
Gerard Martin d Lachlan Dierkx 3/1, Reece Baker d Paul Hendriks 3/1, Gerard Martin d Paul Hendriks
3/0, Reece Baker d Lachlan
Dierkx 3/1, Lachlan Dierkx d Paul Hendriks 3/1, Reece Baker d Gerard Martin 3/1. WINNER: Reece Baker
SSAA Benchrest Results
By Rod MADELEY
DAIRYVILLE range.
THE event was the 50m Rimfire Group.
Hunting rifle: Brett Ewington .6356, sg .344. Peter McGrath .7448, sg .520. 6x scope: Robert Wells .4208, sg .304. Bill Buchanan .1634, sg .112. Mitch Calcutt .1870, sg .137. Stuart Elliot .2106, sg .153. Keiran Grabham .2186, sg .142. Brad Lancaster .2354, sg .162. Joy
Coffs Harbour District Darts
By RAY BEASLEY
SAWTELL RSL Club
Summer Comp
Monday 24 March
Fluke Shots def Bull Finish 7-2
Warriors def Thunderstruck 7-2
Surgical Steel def Bad Habbits 5-4
(NCAS).
“Milla’s dedication to her sport is truly inspiring,” Bishop Druitt College’s High Performance and Academies Director Nat Titcume said.
“Her achievements at such a young age are a testament to her hard work, discipline, and natural ability.
“We have no doubt that she has an exciting future ahead of her in the world of golf.”
With a current Golf Australia handicap of 6.3, Milla holds the lowest handicap in the Bishop Druitt College Golf Academy.
To put this into perspective, one of Milla’s idols, professional golfer Steph Kyriacou, had a handicap of eight at 13-years-old, while golfing legend Karrie Webb was off 11 at the same age.
Local business owners Nicole and Michael Martin of Guzman y Gomez Coffs Harbour, are supporting Milla’s journey,
HEAT 2
Jo Brotherton showed them how it was done coming first, in second was Paul Sheridan and in third was Cath Fisher.
HEAT 3
Elizabeth Casey held on by the skin of her teeth coming first and a dead heat in second was Peter Allison and Rachael Wallace.
FINAL
Julie Cornall breezed it in coming first and in the money and another dead heat for second was Jo Brotherton and Peter Allison.
RACE 2 50m Freestyle
from Gerard Martin.
Division 2
Stephen Bjerking d Tim Garrad 3/1, George Ruaporo d Dominic Arjona 3/0, King McKie d Stephen Bjerking 3/2, Tim Garrad d Dominic Arjona 3/0, King McKie d Dominic Arjona 3/0, Tim Garrad d George Ruaporo 3/2, King McKie d George Ruaporo 3/1, Stephen Bjerking d Dominic Arjona 3/0, Tim Garrad d King McKie 3/2, George Ruaporo d Stephen Bjerking 3/1. WINNER: King McKie from Tim Garrad.
Harrison .2358, sg .189. Annie Elliot .2410, sg .140. Helen White .2492, sg .190. Ian Thompson .2510, sg .155. Greg Sutherland .2628, sg .128. Bernie Axford .3594, sg .151. Glenn Ashcroft .4088, sg .232. Peter Fleming .4658, sg .297. William Calcutt .7180, sg .177.
Event was 200yds Rimfire Fly.
Tracey Vaina 287.05, 5 flies. Phil Jones 284.06, 6 flies. Dane Rasmussen 280.05, 5 flies. Stuart Elliot 279.07, 7 flies. Annie Elliot 273.05, 5 flies. Brett Duguid 273.03, 3 flies.Vince Vaina 272.07, 7 flies. Mitch Calcutt 272.05, 5 flies. William Calcutt 272.04, 4 flies. Scott Benson 270.08, 8 flies. Geoff Morris
DILLIGAF - Bye
100s
Cherie (1)
Ben (1)
Bob (2)
Christian (3)
Craig S (5)
Dave H (1)
Edward (1)
Kyle (3)
Michael (1)
Peter (2)
providing her with additional resources and opportunities as she continues to excel.
“We are incredibly excited to be a part of Milla’s journey,” they said.
“Her passion, dedication, and natural ability make her a true inspiration, and we can’t wait to see what she achieves this year.”
Part of her high-level training is monthly sessions on the Gold Coast with Golf Australia High Performance coach Ji McBryde, who has worked with other young talents including Sarah Hammett, Shyla Singh, and Millie Komulainen.
“Milla is an exceptional young talent with an incredible work ethic,” she said.
“She has a natural ability that, combined with her dedication and passion for the game, will take her far.
“I have no doubt that she has the potential to achieve great success in the sport.”
HEAT 1
Dean Bonventi blew them out off the water coming first, in second was Jim Baird and in third was Mike Navin.
HEAT 2
Cath Fisher and Paul Sheridan hit the at the same time with a dead heat coming first and in third was Jo Brotherton.
HEAT 3
Rachel Browning swam like wind coming first, in second was Amanda Lockman and in third was Rachael Wallace.
RACE 3 100m Freestyle
Division 3
Nick Jankovic d Aiden Haigh 3/0, Patrick Howard d Abe Bjerking 3/0, Sharee Templeton d Aiden Haigh 3/0, Nick Jankovic d Abe Bjerking 3/0, Sharee Templeton d Abe Bjerking 3/0, Nick Jankovic d Patrick Howard 3/0, Sharee Templeton d Patrick Howard 3/0, Aiden Haigh d Abe Bjerking 3/0, Sharee Templeton d Nick Jankovic 3/2, Patrick Howard d Aiden Haigh 3/1. WINNER: Sharee Templeton from Nick Jankovic.
270.06, 6 flies. Hayden Blades 270.04, 4 flies. Andy Santa 266.04, 4 flies. Bill Buchanan 264.10. 10 flies. Scott Brunstone 264.05, 5 flies. Dave Richards 259.04, 4 flies. Annie Lamontagne 259.04, 4 flies. Hunter Harris 258.10, 10 flies. Darren Lawrence 258.04, 4 flies. John Harris 253.06, 6 flies. Glenn Ashcroft 253.01, 1 fly. Ian Thompson 252.01, 1 fly. Terry Peppi 243.02, 2 flies. Brad Lancaster 241.03, 3 flies. Danielle Harris 237.01, 1 fly. Terry Richardson 236.02, 2 flies. Allan Leasegang 233.04, 4 flies. Joy Harrison 224.01, 1 fly. Helen White 220.01, 1 fly.
Reg (2)
Ricky (6)
Rob Ha (3)
Rob Ho (3)
Steve (1)
Trevor (3)
High pegs
Chris (52)
Peter (66)
Ricky (112)
Leader Board
Bad Habbits 36
HEAT 1
Jo Brotherton swam like lightening coming first, in second was Andrew O’Keeffe and in third was Mike Navin.
HEAT 2 Peter Allison came through the water like a torpedo coming first, in second was Paul Sheridan and in third was Rachael Wallace.
RACE 4 Brace Relay
There were two busts in this race, Rachel Browning and Rachael Wallace, Julie Cornall and Dean Bonventi taking one second off their time.
Mid North Coast Veterans Golfers Association
By Collin CUTT
TUESDAY, 25th March, 34 MNC
Veteran golfers competed in a single stableford at Coffs Harbour Golf Course, in very wet conditions.
Winner: Paul Bonventi 36 c/b, 1st runner-up Wayne Cormick 36, 2nd runner-up Phil Lynch 33 c/b. NTP’s: 3rd Phil Lynch, 6th Robert Potts, 12th David Nicholls,
CEX Woolgoolga Lawn Bowls
By Suzanne BRACHER
PENNANTS grade 5 Woolgoolga (D) Park Beach, grade 7 Woolgoolga (D) Nth Beach.
Tuesday 25/3/ 2025 (Pairs) PM Rink 8: triple game, N Wills, S Wall, S Dodd (D) J Weston, K Costelloe, B Merchant. Rink 10: A Wroe, R Gurber (D) T McKenzie, P Buck. Rink 11: R Shaw, J Brooks (D) J.C, Fred C. Rink 12: P Diamond, J Taylor (D) L Walsh, S Oliver. Rink 13: R Bennell, L
Surgical Steel 36
DILLIGAF 33
Warriors 31
Fluke Shots 29
Bull Finish 29 Thunderstruck 18
Coffs Harbour Ladies Golf Results
By Leah RAY
HEAT 1
Jim Baird and Jill Williams swam like bats out of hell coming first, in second was Jo Brotherton and Cath Fisher and in third was Amanda Vockler and Andrew O’Keeffe.
HEAT 2
Mike Navin and Amanda Lockman came from behind coming first and in second was Elizabeth Casey and Peter Allison. A great time had by all, come and join us for some fun and laughter on Thursday night at 5.15.
15th Neville Newman.
Ball run to 32 pts.
Also, on Tuesday, 25th March, 32 MNC Veteran golfers competed in a single stableford at Sawtell Golf Club, again in very wet conditions.
Winner: Robert Peel 36, 1st runner-up Corey De Silva 35, 2nd runner-up Dennis Hardgrove 32. NTP’s: 3rd Robert Peel, 7th Rod Edwards.
Ball run to 32 pts.
Walsh (D) G McInerney, C. Davis. Wednesday 26/3/2025 (Woopi Wanderers) J Simpson, N Wills, K Costelloe (D) T Collins, J Martin, I Gentle. Rink 11: P Hatton, M Mulligan, K Stirling(D) G Woolley, Punkin, S Ferro. Rink 12: Bear, R Pillon, D Mason (D) C Williams, P Jones, B Pendred.
Rink 13: G Burgess, I Brien (D) J Whalen, J Taylor. Rink 14: J Lynn, P Diamond (D) J Simmons, S Oliver.
Friday 28/3/2025 rained out. Championship 4 Rained out on 29/3 Rained out new dates to be decided.
TUESDAY 25th MARCH
SINGLE STABLEFORD OVERALL WINNERS Jennifer Blake 21, Jo Corrigan 17 (CB) NTPs - 22nd - Jo Corrigan, Robyn Walsh, 26th - Marilyn Waterhouse, Sue Flanders WEDNESDAY 26th
MARCH SINGLE STABLEFORD
OVERALL WINNERS Lyn Major 33, Karen Brown 32, Sue Mealey 29 (CB) NTPs - 3rd hole - Karen Brown, Lorraine Garlin
q Bishop Druitt College golf talent Milla Adamson and coach Ji McBryde.
Coffs Harbour Rifle Club
By Geoffrey HART
MARCH 26 - Howard St Rimfire Range. The 60m Field Class match was conducted with 13 participants. Master Grade: Jake Buckley 95.9, A Grade: Phillip Payne 86.3, Matt Walsh 85.2, Johan Greyling 81.2, B Grade: Mark Pelmore 93.6, Member-677 82.5, Sarah Jones
Sawtell RSL Snooker Club
By Ken MASON
TUESDAY 25th March 2025
Sawtell Golf Results
By Janet O’DOWD
25/3 STABLEFORD (front x 2) Max Neal 42, Joey Franck 40, Oliver Brearley 39c/b. Balls to 38. NTP 7 A: Cameron Arnold, B: Chris Ryan, C: Stephen Cracknell. Pro pin Max Neal
79.1, C Grade: Matt Miller 78.1, Zac Huls 65.0, Member-926 60.0, Phil Hartmann 49.0, Kevin Mackay 43.0, Visitors: Scott S (using a rest) 99.9
The 50m F-Class match was conducted with 9 participants. Member-677 196.8, Johan Greyling 195.8, Zac Huls 188.6, Matt Miller
187.3, Phil Hartmann 186.3, Mark Pelmore 185.2, Member-926 180.3, Visitors: Mirah Miller 182.3, Jack Shaw 134.0
Main Draw Winners: - James O’Connor - R/U Henry Legend
Consolation Winners: - John Browning - R/U Jayne Taylor
26/3 4BBB Championship Round 2 Margaret Gill & Annie Waters 35, Natalie Oliver & Charmaine Edwards 33, Rebecca Goldsmith & Sharon Shipman 31c/b, Christine Constable & Lee Farrell 31, Narelle Hall & Paula Sercombe 26c/b. NTP 3 3: Pauline Barnes. NTP 11 1: Joy Lawrence
Sawtell Bowls Results
By Geoff HAMPSON
OVER 60s Bowls will be held at Red Rock on Monday 14th April
MONDAY Twilight Bowls 24/3/25 Cancelled due to Weather Conditions
WEDNESDAY Men’s Social Bowls 26/3/25 Cancelled Due to weather Conditions
FRIDAY Mixed Social Bowls
28/3/24 Cancelled due to Weather Conditions
TUESDAY 25/3/25 Ladies Fours Championships
Congratulations to Lee North, Daphne Ide, Fiona Sharpe, Molly Friend on winning the Fours Championships Defeating Jan Smithers, Jenny Partridge, Marlene Sharman, Lyn Kratz 21/10. Well done to all Players
Expanded men’s Premier League set for blockbuster opener
By David WIGLEY
THE Men’s Premier League is primed for an explosive start on Saturday 5 April, with the competition expanding to 10 teams in 2025.
their blistering start from 2022, when they sat atop the table after the opening six rounds.
kickoff set for 5pm.
seasoned campaigners.
The Bellingen Bats and Yamba Breakers step into the fray, eager to shake up top-flight football on the North Coast.
For Bellingen, it’s a return to familiar territory, having last graced the Premier League in 2022. They’ll be hoping to replicate
Yamba Breakers make their long-awaited Premier League debut.
The club has forged a partnership with Orara Valley Dingoes to field both a top-tier squad and a Division One side, ensuring depth and development through the ranks.
Reigning Premiers Woolgoolga Wolves launch their title defence against Sawtell FC in the season opener at Toormina Oval, with a
The Wolves dominated the league last year, racking up 50 points - 13 clear of their nearest challengers, Northern Storm.
But the Storm had the last laugh, edging the Wolves 2-1 in the Grand Final at C.ex Coffs International Stadium.
Both Woolgoolga and Northern Storm have doubled down on youth development, promoting players from their junior ranks and Premier Youth League North Coast programs in a bid to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
While last year’s top two remain firm favourites, the competition has strengthened across the board.
Coffs City United have revitalised their squad, welcoming back players from their golden era of three consecutive titles.
A fresh injection of talent from North Coast under-18s further bolsters their ranks, making them a serious threat.
Boambee FC arrive in good form after impressing in the Australia Cup and dominating the local Coffs Football 6s A-Grade competition.
Their attacking unit is brimming with firepower, featuring electrifying teenagers alongside
Last year’s Golden Boot winner Brady Parker, spearheads the charge, while the return of Luke France adds further potency.
Boambee edged past Sawtell 3-2 in a gritty pre-season in the pouring rain.
Sawtell proved last year that on their day, they are capable of toppling any side and are a team to watch.
Urunga FC have enjoyed a solid pre-season and if they can keep their stars fit, loom as a dark horse in the race for silverware.
Coffs Coast Tigers, a club steeped in Premier League history, welcome back key players from injury and will be eager to re-establish themselves among the elite.
The Tigers host the Northern Storm in round one at Polwarth Drive on Saturday 5 April at 5pm. Meanwhile, Yamba Breakers, the competition’s newest outfit, showed their mettle in a pre-season clash against defending champions Northern Storm, holding their own for a full 45 minutes.
If that performance is anything to go by, the newcomers won’t be overawed when they step onto the big stage.
q Smuggler at the Sydney to Hobart Yacht race.
q Fiona Sharpe, Molly Friend, Lee North, Daphanie Ide.
q 2024 Premiers Woolgoolga Wolves will be seeking to defend their title. Photo: David Wigley.
q 2024 champions Northern Storm. Photo: David Wigley.
LOCALCLASSIFIEDS
Death Notices
HEMINGWAY
Peter-John Francis ‘Pete’
28th March 2025, peacefully at Bellinger River District Hospital, late of Coffs Harbour. Loving brother of Michelle, Shane, Lisa and James. Dear husband of Olivia. Caring step-father of Brodie, Bailey, Amber and poppy of Noah and Luca.
Aged 56 Years It Is Not The Length But The Depth Of Life We Celebrate Pete’s Funeral Service was held in the Chapel of Hogbin Drive Crematorium & Memorial Gardens, Stadium Drive, Coffs Harbour on Thursday 3rd April 2025.
KEITH LOGUE & SONS
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
Coffs Harbour 6652 1999
The Miller Family wish to announce the sad passing of Ronald (Ron) Miller on 23rd of February 2025 at Calvary The Brelsford Care Home, late of 128E Fridays Creek Road, Upper Orara. Peacefully, after a courageous fight.
Forever in our Hearts.
A much loved brother of Joyce, Les, Evelyn, Janice and Nancy and the late Frank and Patricia and brother in law of Joanna, Des, Kevin and Graham and the late Noel, Edna and Colin. Cherished son of the late Frank and Ruth (Queenie) Miller. Sadly missed by his large extended family and treasured friends.
Aged 82 years.
Ron’s friends and relatives are warmly invited to attend a Celebration of Ron’s life which will take place on 12th April at 2:30 pm at the C.EX Club, Coffs Harbour at 2-6 Vernon Street. Coffs Harbour.
Michael Brien O’Connor
(Formerly of Coffs Harbour)
Passed away peacefully in Bunbury WA on 27 March 2025.
Aged 76
Son of Sam & Noni O’Conner (both dec’d). Loving and loved father of Melissa, Peter, Kate and Zac, and grandad of their children.
Sadly missed by his sisters Beverley and Maureen.
Passed away peacefully at Coffs Harbour Health Campus surrounded by loving family. Beloved husband of Yvonne, loving father and father-in-law of Tony, Melinda and Noni. Adored grand-father of Brock, Alex, Jillian, Ella and Cooper, great grand-father of Arlend and Willow.
Aged 83
Brian Will be Sadly Missed.
A celebration of Brian’s life will be held in the St. John’s Anglican Church, Maclean Street, Coffs Harbour on Monday 7th April 2025 commencing at 11.30am thence for Interment in the Coffs Harbour Lawn Cemetery, Karangi.
Brian’s life service will be live streamed on https://shorturl.at/wN650
GREENWOOD
Brian James
10th March 2025, suddenly and unexpectedly. Much loved soul mate of Di. Loving father of David ‘Little Dave’ and Lisa ‘Floss’ (both dec’d). Adored pop of Adam and Brooke. Brian will be sadly missed by all his extended family and friends.
Aged 74 Years
He Will Always Be My Soul Mate
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Brian’s Celebration of Life Service to be held in the Chapel of Hogbin Drive Crematorium & Memorial Gardens, Stadium Drive, Coffs Harbour on Monday 28th April 2025 commencing at 2.30 pm.
Please find livestream details on Keith Logue & Sons website.
KEITH LOGUE & SONS
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
Coffs Harbour 6652 1999
MASHMAN
Michael Grahame ‘Mike’
30th March 2025, peacefully at Coffs Harbour Health Campus, with family at his side. Much loved husband of Rovelyn. Loving father of Blake and Nicole. Mike will be sadly missed by all his extended family and friends.
Aged 78 Years
In Gods Care
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Mike’s Celebration of Life Service to be held in the Chapel of Hogbin Drive Crematorium & Memorial Gardens, Stadium Drive, Coffs Harbour on Friday 4th April 2025 commencing at 2.30 pm.
Joan Rodgers
14th March 2025
Passed away at Calvary The Brelsford. Adored wife of Brian (dec) for 62 magical years. Together they had a wonderful life and travelled the world many times. Back in each other’s arms again.
Loving and the most beautiful mother of Kim and Linda. Mother-in-law to Renzo & Bryan (dec). Cherished and loved Nanna to Lara, Jack and their partners Damon and Jess. Loved ‘Nanna Joan’ to great-granddaughters Grace and Isla.
Joan will be remembered by many for establishing Dancing with Adults and the many performances by the Joan Rodgers Tappers, here in Coffs Harbour until 2018. Much gratitude and thanks to the wonderful team at Calvary The Brelsford who cared for mum.
“Happy Feet”
Family & friends are respectfully invited to attend Joan’s funeral service to be held on Tuesday 8th April 2025 at 1pm in the chapel of the Coffs Harbour Crematorium, Coramba Road, Karangi. Thence for interment within the adjoining Coffs Harbour Lawn Cemetery.
VICTOR RULLIS
FUNERAL SERVICES
(02) 6651 5007 www.funeralcoffsharbour.com.au
ads@newsofthearea.com.au
Please find livestream details on Keith Logue & Sons website.
KEITH LOGUE & SONS
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
Coffs Harbour
6652 1999
Professor Allan Langlands AM
28th March 2025
Passed away peacefully at RFBI Coffs Harbour Masonic Village with family by his side. Late of Coffs Harbour, formerly of Oatlands and Scotland. Cherished husband of Helen (dec), beloved father of Gillian and Colin. Adored Grandpa of Patricia and Kirk. A pioneer in the field of cancer treatment and research.
Aged 93 Years
Reunited with Helen.
Family & friends are warmly invited to attend Allan’s funeral service to be held on Tuesday, 8th April 2025 at 10am in the chapel of the Coffs Harbour Crematorium, Coramba Road, Karangi.
VICTOR RULLIS
FUNERAL SERVICES
(02) 6651 5007
www.funeralcoffsharbour.com.au
SCHMIGA
Theresa Leone
28th March 2025, late of Urunga. Dearly beloved wife of Gary (dec’d). Loving mother of Rowena and Robert. Adored grandmother of Louise, Jenn, Robert, Benjamin and Tamasin.
Aged 85 Years Now Safe In Gary’s Arms
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Theresa’s Funeral Prayers to be celebrated in Holy Name Catholic Church, Urunga on Tuesday 22nd April 2025 commencing at 11.00 am, followed by private cremation at Hogbin Drive Crematorium & Memorial Gardens, Stadium Drive, Coffs Harbour.
Please find livestream details on Keith Logue & Sons website.
KEITH LOGUE & SONS
FUNERAL DIRECTORS
Coffs Harbour
6652 1999
O’HALLORAN
Terence Leton ‘Terry’
31st March 2025, peacefully at Coffs Harbour Masonic Village. Late of Coffs Harbour. Dearly beloved husband of Michele. Loving father and father-in-law of Cassandra and Nick & Claire. Adored pop of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Aged 84 Years At Peace
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Terry’s Funeral Prayers to be celebrated in the Chapel of Hogbin Drive Crematorium & Memorial Gardens, Stadium Drive, Coffs Harbour on Tuesday 8th April 2025 commencing at 2.30 pm.
In lieu of floral tributes the family would appreciate donations to Alzheimer’s Research Australia, a collection box will be at the Chapel.
Terry’s Funeral Service will be live streamed on Keith Logue & Sons website.
1m H x 3mL x 60cm D. 6 drawers, 2 long drawers 1m long and 3 double shelves. Black/brown outside, white inside Immac cond. Moving sale $200. 0415 981 605 F221124
SOUND Bar 2.0.2 CH 120W Dolby ATMOS 12 months old with 2 built in subwoofers. Price $100 Ph 0412 081 950 F140225
TEASPOONS large collection as new feat various characters $3-5
THREE Leas floral folding screen. 165cm H x 60cm W. $30 Photos can be supplied 0490 161 119 F140225
TRAILER WHEEL Ford 205-65- R15 pro sand blasted epoxy primed & painted good rubber $60 0467 634 668 F061224
TWO single bed frames round heads & foot rail black. $50 both 0412 254 563 TWO macrame wall hangers hand made $50 both 0412 254 563
YORK stepping unit/ air walker, 3 different exercise benches, 9 sets of weights, 3 sets of bars and weights. For individual sale or the lot for $250. 6656 4293
Classifieds 4981 8882 ads@ newsofthearea. com.au
1996 Harley Davison Soft Tail custom. Genuine reasons for selling, need 4WD for work HFK50
$18,000 0459 556 523
BMW F 750 GS Motorcycle, 2020 model $11,300. Rego 10/09/2025, EJK94
29,000km, 30,000km service just done, rear tyre, chain sprockets done at 24,700km. Exc cond. Ph Mike 0420 902 727
1990 Toyota Hilux 4WD Well-maintained, high km engine. Body reasonable condition. Rego May ‘25 $5000 ono CH05XA 0413 077 493
2008 Honda Civic Sedan
1.8L manual, 1 owner
200,995km. $4,000
BGN41G. 0437 415 487
2017 Mondeo Wagon
TDi, as new, 71,000 klms, rego & serviced to Mar 2026. ATI59F
$18,490. 0447 550 017 Re031025
FORD FG 2009 cab chas ute, 6 spd man Tip Top tray with trundle ladder racks and tool box, H Reece T/Bar alloys 262,000kms excel cond one owner always garaged. $12,750 ono Ph 0422 440 802
MITSUBISHI Mirage white hatchback 2015 manual, 47,454 klms well serviced & garaged exc cond, one lady owner, $11,990 ono CD68GF. 6651 9790
MITSUBISHI Pajero GLS 4WD 3.2L diesel 2003. Mechanically sound, in great condition New tyres, well serviced & garaged
370,500km. Rego to 8 Jun ‘25 YZY538 $7,000 ono 0474 311 763 e020525
Boats
3.4m Savage with trailer rego, 6HP and electric swivel seats, cover safety gear, lots of extras ACF724N. L26949
$2,000. 0427 528 084 Re300525
0457 286 683
CLASSIC row
Caravans
XG Camper potti (toilet) incl chemicals. As new cond. $95. Photos can be supplied. 0490161119 F251024
2012 A'Van Maddison Poptop. All extras for free-camping. Exc cond. $25,600 ono Ph 0447 550 017 Re280225
Ultimate Off-road
Family Caravan
Snowy River Multi Terrain SRT22F
Sleeps 5 - double bed plus 3 bunks. Like new plastic still on the bunks
LUXURY Regal 23’ Caravan. Lge ensuite separate toilet/shower/ front load washing machine, full oven recessed bench elec/ hot water, Q bed/full wardrobes, reverse air/con, microwave/ lge fridge freezer, 3-way & pullout pantry, spice cupboard, lots of storage, radioTV with satellite connection wired for solar panels new awning, full annexe, fully serviced like new, front boot Rego 6/8/25, 754QPJ
$28,000. Ph John 0428 464 063
CARAVAN $49,900 ONO
2018 Jayco Outback Journey 19-61-2OB
Caravan Dual Axle Rego exprires 8/11/25 EXTERNAL
Independent Suspension AL-KO Electric Braked Axels
AL-KO Esc
Winegard VHF & UHF Antenna
3 - 90 LTR Water Tanks
Picnic Table
2 - 160W Solar Panels
External Entertainment Unit
2 - 9KG Gas bottles
Privacy Screens
Fiamma Bike Rack 20 LTR Jerry Can Holder Slide out Kitchen New Awning with LED lighting. INTERNAL
Queen Bed with Reading Lights both sides
2 Deep Cycle Batteries
Tri-Fold Table
3 Way Full size Fridge/Freezer
3 Gas 1 Electric Cooktop with Gas Oven, Grill & Rangehood Sphere Microwave Oven Hot Water Storage Heater
Furrion Entertainment System (Outside Speakers) Furrion LED HD TV
Ensuite with separate Shower / Toilet
3.3 KG Automatic Washing Machine
Air Conditioning. Serviced regularly Ph John 0434 195 197
and is looking for his forever home. Adoption fee for 2024/2025 is $220 and this includes microchipping,
Caravans
Caravans
PUZZLES
SUDOKU
Kids Boot Camp 035
Home Improvements
OVER 25
Contractors Licence 77993C
SPECIALISING IN ROOF LEAK REPAIRS, ROOF REPAIRS ,ROOF RESTORATION, RE-ROOFING, GUTTER REPLACEMENT, FASCIA BOARD REPLACEMENT, COLORBOND FASCIA COVER, COLORBOND EXTERIOR WALL & EAVE CLADDING
SPECIALISING IN ROOF LEAKS, ROOF REPAIRS, ROOF RESTORATION, RE-ROOFING, GUTTER REPLACEMENT, FASCIA BOARD REPLACEMENT, COLORBOND FASCIA COVER, COLORBOND EXTERIOR WALL, EAVE CLADDING AND EXTERIOR PAINTING
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After last night’s tribal council, the numbers have well and truly fallen on the Brains side and the members of the “Postgraduate alliance” – Kaelan, Myles, AJ and Zara – should be riding high. The quartet easily outnumbers the two remaining Brawns, Kate and Morgan, so choosing who to eliminate next is straightforward, right? Wrong. With the end game in sight, the allies realise that just one player turning could see their hard-won advantage crumble. Adding fuel to the fire is host Jonathan LaPaglia (pictured), who shares an explosive twist at tribal council.
FRIDAY, April 4
TUESDAY
THE AGENDA SETTERS
SEVEN, 10.30pm
By now even the most casual viewer of AFL commentary might have noticed that things look a little different on the box this year. There’s a free-toair footy war heating up – and so far, audiences are the clear winners. With matches, news and opinion programming on every day of the week, there’s no excuse for not knowing a Daniher from a Daicos. Airing on Monday and Tuesday nights, this new home of hard-hitting viewpoints and expert analysis showcases Seven’s recent signings: Kane Cornes, Craig Hutchison, Nick Riewoldt and Caroline Wilson (pictured). In tonight’s edition, Cornes leads the charge, with Wilson, Dale Thomas and Luke Hodge tackling the biggest topics of the game.
WEDNESDAY THE HANDMAID’S TALE
It’s been a long road for heroic former handmaid June (Elisabeth Moss, pictured) in this dystopian drama. Over five seasons (which began airing in 2017), this addictive adaptation has gone far beyond the pages of Margaret Atwood’s 1985 novel; taking June to Chicago and Canada, as well as adding details and diversity to the famed story, sharing other perspectives on life in Gilead. Its sixth and final chapter begins tonight as June returns to Gilead to finish what she started – securing the freedom of her fellow handmaids – this time, with more allies on her side than ever before. Serena (Yvonne Strahovski) is also back, with a plan to reform the regime from the inside.
8.25 Bettany Hughes’ Lost Worlds: Nabataeans. (PG)
9.25 Scotland’s Scenic Railways. (R)
10.20 SBS World News Late.
10.50 A Body That Works. (Mls)
11.50 Romulus. (MA15+av, R)
1.40 Hugh’s Wild West. (PG, R)
3.40 Inside The Modelling Agency. (Ml, R)
(PG, R) 1.30 Rage New Music. (MA15+adhlnsv) 5.00 Rage. (PG) 6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS World News. 7.35 The Hunt For Cleopatra’s Missing Tomb. (PGa, R)
4.35 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Better Homes And Gardens. Hosted by Johanna Griggs.
8.30 MOVIE: Pitch Perfect. (2012, Mls, R)
A university freshman is coaxed into joining an all-girl a cappella group. Before they can take on their rivals, they must first revamp their new recruits, incorporating their unique style into their repertoire. Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson.
7.30 Rugby League. NRL. Round 5. South Sydney Rabbitohs v Sydney Roosters.
9.55 Golden Point. A wrap-up of the South Sydney Rabbitohs versus Sydney Roosters match, with news and analysis.
10.45 MOVIE: The Foreigner. (2017, MA15+alv, R) A restaurateur seeks justice. Jackie Chan, Pierce Brosnan.
12.40 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)
4.30 Global Shop. (R) 5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 5.30 Postcards. (PG, R)
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer. 6.30 The
ONTHEBOX
SATURDAY, April 5
6.00 Rage Charts. (PG) 7.00 Wknd Brekky.
9.00 Rage. (PG) 12.00 News. 12.30 Death In Paradise. (Ma, R) 1.30 Darby And Joan. (PGa, R) 2.15 Under The Vines. (Final, PG, R) 3.00 Dinosaurs Of The Frozen Continent. (R) 3.50 A Life In Ten Pictures. (PGv, R) 4.45 Creative Types. (PGv, R) 5.15 Landline. (R) 5.40 Australian Story. (PGal, R)
6.15 Father Brown. (PGav) Father Brown’s friend is suspect of murder.
7.00 ABC News. A look at the top stories of the day.
7.30 Death In Paradise. (Ma) The team looks into a tourist’s death.
8.30 Vera. (Ma, R) DCI Vera Stanhope is on track to uncover an intriguing yet puzzling case when the body of a sickly young girl is discovered at the side of an isolated railway crossing.
10.00 Unforgotten. (Ml, R) The team discovers Gerry’s nationalist views.
10.50 Boat Story. (MA15+l, R) Janet and Samuel celebrate their newfound riches.
11.45 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
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6am Children’s Programs. 6.05pm PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.15 Bluey. 6.25 Octonauts: Above And Beyond. 6.35 Hey Duggee. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Riley Rocket. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Harry Potter: Wizards Of Baking. 8.10 Harry Potter: Hogwarts Tournament Of Houses. 8.50 Fresh Off The Boat. 9.35 Speechless. 9.55 Officially Amazing. 10.25 Dragon Ball Super. 10.50 Late Programs.
6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Cook Up Bitesize. (R) 9.05 Incredible Homes. (R) 10.00 The World From Above. (R) 11.00 Ageless Gardens. (R) 12.00 BBC News At Ten. 12.30 ABC World News Tonight. 1.00 PBS News. 2.00 Figure Skating. ISU World C’ships. H’lights. 4.30 Heroines. (PG) 5.00 Going Places. (PGl, R) 5.30 WWII War Machine. (PG)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 The Wonders Of Europe. 8.30 Blenheim: The People Behind The Palace.
9.25 Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy: Naples And The Amalfi Coast. (R) 10.15 Great Coastal Railway Journeys. (R) 11.15 Paris Paris. (Mls, R) 1.45 Bamay. (R) 1.59 Going Places With Ernie Dingo. (R) 5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 The Morning Show: Weekend. (PG) 12.00 Horse Racing. The Star Championships Day and Caulfield Race Day. 5.00 Seven News At 5. 5.30 Border Security: Australia’s Front Line. (PG, R)
6.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGad, R) 7.30 Love It Or List It Australia. A couple must bring their house up to date. 8.30 Gogglebox Australia. (R) TV fanatics open up their living rooms to reveal their reactions to popular and topical TV shows.
9.30 Ambulance Australia. (Ma, R) A code 1 comes in for a two-year-old.
6am Children’s Programs. 5.45pm Tish Tash. 5.50 Paddington. 6.05 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.15 Bluey. 6.25 Octonauts: Above And Beyond. 6.35 Hey Duggee. 6.40 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Riley Rocket. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Moominvalley. 8.00 Horrible Histories. 8.30 Fresh Off The Boat. 9.10 Abbott Elementary. 9.55 Speechless. 10.15 Merlin. 11.00 Late Programs.
6am Arthur And The Two Worlds War. Continued. (2010, PG) 7.30
The Magic Of Belle Isle. (2012, PG) 9.35 Fantastic Mr. Fox. (2009, PG) 11.10 Love Songs For Tough Guys. (2021, M, French) 1.10pm The Duke. (2020, M) 3.00 Gambit. (2012) 4.40 Phar Lap. (1983, PG) 6.50 Horrible Histories: The Movie. (2019, PG) 8.30 Marlowe. (2022, MA15+) 10.35 Sex, Lies And Videotape. (1989, M) 12.30am Late Programs.
6.00 WorldWatch. 9.00 Incredible Homes. (R) 10.00 FIFA World Cup Classic Matches. 12.00 APAC Weekly. 12.30 PBS Washington Week. 12.55 Trampolining. (R) 1.00 Speedweek. 3.00 Figure Skating. ISU World C’ships. H’lights. 4.00 Sailing. SailGP. Round 4. H’lights. 5.00 Heroines. 5.30 WWII War Machine. (PG)
6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Ancient Empires. (Premiere) 9.25 Maya: The Fall Of An Empire: The Maya: Demise Of An Empire. 10.30 Mayhem: Secret Lives Of Georgian Kings. (PGav, R) 11.25 Rebel With A Cause. (PGa, R) 12.25 Empires Of New York. (Madl, R) 2.55 Britain’s Great Outdoors. (R) 3.25 Fergal Keane: Living With PTSD. (MA15+avw, R)
4.25 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning.
5.15 France 24 Feature. 5.30 Al Jazeera News.
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Morning Programs. 10.00 My Greek Odyssey. 11.00 Harry’s Practice. 11.30
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6.00 NBC Today. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 The Morning Show: Weekend. (PG) 12.00 Sunday Footy Feast. 1.00 Football. AFL. Round 4. GWS Giants v West Coast. 4.00 Better Homes And Gardens. (R) 5.00 Seven News At 5. 5.30 Sydney Weekender.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Australian Idol. (PGl) Hosted by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Tweedie. 8.40 7NEWS Spotlight. Liam Bartlett uncovers the dirty truth behind so-called clean, green electric vehicles.
9.40 Waco Untold: The British Stories. (Premiere, MA15+asv) Takes a look at the Branch Davidians.
12.00 The Bay. (Mal, R)
1.00 My Greek Odyssey. (PGl, R)
2.00 To Be Advised.
3.30 Million Dollar Minute. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
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The Box. 5.25 Video Killed The Radio Star. 5.55 Cycling. UCI World Tour. Tour Of Flanders. Men’s race. 12.30am Late Programs.
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6am Horrible Histories: The Movie. Continued. (2019, PG) 6.40 Walk With Me. (2017, PG) 8.25 I Capture The Castle. (2003, PG) 10.30 Larry Crowne. (2011, M) 12.20pm The Glorias. (2020, M) 3.00 Moonstruck. (1987, PG) 4.55 The Importance Of Being Earnest. (2002) 6.35 Percy Vs Goliath. (2020, PG) 8.30 The Good German. (2006) 10.30 These Days. (2016, M, Italian) 12.45am Late Programs.
6am Morning Programs. 11.20 Ancient Aliens. 12.20pm MOVIE: Two Weeks Notice. (2002, PG) 2.20 Lost Gold Of World War II. 3.20 Hunting Hitler. 4.20 Jeopardy! UK. (Premiere) 5.20 Young Sheldon. 5.50 MOVIE: The Addams Family. (2019, PG) 7.30 MOVIE: The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader. (2010, PG) 9.40 MOVIE: The Great Wall. (2016, M) 11.40 Late Programs.
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 Married At First Sight. (PGls) 8.50 60 Minutes. Current affairs program, investigating, analysing and uncovering the issues affecting all Australians. 9.50 9News Late.
10.20 See No Evil. (Mav)
11.20 The First 48. (Mav)
12.10 Adelaide Motor Festival. (PG, R)
1.05 Destination WA. (PG) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa)
4.30 Drive TV: Drive Car Of The Year. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
6am Children’s Programs. 8.00 Allo! Allo! 9.05 Only Fools And Horses. 9.45 David Attenborough’s Dynasties II. 10.55 Ancient Aliens. 11.55 MOVIE: Loch Ness. (1996) 1.55pm Lost Gold Of World War II. 2.55 Hunting Hitler. 3.55 Jeopardy! UK. 4.55 Young Sheldon. 5.20 MOVIE: 6am Morning Programs. 10.00 American Resto. 10.30 Storage Wars. 11.00 Pawn Stars. 11.30 Cool Cars & Bikes. Noon The 4WD Adventure Show. 12.30 Timbersports. 1.00 Blokesworld. 1.30 Motor Racing. Shannons SpeedSeries. Round 1. Day 1. 5.00 Counting Cars. 6.00 Pawn Stars. 7.00 Storage Wars.
MONDAY, April 7
6am Children’s Programs. 6.05pm PJ Masks Power Heroes.
10.00 SBS World News Late. 10.30 Guillaume’s Paris. (R) 11.00 Snow. (Mal)
11.55 Illegals. (MA15+av, R)
1.45 Hugh’s Wild West. (PGa, R)
3.55 Inside The Modelling Agency. (Ml, R)
4.50 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (PGaw, R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
3.00 Bamay. 3.30 Fashionista. 3.40 News. 3.45 WorldWatch. 5.45 History’s Crazy Rich Ancients. 6.10 Mysteries From Above. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 James
6am The Movie Show. 6.20 The Importance Of Being Earnest. (2002) 8.00 Phar Lap. (1983, PG) 10.10 Ordinary Happiness. (2019, M, Italian) 11.50 Sex, Lies And Videotape. (1989, M) 1.40pm Horrible Histories: The Movie. (2019, PG) 3.25 Heidi. (2015, PG, German) 5.30 Bride And Prejudice. (2004, PG) 7.30 Couch Potatoes. (2017, M, Italian) 9.30 Usogui. (2022, Japanese) 11.45 Late Programs. 6am Bride And Prejudice. (2004, PG) 8.05 Percy Vs Goliath. (2020, PG) 10.00 These Days. (2016, M, Italian) 12.15pm Marriage Italian Style. (1964, M, Italy) 2.10 White Lion. (2010, PG) 3.50 The Final Countdown. (1980, PG) 5.45 Emu Runner. (2018, PG) 7.35 Falcon Lake. (2022, M) 9.30 Motherhood. (2022, Japanese) 11.45 Gloria Bell. (2018, M) 1.40am Usogui. (2022, Japanese) 3.50 Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 The Americas: The Wild West. (PG)
8.30 The Hunting Party. (M) The team tracks Jenna Wells. 9.30 The Irrational. (Mav) Alec must extract a confession.
10.30 The Agenda Setters.
11.30 St. Denis Medical. (PGa)
12.00 The Act. (MA15+ans, R)
1.10 Travel Oz. (PG, R)
2.00 To Be Advised.
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News.
5.30 Sunrise.
6.00 NBN News.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Married At First Sight. (Mls)
9.20 Love Triangle. (Return, Mls) Singles meet for a date after only texting.
10.50 9News Late.
11.20 Police After Dark. (Mlv, R)
12.15 Next Stop.
12.40 Tipping Point. (PG, R)
1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
2.30 Global Shop. (R)
3.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa) 4.30 A Current Affair. (R) 5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. Hosted by Grant Denyer. 6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news. 7.30 Australian Survivor. (PGl) Presented by Jonathan LaPaglia. 8.40 Sam Pang Tonight. (Mals) A weekly tonight show hosted by Sam Pang, featuring a monologue roasting the news of the week. 9.40 Taskmaster Australia. (Mls, R) Hosted by Tom Gleeson. 10.50 10’s Late News. 11.15 The Project. (R) 12.20 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.30 Home Shopping. (R) 4.30 CBS Mornings.
6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Travel Guides. (PGl, R)
(Mv, R)
6.00 Deal Or No Deal.
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9GO! (83)
ONTHEBOX
WEDNESDAY, April 9
6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Alone Australia. (M) Isolation begins to take its toll.
8.40 The Handmaid’s Tale. (Return) June’s unyielding spirit and determination pull her back into the fight to take down Gilead. 10.40 SBS World News Late. 11.10 Blackwater. (MA15+ln) 12.15 My Brilliant Friend. (Mav, R)
4.15 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
This Is Spinal Tap. (1984, M) 1.25am Motherhood. (2022, Japanese) 3.30 Late Programs.
THURSDAY, April 10
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 The 1% Club UK. (PGa)
8.30 The Front Bar. (Ml) Takes a lighter look at all things AFL.
9.30 Unfiltered. (PGa) Hosted by Hamish McLachlan.
10.00 Jimeoin: Result. (Ml, R)
11.20 Autopsy USA. (Mad)
12.20 Midnight Texas. (Premiere, MA15+hv)
1.20 Travel Oz. (PG, R)
2.00 To Be Advised. 4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
6.00 NBN News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 The Hundred With Andy Lee. (PGl) 8.30 The Grand Tour. (MA15+l) 9.50 Freddy And The Eighth. (Ml) 10.50 9News Late. 11.20 The Equalizer. (Mav, R)
TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
Grand Designs New Zealand. (R)
Long Lost Family. (PG, R)
Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
Rage Closer. (R)
Sherwood. (Final, Mal, R)
4.30 Gardening Australia. (R) 5.30 7.30. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Concorde: Chasing A Dream. (PGa, R)
8.30 Sydney’s Super Tunnel. 9.30 Virdee. (M) 10.35 SBS World News Late. 11.05 Breaking Point. (Mlv) 12.00 Blinded. (Malns, R)
1.45 Desperate Measures. (Malv, R)
3.25 Inside The Modelling Agency. (PGl, R)
4.20 Bamay. (R)
5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
Emu Runner. (2018, PG) 11.00 Gloria Bell. (2018, M) 12.55pm Falcon Lake. (2022, M) 2.50 The Movie Show. 3.25 Shin Ultraman. (2022, PG, Japanese) 5.30 Goal! 2: Living The Dream. (2007, PG) 7.40 The Devil Has A Name. (2019, M) 9.30 Evil Does Not Exist. (2023, M, Japanese) 11.30 The Big Chill. (1983, MA15+) 1.30am Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PG) 7.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly. (PG) Graeme Hall travels to the Peak District.
8.30 Britain’s Got Talent. (PG) Auditions begin as weird, wacky and wonderful acts compete in front of celebrity judges.
9.45 The Amazing Race. (PG) Hosted by Phil Keoghan.
11.15 The Chernobyl Disaster. (Ma, R)
12.15 Emergency Call. (PGa, R)
1.15 Harry’s Practice. (R)
2.00 To Be Advised.
4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
7MATE (64)
9GO!
History makers
By Aiden BURGESS
Regional Representatives premiership.
The Bulldogs team won this year’s Lisa Fiaola Cup Regional title, triumphing
32-4 against the Northern Tigers in the grand final in Canberra.
The win capped off a stellar season in which they
went undefeated.
Leading 8-0 at half-time, the Bulldogs romped home to win the Lisa Fiaola Cup for the first time.
Keira Donovan and Arliah Morris both scored doubles, while Belle Cockeram, Tilly Cooper, and Poppi Flanders were also amongst the try scorers. Bulldogs fullback Milla Swain earned player of the match honours.
North Coast Bulldogs junior representative sides had previously finished runners up in two competitions.
Bulldogs coach Lauren Fearnley said her side were now part of history.
“It’s really special for women to be able to play Rugby League so, while trophies may come and go, these girls are now part of history,” she said.
“And that will inspire the next generation of girls coming through.”
