YOUR ONLY LOCALLY OWNED PORT STEPHENS NEWSPAPER
Nelson Bay commemorates Anzac
FROM Page 1
Club down to the War Memorial at Apex Park.
The rain held off from this point, as thousands of onlookers lined Stockton Street to clap and cheer as the parade filed past to the impressive marching music of the Newcastle PCYC Brass Band.
Once gathered at Apex Park, the crowd was treated to an impressive and thunderous flypast by an F-35A Lightning MkII aircraft from RAAF Williamtown, flying low over the town from the sea.
Nelson Bay RSL subBranch President Mark Balsarini then opened the service as the RAAF Catafalque Party marched to their positions surrounding the memorial.
The main address was given by Wing Commander Nicholson of RAAF Williamtown, followed by addresses by local dignitaries and the laying of wreaths at the memorial.
Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was originally held to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
(ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli campaign - their first engagement in the First World War (1914–1918).
Anzac Day is now a national day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga, and broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations, as well as the contribution of all those who
continue to serve.
Anzac Day at Taylors Beach
At the other end of the peninsula, Taylors Beach residents commemorated Anzac Day with a ceremony at Campbell Walsh Reserve.
A piper and a bugler from the Australian Army Brass Band led formalities, while
or contact us on 4988 0255.
ADDRESS DA NO. PROPOSAL
ANNA BAY
122 Old Main Rd 16-2025-180-1 Single storey dwelling CORLETTE
71 The Peninsula 16-2025-174-1 Alterations/additions to dwelling FERN BAY
24 Piper St 16-2025-189-1 Swimming pool FINGAL BAY
5 Pebble Pde 16-2025-172-1 Swimming pool
5 Pebble Pde 16-2024-691-2 S4.55(1A) Modification to alterations/additions to dwelling – amend roof
10 Rocky Point Rd 16-2022-504-2 S4.55(1A) Modification –relocation of garage
51A Squire St 16-2025-186-1 Swimming pool KARUAH
36 Bundabah St 16-2025-164-1 Shed LEMON TREE PASSAGE
24 Whitbread Dr 16-2025-178-1 Swimming pool and retaining wall MEDOWIE
92 Coachwood Dr 16-2025-175-1 Swimming pool
23 Federation Dr 16-2025-187-1 Detached shed
36 Western Rd 16-2025-192-1 Swimming pool NELSON BAY
Single storey dwelling 332 Newline Rd; 330 Newline Rd; 330A Newline Rd 7-1997-1427-7 S4.55(2) Modification to existing waste management facility
SALAMANDER BAY 276 Soldiers Point Rd 16-2025-176-1 Carport
At
conclusion,
Two-up and a community BBQ rounded up the lunchtime ceremony.
Lieutenant David Rose gave the address.
the ceremony’s
a lone pine tree was planted in memory of Australian lives lost on Gallipoli soil.
q Personnel from RAAF Williamtown march through Nelson Bay.
q Nelson Bay RSL President Mark Balsarini opens proceedings.
q Wing Commander Nicholson gives the main address.
Anzac Day
Applications open for tertiary scholarships
APPLICATIONS are now open for the Rotary Club of Nelson Bay’s Centenary Scholarship, which assists tertiary students from the Tomaree Peninsula.
This scholarship provides financial support to students commencing or completing existing studies.
“This could include certificate, diploma or degree courses including postgraduate study or any additional courses which will enhance their qualifications in their existing vocation,” said Richard Turner from the Rotary Club’s Scholarship Committee.
“Applicants will be required to demonstrate both the need for additional funding along with how these studies will benefit the Tomaree Peninsula community.”
The scholarship was launched in 2005, Rotary International's centennial year.
“Rotary International encouraged the
then 30,000 odd Rotary Clubs throughout the world to instigate something meaningful and of ongoing value to their community to celebrate Rotary's centenary,” said Richard.
“The RCNB chose to award two scholarships a year to residents of the Tomaree Peninsular so as to assist applicants in various fields of study which include research, academic, cultural or
EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT
Meat raffles by Karuah Meats Club open from 5pm Meals by Heidi & Geoff UPCOMING
scientific undertakings including those wishing to further their existing qualifications in their chosen field, as has been the case with several recipients of the scholarship.”
Scholarship guidelines and application forms are available by emailing ian@thebrigdens.com.au.
Scholarship Trustees will determine the outcome of applications.
Editor’s note
DEAR News Of The Area readers,
YOU may have noticed that NOTA looks a little different this week.
The four pages of advertising you see at the front and back of your regular NOTA newspaper is known in the industry as a “wrap”.
These wrap-around advertising options are sold to clients as standard practice at newspapers across the world.
Ahead of Saturday’s election, that four-page advertising space was available to all candidates.
The wrap does not constitute news content, or an endorsement by NOTA of any candidate.
In this week’s paper, your regular editorial content starts with news on page 3 and finishes with sport on page 26.
Regards, Douglas Connor, NOTA Group Editor.
NELSON BAY CANCER PATIENT TRANSPORT GROUP
Is a volunteer group providing the following services to our local community
Volunteer drivers who transport patients to the Newcastle Metropolitan area for cancer treatment and related Doctors’ appointments.
It is an ancillary service for when cancer patients cannot access any other reliable form of personal transport for treatments and appointments.
Our services are subject to available resources.
This service is provided free of charge to patients and continues due to the generosity of our volunteer drivers, financial grants and donations received from the local community.
Phone: 0407 252 566 Email:secretary@nbcptg.com.au www.nbcptg.com.au
Annual Fishing Competition. Starts 12pm 2nd May, ends 2pm 4th May. To register or for more information speak to us at the club on Friday nights. Korsmans Landing Cookoff Saturday 31st May Friday 9th May Music by Aaron Hood Mothers Day Raffles drawn at 7:30pm
For more details contact 0418
Authorised by Mike Yarrington 67 Thomas Cake Drive, Thornton NSW 2322
q Musicians Private Luke Harvey and Private Blaine Stubbs with Naval Officer Lieutenant David Rose at the Taylors Beach service.
Simon EKINS 0434 890 157 simon@newsofthearea.com.au
Lindsay HALL 0430 048 398 lindsay@newsofthearea.com.au
Chris KARAS 0400 819 153 chris@newsofthearea.com.au
Jacie WHITFIELD 0411 556 079 jacie@newsofthearea.com.au
Doug CONNOR 0431 487 679 doug@newsofthearea.com.au
EDITOR
Tracey BENNETT 0484 263 558 tracey@newsofthearea.com.au
Email us the exact wording and we will email back a proof and price ads@newsofthearea.com.au
Phone us: (02) 4981 8882 Mon, Tue, Wed or Fri
Phone line Open 9am -2pm
Ex-dance teacher spared jail after Bahamas cruise rape
FROM Page 1
the USA for a group of former and current female students in December 2017.
The tour was capped with the Bahamas cruise where the then-24-yearold sang karaoke and bought alcoholic drinks for the group.
After hitting the nightclub, he then raped one of his ex-students who was heavily intoxicated in his cabin.
Hards was found guilty by a jury in February of one count of sexual intercourse while being reckless as to consent at the end of a trial at Sydney's Downing Centre District Court.
Initially facing allegations from five separate victims, Hards went through three jury trials all of which were under court-imposed suppression orders preventing the media from reporting on them at the time.
He was acquitted of all charges relating to four alleged victims, with Judge Sarah Hopkins sentencing him over the single proven rape last Thursday.
The courtroom's public gallery was filled with the family and supporters of the victim, who was not herself present.
Judge Hopkins found that Hards should have known that his ex-student was heavily drunk on wine and vodka drinks at the time.
Hards saw that the woman was struggling to stand up or walk and had vomited after leaving the cruise ship's nightclub.
She was not able to properly consent
despite saying they should return to his cabin and then removing her own clothes while there, the judge said.
"The victim's consent was caused by her level of intoxication," the judge said.
"Mr Hards knew that to be the case or was reckless as to that fact."
The single act of digital penetration was short but opportunistic and placed the victim in a vulnerable position, the judge said.
In a statement previously read to the court, the victim said the rape caused her to struggle with PTSD, anxiety, fear and shame, and resulted in vivid and frequent nightmares.
Judge Hopkins convicted Hards and imposed an 18-month jail sentence which she then fully suspended.
She noted that Hards was now shut off from the dancing community and shunned by the Port Stephens community where he had operated the dance studio.
He had lost an estimated $1.5 million in income after his arrest.
He had been punched in the face by someone known to the victim in January 2024 and faced separate intimidation and personal attacks on social media.
Initially placed behind bars upon his arrest, Hards was released
onto onerous bail conditions
36 days later, Judge Hopkins said.
While in jail, he had lost 12 kilograms because the meals he was given did not properly accommodate his life-threatening wheat allergy, the court was told.
He had expressed a level of insight into his offending and the effects of alcohol but was unable to identify the harm to the victim, the court heard.
Hards hugged his family after the sentence was imposed but did not say anything to reporters after he left the court.
His suspended sentence expires on October 23, 2026.
During that time, Hards will have to remain on good behaviour, not commit any offence and complete 300 hours of community service work.
1800 RESPECT (1800
in the heart of Shoal Bay - warm, welcoming, and communityfocused.
q Ryan Hards had been punched in the face by someone known to the victim, the court was told. Photo: Miklos Bolza/AAP PHOTOS.
Do
Federal election, Saturday 3 May 2025
It’s important that you understand how to vote correctly.
On election day you need to complete two ballot papers:
• a green one for the House of Representatives
• a large white one for the Senate.
On the green ballot paper you are voting for a representative of your local area or electorate in the House of Representatives.
On the white ballot paper you are voting for representatives of your state or territory in the Senate.
Don’t worry if you make a mistake. Just ask for another ballot paper and start again.
Man charged following alleged hammer assault
A MAN has been charged following an alleged assault with a hammer at Shoal Bay on Anzac Day.
About 6pm on Friday 25 April 2025, police were called to Shoal Bay Road following reports a man had been assaulted with a hammer.
A 23-year-old man was treated at the scene for a head injury by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to John Hunter Hospital in a serious condition.
Police established a crime scene and an investigation into the incident commenced.
Following inquiries, about 9.30am on Saturday 26 April, a 26-year-old man was arrested in Nelson Bay and taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station.
The man was charged with three offences – “cause grievous bodily harm to person with intent”, “assault and stalk/intimidate – intend fear”, and “physical harm”.
Candidate calls for election day reform
WITH the political campaign for the Federal seat of Paterson drawing to a close, Independent candidate Philip Penfold has called for “major reform of how election campaigns are conducted in Australia”.
Mr Penfold, who is the current Mayor of Maitland, said the reforms should start with “commonsense changes to pre-poll and election day activity”.
Ahead of the 3 May Federal Election, Mr Penfold is calling for future elections to ban campaigning or campaign material within 100m of a polling place; clear and accessible election
information being available to voters “without the hard sell”; and stronger laws around truth in political advertising.
“In places around the world, voters turn up to polling booths and are not bombarded by a wall of corflutes and a swarm of political party volunteers yelling at them like seagulls fighting over a chip,” Penfold said.
“It’s calm, it’s respectful – and it lets people vote without the performance piece.
“Voters shouldn’t feel uncomfortable exercising their democratic right.”
Police legal action rates rise across most offences
THE NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) has released a new report examining the proportion of recorded crimes that result in an offender being charged by NSW Police.
The study, “Trends in police legal action rates 2009-2023”, examines the rate of legal action taken by police across 11 categories of offences over 15 years.
“For almost every offence we have seen large increases in the rate at which legal actions are initiated,” BOCSAR Executive Director Jackie Fitzgerald said.
“This means police are solving a higher proportion of crimes than ever before.
“Of the 11 offences
examined, nine showed a significantly higher legal action rate in 2023 compared with 2009.”
Property offences showed the largest increases in legal action rates.
The legal action rate for the offence of “Malicious damage to property” increased 14 percentage points from 12 percent in 2009 to 26 percent in 2023.
The “Break and enter nondwelling” legal action rate is up 13 percentage points from six percent in 2009 to 19 percent in 2023.
The legal action rate for several violent offences also increased significantly over the past 15 years.
For the offence of “Robbery”, the legal action
rate increased from 20 percent in 2009 to 40 percent in 2023, while the rate for “Domestic violence-related assault” is up from 60 percent in 2009 to 67 percent in 2023),
Sexual assault was the only offence with a significant decline in the legal action rate, dropping from 10 percent in 2009 to seven percent in 2023.
The legal action rate for murder was stable.
"It should be of comfort to victims and the community that the risk of apprehension for people who engage in crime is undoubtedly higher than ever before,” said Ms Fitzgerald.
“The increased risk of being caught may also have
contributed to the large decline in property crime over the past 15 years by deterring offending.”
Police Minister Yasmin Catley thanked NSW Police officers for their “incredible work… day in and day out”.
“Police are bringing more people to court than we’ve seen in a long time – a clear sign that their hard work is making a difference,” she said.
“Police don’t just catch offenders – they put in the tough, behind-the-scenes work to make sure those people are held accountable, a process that is often complex, relentless, and doesn’t always get the credit it deserves.
“I want to give a genuine thank you to every officer out there giving their all to keep our community safe.”
Young stars go down the rabbit hole
THREE young Port Stephens performers are on a magical journey down the rabbit hole as cast members of a Young People’s Theatre production of Alice In Wonderland Jr.
Xavier Vaughan, a Year 7 student at Irrawang High School, and Isla Bailey and Elizabeth Kilday from Year 8 and Year 7 respectively at Catherine McAuley Catholic College, have been working hard for months on their roles.
This exciting musical adaptation of the beloved classic brings Lewis Carroll’s characters to life in a vibrant, fast-paced show perfect for children and adults of all ages.
The Newcastle-based production captures the whimsy and charm of the original Disney film while adding fresh energy and theatrical magic.
“Our concept explores Wonderland as a dreamscape built from Alice’s own
FRY BROS
bedroom - a place where the familiar becomes fantastical,” said Director Louise Barcan.
“In Wonderland, everyday objects like teacups, ribbons and books from her room appear as an oversized playground, echoing how children perceive the world when caught between reality
and imagination.
“A ribbon becomes a slide, glasses become a swing, knitting becomes a ladder.
“It’s a visual metaphor for growing up and the curious, often confusing process of finding your place in it.”
Off the stage, the three young performers have previously contributed to fundraising projects for Port Stephens charity ‘The Backpack Venture’, which
aims to gift backpacks and school supplies to school children in small rural towns across NSW.
Representatives from the charity attended an opening week show and enjoyed a meet-and-greet with the stars after the performance.
Alice In Wonderland Jr runs at the Young People’s Theatre in Hamilton until 24 May.
q Performers Xavier Vaughan, Isla Bailey and Elizabeth Kilday with Stewart, Colleen and Joe from The Backpack Venture.
Rotary Club of Nelson Bay Centenary Scholarship
The Rotary Club of Nelson Bay invites eligible applicants to apply for a scholarship to assist tertiary students from the Tomaree Peninsula.
This scholarship is to provide financial support to students commencing or completing existing studies this could include certificate, diploma or degree courses including postgraduate study and or any additional courses which will enhance their qualifications in their existing vocation.
Applications will be required to demonstrate both the need for additional funding along with how these studies will benefit the Tomaree Peninsula community. Scholarship guidelines and application forms are available by emailing ian@thebrigdens.com.au
The Scholarship Trustees will determine the outcome of applications and will be the final arbiter.
Paterson hopefuls give final pitches to NOTA readers
AUSTRALIANS head to the polls on Saturday to determine the political direction of the region and nation.
A spirited election campaign is coming to an end locally, where 10 hopefuls have entered the race to become the Paterson electorate’s next Federal representative.
With days to go until voting closes, News Of The Area offered each of the 10 registered candidates the opportunity to provide a “final pitch” of 150 words to our readership.
Below are the responses we received (in the order they appear on the ballot).
Meryl Swanson (Labor):
"The people of Paterson, from Maitland to the Bay and all that’s in between, know that they need someone who will stand up for them in Parliament - someone who will champion our region and deliver for our communities.
“I’ve worked tirelessly to ensure that the people of Paterson are heard, and that our community gets its fair share.
“After years of waiting for the Liberals, the M1 Extension at Raymond Terrace is finally being delivered by Labor.
“In my last term I secured new commitments for roads in Nelson Bay, Tanilba Bay, and Maitland as well as funding for a new headspace in Port Stephens and $3 Million for Port Stephens Koala Hospital.
“On May 3 we all have a choice, and I hope that I can count on your support to make sure that no one is held back, and no one is left behind."
Philip Penfold (Independent):
“Paterson has a unique opportunity to elect a truly independent voice - someone who will stand up for locals, not toe a party line.
“I’m Philip Penfold, an experienced local Mayor and a long-time advocate for our region.
“As an experienced crossbencher, I’ll bring balance to Canberra, holding both major parties accountable while pushing for real outcomes: better roads, urgent care clinics, and stronger support for pensioners, small businesses, and families.
“I’m the only candidate who has promised a funded Medicare Urgent Care Clinic for Port Stephens.
“I’m not beholden to
party donors - as a self funded candidate, my loyalty lies with the people of Paterson.
“We deserve more than empty promises; we deserve action.
“As your independent Federal Member, I’ll fight for practical solutions, champion local priorities, and ensure our voices are heard where it counts.
"This isn’t about left or right - it’s about what’s right for us.
“Let’s make Paterson matter.
“Vote 1 Philip Penfoldan experienced voice with the courage to stand up and deliver for you.”
Paul Johns (Greens):
“Hi, I'm Paul, and I want you to know that if you're doing it tough, you're not alone. While you're working harder than ever, one in three corporations pay no tax!
“I've been working in the disability sector for over twenty five years, and I know what it's like to come to terms with a disability, and get a grip on technology that helps with everyday living.
“I don't lose sight of how things need to change for all of us to be on a level playing field.
“We can't keep voting
for the same two parties and expect anything to change.
“This election vote for real action on the issues you care about. Vote Green.”
Laurence Antcliff (Liberal):
“It’s a privilege to stand for the Liberal team in Paterson.
“I was raised in Anna Bay and now live in Chisholm with my wife and our three children.
“I’ve spent a decade working with apprenticeshelping hundreds of young people into a trade every year.
“Labor’s offshore wind farm proposal is a direct threat to Port Stephensrisking our environment, tourism, fishing industry and way of life. I will fight to stop it.
“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has created a costof-living crisis which has destroyed living standards.
“I will be a strong voice for Paterson in the federal parliament as part of a Dutton Liberal Government that will get Australia back on track.
“As a candidate, I’ve already secured a promise from a future Liberal Government to invest $24.8 million to upgrade Lemon Tree Passage Road.
“As your federal MP, I’ll stand up for our community and stop Labor’s reckless
Changes at Port Stephens Legacy
By Simon EKINS
AT the recent annual general meeting (AGM) of Port Stephens Legacy Group (PSLG), changes were made to the Executive Committee.
Legatee Bob Brown stepped down from the Chair to become a Vice Chair, and was replaced by Legatee Doug Jacka.
And after many years on the executive team, Legatee Carol Selkirk stepped aside from her Vice Chair role to be replaced by Legatee Barbara
Williams.
“Carol has been an incredible driving force behind the creation of the Widows’ Groups at Corlette and Medowie,” Doug Jacka said.
“She will be missed from the Executive Committee but will still be involved regularly, meeting all her ladies.”
Returning to the Executive Committee are Legatees Foz Breckenridge as Treasurer and Wendy Barwick as Secretary.
Legacy is an Australian
non-profit organisation established in 1923 by exservicemen.
It provides support to the families of Australian Defence Force men and women who have lost their lives or health in conflicts such as World War I, World War II, Vietnam War, Iraq and Afghanistan.
PSLG meets on the first Monday of each month at Nelson Bay Bowling Club and new members are welcomed.
For more information visit psvn.com.au/portstephens-legacy-group.
offshore wind farm.”
April Maree Scott (Independent):
“I’m standing as your Independent candidate for Paterson because our community deserves leadership grounded in integrity, accountability, and real-world experience.
“From surviving homelessness and domestic violence to leading in business, accounting, and community service - I know how to deliver practical solutions.
“For Port Stephens, key priorities include:
• Better infrastructure: Safer roads, reliable transport, and essential services.
• Housing affordability: Locals deserve the chance to live, work, and raise families here.
• Domestic violence crisis: Rates 50 percent higher than the NSW average - we need urgent action.
“I have committed to strongly oppose the current offshore wind farm proposal.
“I support renewables, in the appropriate locations, but this project lacks transparency, proper consultation, and environmental safeguards.
“This reflects a broader
failure in government accountability - something I’m committed to challenging at every level.
“As an independent, I answer only to you. No party bosses. No backroom deals.
“Listen. Care. Act. That’s my promise to Port Stephens.”
Daniel Dryden (Legalise Cannabis Party):
“Cannabis remains a hot button issue in Australia.
“One thing we keep hearing is that it's legal. It's not.
“Not while you can still be fired, or have your license taken, or face heavy scrutiny, even with a prescription or approval to grow cannabis and hemp.
“$2.1b a year is wasted on prohibition and yet the black market still thrives, with illicit cannabis now worth $5b and is growing.
“The only way to beat the black market is to beat them at their own game.
“With a legal market, the black market loses and the country gains revenue and saves money and ensures kids can't touch the stuff.
“With relaxed hemp laws, we can increase investment in hemp and its plethora of uses.
“Cannabis for health, hemp for wealth
“Look for the leaf and Vote 1 for the Legalise Cannabis Party.”
q Legatees Foz Breckenridge, Wendy Barwick, Doug Jacka, Bob Brown and Barbara Williams.
ANZAC DAY IN RAYMOND
q Veterans undertake the march through Raymond Terrace. Photo: Amanda Green.
q The community lined the streets for the procession. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Grahamstown Public School students in quiet contemplation. Photo: Amanda Green.
q The Salvation Army Hope Community Choir in full voice. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Irrawang High School captain Daniel Cobby and vice captain Jack Skaines. Photo: Amanda Green.
q St Brigid’s Primary School joined the march. Photo: Amanda Green.
q The Irrawang High School Drum Corps. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Mount Kanwary Public School representatives joined the procession. Photo: Amanda Green.
q A respectful commemoration of the fallen. Photo: Amanda Green.
RAYMOND TERRACE
q Irrawang Public School captain Lorcan Harrison. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Jeannie-Ann Dendle, School Captain of Hunter River High. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Air Force cadets Georgia McLean, Isla Mawby, Tyler Hammond and Akash Kuarasinghe. Photo: Amanda Green.
q The Raymond Terrace community pays its respects. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Vic Jones, President of the Raymond Terrace RSL subBranch. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Girl Guides representatives Ella Oldham, Indiana Peck and Meisha. Photo: Amanda Green.
q A fighter jet flies high above the Raymond Terrace service. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Bridgett Sainsbury and Eleanor Green from Irrawang High School at the Medowie Dawn Service. Photo: Amanda Green.
q The Medowie Public School P&C wreath was laid at the Medowie Dawn Service by Harry Wilbow, Archie Green, Declan Peck and Deezel Oldham-Smith. Photo: Amanda Green.
q The Catafalque Party at the Medowie Dawn Service. Photo: Amanda Green.
q The Medowie Dawn Service crowd. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Port Stephens Council Deputy Mayor Jason Wells. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Declan Felsch was a member of the Catafalque Party. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Luke Turner stands in solemn reflection as a member of the Catafalque Party. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Representatives of Catherine McAuley Catholic College, Medowie. Photo: Amanda Green.
Representatives of Medowie Christian School. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Irrawang High School students prepare to lay wreaths. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Archie and Eleanor Green. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Isla Nicholson, Madison Thornton, Deezel Oldham-Smith, Declan Peck, Harry Wilbow and Archie Green from Medowie Public School. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Representatives of Medowie Public School. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Wirreanda Public School students pay their respects. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Chris Franks, Cliff Brown and Peter Stevenson. Photo: Amanda Green.
q Xavier Vaughan, Milla Goodwin and London Laycock-Withers. Photo: Amanda Green.
Airport expansion to boost regatta
STATE Government, Council and sailing enthusiasts are predicting the expansion of Newcastle Airport will further propel the Sail Port Stephens regatta in future years.
The Sail Port Stephens Performance Series took place from 25-27 April, with thousands of spectators flocking to catch the regatta in action.
The event includes the NSW Yachting Championships, TP52 Gold Cup Act 3, Rob Hampshire Cup, InterClub 40 Challenge and Super RC Series.
The Sail Port Stephens Bay Series follows from 2-4 May and the dinghy divisions from 3-4 May.
“Port Stephens offers an incredible sailing experience with consistent nor’easters, spectacular scenery and the
versatility of its sheltered bay and open water racetracks,”
said Sail Port Stephens cofounder Paul O’Rourke, the CEO of the Newcastle Cruising Yacht Club.
With Newcastle’s international airport set to open in August, the NSW Government believes the Port Stephens region is on course to become a “global sailing destination”.
“The upgraded Newcastle Airport will bring exciting new opportunities to the region and boost participation in events such as Sail Port Stephens, ensuring a bright future for the local businesses who contribute to the growth of our visitor economy,” Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said.
“We’re setting the stage for our region to become a true international sailing
destination.”
Destination NSW, the state’s tourism and major events agency, is supporting that goal, signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Newcastle Airport to help secure new international and domestic routes.
Destination NSW has also supported Sail Port Stephens over many years, helping the event grow to become a major visitor drawcard for the region.
“The support for Sail Port Stephens through Destination NSW has been key to the event’s growth from its original week-long regatta format to a monthlong sailing super event and
we look forward to further elevating the region as a global sailing destination,” Mr O’Rourke said.
Mayor of Port Stephens Leah Anderson said she is excited to see the region’s shores “buzzing with excitement” as the regatta continues in the coming days.
"Sail Port Stephens is not only a thrilling sporting spectacle but it's also a significant contributor to our local economy,” she said.
“So many of our local businesses receive extra visitors and the event is of huge benefit to our hotels, marinas, cafes, restaurants and shops.”
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“[It is] is expected to generate more than $2 million in visitor expenditure in 2025 for the region,” he said.
According to Tourism Research Australia data, the Port Stephens region welcomed 836,300 domestic overnight visitors in the year ending December 2024, up four percent year on year.
Domestic overnight visitor expenditure injected $683 million into the local visitor economy.
There were 25,300 international visitors to Port Stephens during the period, who spent $11 million during their trip.
Minister for Tourism Steve Kamper described the regatta as one of the “premier events on the Australian sailing calendar”.
q The state government, council and Sail Port Stephens are predicting a boost for the regatta following the opening of the international airport.
q Port Stephens MP Kate Washington, Minister for Tourism Steve Kamper and Mayor Leah Anderson.
Lions fundraiser a success
By Chris KARAS
RAYMOND Terrace Lions
Club continues to make an impact in the local community.
The Club’s Easter fundraiser proved a huge success, fetching over $5500 to assist with community projects.
These include the placing of a shade cover over the children’s play equipment at Riverside Park.
Raymond Terrace Lions Membership Chair Annette Clark, thanked the local community for getting behind this year’s fundraiser and making it a great success.
“It is extremely heartwarming to work within this community,” she told News Of The Area.
“The residents of
Raymond Terrace are generous and supportive of all our causes and it’s our great pleasure to be able to give back to them.
“For the first time in many a year we ran out of tickets and had to rush back to the printers.”
Prizewinners winners were: first “Greg” (no. 3864); second “Kelly” (no. 3143); third “Paulette” (no. 2447) and fourth prize “Lorna” (no. 0879).
Crackdown on illegal tree clearing
THE NSW Government has promised action to address the growing number of cases of illegal tree clearing in NSW.
An Explanation of Intended Effect (EIE) has been released, offering stakeholders the opportunity to consult on reforms to the urban tree clearing framework.
A new resource to help planners, developers and builders tackle urban heat has also been released.
The EIE is aimed at protecting tree canopy by proposing stronger penalties for illegal tree and vegetation clearing.
Under the proposed policy changes, additional enforcement powers would be given to councils and exemptions would be tightened for dead, dying and dangerous vegetation.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said, “Communities have become increasingly frustrated by the growing number of instances of illegal tree clearing in urban areas, particularly on public land.
“Our housing reforms have leant on the development of infill housing, near existing infrastructure and services because constant urban sprawl is not sustainable.
“These proposed changes will better protect the existing tree canopy as we deliver more homes in developed areas.”
The state’s peak body for local government has welcomed the government’s proposed crackdown on illegal tree and vegetation clearing as a “major win for councils, communities and the environment”.
“Local Government NSW (LGNSW) and councils have long called for action to address illegal tree clearing, with this matter raised at our 2022, 2023 and 2024 Annual Conferences," LGNSW President Mayor Phyllis Miller OAM said.
“The NSW Government’s proposed changes would strengthen councils’ ability to protect their communities’ urban canopy and natural environment.
“We know our communities love their trees, but we need to ensure that penalties for illegal clearing act as a sufficient deterrent for the small minority who think they're above the law,” she said.
The consultation period closes on 5pm on Wednesday,
4 June 2025
In addition to the EIE, a new “Cooler Places” hub has also been launched to help address urban heat.
The NSW Government resource has been released to offer councils, residents and developers access to practical guidance to incorporate cooling measures into their homes and designs.
The online hub encourages cooling through low cost and innovative measures such as water
Bush regeneration hits the headland
THE Friends of Tomaree National Park group is continuing work to regenerate bush and improve the resilience of coastal forest on One Mile Beach headland.
saving features, trees, shrubs awnings and the use of materials and colours that absorb less heat.
In 2020, a study from Macquarie University found shade provided by urban trees can lower temperatures at ground level by up to 6°C.
Similarly, research from Wollongong University in 2019 showed that areas with at least 30 percent tree canopy cover experience improved mental and physical health outcomes.
q Bob and Alex helping with bush regeneration at Zenith Beach.
The community is invited to join the effort on Saturday morning, 10 May, when volunteers will tackle invasive Bitou Bush and undertake planting in bare areas.
with local native plants," said Friends of Tomaree National Park coordinator Sue Olsson.
“[The] community have already made a massive difference here in clearing bitou and helping regenerate
“May is ideal, as it’s warm but not too hot for us and the plants, and we hope there's still some rain to come afterwards.
“Community participation is a massive assistance in our longer term plan to make this site more resistant to re-invasion from Bitou and other exotic plants, providing a stable and long term home for the abundant wildlife we have around the Tomaree Peninsula.
“Everyone's small contribution when working together makes a huge difference, as this will be our fourth community activity at this site and we can see the change,” Sue said.
The Friends of Tomaree National Park, a voluntary community group, work
at the headland with the support of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the NSW Australian Climbing Association, and Escape Eco Adventures.
For more information email Sue at tomaree-npfriends@npansw.org.au or book via Humanitix.
q Raymond Terrace Lions Club Project Leader Margie Freestone (second from right) with Taylor Katon, Kristen Bell (Marketplace Management), and Michelle from Nextra Marketplace.
q Jennifer ensures regenerating bush is kept free of invading Bitou Bush.
• Stunning three-bedroom home, fully renovated and move-in ready
• Brand-new kitchen with sleek splashback, dishwasher, and electric cooktop
• Updated bathroom and internal laundry for modern convenience
• New vinyl flooring throughout for a fresh, contemporary feel
• Spacious outdoor deck, perfect for entertaining
• Split-system air conditioning for year-round comfort
$700,000$770,000
• Newly built steps replacing the original access pathway for improved safety
• Downstairs retreat with separate entry and private bathroom—ideal for guests, teenagers, or rental income
• Elevated block with private, landscaped gardens and a fully fenced backyard
• Prime location just 500m from the water, shops, and transport
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feature for properties in this range.
$655,000
• Perfect for easy coastal living or a hassle-free holiday home.
• Just a 3-minute walk to vibrant restaurants, boutique shops, and the marina.
• Great for permanent living, weekend getaways, or holiday rentals.
• Contact us today to secure your slice of coastal paradise!
LOCATED approximately 260 metres from the water, this Torrens title property offers an exceptional lifestyle opportunity.
Designed for low maintenance living, the home features an open-plan layout with two spacious living areas and a huge undercover outdoor area perfect for entertaining.
A private courtyard adds to the charm, providing a peaceful retreat.
There are three generous bedrooms, with the possibility of a fourth bedroom on the ground level if needed.
The master bedroom
boasts an ensuite, ensuring privacy and convenience, while the other two bedrooms offer ample space for family or guests.
The property comes with a double garage and an expansive area for additional parking, accommodating multiple vehicles with ease.
Equipped with ducted air conditioning, the home ensures comfort throughout the year.
Anna Bay is a thriving community experiencing significant growth, with its pristine beaches and friendly atmosphere attracting residents and visitors alike.
The location offers the best of both worlds: serene coastal living with easy access to urban conveniences.
A short drive will take you to Salamander's
shopping centres, hotels, and supermarkets in less than 10 minutes.
For those who love the ocean, the CBD of Nelson Bay, with its marinas and beautiful beaches, is just a 10-minute drive from Anna Bay.
The house is designed to take advantage of its coastal position, allowing for great cross-sea breezes when opened up.
Additionally, the everexpanding Newcastle Airport is only a 20-minute drive away, making travel convenient for business or leisure.
This affordable gem won't last long on the market - act now to secure your slice of paradise!
Contact Nelson Bay Real Estate on 02 4981 2655.
From the MAYOR'S DESK
By Mayor Leah Anderson
PORT Stephens is a vibrant region, with each town and village offering something special.
Salamander Bay Town Centre is one of our key commercial and community hubs.
Over time, it’s grown without a clear plan, but that’s changing.
With your help, we’re creating a Salamander Bay Town Centre Place Plan to shape a vision for the area, with actions around how we use land, improve infrastructure and the environment, attract investment and improve the liveability and wellbeing of our community.
Port Stephens is facing growing demand for housing, business space, and community services.
Commercial vacancy rates across Tomaree are low, and employment in the area is expected to increase by 54 percent by 2041.
Council owns the last remaining piece of commercially zoned vacant land in the Salamander Bay Town Centre.
This means we need to plan now so we have enough space for local businesses to thrive and for people to get the services they need close to their homes.
At the same time, our Local Housing Strategy identifies the Salamander Bay Town Centre as a key location for low and mid-rise housing.
This creates a real opportunity to support housing delivery while integrating it with commercial and community uses in a connected, thoughtful way.
The Salamander Bay Town Centre Place Plan will bring all these elements together – driving economic growth, delivering new housing options, improving public spaces, managing traffic and pedestrian movement and enhancing access to community services.
We’re also committed to protecting and investing in the natural environment, especially areas like the nearby Mambo Wetlands, which we know are important to our community.
We’ve got a big opportunity here to shape a thriving, connected town centre – and we want you to be involved every step of the way.
Join us for a workshop at Tomaree Library on 8 May, the Tomaree
Dorin’s Draws By Paul DORIN On theCouch
Questions remain about nuclear reactors
DEAR News Of The Area,
WHAT do we really know about Mr Dutton's nuclear plan?
As polling day approaches, many questions still remain unanswered.
What kind of reactors are proposed at each nuclear site?
What are the respective types, sizes and outputs?
How much would each reactor cost to build?
Recent overseas nuclear plants have cost between $A 53 billion (Georgia, USA) to $A 93 billion (UK) and took 15 to 17 years to complete.
So seven nuclear plants would easily cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
Private investors are not interested, so taxpayers must foot the bill. How much will taxes be increased and services reduced to cover these costs?
Furthermore Australia has no regulatory framework... no expertise ... no suitable workforce to build or operate these complex behemoths.
How much water will each nuclear plant need to continuously cool their reactor core and prevent a meltdown?
Experts say that Australia's inland waterways are insufficient, so how much water will be compulsorily
acquired from irrigators and towns to keep the nuclear plants open?
Is that why you avoided those towns during the election, Mr Dutton?
What are the expected risks? Will there be routine "venting" of radioactive gases and particulates into the atmosphere?
Will these radioactive discharges harm the health and safety of children, babies and pregnant mothers?
How much nuclear waste will each reactor generate and how long will it lie around in cooling ponds at each nuclear site?
Will there be accidental leakages into the water table and surrounding farmlands?
Who will guard the reactors and the dangerous radioactive waste for hundreds of thousands of years? At what cost?
These and many other important questions remain unanswered, so I must say 'No thanks'.
We don’t need or want your risky reactors.
Regards, Kenneth HIGGS, Raymond Terrace.
Email Jasminda: media@newsofthearea.com.au
DEAR Jasminda,
YET again I have destroyed my healthy eating plan over Easter.
The couple of kilos I lost following my New Year's resolution are back on the scales.
It all feels like a waste of time trying to get fit and healthy.
Do I just give in and give up?
Tina P.
Dear Tina,
We have a booking system at the gym I attend, and when I tried to book a class on Good Friday for the day after Easter, it was fully booked.
Two days later, on Easter Sunday, five spots became available.
I have a theory on this.
On Good Friday, people were feeling optimistic.
They'd had fish for dinner and Easter gifts were wrapped in cellophane or on the top shelf of the pantry.
Temptation hadn't yet eased its way into the equation and a gym session complemented by healthy eating from each of the food groups seemed achievable.
This all changed by about 7am on Easter Sunday.
I imagine my fellow gym goers experienced something very similar to what happened in our household.
It started with the obligatory Easter Egg hunt, which was on for young and old.
The nostalgia of collecting and gorging on Easter eggs was not so much a choice as an expectation.
Who wants to mess with
tradition? Not this bunny. Half an hour later, dough was being kneaded to make dozens of Easter buns.
It's a lengthy but rewarding process, and the reward is to eat them, in multiples, in all their sticky, oozing goodness. It would be rude not to. By evening, with no hope of restoring the protein-carb-fat ratio to anything resembling normality, and the fitness app showing a four-digit calorie surplus, something ticked over and a decision was made to continue eating chocolate because the quicker you eat it, the sooner it's out of the house.
This sugar-fuelled mentality continued until there were only a few small eggs remaining.
This brings us back to the gym class booking app. By 9pm, the phone started pinging with newly available spots, which one could only assume was fellow gym-goers cancelling because they had lost every ounce of enthusiasm and had instead donned trackies with a forgiving waistband and settled back on the lounge to watch a movie.
There is a point to this story, and that is that those gym spots were quickly taken up and I reckon they were taken up by people willing to squeeze into tootight tights so they could get back on the health wagon.
It's not the falling off that's important, it's the getting back on.
Trying to get fit and healthy is never a waste of time.
Jump back into your healthy eating plan and maybe jump off the scales for a while.
By way
Carpe diem, Jasminda.
READING by Lynne Miles: Matthew 28: 5 & 6POWERFUL - "The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, He has risen, just as He said. Come and see the place where He lay."
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Anna Bay Tavern
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Woolworths Nelson Bay
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Coles Express Servo Nelson Bay
Seabreeze Hotel
Port Stephens Visitor Info Centre
Tackleword Port Stephens
Essence Cafe
Dolphin Watch Cafe
West Diggers
Harbourside Haven
Bernie Thompson Village
Shoal Bay Pharmacy
IGA Shoal Bay
John Patterson
Bill King Aged Care
Friendly Grocer Fingal Bay
Kreative Space Studio Fingal Bay
Regis Aged Care
Corlette Store
Uniting Care
Homestead Village
Sandy Shores
Big4 Soldiers Point
Soldiers Point Bowling Club
Foodworks Salamander Bay
Wanda Beach Pharmacy
Mobil Salamander Bay
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Coles Salamander Bay
Natural Tucker
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Horizons Golf Club
Sunrise Lifestyle Resort
Seaham General Store
Opal Aged Care
Red Eye Café Raymond Terrace
Angeez Takeaway Raymond Terrace
Pet Parlour Raymond Terrace
Terrace Central Plaza Post Office
Newsagent Terrace Central Plaza
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MarketPlace Woolworths
Raymond Terrace Shell
Raymond Terrace Library
Lakeside Newsagent
R&R Property
Foodworks Lakeside
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Muree Golf Club
Saxby's Bakery Salt Ash
Tanilba Bay Nursing Home
Tanilba Bay Retirement Units
Coles Tanilba Bay
Endevour Servo Tanilba Bay
Tanilba Newsagent
Post Office Tanilba Bay
Blue Marine Services
Chemist Lemon Tree
Club Lemon Tree
Tilligerry RSL
Tilligerry Real Estate
Coles Medowie
7-Eleven Medowie
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BP Servo Medowie
Pacific Dunes Golf Club
Metro Servo (Airport Side)
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Stinker’s History: More than farmers on Marsh Road
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
LAST October I released my final local history book, “Marsh Road”.
The book told of the endeavours of the dairy farming community which branched out to grow and sell vegetables of the highest quality.
Not all residents along Marsh Road were dependent on the land however.
The rich waters of Tilligerry Creek, which flow adjacent to Marsh Road, was and still is, alive with mullet, bream, flathead and crabs.
Fishing and crabbing did form a part of the income, generally on a barter basis.
Oyster farming also contributed significantly to families along Marsh Road.
From the earliest times, when the wild shellfish grew on rocks and mangroves, Tilligerry Creek has been a major contributor of quality oysters.
Records show, as far back as the first Port Stephens applications for oyster leases published in the Sydney Morning Herald in May 1885, Mr T. Hyde was granted 500 yards of lease in Tilligerry Creek. By 1919 around 20 oystermen were granted
q At the time oysters were grown on leases with racks made from black mangrove ‘sticks’. Black mangroves were harvested in all estuaries along the entire coastline.
leases to work the rich waters of the creek.
The oyster industry appealed to those returning from WWI.
Some of the oyster
families chose to live on the Marsh Road to work on their farms and work their leases.
The de Hamel brothers Lancel and Cuzon (Bill) arrived in Tilligerry Creek from Cornwall, England in 1928.
Described as “gentlemen oyster farmers” by all who met them, they were quite different from others on the creek. They seemed to be out of place.
Lancel de Hamel would attend oyster meetings dressed in a tweed coat with leather patches, smoking a pipe.
They bought oyster leases with no adjoining land which forced them to live on their boat in the creek.
Their provisions were purchased at Upton’s shop at Bobs Farm.
At the age of eight years
Eric Holliday met the men in 1929.
“They met my aunty and uncle next door and were invited to dinner,” Eric recalls.
“The brothers gladly accepted and rowed their dinghy ashore after anchoring their bigger boat as close as possible.
“On arrival they headed straight for the shower.”
Hard work resulted in success for the brothers.
They encouraged Gordon Holliday to become an oyster farmer around 1932.
Bill returned to Cornwall while Lancel remained and married, had a son and acquired land on the Marsh Road where he built above the water with a surrounding levee bank and gardens, wharf, water frontage.
A truly lovely place.
Stinker’s Fishin’: Time to go crabbing
By John ‘Stinker’ CLARKE
OF all the seafood available to us I enjoy a good feed of blue swimmer crabs more than anything else.
Crumbed calmari, mud crabs, fresh prawns, lobster mornay and battered fish are all hard to beat.
However, if I am forced to select one, it would be a blue swimmer crab.
For cooking, add half a handful of salt to a pot of water before bringing it to the boil.
Drop the crabs in and wait for the water to come back to the boil before setting your timer on seven to eight minutes.
Remove the crabs and immediately lower them into cold water which will stop the cooking process.
Cool the crabs in the fridge before setting in a bowl in the middle of the table – then it is everyone for themselves. Here is a little trick I was told by a professional crab trapper – add 1/3 cup of white vinegar to the boiling pot.
This, I’m told, will stop the crab meat from becoming too soft.
How lucky are we that we have a ready supply of blue swimmers throughout the port from Shoal Bay to Lemon Tree Passage and then on to the upper reaches of Tilligerry Creek and the Karuah River.
North Arm Cove and Pindimar are great places to set your crab traps.
The current rules governing crabbing in Port
Stephens differ from other regions, in that you are not permitted to use “witches hats” or any trap with an entry over 32cm in width.
These local rules are in place to protect our local turtle population, a gathering of mainly green turtles that arrive on the ocean currents and choose to live in Port Stephens.
Taronga researchers
tell us that our population numbers between 200-500 turtles which gather mainly west of Soldiers Point. It is our responsibility to care for these marine creatures by avoiding illegal methods of trapping crabs and by responsible boating by travelling at a steady pace.
Port Stephens is not a racetrack for boats and jet skis.
q Top local seafood: blue swimmer crabs.
q Oyster farming contributed significantly to families along Marsh Road.
The Big Screen
By Lindsay HALL
MARVEL studios unleashes its next great experimental flick this week, hoping that the Thunderbolts will capture new audiences in the same way the Guardians of the Galaxy did.
Taking a page from their competitor DC’s Suicide Squad films, the premise sees several of the supporting “anti-heroes” from previous Marvel films and television shows thrown together, to see if they can become an actionpacked, banter-filled superteam.
Director Jacob Schreier comes from a music video background, and is quite a stylish visual filmmaker, even though his previous films
have both been characterdriven dramas.
With Florence Pugh and Sebastian Stan functioning as the primaries in the team, David Harbour and Wyatt Russel get plenty of time to play things ridiculously large, with the rest of the cast relegated to quiet, stoic supporting roles, or villains such as the one played by Julia Louise-Dreyfuss.
Speaking of experiments, An Unfinished Film releases this week to cinemas playing international pictures.
From Chinese filmmaker Lou Ye, it is being called a “docufiction” film as it follows a film crew (the actual crew of the film playing semi-fictional roles) who plan to finish work on a movie they started 10
years prior.
Unfortunately, they begin by reuniting in Wuhan, 2020.
A fairly low-key and reflective piece, much of what the director wants to explore is the effect that COVID-19 had on the process of filmmaking itself.
Break out your pack of tissues for Tina as it is such a sweet film it will make you cry.
Anapela Polataivoa stars in this New Zealand production by Miki Magasiva as a woman griefstricken by the loss of her daughter in the Christchurch earthquakes.
Seeking a new purpose, she takes a job at an upperclass private school, where she starts a choir and teaches the children valuable lifelessons along the way.
Think something like Mr
Holland’s Opus - only with an infinitely more appealing leading character,
Also coming out of New Zealand is Forgive Us All, a post-apocalyptic drama in which a bereaved mother (Lily Sullivan) survives by hiding in a remote cabin, until a stranger comes looking for shelter.
Looking to pour a little humanity into an often actionoriented genre, the film is directed by Jordana Stott and features a supporting turn from Aussie Richard Roxburgh.
Ghost Trail is a taut little thriller/drama from France and purports to be based on a true story.
The story follows Hamid (played by Adam Bessa), a Syrian national who joins an organisation dedicated
to hunting leaders of the oppressive regime across the world.
Hamid’s motivation is very personal though, as he seeks the man responsible for his torture in the notorious “Human Slaughterhouse”, Sednaya Prison.
For the highly literaryminded comes an adaptation of an esteemed 19th Century novel Uncle Silas in the Irish production Lies We Tell
Maud (Agnes O’Casey) has just lost her father, inheriting his substantial fortune.
Unfortunately, she is only 16 and a woman, and as such is required to be placed in the care of her Uncle Silas (David Wilmot), who may not have her best interests at heart.
This is the kind of film that, years later, is referred to as the starting point of an
VR dementia training for carers
By Simon EKINS
DEMENTIA Australia has visited Harbourside Port Stephens to provide care staff with simulation training using virtual reality (VR).
By using this cuttingedge technology along with traditional interactive
methods, staff gained deep insights and practical knowledge in a balanced and dynamic learning environment.
The first immersive workshop, “Enabling EDIE”, allowed participants to see the world through the eyes of a person living with dementia.
q The Dementia Australia training included a video, VR and classroom learning.
It also explored enablement strategies to help dementia patients live more confidently.
“D-Esc” was another new workshop.
It teaches aged care workers how to safely respond to a behavioural emergency by recognising the emotional and physical signs of escalation and applying person-centred de-escalation skills.
The “Dine with Ted’ workshop was set in a dining area where a meal was being served.
Participants saw the experience through the eyes of both a care worker and a person called “Ted”, who is living with dementia.
Staff explored how food, the environment and support can greatly influence the care they provide.
impressive career. The performances and craft in filmmaking is top notch, creating a tense and gripping thriller.
The Dumpling Queen is a rare little gem from China - a biopic of Zang Jianhe, the founder of a well-known food brand “Wanchai Ferry”.
A sort of rags-to-riches tale, Zang was abandoned by her husband and left with two daughters and a poor education.
Finding her feet selling home-made dumplings as a street vendor, she eventually builds an empire.
The cinematography and performances are just fine in this picture, if nothing special, and for audiences that don’t mind reading subtitles this could be an intriguing trip visit to the movies.
It was followed by a problem-solving approach to issues highlighted in the VR simulation.
“Through experiential learning, this training can assist to increase staff empathy, understanding of dementia care environments, and attitudes,” facilitator Christine Dunbar from Dementia Australia said.
“Staff… practice their responses to a behaviour emergency in a controlled and
Nelson Bay hosts Veteran Women Golfers’ tournament
By Chris KARAS
EXPERIENCE on the fairways is sure to be a factor as Nelson Bay Golf Club hosts the NSW Veteran Women Golfers’ Association (VWGA) tournament this Thursday and Friday 1-2 May.
Sixteen Nelson Bay women are among the field of 140 from 26 NSW clubs, teeing off in the two day championship.
Both days will be a shotgun start commencing at 8.30am, with the format being a 4Ball Best Ball (4BBB) on the Thursday and an individual stableford the second day.
The VWGA is for women golfers aged 50 and over.
Tournament organiser and club stalwart Pam Townsend told News Of The Area that the Nelson Bay Golf Club was excited to be hosting
such a prestigious event.
“We’ve had a very dedicated committee organising the running of this event since July last year and look forward to a successful and fun-filled tournament for our veteran female golfers,” she said.
“To have some of the best veteran golfers test their short and long games on our course is a privilege indeed and a huge boon for the Port Stephens region.”
A dinner will be held after the first day with live music and dancing, and a presentation of the 4BBB event.
The presentation for the stableford will follow play on Friday.
A fundraising competition will run over the two days with the proceeds in aid of the Tomaree Prostate Cancer Support Group.
safe simulated environment, to see the outcomes of their decisions in real time.”
Harbourside Port Stephens CEO Paul Fitzpatrick said, “This training is invaluable to all our care staff, not just the Registered Nurses, but to our Personal Care Assistants, and activities and support workers operating in our maintenance, kitchen, laundry and cleaning areas.
“The empathy perspective
of learning through the eyes of someone with dementia is incredibly meaningful and can positively change the way we approach our care to those who need it most, our residents.”
The National Dementia Helpline can be reached on 1800 100 500.
It provides expert, free and confidential information, advice and support, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Port Stephens Veteran Golfers Association
By Gary WATT
RESULTS from a Stableford competition played at Tanilba Bay GC on Monday 21st April with 31 players.
Nett Winner : Sue Gill, 42pts.
Nett Runner Up : Bronwyn Smith, 36pts.
Bonus Point Winner : Matthew Smith, 36pts.
Bonus Point Runner Up : Jim Asvestas, 35pts.
Nearest the Pin, 4th Hole,
Div 1 : Les Moran.
Div 2 : Wayne Smith.
Nearest the Pin, 11th Hole, Div 1 : Lester Lake.
Div 2 : Peter Hawkins.
Drive & Chip, 7th Hole,
Div 1 : Gary Watt.
Div 2 : John Howlett.
Drive & Chip, 18th Hole,
Div 1 : Jim Gill.
Div 2 : Noel Sewell.
Ball Winners : Noel Sewell 38pts, Les Moran 34pts, Kevin Stewart 34pts, Jim Gill 34pts, Lester Lake 33pts, Rod Magick 33pts, Graham Woolley 33pts, Alan Foster 32pts, Jamie Carr 32pts, and Fred Rimoni 32pts.
The Lucky Draw prize winner was new member Noel Sewell. Next weeks game is a Stroke competition and the 2nd R’d of our Club Championships.
q Facilitator Christine Dunbar checks the VR headgear.
q Nelson Bay Golf Club’s Jeannie Punshon (left) and Pam Townsend welcome a field of 140 to the tournament.
State outrigger championships in Shoal Bay
By Jacie WHITFIELD
THE NSW Marathon
Outrigger Canoe
Championships will see competitors paddling their way towards victory at Shoal Bay Beach this weekend, 3-4 May.
“It’s heartening to see the support of the local community and its Council [for] this magnificent sport, where all ages can be competitive and enjoy the wonderful land and seascape of amazing Port Stephens,” Race Director Tony Compton said.
Jean Brown said she is excited to participate in the “paddle-powered spectacle” as President of the Port Stephens Outrigger Canoe Club (PCOCC) because of “the feeling of connection to [the]
community and the fitness gained training".
“And the peace experienced being on the water when not racing - because the action is meditative compared to the thrill of competing.”
She said local support helps make this a successful event.
The Port Stephens Outrigger Canoe Club was established in 1995 by Paul O’Rourke and has an extremely strong social base on and off the water.
Outrigger canoeing is considered an important part of the culture of many Pacific Island nations and there are a number of important traditions that all outriggers are expected to follow.
In Hawaiian tradition, each canoe is a living entity
with its own spiritual power or "mana".
Outriggers entrust their lives to their canoes and treat them with respect. Their customs include blessing the canoes during
and following construction.
There is also an etiquette to the way the canoes are handled including not stepping over them, not swearing while in the canoe, not sitting on its sides, front
or back, and always ensuring the canoe is landed stern first onto the beach.
The PSOCC said the regatta promises a day of exhilarating competition and community spirit.
It begins around 8am Saturday and Sunday and involves junior, novice, men’s, women’s and mixed races in OC6, OC2 and OC1/V1 canoes, racing in both outside and inside waters.
Clubs from throughout the state and invited clubs from interstate will be participating.
Sportsmanship Award for top Port Stephens athlete
By Chris KARAS
RISING Port Stephens athlete
Anna Taylor-Anderson has been recognised for her sterling efforts on and off the athletics track.
The talented 14-yearold from Salamander Bay received the prestigious Lee Thompson Memorial Sportsmanship Award at Port Stephens Athletics Club’s end-of-season presentation at Soldiers Point Bowling Club.
Junior Sportsperson of the Year, who has developed into one of the best sprint hurdlers in the region, with stand out performances over the 80m and 90m at an elite level.
of respected mentor Bob Walkley, clocking personal best times at various championship meets and also achieving success in triple jump, high jump and 100m sprint events.
Centre.
Port Stephens Athletics Club president Michelle Chan told News Of The Area that the young hurdler is a “worthy recipient of the Sportsmanship trophy.
“She is quick to offer encouragement and help coach our juniors and is a real inspiration to the younger athletes with her strong work ethic and technique advice.
It was a fitting reward for the Tomaree High School
Anna continues to blossom under the coaching
q Summah Harrison, a former junior 100m champion,
the club’s NSW representatives Evelyn Jurisic, Joy Schneider, Denver Trojkovic, Naomi Reungkitchaya, Eva Hanrahan and Anna Taylor-Anderson at Soldiers Point Bowling Club.
She also led the club’s charge at this year’s NSW Junior Track and Field Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics
“Anna gives 100 percent on the athletics track either when training or in competition, and is a fine role model for her club mates.
Bronze for Raymond Terrace race walker
By Chris KARAS
RAYMOND Terrace race
walking find Audrey Russell has capped a golden season on the athletics track with a national bronze medal.
Competing at the National Athletics Championships in Perth, the 13-year old finished third in the Girls 14yrs 3000m walk final.
It was a huge achievement by in-form Audrey who, despite the cool and blustery conditions, was able to produce a two minute personal best time of 14:44.93 to secure a podium spot.
Audrey was one of five top athletes from the Raymond Terrace Athletics Centre to compete at the national titles.
Promising middle distance sprinter Ashlyn Wall finished 10th overall in the Girls 800m event – narrowly missing a berth in the final by one spot.
She was just outside her personal best with a time of 2:14.93.
Ashlyn also impressed in the 400m event – clocking a personal best time of 58.10s
Muree Golf Results
By Lee RANKIN
to finish 13th overall.
Raymond Terrace Athletics Centre secretary Deidre Hall praised the efforts of her five outstanding prospects.
“Having successfully qualified in their individual events, the group not only faced the challenge of top competition from all over Australia but needed to come to terms with the different surface currently only in the ACT and Western Australia,” she told News Of The Area.
Other gifted Raymond Terrace club athletes to shine were Zane Edwards, who finished sixth in the Boys 200m final with a time of 23:04s, just outside his personal best, and triple jump hopeful Connor Matthews, who came fourth in the Under 20s final.
In a field of 13 jumpers, the emerging Matthews produced a personal best of 14.34m to showcase his potential.
Eighteen-year old Dixie Conlon finished 13th in the Girls Long Jump - leaping 5.18 metres to earn a top fifteen ranking.
“Our current crop of national qualifiers is the largest number and age span to represent the centre in the one season,” Deidre said.
“In particular, Anna did an excellent job assisting our juniors at the zone and regional carnivals this season.”
The Sportsmanship Award perpetuates the memory of Lee Thompson – a dedicated volunteer for the club during the late 1990s and early 2000s – who tragically died in his 40s.
Lee’s son Blake Thompson presented the trophy to Anna. Port Stephens Athletics Club sprint legends Grace Hewitt and Summah Harrison – both national medallists over 100m and 200m –presented the Rookie of the Year trophy to Indiana Weine and Champion Boy and Champion Girl awards to Brayden Weine and Lydia Lailai-Smith.
q Outstanding 13-year-old race walker Audrey Russell of Raymond Terrace, clinched a bronze medal in the Girls 14yrs 3000m walk at the National Athletics Championships in Perth.
“This speaks volumes for the hard work put in by the athletes and coaching staff in
q A previous state title event at Shoal Bay Beach.
q Anna Taylor-Anderson receives the Lee Thompson Memorial Sportsmanship Award from Lee’s son, Blake Thompson.
with
Higgins named in Origin women's squad
By Chris KARAS
JILLAROOS rugby league
hooker Olivia Higgins has spent time in camp with the NSW Women's Origin squad.
The Raymond Terrace golden girl was named in the 20-player Sky Blues squad that began their first week-long camp at Sydney Olympic Park last week, before travelling to Brisbane for the series opener against Queensland at Suncorp Stadium.
However Higgins, who helped the Jillaroos thump
the England Lionesses by a record 90-4 in their historic Test match in Las Vegas earlier this year, will sit out the game one clash against the Maroons.
Selectors opted to hand the number nine jumper to premiership-winning Sydney Roosters forward Keeley Davis.
Despite being overlooked for the opener, the Newcastle Knights star remains a key figure for new Blues’ women's coach John Strange, with game two to be played at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium
Hooligan and Zen reign after Sail Port Stephens wash-out
Wild Oats X clocked speeds in the high teens as it took line honours for the Super RCs, while Matador/ First Light and Highly Sprung/Frantic both had enthralling running duels to the finish.
Handicap results are what counts in this regatta, though, and Caol Ila, Triton and 51st Project filled the PHS podium for the big boats, while Triton, Bumblebee V and Antipodes saluted on IRC.
In the TP52s, also representing Division 1 of the NSW Yachting Championships it was Matador from Smuggler and Koa on IRC and a reverse order for TPR handicap. First in Division 2 on IRC and ORC was the Bull 9000 Bullwinkle.
In the final wash-up, with rain drumming on the roof of the Mavericks bar at d’Albora Marina Nelson Bay, Hooligan claimed the overall IRC gong – the third time that owner Marcus Blackmore has etched his name on the State title, dating back to 2011.
Blackmore couldn’t sail this year due to some health issues but had a highly capable substitute in Katie Spithill.
“We’ve had a strong preparation for this regatta,” Blackmore said.
“A lot of training, a lot of incremental improvements to the boat, and it paid off on the
first day when we won each race on IRC.
“Matador has always been hard to beat, particularly in light airs, so it was particularly pleasing to see the modifications we made also helped.”
Koa won TPR honours in a countback with Smuggler, Matador finishing third.
Port Stephens yacht 51st Project took the inaugural Super RC silverware on PHS, edging out Triton by a point.
Rarely is the Beneteau First 50 dwarfed in its division but it more than held its own in the passage format.
“Sail Port Stephens keeps delivering better and better racing here and I think the Super RC concept is fantastic,” owner/skipper Julien Bell said.
“It’s a big surprise to come out on top but we just sailed our own race against the bigger yachts and made some good calls.”
Bumblebee V, a MDB 62, edged out Triton, Wild Oats and Antipodes on IRC, with owner Paul Blakely blown away by the regatta and the location.
“We’ve been so warmly welcomed, the organisation has been great, and the offshore racing around the islands is brilliant… we’ve loved it,” he said.
“Our boat was built for the Sydney Hobart, and was actually a winner, so we’re looking at the 80th
anniversary race as our next big event.
“I’d really support this series next year and hope we see the same format with even more yachts – it suits 60-footers, there’s plenty of water, lots of excitement, and geographically you can access Port Stephens easily.”
Gordon Ketelby threw his IRC campaign together in two weeks as a training exercise and came away with a trophy – winning Division 2 of the NSW Yachting Championship by a mere 0.5pts over rival KD1 (Joe de Kock).
“I dusted off the old Farr 40, which had been very much neglected over the past seven years, and up she jumped,” Ketelby said.
“Joe is also an old sparring partner of ours and pretty hard to get past, but we’ll take the half-point win.”
Dates for the 2026 Sail Port Stephens Performance Series are 24-26 April.
This year’s regatta continues next weekend with the Bay Series, comprising J/70 class racing, the ASBA NSW Title for sports boats, and off-the-beach racing with RS Aeros, Finns, OKs, Tasars, 505s, B14s and more.
Sail Port Stephens is supported by the NSW Government via its tourism agency Destination NSW, Port Stephens Council, Pantaenius Australia and subsidiary sponsors.
on Thursday 15 May and game three in Newcastle at McDonald Jones Stadium on Thursday 29 May.
The Sky Blues have named a powerful squad in their quest to regain the series trophy.
Since the Interstate Challenge was given Origin status in 2018, the Maroons hold the honours 4-3 after lifting the Shield in 2020, 2021, 2023 and 2024.
NSW were triumphant in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
Higgins made her international debut for the
Jillaroos during last year’s Pacific Championships series where she performed strongly in victories over the Kiwi Ferns and Papua New Guinea Orchids.
She also was a stand out during the Knight’s 2024 NRLW campaign after earlier making her Origin debut with the NSW Sky Blues.
The 32-year-old turned in non-stop performances to help the Knights reach the semi finals and is set for another big season on the club and representative scene.
q Newcastle Knights’ international hooker Olivia Higgins is part of the 20-player Women's Origin squad for the interstate challenge series.
q Super RC line honours winner Wild Oats X. Photo: Promocean Media.
q Super RC PHS winner 51st Project. Photo: Promocean Media.
q IRC Div 2 winner Zen 40.
Photo: Promocean Media.
q Super RC IRC winner Bumblebee V. Photo: Promocean Media.
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SUNDAY
THE PIANO
ABC TV, 7.30pm
A piano is placed in a public location and everyday Australians are invited to sit down and play in this heartwarming new series. What they don’t know is, as they’re playing, two of the world’s most renowned pianists – Harry Connick Jr and Andrea Lam (pictured) – are secretly watching. Hosted by TV stalwart Amanda Keller, The Piano gives these amateur musicians the opportunity of a lifetime as Connick Jr and Lam choose a pianist to mentor at each locale, before inviting them to play at an end-of-series concert. It all begins tonight at Sydney’s Central Station.
FRIDAY, May 2
6.30 Claire Hooper’s House Of Games.
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 7.30: Australia Votes.
8.00 Gardening Australia.
9.00 Sherwood. (Mdlv) The police and Sparrows must work together. 10.00 Gruen Nation. (R)
The Weekly With Charlie Pickering. (R)
Big Boys. (MA15+l, R) 11.30 ABC Late News. 11.50 Father Brown. (Mv, R)
12.35 Mayfair Witches. (Ml, R) 1.20 Rage New Music. (MA15+adhlnsv) 5.00 Rage. (PG)
MONDAY
SAM PANG TONIGHT
TEN, 8.40pm
They said it couldn’t be done – a tonight show, on network television, in this day and age? But Sam Pang (pictured) has proved the detractors wrong, staying on air for not only all eight scheduled episodes but earning a second season to air later this year. Pang’s fresh take on the classic format offers a casual approach, with engaging yet relaxed interviews and absurd segments all peppered with the comedian’s signature wry asides. Plus, there’s regular input from a rotating roster of guest announcers who manage to both help and hinder proceedings. In tonight’s finale, Pang grills You Been Paying Attention? host Tom Gleisner ahead of Australia’s favourite quiz show returning next Monday.
THURSDAY SHERLOCK & DAUGHTER
SBS, 9.30pm From Northern Irish writer Brendan Foley Cold Courage), this new take on the frequently reimagined detective doesn’t veer too far off course.
Legendary sleuth
Sherlock Holmes (David Thewlis),
flying solo after the disappearance of his friend Dr Watson, is baffled by the arrival of a young Native American woman on his doorstep.
Amelia Rojas (Blu Hunt, pictured with Thewlis) has travelled across the world after her mother’s murder, intent on meeting Holmes, who she believes is her father. Despite possessing many traits in common with Amelia, Holmes is no stranger to so-called long-lost relations appearing, and devises a method of determining whether she is who she says – by putting her to work on his next case.
6.00 NBN News.
6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS World News.
7.35 24 Hours That Changed The World.
8.30 The Giza Pyramid: Reaching For The Stars. (PG, R)
9.30 Scotland’s Scenic Railways. (R)
10.30 SBS World News Late.
11.00 A Body That Works. (Ma)
12.05 Between Two Worlds. (Mals, R)
2.00 Agent Hamilton. (MA15+v, R)
3.40 Barkley Manor. (R)
4.30 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.
8.30 House Of Wellness. (PG) A team of industry experts, media personalities and wellness advocates share insights and experiences to highlight living well.
9.30 MOVIE: Couples Retreat. (2009, Ms, R) Four couples head to a tropical island resort only to discover they must attend mandatory therapy sessions. Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Malin Akerman.
12.00 The Black Donnellys. (Mdsv)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 Million Dollar Minute. (R)
5.00 NBC Today.
7.00 A Current Affair.
7.30 Rugby League. NRL. Round 9. Sydney Roosters v Dolphins.
9.55 Golden Point. A wrap-up of the Sydney Roosters versus Dolphins match, with NRL news and analysis.
10.45 MOVIE: RoboCop. (2014, Mv, R)
A cop becomes a cyborg. Joel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman.
1.00 Young Sheldon. (PGadlsv, 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)
Kiri And Lou. 6.45 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Gardening Australia Junior. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 Teen Titans Go! 8.00 Be Cool, Scooby-Doo! 8.25 BTN Newsbreak. 8.30 MythBusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 8.55 Robot Wars. 9.55 Merlin. 10.40 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Morning Programs. 10.00 Bewitched. 10.30 I Dream Of Jeannie. 11.00 Young Sheldon. Noon MOVIE: Godzilla: King Of The Monsters. (2019, M) 2.30 The Nanny. 3.30 Seinfeld. 4.30 The Addams Family. 5.00
6.00 Deal Or No Deal. (R) Hosted by Grant Denyer.
6.30 The Project. A look at the day’s news. 7.30 The Graham Norton Show. (Ml, R) Graham Norton is joined on the couch by guests including Billy Crystal, Hugh Bonneville and Michael Kiwanuka. 9.40 The List. (Mln, R) Two best friends take on The List, a collection of travel experiences most people avoid. 10.40 10’s Late News. Coverage of news, sport and weather. 11.05 The Project. (R) 12.05 The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. (PG) 1.00 Home Shopping. (R)
SATURDAY, May 3
7.00 Australia Votes. Chief elections
analyst Antony Green identifies the trends that will decide the election. David Speers and Sarah Ferguson bring the sharpest and most reliable election night analysis.
12.00 Creative Types With Virginia Trioli: Tony Albert. (PG, R) Virginia Trioli meets Tony Albert, one of the most exciting visual artists of his generation, who takes everyday items that represent the most confronting aspects of colonisation to create work that is provocative and deeply moving.
12.30 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv) Continuous music programming.
6am Children’s Programs. 10.00 Tiddler. 10.25 Children’s Programs. 6.05pm
Masks Power
6.15 Bluey. 6.25 Octonauts. 6.35 Hey Duggee. 6.40 Kiri And
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Titanic In Colour. (R) Charts the history of the RMS Titanic
9.20 Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy: Tuscany. (R) Stanley Tucci heads to Tuscany.
10.10 Great Coastal Railway Journeys: Helensburgh To Connel. (R) Hosted by Michael Portillo.
11.10 Homicide: Life On The Street. (Mav, R)
3.40 Barkley Manor. (PG, R)
4.35 Bamay. (R) 5.15 France 24 Feature.
5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 7NEWS: Australia Decides – First Count. Hugh Whitfeld and Mark Riley take an up-to-the-minute look at the results of the federal election.
8.00 7NEWS: Australia Decides – The Result. Hugh Whitfeld and Mark Riley take an up-to-the-minute look at the results of the federal election.
11.00 MOVIE: Life. (2017, MA15+v, R) Scientists discover a dangerous life form. Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal. 1.05 The Black Donnellys. (Mdsv)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 It’s Academic. (R)
5.00 House Of Wellness. (PG, R)
6.00 NBN News. 7.00 Election 2025: Australia Decides – Vote Count. 8.00 Election 2025: Australia Decides – Election Night Live. An analysis of election results. 10.00 Election 2025: Australia Decides – Analysis.
MOVIE: Miss Sloane. (2016, Mls)
Destination WA. (PG, R)
The Incredible Journey Presents. (PGa)
TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
Global Shop. (R)
TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)
6am The Battle Of The River Plate. Continued. (1956, PG) 7.10 Princess Caraboo. (1994, PG) 9.00 The Kids Are Alright. (2021, PG, Spanish) 10.40 Boccaccio ’70. (1962, M, German) 2.25pm The Farewell. (2019, PG) 4.20 Dancing Ninja. (2010, PG) 6.10 The World’s Fastest Indian. (2005, PG) 8.30 Rogue Agent. (2022,
SUNDAY, May 4
6.30 Compass: Unsettled. (PG)
7.00 ABC News.
7.30 The Piano. (Premiere, PG) Hosted by Amanda Keller.
8.30 Bergerac. (Premiere, Mlv) When a member of one of Jersey’s wealthiest families is murdered, the police turn to ex-cop, Jim Bergerac.
9.20 The Split: Barcelona. (Ml, R) Hannah and her family are reunited.
10.20 MOVIE: My Brother Jack –Part 2. (2001, Mnsv, R) Matt Day.
11.55 Take 5 With Zan Rowe. (R)
12.25 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)
4.00 Outback Ringer. (PG, R)
4.30 Insiders. (R)
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Macchu Picchu: City Of Stone. Looks at Macchu Pichu.
8.30 Invasion: The Normans. (Mav, R) Charts how an exiled Irish king persuaded an Anglo-Norman lord to help him recover his kingdom.
10.30 The Temple Of Hatshepsut. (R) A look at Hatshepsut’s temple.
11.30 Hell On Earth: WWII: A Dream Of Great Success. (Mav, R)
4.25 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning.
5.15 France 24 Feature.
5.30 Al Jazeera News.
Abandoned Engineering. 7.35 Science Fiction Revolution. (Premiere) 9.35 ABBA In Concert. 10.35 WWE Legends. (Return) 12.15am Surviving Nova. 1.10 Letterkenny. 2.15 Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 The 1% Club. (PGls)
7NEWS Spotlight.
24 Hours In Police Custody: The Murder Of Jane Doe. (Premiere, Mav) A woman calls police in distress. 10.05 Menendez & Menudo: Boys Betrayed. (MA15+av)
Autopsy USA. (Ma)
Shades Of Blue. (MA15+adsv, R)
Travel Oz. (PG, R)
Home Shopping. (R)
Million Dollar Minute. (R)
Helping Hands. (PG, R) 6.00 NBN News. 7.00 Travel Guides. (PGln)
60 Minutes. Current affairs program.
9GO!
MONDAY, May 5
Children’s
6.00 Mastermind Australia.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.35 Prague With Michael Portillo.
8.25 Bettany Hughes: Treasures Of Oman. (R)
9.20 Sri Lanka With Alexander Armstrong. (PGaw, R)
10.15 SBS World News Late.
10.45 Classified. (Malv)
11.35 Don’t Leave Me. (MA15+a, R) 1.40 Son Of. (MA15+av, R)
3.25 Barkley Manor. (PG, R)
4.25 J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom. (R)
4.55 Poh & Co. Bitesize. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
VICELAND (31)
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Home And Away. (PG)
7.30 Farmer Wants A Wife. (PGal) Hosted by Natalie Gruzlewski.
8.50 9-1-1: Lone Star. (Mav) Carlos is determined to solve his father’s murder. Owen is offered a life-changing opportunity.
9.50 Suits L.A. (M) 10.50 The Agenda Setters. An expert panel tackles the biggest AFL topics.
11.50 Autopsy USA: Tom Petty. (Mad, R)
12.50 Treadstone. (MA15+av)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today. 5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
TUESDAY, May 6
SBS MOVIES (32)
7MATE (64)
Australia. (R)
5.30 7.30. (R)
6.00 Mastermind Australia.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Great Coastal Railway Journeys. (R)
8.30 Insight. 9.30 Dateline.
10.00 SBS World News Late.
10.30 Living Black. (R)
11.00 Snow. (Ma)
11.55 Unbroken. (Malv, R)
1.35 Invisible. (PGa, R)
3.05 Welcome To My Farm. (PG, R)
4.05 Barkley Manor. (PG, R)
5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
VICELAND (31)
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am The Movie Show. 6.25 The Personal History Of David Copperfield. (2019, PG) 8.35 Rabbit-Proof Fence. (2002, PG) 10.15 Rogue Agent. (2022, M) 12.25pm Truth. (2015, M) 2.45 The Movie Show. 3.20 The World’s Fastest Indian. (2005, PG) 5.40 Little Nicholas’ Treasure. (2021, PG, French) 7.35 The Idol. (2015, M, Arabic) 9.30 Rheingold. (2022, MA15+, Turkish) 12.05am Late Programs. 6am Little Nicholas’ Treasure. (2021, PG, French) 7.55 3 Days In Quiberon. (2018, PG, French) 10.05 Once Upon A Time... In Bethlehem. (2019, M, Italian) 12.05pm The New Boy. (2023, M) 2.10 The Personal History Of David Copperfield. (2019, PG) 4.20 Rabbit-Proof Fence. (2002, PG) 6.05 Tourism. (2017) 7.30 A Call To Spy. (2019, M) 9.50 Fisherman’s Friends. (2019, M) 11.55 Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Home And Away. (PG)
7.30 Farmer Wants A Wife. (PGa) Hosted by Natalie Gruzlewski.
9.05 Doc. (Ma) Amy teams up with TJ to treat a patient suffering from mysterious liver issues.
10.05 Accused. (Return, Ma) A psychic medium helps a couple. 11.05 The Agenda Setters. 12.05 The Act. (MA15+ans, R) 1.20 Harry’s Practice. (R) 2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
NBC Today.
Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise. 6.00 NBN News.
A Current Affair.
The Floor. (PG) 8.45 100% Footy. (M) 9.45 Rise Of The Dolphins. (PGl) 11.15 9News Late. 11.45 The Prison Confessions Of Gypsy-Rose Blanchard. (Mal) 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)
Believer’s Voice Of Victory. (PGa)
A Current Affair. (R)
Today Early News.
6.00 NBN News.
7MATE (64)
6am Children’s Programs. 6.05pm PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.15 Bluey. 6.25 Octonauts. 6.35 Hey Duggee. 6.40 Kiri And Lou. 6.50 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Dino Dex. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 The Inbestigators. 8.05 Operation Ouch! 8.35 BTN Newsbreak. 8.40 Abbott Elementary. 9.25 Doctor Who. 11.00 Late Programs. 6am Children’s Programs. 6.05pm PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.15 Bluey. 6.25 Octonauts. 6.35 Hey Duggee. 6.40 Kiri And Lou. 6.50 Ben And Holly. 7.00 Supertato. 7.05 Dino Dex. 7.20 Bluey. 7.30 Shaun The Sheep. 7.35 Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures. 7.50 The Inbestigators. 8.05 Operation Ouch! 8.35 BTN
WEDNESDAY, May 7 THURSDAY, May 8
6.00 Mastermind Australia.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 Alone Australia. (Mal)
8.40 Just One Thing With Michael Mosley. (Final)
9.15 The Handmaid’s Tale. (MA15+)
10.15 SBS World News Late.
10.45 My Brilliant Friend. (Ma)
11.45 The Wall: Cover Your Tracks. (Mav, R)
3.05 Welcome To My Farm. (PG, R)
4.05 Barkley Manor. (PG, R)
4.35 Bamay. (R) 5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
The
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Home And Away. (PG)
7.30 Clarkson’s Who Wants To Be A Millionaire UK. (PG)
8.30 The Front Bar. (Ml) Takes a lighter look at all things AFL.
9.30 Unfiltered. (PGa)
10.00 Nurse Georgie Carroll Sista Flow 2.0. (Mls)
11.45 St. Denis Medical. (PGal)
12.15 Midnight Texas. (MA15+hv, R)
1.15 Travel Oz. (PG, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
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. (Mls)
8.30 The Grand Tour. (MA15+l)
9.50 Freddy And The Eighth. (Ml)
10.50 9News Late.
11.20 The Equalizer. (MA15+av, R)
12.10 Young Sheldon. (PGadlsv, R)
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.
MasterChef Australia. (PGal) Guest chef is Shannon Bennett. 8.40 Elsbeth. (PGv) Elsbeth begins to suspect a wife is behind the death of her husband after a Celebrity Christmas curator is killed in a freak accident.
5.30 7.30. (R)
WorldWatch. 12.30
1.25 My Life Online. 1.55 Queer
Wrap. 3.20 News. 3.25 WorldWatch. 5.20 Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies. 6.15
And Furious Face-Off. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 MOVIE: Contact. (1997, M) 11.15 MOVIE: Mars Attacks! (1996, M) 1.10am Late Programs.
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am Rabbit-
Proof Fence. Continued. (2002, PG) 7.25 Tourism. (2017) 8.50 Red Obsession. (2013, PG) 10.20 Long Story Short. (2021, M) 12.05pm The Idol. (2015, M, Arabic) 2.00 Little Nicholas’ Treasure. (2021, PG, French) 3.55 Eat Wheaties! (2020, PG) 5.35 Goddess. (2013, PG) 7.30 Up In The Air. (2009, M) 9.30 Dirty Dancing. (1987, M) 11.25 Late Programs. 5.55am Eat Wheaties! (2020, PG)
6am Shopping. 6.30 Escape To The Country. 7.30 Harry’s Practice. 8.00
7MATE (64)
6.00 Mastermind Australia.
6.30 SBS World News.
7.30 The Secret DNA Of Us. (Final, PGa)
8.35 Liberation: D-Day To Berlin: Belgium And The Netherlands.
9.30 Sherlock & Daughter. (Premiere)
10.25 SBS World News Late.
10.55 The Hollow. (Malv)
12.55 Departure. (Mav, R)
2.35 Welcome To My Farm. (R)
3.35 Barkley Manor. (PG, R)
4.30 J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom. (R)
5.00 NHK World English News Morning.
5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.
VICELAND (31) VICELAND (31)
6am WorldWatch. 10.00 The Movie Show. 12.05pm WorldWatch. 12.35 Super Maximum Retro Show. 1.35 Fanatics: The Deep End. 2.05 Insight. 3.05 News. 3.10 WorldWatch. 5.10 Craig Charles: UFO Conspiracies. 6.05 Over The Black Dot. 6.35 Travel Man. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats. 8.30 History’s Greatest Mysteries. 9.20 The UnXplained. 10.10 Late Programs.
SBS MOVIES (32)
6am Eat Wheaties! Continued. (2020, PG) 7.35 What Do We See When We Look At The Sky? (2021, Georgian) 10.20 A Call To Spy. (2019, M) 12.35pm Fisherman’s Friends. (2019, M) 2.40 Tourism. (2017) 4.10 Red Obsession. (2013, PG) 5.35 Kung Fu Yoga. (2017, PG) 7.35 Marmalade. (2024, M) 9.30 Priscilla Queen Of The Desert. (1994, M) 11.25 Taking Lives. (2004, MA15+) 1.20am Late Programs.
6.00 Seven News.
7.00 Home And Away. (PGa)
7.30 Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly. (PG) Graeme Hall meets a nature-loving couple’s hyper-reactive doberman that makes it impossible to enjoy walks.
8.30 Britain’s Got Talent. (PG) The first set of semi-finalists set out to impress the judges and viewers at home.
10.30 The Amazing Race. (PG)
12.00 Raines. (Premiere, Mahv)
1.00 Travel Oz. (PG, R)
2.00 Home Shopping. (R)
4.00 NBC Today.
5.00 Sunrise Early News. 5.30 Sunrise.
7MATE (64)
6.00 NBN News.
7.00
Jeannie. 6.00 Basketball. Women’s Trans-Tasman Throwdown. Aust v NZ. 8.00 Basketball. Men’s Trans-Tasman Throwdown. Australia v NZ. 10.20 Late Programs. 6am Morning Programs. 10.05 Bewitched.
9GO! (83)
9GO! (83)
q Sail Port Stephens 2025 Performance Series Div 1 IRC winner Hooligan. Photo: Promocean Media.
