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Port Macquarie News Of The Area 24 JULY 2026

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Hidden history at Allman Hill Burial Ground

A GROUND-penetrating radar survey at Port Macquarie's historic

Ground could reshape understanding of the town's earliest colonial years, with researchers hoping to reveal the true extent of the forgotten cemetery.

The survey, being undertaken by University of New England Professors David Andrew Roberts and Martin Gibbs, will examine the site without disturbing the ground, searching for evidence of graves dating back to Port Macquarie's first penal settlement.

Professor Roberts said researchers hoped the survey would answer long-standing questions about the burial ground. CONTINUED Page 2

FIGHT FOR FLIGHTS

q Historic gravesite in the Allman Burial Ground. Photo: Christopher Wood.

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FROM Page 1

"It is hoped the survey will give us a better idea of the extent of Port Macquarie's first colonial burying ground," he said.

"At present all we can see are two large tombstones and one headstone/footstone set, all of which appear to have been moved at some time."

While historical publications often state that 28 people were buried at Allman Hill, Professor Roberts said no complete list exists.

Research by Port Macquarie and District Family History Society historian Clive Smith has identified about 50 recorded deaths that may represent people buried at the site.

Ground-penetrating radar has become a

valuable archaeological tool because it allows researchers to investigate beneath the surface without excavation.

Professor Martin Gibbs said the equipment sends very high-frequency pulses into the ground every few centimetres, allowing archaeologists to detect areas where soil has been disturbed.

"The Allman Hill cemetery is tricky since we know little about how or where the convicts were buried, and it is likely they were just buried in a shroud rather than a coffin," Professor Gibbs said.

"However, we will carefully examine the traces to see if we can see possible evidence of grave cuts."

Mr Smith said while the survey would not

identify individual graves, it could provide another important clue for descendants researching their family histories.

"It presents another important piece of the jigsaw puzzle for people searching for information for their family tree," he said.

The survey will coincide with the NSW and ACT Association of Family History Societies Conference at Panthers in September.

A free Family History Fair will be held on Friday, September 18, featuring exhibitors, workshops and expert speakers, followed by the conference on September 19-20. Family historians and descendants can find more information at www. portmacconference2026.com

Families share organ donation message

EARLIER this year the family of 71-yearold Margaret Williams had to make a heartbreaking decision.

Ms Williams was on her way to Flynns Beach to meet up with her three younger siblings.

A Queensland resident and avid traveller, Ms Williams and her siblings were preparing for what had been a regular occurrence for the past 35 years - a joint holiday around Australia.

As she drove down from Brisbane, Ms Williams suffered a sudden, catastrophic brain bleed.

Her family arrived at Port Macquarie Base Hospital to be told that she wouldn’t survive.

With all the family gathered together, medical staff advised Ms Williams was a registered organ donor and that they believed she would be a good candidate for donation.

“The staff at the hospital were excellent,” said Ms William’s brother, David Gillespie.

“A donation specialist was flown up from Wollongong to facilitate everything.

“I’m a registered organ donor, so I was happy to agree.

“Many years ago, I heard a lady on the radio who had received a corneal donation and was able to see again, and this stuck with me.”

On the other side of organ donation are

Port Macquarie residents Michelle and Nick Kliousis, for whom the process has been lifesaving.

Of their four adult children, two required heart transplants as children.

Their son Theo was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy and received a new heart 25 years ago at the age of 10.

Their daughter Olivia received a new heart at the age of 25, at the height of COVID lockdowns, which created an added layer of stress for the close-knit family.

“It’s so important that everyone who will be making medical decisions for you knows that you want to be a donor,” Mrs Kliousis said.

“Even if you are a registered donor, your

family can override that if they don’t know your wishes.”

According to the Australian Government Organ and Tissue Authority, one organ donor can save the lives of up to seven people and change the lives of many more through eye and tissue donation.

There are around 2,000 Australians on a waitlist for an organ transplant and an additional 14,000 people on dialysis for kidney failure, many who could benefit from a kidney transplant.

DonateLife Week runs 26 July to 2 August with the public encouraged to register as an organ and tissue donor at donatelife.gov.au or through Medicare.

This process takes less than a minute.

Dead newborn humpback to be tested for bird flu

A NEWBORN humpback whale that was stranded on an eastern Australian beach and died will be tested for bird flu, as the number of cases grows to 17.

A member of the public spotted the male humpback calf on a beach in Sydney's south and reported it to authorities.

"Responders were rapidly deployed to assess the animal," said Ashley Ryan, president of the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia.

"Despite rescue efforts by responding agencies, the calf sadly died shortly after responders arrived."

It is not known why the neonate calf, measuring about 4.5 metres in length, became stranded.

"There are many reasons why whales can become stranded, including illness, injury, separation from their mother, navigational challenges or other natural factors," Ms Ryan said.

The whale will be removed from the beach.

As part of standard biosecurity procedures, samples have been collected for H5N1 avian influenza testing.

As a precaution, NSW Department of Primary Industries Fisheries and local lifeguards have been notified so appropriate SharkSmart alerts can be implemented.

All the confirmed cases of the deadly bird flu strain have been in seabirds at coastal locations.

A total of 17 cases of the deadly bird flu strain have been found across Australia.

All have been wild seabirds found in coastal locations, and all but one were migratory species.

The most recent cases were two presumed positive results in petrels.

One was found in Denmark on Western Australia's south coast and the other at Seabird, north of Perth.

"There remains no evidence of any mass mortality events and there are no detections in poultry or in our agricultural production system," Australian Chief Veterinary Officer Beth Cookson said.

The risk to human health remains low.

q Siblings Elizabeth Wilson, David Gillespie, and Margaret Williams. Photo: Supplied by David Gillespie.
q The baby humpback may have become stranded for a variety of reasons, a whale expert says. Photos: The Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia.

Residents renew call for Rotary Park safety improvements

A GROUP of Town Beach strata committee representatives is renewing calls for improved pedestrian safety around Rotary Park, saying increased traffic and changing visitor patterns have made the area more hazardous.

The committee, representing unit complexes along William Street, meets twice a year to discuss strata and local issues affecting the Town Beach precinct.

Members say pedestrian safety has become one of their highest priorities.

A committee spokesperson told News Of The Area the recent Rotary Park upgrade had successfully attracted more visitors but had also created new traffic challenges.

"The Rotary Park upgrade, including new pedestrian access, playground, barbecues, seating, the observatory and public toilets, has attracted more traffic and pedestrians, exactly as Council intended," the spokesperson said.

"Cars are now frequently

forced to stop in William, Lord and Stewart streets to allow increased pedestrian movement, however the crossing outside the Milk Bar is obscured by 45-degree parking, making it difficult for approaching drivers to see pedestrians."

The spokesperson said large vans parked near the observatory toilets for extended periods, further reducing visibility, while illegal parking during busy holiday periods often forced motorists to brake suddenly or swerve around vehicles.

Residents are calling for a 40km/h speed limit in William, Lord and Stewart streets, revised parking restrictions for larger vehicles around Rotary Park, and changes to the angled parking approaching the William Street pedestrian crossing.

The committee previously submitted a petition to Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and met with council officers in August 2025.

Members said they were advised the area would likely qualify as a High Pedestrian

Activity Area, however funding was not available to progress the proposal.

A Port Macquarie Hastings Council spokesperson said Council was aware of community concerns regarding pedestrian safety, vehicle speeds and parking around Rotary Park and the William Street pedestrian crossing.

"These issues have been raised through community consultation, customer requests and a petition presented to Council in February 2025

containing approximately 587 signatures," the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said Council had undertaken investigations into pedestrian safety, parking and traffic conditions, with an assessment finding visibility at the William Street crossing was generally adequate under normal parking conditions and that there had been no recorded crashes or pedestrian

incidents at the location.

Council has since installed additional parking restriction signage, reinstated a missing "Pedestrian Crossing Ahead" warning sign, and encouraged businesses to use the Mantra Observatory loading dock to reduce impacts on visibility.

Council also confirmed it continues to advocate to Transport for NSW for safety improvements and future funding opportunities, after an unsuccessful application to establish a High Pedestrian Activity Area.

You risk more than your own safety going a few K’s over.

No matter how quiet it is, or how many times you’ve driven the road, every kilometre over the speed limit increases the risk of a serious crash.

Isn’t it time we got serious about casual speeding?

q View of William Street, looking East, showing parking impacting traffic. Photo: Supplied.
q 45-degree angle parking near a pedestrian crossing on William Street. Photo: Supplied.

SMS warning no cause for alarm

A NEW national warning system, AusAlert, is being rolled out and a test message will be sent next Monday, 27 July, at 2pm.

The AusAlert website spells out what people should expect.

“At the time of the test, a single Critical AusAlert test will be sent to every mobile device in Australia,” the site says.

“Everyone with a compatible phone or other device in Australia can expect to receive the alert.

“Devices will vibrate and play a siren-like warning sound for about 10 seconds.

“An AusAlert message will appear on device screens. It will clearly say it is a test.

“Exactly how it appears will

depend on your device type and operating system.”

The message may also be received by compatible mobile devices including tablets and smart watches.

Devices will vibrate and play a siren-like warning, which sounds for about 10 seconds, and display a message confirming it is a test.

AusAlert will be ready to use in October and in an actual disaster will likely tell you the type of emergency, where it is located, how serious it is, what to do, the name of the emergency organisation that has sent the AusAlert, and where to find more information about the emergency.

The AusAlert site says that

people should not be alarmed by the test alert, but they also should not be alarmed if they don’t. More information on the national test alert is available on the AusAlert website: www.ausalert.gov.au/alertsexplained/national-test

q You might receive a message that looks similar to this. Image: AusAlert.

Thurs 30th July

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q Your phone might make some strange noises next week. Image: DC Studio on Magnific.

‘Give Port Macquarie a go’: residents appeal for more direct flights

FROM Page 1

the future of regional airports across NSW.

A group of Port Macquarie residents says the loss of Bonza's Melbourne service in 2024 has left travellers facing longer, more expensive journeys via Sydney, affecting families, tourism and business travel.

The residents argue the region's growing population, now estimated at around 96,000, together with the loss of regular passenger services from nearby Taree and Kempsey

airports, strengthens the case for direct interstate connections.

They also question whether the airport's upgraded runway, funded through a combination of Federal Government and council investment, is being fully utilised.

The upgrade allows larger aircraft, including Boeing 737 Max 8s, to operate from the airport.

“The absence of direct flights has a tremendous effect on families connecting with their loved ones on a regular basis,” a Port Macquarie residents spokesperson

told News Of The Area.

“The cost and inconvenience of having to stop over in Sydney Airport or car hire to bypass the airport is a huge disadvantage.”

A spokesperson from Qantas said the airline currently operates up to 26 weekly Sydney flights and up to five weekly Brisbane services through QantasLink.

“While we’re always looking at opportunities to grow our network, we have no plans to fly to additional destinations from Port Macquarie,” the spokesperson said.

While residents hope direct interstate flights will eventually return, the future of expanded services will ultimately depend on whether airlines see sufficient commercial demand to make new routes viable.

Port MacquarieHastings Mayor Adam Roberts said Council has continued working behind the scenes to attract additional services.

"Since November 2024, Port Macquarie Hastings Council has been in discussions with a number of airlines regarding the expansion of services at

Port Macquarie Airport," Cr Roberts said.

He said Council strongly supports the return of direct Melbourne flights, noting the previous service carried more than 30,000 passengers.

Council is also preparing a market demand analysis and has applied for NSW Government "Take Off" funding to help offer commercial incentives to airlines.

However, Cr Roberts said that “the final decision rests with airlines and depends on commercial considerations

including profitability, aircraft availability and passenger demand”.

The resident’s spokesperson said: “If we could send one message directly to Qantas airline executives - it would be to implore them to give Port Macquarie a go,” they said.

“Many residents have relocated from other capital cities, for various reasons, and have had to leave behind family and friends.

“It would be reciprocal as they would love to come to see us more often, as well.”

Port to Plomer paths inspire art exhibition

COASTAL landscapes from Port Macquarie to Point Plomer have inspired all three artists currently exhibiting at the Macleay Valley Community Art Gallery in Gladstone.

Sergio Sill is a wellknown Sydney-based artist who lived locally at Upper

Lansdown in the 1980s and 1990s.

“At the time I lived on a 200-acre cooperative property and I was a woodfired potter,” he said.

Sergio has been working as a professional painter since 1991 and he has decades of experience in ceramics and painting.

His work captures the

spirit of the Australian landscape across all mediaoil, acrylic, pastel, oil stick, gouache, natural materials, mixed media and digital images.

His Point Plomer oil on canvas series is striking and draws your eye to the very distinctly beautiful local landscape.

Julie Hamann’s pastels

on paper are inspired by her walks along the Port Macquarie coastline.

“I am drawn to the yellow-tailed black cockatoos, lorikeets and many other native bird species whose colours, calls and movements bring life to our coastal paths,” Ms Hamann said.

“These works celebrate

the beauty of birds and banksia, and the expressive potential of pastels.”

Bernice Daher lives at Point Plomer and the colours and coastal landscapes will strike a chord with those familiar with Crescent Head and Point Plomer.

Bernice trained as an artist at the Julian Ashton

Art School in Sydney before working with various artists independently during the following 20 years.

Nature features prominently within her work in oils, watercolours and pastels. The exhibition closes on Sunday 26 July. The gallery is open 10.30am - 4pm each day.

on Sunday 2nd August at 13 Kemp St beginning from 9am.

q Sergio Sill with some of his digital images of the rocks along Goolawah Beach. Photo: Pauline Cain
q Bernice Daher - pastels and acrylics. Photo: Supplied.
q Julie Hamannpastels. Photo: Supplied.

Lifelong learning and social connection with the U3A

REPRESENTATIVES of mid north coast branches of the University of the Third Age (U3A) gathered in Port Macquarie on Thursday 16 July to share procedures and practice with each other.

U3A is an international organisation founded on the belief that people in their third age of life still have much to learn and contribute.

Each U3A offers a wide range of courses designed to encourage lifelong learning and social connection.

Laurene Mulcahy, President U3A Network NSW, spoke about the importance of the organisation.

“We do the best thing for our community - we get people involved, we keep them active physically and mentally, and most importantly we provide a social network which helps to overcome loneliness.

“We need to be bold and known in our communities.”

The mid north coast is one of nine U3A regions in NSW and the network supports and provides service to each U3A.

The network gathering gave U3A representatives the opportunity to discuss membership numbers, details of public liability insurance, course licences and other issues such as succession planning, publicity, resources,

technology and budgets.

“We are very proud of our centre here,” said Port Macquarie President, Chris Taylor.

“It is a very valuable part of our community, and our members are very motivated by both learning and the social aspects of what we offer.

“When we started in 2004 we had about 70 members and 11 courses and now have more than 500 members, with 14 new members in the last month.

”We run almost 50 courses here, offering a wide and stimulating program including history, languages, literature, arts, technology, health, philosophy, science and current affairs.”

Macleay Valley Kempsey U3A President, Joanna Hughes-Hallett, said that her branch had 470 members with 36 classes; some in Kempsey and others in South West Rocks.

“We use local halls and also have an arrangement with a local gymnasium and they run four fitness classes for us,” Ms Hughes-Hallett said..

“Our two kayaking classes are very popular because we have such great local waterways.

“We have a huge gardening class and a very large, meandering walking class.

“We are always looking for class tutors and we would love to hear any great

q Mid north coast U3A representatives at the recent network conference.

q Chris Taylor, President Port Macquarie U3A; Jennie Wright, Mid North Coast Regional U3A representative; and Laurene Mulcahy, President U3A Network NSW.

ideas for getting people on board.”

The U3A State Network conference is in Armidale 1315 April 2027.

If you would like to join your local U3A make contact and try a class this term or next.

Community wants recreation and conservation in GKNP

THE State Government has released a report that indicates recreation and conservation are significant priorities for the community for the proposed Great Koala National Park (GKNP).

The ‘What We Heard’ report summarises feedback from members of the public about how they currently use the area, and what they envisage for the park in the future.

The consultation attracted around 4,000 survey responses and

involved more than 70 faceto-face meetings, group forums, community events and online sessions.

Bushwalking is the most-popular activity for respondents, alongside camping, sightseeing, wildlife watching, fourwheel driving, swimming, mountain biking and trailbike riding.

People most valued protecting habitat and wildlife, while continuing to enjoy the wide range of recreational activities currently available.

Suggestions for the

future include upgraded trails and infrastructure, new recreation opportunities, supporting education, exploring tourism and nature-based experiences, and ongoing community involvement.

The Member for Coffs Harbour and NSW Nationals Leader, Gurmesh Singh, said the last-minute consultation was nothing more than a box-ticking exercise from a Government that didn’t care about local jobs.

“In lieu of genuine consultation, the Government spent years

gaslighting communities on the Mid North Coast that recreational uses would be retained in full, only to later tell stakeholders they will be funnelled into a small corner of the Park,” Mr Singh said.

“It’s great for Labor to tell us what they heard, but are they actually listening?

The Mid North Coast deserves clarity and honesty from Premier Minns and his Government.”

“This report shows we can absolutely protect our environment while also backing our local economy,” said Janelle Saffin, the

Minister for North Coast.

“Local voices are driving this process, and that’s exactly how it should be.”

The report can be found by searching for ‘What we heard’ at environment.nsw. gov.au

q The State Government says locals value recreation and conservation in the GKNP. Photo: Environment NSW.

Community unites for tiny orphans

THE number of orphaned feathertail gliders requiring care in the Nambucca Valley has increased during recent months, sparking innovation and commitment among local volunteers to meet the unique care needs of the tiny creatures.

The Nambucca Heads Men's Shed has once again demonstrated the power of community spirit by helping WIRES Mid North Coast volunteers care for these vulnerable native mammals.

The project focuses on feathertail gliders, the world's smallest gliding mammal.

Weighing an average of just 12 grams, these remarkable native animals feed on pollen, nectar and insects and require highly specialised rehabilitation before they can be returned

to the wild.

The custom-built equipment the feathertail gliders demand will also benefit sugar gliders and squirrel gliders that come into care for rehabilitation.

In recent months, WIRES carers have seen an increase in orphaned gliders after their mothers were killed, most commonly by cats.

These tiny animals require specialised enclosures that provide enrichment while keeping them safe. Here they can develop the climbing, gliding and foraging skills they need before returning to the wild.

Following the purchase of a new rehabilitation enclosure, WIRES volunteers approached the Nambucca Heads Men's Shed to custombuild fittings specifically designed for these unique animals.

The Men's Shed

produced native foliage holders, self-feeding stations that prevent food spilling while the gliders lap their nectar-based diet, and small indoor nesting boxes for rehabilitation.

Special thanks go to Men's Shed member Alan, whose craftsmanship made these custom items possible.

Alan also went above and beyond by reinforcing the enclosure for added strength and durability, ensuring there were no gaps through which the tiny gliders could escape.

This was particularly important for feathertail gliders, which are renowned escape artists because of their incredibly small size.

The work was completed within just a few days, allowing two feathertail gliders that had outgrown their nursery enclosure to move into their new exercise

enclosure where they can build strength, confidence and natural behaviours before their eventual release back into the wild.

Local WIRES Mid North Coast volunteer Tina said the support from the Nambucca Heads Men's Shed would have lasting benefits for wildlife rehabilitation across the region.

"Community support like this is incredibly valuable to WIRES as it strengthens our capability to provide the very best care for our native wildlife and enhances rehabilitation outcomes,” Tina told NOTA.

“The specialised equipment the Men's Shed has built can also be shared with other carers, meaning many more gliders will benefit well into the future.

q An orphaned infant feathertail glider is cared for by WIRES volunteers until it can be released back into the wild.

“We simply couldn't achieve outcomes like this without the generosity of our local community."

If you find sick, injured or orphaned wildlife in the Kempsey, Port Macquarie-Hastings and MidCoast council areas, call For Animals Who Need Assistance (FAWNA) volunteer wildlife rescuers on their 24-hour hotline: 02 6581 4141. In other areas, you can report the injured animal online at www.wires.org. au/report-a-rescue or call WIRES on 1300 094 737.

Elusive notcturnal marsupial a rare sight

A BRUSH-tailed phascogale has been captured on motion-sensing cameras in an east coast National Park for the first time in 13 years, providing a rare glimpse of one of Australia's most elusive native marsupials.

The nocturnal, treedwelling animal was recorded in the park's western section during the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service's first targeted feral cat monitoring program in the Myall Lakes National Park.

While the cameras were deployed to track invasive predators, they instead captured the unexpected visitor.

A NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesperson said the discovery was an exciting outcome.

"The photos were captured during targeted feral cat monitoring at the Myall Lakes National Park

Scorecards site,” they said.

“While our motionsensing cameras were deployed to monitor feral cats, we were excited to capture a brush-tailed phascogale on camera.

"The phascogale was detected in the western part of Myall Lakes National Park and is an isolated record."

The spokesperson said small native mammals such as the brush-tailed phascogale were particularly vulnerable to feral cat predation, making largescale monitoring programs vital for understanding and protecting wildlife.

"The absence of records doesn't necessarily mean the species is rare or declining,” the spokesperson said.

With their identifying bushy bottle-brush tail and heart-shaped ears, paired with big, dark eyes, the phascogale are perfectly adapted for their nocturnal lifestyle.

“Phascogales are elusive,

tree-dwelling animals that are mostly active at night, making them difficult to detect.

"Large-scale monitoring programs like this are critical because the more cameras deployed, the greater the chance of detecting cryptic species like the phascogale and gathering the information needed to protect them."

The monitoring program also records invasive species including foxes, pigs, goats and deer, with data feeding into the Ecological Health Performance Scorecards program to help assess the health of national parks and guide future conservation decisions.

Future surveys at Myall Lakes will include cameras mounted in trees, improving the chances of detecting arboreal species such as the brush-tailed phascogale.

Featured recently in Naturescapes, the brushtailed phascogale is a small marsupial recognised by its distinctive bushy tail

and remarkable breeding strategy.

Males put all their energy into a single breeding season before dying, while females can live for up to three years,

raising multiple litters in tree hollows.

The rediscovery highlights the importance of long-term ecological monitoring as NPWS

undertakes its largest-ever investment in tracking the health of national parks and protecting vulnerable native species.

q A sensor camera captured an elusive phascogale as it moved across the area.
Photo: Supplied.

Marine Rescue issues winter boating warning

has an important safety message for boaties over the winter period.

“Weather can change quickly at this time of year and fog banks can roll in suddenly,” Deputy Unit Commander Stone said. “If you have radar on your boat, make sure you know how to use it.

“People are lessinclined to go out boating when it’s cold, so this is a great time to carry out boat maintenance,” he said.

Engine issues are the leading cause of rescues, accounting for up to 40 per cent of callouts to Marine Rescue NSW.

Statistics from Marine Rescue NSW show that the

$5 Coffee Charity Fund Delivers

Lifeline Across Camden Haven

A

charity that began with a simple idea in Laurieton is continuing to make a meaningful impact across the Camden Haven, providing practical assistance to local residents experiencing hardship.

The $5 Coffee Charity Fund, established and operated entirely by volunteers, encourages people to donate the cost of one coffee each week.

That small contribution has grown into a significant community effort, with more than $40,000 distributed to support local families and individuals since the initiative began.

The fund has assisted a broad range of people,

including families receiving palliative care through Wauchope Palliative Care, young families struggling with unexpected medical expenses, and those facing homelessness by helping secure temporary accommodation.

Volunteers also provide practical assistance with everyday essentials including groceries, fuel, swags and emergency vehicle repairs.

In many cases, this support enables people to return home to family or maintain employment during difficult circumstances.

“Sometimes it’s a tank of fuel or fixing a tyre. But that’s all it takes to get someone back on their feet,” one

volunteer explained.

A defining feature of the initiative is its volunteer-run structure.

Organisers say every donation is directed back into the community, with no administrative costs, allowing funds to reach those most in need.

As demand for assistance continues, organisers are encouraging supporters to consider making regular monthly contributions.

Predictable donations, whether $5, $10, $20 or more, help volunteers plan ahead and respond quickly when urgent requests arise.

Community support also extends beyond financial donations.

organisation’s volunteers completed 235 search and rescue missions across the state's waterways during June, safely returning 548 people to shore as demand for the service remained strong despite cooler weather.

Their volunteer radio operators managed 20,267 radio calls during June, including three MAYDAY and two Pan Pan calls.

Radio operators also monitored the safe return of 21,654 people on board 6,341 vessels that logged on with Marine Rescue NSW before heading out.

Marine Rescue NSW volunteers on the Mid North Coast experienced their busiest June on record, completing 35 search and rescue missions, while Marine Rescue Port Macquarie

also experienced record demand, undertaking 16 rescue missions. Relatively warmer water temperatures on the Mid North Coast mean hypothermia is not a huge concern, however DUC Stone cautioned that boat owners needed to be aware of whale migration, with the large mammals often displaying unpredictable movements.

He also emphasised the importance of regular maintenance routines and including gear such as life jackets in these.

Transport NSW requires that life jackets be serviced every 12 months and that the date of the service be recorded on the inside of the life jacket.

Marine Rescue Camden Haven is holding a safety information Day at Laurieton United Services Club on 15 August and a Base Open Day on 16 August.

The charity's monthly Saturday morning barbecue at Laurieton Warehouse on Ocean Drive continues to attract local supporters, while cash donations are regularly received through the Camden Haven Anglican Church Coffee and Chat program each Monday.

Organisers say the initiative has strengthened community connections, with many residents keen to see how even modest contributions can make a tangible difference to the lives of local people.

While the charity hopes to expand its reach, volunteers say its future success depends on continued community involvement through regular

giving, fund-raising events and volunteering.

As one volunteer put

it, “It’s amazing what a community can do when everyone gives just a little.”
q Regional Bank Donation.
q Marine Rescue members Nick Van Vliet, Steve Barnard, Wes Wilson and Terry Duff in front of the Spirit of Camden Haven. Photo: Supplied by Marine Rescue Camden Haven.

Stage set for red-hot fishing

THE Mid North Coast has continued to produce excellent fishing across a wide range of locations and species, with anglers enjoying consistent success despite some recent challenging weather.

Rock anglers have found drummer to be a popular target, although catches have been a little inconsistent over the past week.

Camden Head has remained the standout location, while several other local headlands have also produced quality fish.

Anglers chasing luderick and bream have fared particularly well, with Diamond Head and Crowdy Head proving to be reliable options.

Fishing fresh green weed on light tackle has continued to deliver the best results for these species.

Offshore, kingfish and pearl perch have provided plenty of action.

Rowlands Reef has been fishing exceptionally well, although other deeper reefs throughout the region are also worth exploring.

Live baits and knife jigs have been the standout techniques for kingfish, with both methods accounting for quality fish.

The Hastings River has also continued to fish well for a variety of species.

Prior to the recent swell, the local beaches produced good numbers of bream and tailor.

Fresh bait, combined with fishing the run-in tide around dawn and dusk, proved to be the

most productive approach. As sea conditions settle, the calmer water around the river mouth should once again produce consistent results. Within the river itself, bream remain the main target, with the top of the tide offering the most productive fishing.

Surface lures, soft plastics and natural baits have all accounted for quality catches.

Flathead are responding well to lightly weighted lures and

baits worked around structure, providing plenty of sport on light tackle.

Mulloway have been taken intermittently from the breakwalls, with both live baits and lures producing fish for those prepared to put in the time.

We should see some decent fish being caught next week with the upcoming full moon.

Offshore, snapper fishing was outstanding mid-week,

particularly on reefs in 20 to 40 metres of water.

Pilchards, soft plastics and a range of lures all produced excellent catches.

With light winds and calm seas forecast this weekend, anglers will have an excellent opportunity to venture wider offshore for a deep-drop session.

Conditions should be ideal for targeting cod and other deepwater species, and I expect to see

Island fishing hotspots revealed

I AM continually amazed that so many residents of Port Stephens are yet to visit Broughton Island.

I recently returned from a few days, fishing, swimming and wandering around the island, which I believe to be a ‘jewel in the crown’ of this beautiful region.

Despite the many times I have visited the island and carried out research, I still feel that there are so many questions unanswered.

The island holds many secrets - from the Worimi, Greek, Italian, Chinese, French and pioneer commercial fishermen who, at times, have called the island home.

The rock structures are baffling and I continue to ask myself - why is the island treeless?

An account of the island’s history can be found in my book, ‘Broughton Islanders’, which was first printed in 2009.

My hottest spots on Broughton Island:

COD ROCK

Cod Rock is one of the most- popular snapper spots around the island. “Coddie” refers more to a reef system rather than a particular rock. The jagged structure, which can easily be picked up by a sounder, is ideal habitat for snapper.

I anchor and berley on sundown, preferably in a north-easterly breeze.

Floating a big prawn, fresh fillet of slimy mackerel or bonito on a 20lb line and 6/0 hook it is only a matter of time before a snapper takes notice.

EAST HEAD

For those who prefer to toss plastics, the drift along the East Head cliff face is perfect, particularly if there is some westerly in the breeze. The most action occurs towards the most-easterly point of the headland where there is an increase in white water activity. Snapper, mulloway and kingfish can all be caught on this drift.

As a Marine Park restriction, bait cannot be used in this area.

THE GUTZ Snapper country between the main island and North

some impressive catches reported. The forecast for both Saturday and Sunday looks outstanding, with light westerly winds, minimal swell and ideal conditions for both offshore and estuary anglers. It shapes as one of the best weekends in recent weeks to get out on the water and, if the forecast holds, anglers can expect plenty of opportunities across the region.

Island. The same game plan as for East Head if you intend to use plastics. A steady westerly will push you along the inside wall of North Island. You do

have the option of anchoring and floating baits down a berley trail.
NORTH BEACH A cracker whiting and
dusky flathead beach over the summer months. Best closer to the rocks where sand and rocks meet. Worms will do the job on whiting while pilchards
on a gang of 3x4/0 or plastics will account for the flathead. Bring the worms to the island as they cannot be caught off any of the beaches.
q Broughton Island holds many secrets. Photo: Supplied.
q Graeme Allen with a superb pearl perch, one of the standout table fish currently coming from the Mid North Coast's deeper reefs.

Hypothetical, Legal Eye

Cocktails, cruises and codicils

JEAN had spent decades building a life of considerable means with her husband, Werner. Following his death, she updated her Will, leaving the bulk of her substantial estate to family members and several charities.

Then Jean boarded a cruise.

Between tropical sunsets, poolside cocktails and leisurely afternoons at sea, Jean met Sterling, an American entertainment lawyer whose colourful observations about Hollywood, high profile litigation and the entertainment industry drew crowds almost as reliably as the breakfast buffet.

He possessed the effortless confidence of a man who had spent a lifetime talking his way into the best rooms and out of the worst situations.

What began as a holiday romance soon swept Jean off her feet. Before long, the pair were dividing their time between Australia, the United States and overseas holidays.

As the years passed, Jean's Wills also changed.

Sterling's daughter was left $200,000. Sterling then received a $1 million legacy. A later Will entitled Sterling to receive income from Jean's testamentary trust. Finally, he was granted a lifelong right to live in Jean's waterfront home.

To most observers, Sterling was the life of the party, but Jean's brother, Lionel, wasn't so easily charmed. After Jean's death, he discovered that every new Will seemed just a little more fond of Sterling than the one before.

Lionel pointed to Jean's long history of heavy alcohol use, repeated falls and declining health. He also questioned Sterling’s involvement in the preparation of the later Wills.

By the time Jean passed away, three different Wills were competing for recognition.

The Court considered extensive medical records, legal file notes and witness evidence before concluding that Jean had testamentary capacity when she made her 2024 Will, but not when she executed her final Will in 2025.

The Court admitted the 2024 Will to probate and rejected allegations that Sterling had exercised undue influence over Jean.

Thank you to Ellysha Laklem for her assistance with this column.

If you have a request for a Hypothetical, call Manny Wood on (02) 66 487 487 or email manny@ tblaw.net.au.

This fictional column is not legal advice.

OPINION & LETTERS

Dorin's Drawings

Verse of the week

The Write Direction

How do you hide an oil tanker?

HOW do you hide an oil tanker ?

I thought the answer to a question like that might be “with a great deal of difficulty”. But it becomes a lot easier when you are not looking.

There are literally hundreds of ships anchored in the Gulf of Hormuz and none of them are allowed in or out of that waterway by both sides of the warring entities.

Iran’s land occupies the eastern side of the gulf and is using its strategic position to control who goes into or out from the straits, as a weapon to try to stop the USA from bombing their nation.

On the Couch

DEAR Jasminda,

I AM getting married in a couple of months and both my father and stepfather are in a battle to walk me down the aisle to my husband.

Would it be strange to have one on either side of me? How can I resolve this without upsetting either of them?

DEAR Leanne,

BEING walked down the aisle. What a strange tradition.

Whereas the USA has stationed its armada of warships across the mouth of the Straits and has used its navy to prevent any ships from entering or exiting the Straits as a method of bringing economic pressure to bear on the Arab nation of Iran, in order to achieve certain objectives.

However marine traffic observers have revealed that hundreds of commercial ships are making these journeys quite regularly by taking what is called “dark Journeys” through Iran’s tollbooth route, with their locator beacons switched off.

This is the direct opposite to what we are all told, which is that neither Iran nor the USA are allowing any ships access to the Straits, especially when carrying oil for export, as produced by Iran.

There are a number of marine intelligence agencies watching these waters and reporting on this no-go zone and what they see happening.

One is saying that some 40 dark transits happened very quickly after it was announced by the USA that this would not be allowed to happen.

While each of these watching

At my own wedding, there were a number of strange traditions that were enforced that made me wonder about our readiness for married life (though we still are married, almost a quarter of a century on).

For starters, my to-be-betrothed and I (he, a casual Catholic, me, a passionate agnostic) had to attend wedding preparation classes.

I can't tell you what they involved, because that particular priest went on extended sick leave after our first session (an ominous sign).

Next we had to select Bible verses, which seemed like an easy enough task, but I found myself spending hours wading through some pretty confounding content, when I should have been focused on the Jukebox playlist and/or

organisations uses different parameters and methods for making these numbers available, it is clear that a good deal of oilcarrying traffic is happening, probably for political reasons.

China still seems to have access to oil from Iran carried on these vessels that the USA says cannot escape their naval blockade.

One intelligence company Kpler is reporting that 264 ships have

Logging in Pine Creek

DEAR News Of The Area,

MY first foray into Pine Creek State Forest Compartments 32 and 33, from Clarkes Road some time ago, was enchanting.

It was an early, warm spring day, birds were singing and darting about, and stately trees lined the Council road.

These compartments are now actively being logged. Almost a month ago a patch of critically endangered scrub turpentine plants were found within the forest.

Forestry Corporation (FC) of NSW has conducted no nocturnal surveys to search for fauna species such as greater gliders, koalas, flying foxes and owls.This is despite the history of citizen scientists having seen or had evidence of some of these species.

On May 26, FC NSW closed

compartments 32 and 33, together with nine other compartments not scheduled for logging, and no public access was allowed.

Citizen scientists were refused access to continue field studies and logging began rapidly afterwards, with no time given for further investigations.

Letters were written to several government departments, including the Department of Primary Industries (DPI), but responses received were little more than the standard form letters.

At no stage has anyone given an assurance that the plants marked and coordinates provided for would be protected. So what becomes of these plants?

In past weeks, clear-fell logging has been under way surrounding an identified koala hub.

The site is being reduced

planning an elopement.

'It is good for them to remain unmarried, as I am' and 'I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man' were among the quotes that jumped out at me for all the wrong reasons.

Further, on the wedding day, our priest completely disregarded our carefully prepared vows and orated the patriarchal summons to obey.

Several feminist heads swivelled in response (never a good look in a church).

It felt very Republic of Gilead.

Now, with reference to walking down the aisle, that was one tradition we managed to break.

Both my mother and father walked me down the aisle, which seemed like a nice modern touch at the time, but we had great difficulty keeping our strides in synch.

My father is a tall, notoriously fast-walker; mum is quite short with a delicate stride, so trying to accommodate both of them felt like a haphazard four-legged race.

Also, with one person on either side of the bride, as you have suggested in your conundrum, I couldn't help but feel that it gave the impression of a suspect flanked by two law enforcement officers.

Being frogmarched to 'Canon in D' is probably not the effect you want to achieve.

Now I'm not sure if yours is a traditional marriage, Leanne, but may I suggest that it is your day and any misgivings should not be yours nor your husbands to bear.

Talk together about what you both want on your special day and stay united in your decisions, as you will hopefully be for many years to come.

Carpe diem, Jasminda.

recently passed through the straits since early June and that a few of those are Iranian flagged vessels and probably part of the dark fleet. They travel at night without any lights and switch off their navigation beacons, but surely they can be tracked by radar and satellites.

What does that say for the US Navy’s ability, which is supposed to be stopping that traffic?

What is really going on?

Where do birds go with such large areas being clear-felled or thinned of native vegetation?

to bare earth, and after burning canopies and other ‘residue’ after logging, multiple applications of herbicide will be applied.

The potential for soil erosion and runoff into waterways and creeks, affecting endangered frog species known to be there and other aquatic life, is significant.

No wonder we are heading towards extinction of so many plants and animals when government regulators are basically giving FC NSW a green light.

No wonder we are heading into extinction of so many plants and animals when our own departments, who are there supposedly to be a regulator for plantations, are giving forestry a green light.

Nesting time is soon, and perhaps even earlier with this warmer winter.

Compartments 4 and 5 in Pine Creek State Forest ( PCSF) have recently been logged, with large amounts ending up as woodchip. (PCSF) Compartment 14, along with its ‘Koala hub’, was clear-felled not that long ago. And now Bird Flu has arrived at Hawks Nest.

Not a good time to be a bird here.

So called ‘plantations’ in our area include extensive remnant and regrowth of native vegetation. Yet many endangered species that they support are afforded little meaningful protection and are left to suffer the consequences of cumulative biodiversity loss. Or will it be humanity suffering?.

Regards, Angela Wallace,

Philippians 4: 7 "And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."

There is no freedom unless all people are free

DEAR News Of The Area, THE Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has produced some interesting insights.

The most interesting one, to my mind, is to clarify what is meant by antisemitism, and what is the distinction between Judaism, Zionism, and the state of Israel.

Judaism is an ethno-religion, comprising a mix of faith, culture, ancestry, and history that predates the modern concepts such as race, nationality, or ethnicity, making it hard to use these latter terms as descriptors.

People sometimes try to make the point that, although the Jews are described as Semites, the

Palestinians are also Semites. Be that as it may, the commonly used parlance is that antisemitism is synonymous with hatred of Jewish people for being Jews, making it a form of discrimination akin to racism.

Zionism is a political ideology, established in the late 19th century, that sought to create a Jewish state in the lands of Palestine.

At the same time as Zionism was being promoted, another section of Jewish people were organised around the Jewish Bund. Their premise was not for a Jewish homeland but for the right to be accepted as equals in any country.

So, to disparage a person for

being Jewish is no different to disparaging a person for being Muslim, or Christian, or Hindu. It is akin to racism and is hateful.

Criticism of a state, or a political ideology, however, is fair game and, I would put, a necessary part of political discourse.

Some people are more articulate in their criticism than others.The danger, and the need for careful language, is not to conflate the criticism of a state or political ideology with a religion or a people. Or to conflate all people with an ideology.

There are many Jewish people and organisations, including of Israeli origin, who are opposed to the actions of the Israeli state in Gaza, the West Bank, and

It’s time to let that go

DEAR News Of The Area, ISN’T it time we stopped talking about the PM and Kylie Minogue?

(Ashamed of our Prime Minister,

NOTA, 17/7/26.)

It seems to me that the PM found himself at a rather classless party where a silly game was played, pressed to commit to an

answer to a tasteless question thereby expressing his admiration for a truly wonderful woman.

I'm sure Kylie is big enough to accept the whole thing as a

Let’s be Australian together

DEAR News Of The Area, ESSENCE of spirituality in

Australia doesn’t make itself superior to anyone.

Anyone entering into this

becomes Australian, no matter what their background.

Let us all be / become

Lebanon. Just as there is a variety of opinion and practice among Christian, or Muslims, there is a variety of opinions among Jews.

There are Jewish and Palestinian voices that are recognising that the current actions of force are mutually self destructive. Appeals for peace based upon rights and values are fraught and often do not succeed.

Perhaps, they suggest, appeals to mutual self interest is a more fruitful path. Recognition that the current way of resolving issues will bring neither peace nor dignity to either side is, at least, a start to exploring more productive solutions.

At the end of the day, the

compliment and move on.

I would, but I am in my eighties.

As for "Fire the liar", something had to be done about negative gearing and capital gains, and changing course has allowed some oxygen into an all

Australian … together.

None of us created the world, created Australia, so how can we own it? But we are extended title to parcels of land

peoples living in Israel / Palestine will find a way to live together that ensures peace, security, and dignity for all of them because the alternative is an endless war of destruction.

Both populations are traumatised people, the Jews from the Holocaust of World War II, and the Palestinians from the Nakba of 1948.

In order to build peace we must not descend to demonising the other. We must recognise the humanity of all people and acknowledge that there is no freedom unless all people are free.

but mortally wounded housing market.

I am glad that the present government is in charge to deal with the things that really matter.

Margaret England, Toormina.

for the purpose of civility. So let us all be civil … together.

Pauline wants a unified, safe and peaceful society

DEAR News Of The Area,

AFTER five years of rapidly rising living costs and inflation, many people are struggling and are looking for a Government that will actually improve their living standards rather than making them worse.

Labor's policies are failing miserably.

Stargazing

Look up into the sky and you look back in time

LOOK up at a clear night sky and you are not seeing the Universe as it is - you are seeing it as it was.

Every point of light above you is a message from the past, carried across unimaginable distances at the speed of light.

Even the unaided eye can reach back years, decades, sometimes centuries.

With a telescope, that journey becomes even more dramatic: you are effectively looking across deep time.

In a very real sense, your

The recent OECD Employment Outlook Report found that while the average member country has recorded a 5 per cent increase in living standards since March 2021, Australians have suffered a 5.1 per cent fall in living standards. This is reprehensible. Consequently, One Nation is becoming very popular, despite the efforts of those already in positions of power to maintain the status quo.

telescope is a time machine.

The reason is simple, yet astonishing. Light does not arrive instantly. It travels at about 300,000 kilometres per second, which sounds fast - until you start measuring the Universe in kilometres.

The numbers quickly become absurd.

To describe the distance to even a nearby galaxy, you would need strings of digits so long they feel almost fictional.

Astronomers solve this by using light-years: the distance light travels in one year, roughly 10 trillion kilometres.

Once you think in these terms, even the Solar System becomes a place of delayed vision and communication.

The Moon you see tonight is not the Moon “now,” but the Moon as it was 1.3 seconds ago. Sunlight takes just over 8 minutes to reach Earth, meaning every sunset is slightly behind reality.

A telescope does not shorten this journey. It simply collects more of the ancient light, making distant objects brighter and more detailed.

What you gain in clarity, you

Pauline was indeed a small business owner who battled for her survival when she was younger.

She is unlike the majority of Labor and Green politicians, who have mostly only ever worked for the Labor Party, for a union, or for the Government.

Be wary of their lies, their spin and their unfounded false claims to denigrate Pauline and her Party. They will say almost anything to try to stop real change (that puts our best interests first)

do not gain in immediacy. You are always looking backward.

Scale this up further and the effect becomes mind-bending.

Some of the stars in familiar constellations like Orion’s “Saucepan” pattern are so far away that any dramatic change occurring there would not be known to us for hundreds of years.

If one of those stars exploded tonight, Earth would continue to see its calm, unchanged light until the year 2900 or beyond.

We would be living through a cosmic delay of centuries.

Then there are galaxies - entire systems of billions of stars - whose light began its journey before humans even existed.

When you observe them, you are witnessing the Universe in its deep history, not its present state.

For many people, this idea becomes unforgettable the first time it truly sinks in. It did for me during the early days of the Space Age.

The launch of Sputnik 1 - the first artificial satellite - changed everything. A polished metal sphere roughly the size of a beach ball, it circled Earth every 98 minutes,

from coming to the Australian Government.

Pauline is a person of conviction and consistency, unlike our current leaders who frequently “change their position” to suit their current selfish agenda.

Her aim is to improve the living standards of all Australians, to end wasteful and pointless government spending, to provide equality and equal opportunity for all, and to create a unified, harmonious, safe and peaceful

broadcasting simple radio “beeps” that could be picked up worldwide.

To some, it was a curiosity. To others, it was a shock. To me, it was electrifying.

I remember listening to those faint beeps on a radio as a young observer and believing I had glimpsed something extraordinary passing overhead.

Later I learned that what I had likely seen was not Sputnik itself; it was too small - but the rocket stage that carried it, racing across the sky at orbital speed.

Yet the experience felt no less historic. I was watching humanity’s

society.

The increasing popularity of One Nation is not a '”perversion” of democracy; it is, in fact, the very epitome of democracy, as the people cast their judgement upon decades of damaging political selfinterest and government policies that have failed, and continue to fail the Australian people.

Regards, Peter Williams,

first steps into space unfold in real time.

Sputnik was only 56 centimetres across, with four long antennae extending like whiskers into the vacuum. But its impact was enormous. It marked the beginning of the Space Age and the Space Race - a moment when the night sky stopped being only a source of wonder and became a destination.

And in that sense, nothing has changed.

Every time you look up, you are still travelling through time. See my website for more stories www.davidreneke.com

Regards, Peter Sobey,

New artificial reef expected to reel in tourists

THE Mid North Coast has a new artificial reef, established to boost offshore recreational fishing opportunities and feed the appetites of tourists visiting the area.

The NSW DPIRD installed the offshore artificial reef approximately 2km southwest off Sawtell to promote the growth of fish habitat and provide new fishing locations for recreational fishers, who are seen as the lifeblood of tourism along the NSW east coast.

A similar offshore artificial reef has been installed off Ballina.

“The new offshore artificial reefs at Ballina and Coffs Harbour are set to

become a major drawcard, providing fantastic fishing opportunities for locals and visitors eager to catch a variety of fish species,” said the Hon.Tara Moriarty MP, NSW Minister for Agriculture.

"Recreational fishing contributes $3.4 billion to the NSW economy each year and these reefs will only further that economic impact."

The NSW Recreational Fishing Trust provided funds for the construction projects.

Evidence shows these initiatives enable premium habitat for a diverse range of fish species, and the new locations and heightened sealife activity is welcomed by recreational fishers.

The oceanic scaffolding kick-starts a colonising

process, from bacterial biofilm and encrusting organisms, then over months and years sponges, sea squirts and corals.

After about a year the new reef could be home to snails, sea urchins, crabs, octopuses, eels and reef fish.

The artificial reef is also expected to attract prized fish including mackerel, snapper, mulloway and various baitfish.

The Coffs structural sea mount consists of two steel structures developed by experts including naval architects, coastal engineers and biologists. The mount has been designed to withstand forces produced by currents, undertow, and extreme weather events.

The exact locations of the new Coffs reef structures are 30°23.516'S (Latitude)

153°06.923'E (Longitude) (WGS84 Datum), and 30°23.4509'S (Latitude) 153°07.2673'E (Longitude) (WGS84 Datum).

The footprint of each structure spans 15.6 x 15.6m, is 12m tall and weighs 50 tonnes.

The two submerged structures that form the sea mount are placed around 500 metres apart in 28 metres of water.

The two new reefs join a dozen others already installed along the NSW coast, including a reef similarly

installed at Ballina earlier in the year in March.

The new reefs were built, transported and installed by NSW-based marine infrastructure company, SMC Marine, which has been building marine infrastructure since 2001.

Winter fire warning after two fatal house fires

WINTER has claimed two more lives in separate house fires, prompting Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) to issue an urgent reminder for residents to check smoke alarms and take extra care with heating appliances.

Two people, both believed to have been in their 70s, died in separate residential fires within five days of each other.

The deaths have brought the number of people killed in NSW structure fires to six this winter and 19 since the

beginning of 2026.

Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said the recent tragedies highlighted the increased risks during the colder months.

“These two deaths are a stark and tragic reminder about home fire dangers in winter,” Mr Dib said.

“We know that when temperatures drop, the risk of house fires increases as people use more electrical devices and heating appliances, raising the number of potential fire

hazards.

“Take today as an opportunity to make sure you have working smoke alarms or to book in a free home fire

safety visit with your local FRNSW crew.”

Firefighters have attended 480 residential fires across NSW this winter, with

2,025 recorded so far this year.

FRNSW is encouraging residents to take advantage of its free home fire safety visit program, where firefighters inspect or install smoke alarms and provide practical fire safety advice.

FRNSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell said simple precautions could save lives.

“I encourage residents to utilise our free home fire safety visit program which will have firefighters visit your home to check your smoke alarms and provide fire safety advice to keep yourself and your family safe this winter,” Commissioner

Port Pirates win top of table clash with Snappers

STORY STARTS on BACK COVER, Page 20

high premiership shields and receiving awards and recognition for his hard work and commitment to the game from both his club and MNC Rugby.

Fewtrell said.

He also urged households to regularly test smoke alarms, avoid overloading power boards, keep flammable items at least one metre from heaters and never leave cooking unattended.

The warning follows another recent incident in Naremburn, where an electric blanket left switched on as a pet bed ignited after smouldering for several minutes.

Firefighters extinguished the blaze before it spread, with FRNSW reminding residents to inspect electric blankets for frayed wires, scorch marks or damaged controllers before every use and replace them if they show signs of wear.

“Debuting at 17 in first grade and quickly earning his permanent spot in the team, playing with and learning from the many older and experienced team members, it is hard to believe that today he is one of those older and experienced players that others now look up to and respect.

Wauchope Country Club

MONDAY 20th July 2026

On a pleasant midwinter afternoon, two days before Pi-day (22/7) we had 22 bowlers on the green at

Bogie Bandits

Social Golf

TUESDAY 14/07/2026

“So today we celebrate him running out for his 100th First Grade game, congratulations and well done Kaes.”

Wauchope Country Club for our afternoon of mixed bowls. Games on rink 3 were closely fought as were those on rinks 2 and 4 with the lead changing a few times during the games. On rink 3 the scores were separated by only 1 or 2 points until the last two

Number of Players – 20

Game Played –Stableford

Winner- Bailey

Ackroyd - 48 points ( a SENSATIONAL EFFORT

The Coffs Harbour Snappers reserves remained undefeated, defeating the Port Macquarie Pirates 24-13 in their top-of-the-ladder clash.

The Coffs Harbour Snappers women had a 36-10 win against the Port Macquarie Pirates.

The SCU Marlins reserves were 20-10 winners against the Hastings Valley Vikings in

Port Macquarie.

The Grafton Redmen belted the Kempsey Cannonballs 67-24, in their first grade encounter at Grafton Rugby Park.

Round 11

The Mid North Coast Rugby Union Northern Division season continues this weekend with Round 11 matches.

SPORT RESULTS

ends when Gunnar’s team increased their lead to 7 points at the end. Rink 5 was the only game which had a large margin at the end with Mick Simpson and Fay Paine coming out eventual winners by 15 points.

The team of John Smyth, Patricia Fletcher and Peter from our new junior member!).

2nd Flynn

Ackroyd - 36 Points(also a new junior member)

3rd Ray

Doherty collected the winning money from the marble draw, with runners-up on rink 5 of Mick Simpson and Fay Paine and lucky losers on rink 5 also being Jenny Wooster and Martin Greenfield. The jackpot marble went to rink 5 as well but the number they picked was 4, not the 9

Marsh35 Points(on Count Back)

4th

Don Jessop - 35 Points

Ladder leaders the Coffs Harbour Snappers head south to take on the Kempsey Cannonballs.

The SCU Marlins are at home against the Grafton Redmen, and the Port Macquarie Pirates and Hastings Valley Vikings clash in their local derby.

First grade ladder 1.Coffs Harbour Snappers.

on the slip in the envelope so the money jackpots yet again to next week. Raffle winners were Mick, Lauckie, Ned x2, David x2 and Ian.

We have 10 players travelling to Taree on Sunday to play a game with Taree West bowlers, so we wish them an enjoyable morning’s

5th

John Gillard - 34 Points NTP 4 Neil Flatters

NTP 9

33 points. 6 wins. 1 draw. 1 loss. Points differential (p.d): 149. 2.Port Macquarie Pirates. 30 points. 6 wins. 2 losses. (p.d): 108. 3.Grafton Redmen. 4 wins. 1 draw. 3 losses. (p.d): 109. 4.Hastings Valley Vikings. 19 points. 3 wins. 5 losses. (p.d): -69. 5.Kempsey Cannonballs. 4 points. 0 wins. 8 losses. (p.d): -297.

bowls. Our usual Monday bowls will still be on the day after (27th July)

A reminder to ensure your names are entered for next Monday’s games by writing them on the sheet in the bowls office or by phoning the club on 65853020 and leaving a message by 12 noon.

Chas Viner

NTP 11 Bailey

Ackroyd NTP 15 Neil Flatters Congratulations to all winners!!

q The pair of structures submerged off Sawtell on 11 June, 2026 has an impressive footprint. Photo: NSW DPIRD.
q The damaged home where a woman died from injuries after escaping a fire that gutted an apartment. Photo: Andrew Stafford, AAP.

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SOLID pine timber TV cabinet. GC. $50. Ph 0400 779 531

SHAMPOO Machine

KARCHER Professional New in box. Ideal for car seats, lounges and carpets. Cost over $1,000. Best Offer. 0431 579 490

WINE decanter jugs collection of 15-20 $100 ono. Ph 0414 719 471 F170726

3 boat fuel tanks, 25ltrs $50 the lot. Ph 0408 994 486 Free

trailer tent (tent only), ex cond, to fit 2.1m x 1.7m trailer. $95 Ph 0412 004 970

30FT fold-out container home, 2 bdr, bathroom kitchen, brand new $50,000 ono. Ph 0401 035 674 NHPMRUS51126

PAVERS, 9”x 4.5”x1.5” reddish colour. Approx 4m² Ph 0447 118 596

ADJUSTABLE mobility chair, padded with armrests. $90. 0459 597 012 F270226

CHILD’S booster seat 4-8yrs, folding. Barely used. $25. Ph 0458 659 427

BROMELIADS. $2 each (neg). Ph 0488 979 484

GOLDEN cane palms x 6 in large pots $70 the lot. Ph 0488 979 484

CLASSIFIEDS

HSS-928 X Large, brand new

scooter plus lots of extras Paid $7,200, selling for $3,800. 0421 502 284 e240726

DOULTON Ware planter pots with saucers large - $35, small - $25 Ph 0401 226 410 F070526

DRUM kit, 8 piece Tama ‘80s, great rock kit, fair cond. $750. Ph 0428 585 549 RUSe121226

FISHING Rod - 3 piece Jarvis Walker Surf Rock 15 foot. Exc Cond. $80 ono. Pick up Crescent Head. 0425 322 890

FISHING rod and reel $90. Ph 0428 489 689

FLURO light, 60cm wide w/ 2 globes. $20 Ph 0412 004 970

GARDEN leaf blower petrol engine $45. 6585 7393

Polish Bentwood armchair made in Krakow $70 6585 7393 BUFFET and hutch 2m H x 4.3m D x 1.2m W $100. 6586 3737

CLIMBING gear, various hardware, helmet and harnesses. Make an offer. Ph 0447 610 321

CURTAINS tie backs soft rope style, creamy white, exc. cond. 10 avail $4 each. Pick up Port Mac. 0435 641 556 F030726

COCA-COLA Memorabilia Collection $95. 0409 863 898

GOLF Balls and Tees x 50. Great Cond $50. Pick up Crescent Head. 0425 322 890 F130226

GOLF clubs. 4 x Drivers No’s 1,1, 3 & 4, 1 x 4 Iron & 2 Putters. $10 ea or $50 the lot. Ph 02 6584 9884

LOUNGE, grey, 3 seater would suit man cave/ shed, good cond. $50 Ph 0428 585 549

LOUNGES x 2 leather 1 x 3 seater, 1 x 2 seater burgandy, fair to GC $300. Ph 0402 586 877

MAKITA garden grass trimmer, 2 stroke, 21cc electric ignigition, exc cond. $99. Ph 0403 800 775

MASPORT garden gobbler for shredding and chipping. 3.02hp 240v, $90. Ph 6582 0179

MEGABLOCKS racing car set. 180 blocks, 13 cars. $40 Ph 0458 659 427

PET crate collapsible suitable for small dog 61 x 46 x 48cm, holds 5-11kg. Exc. cond $20. Ph 0402 586 877

newsofthearea.com.au

PETWAY pet door for small to med sized pet up to 10kg, good cond ext dim 33cm H x 28cm W, int dim 24cm H x 19cm W. $40. Ph 0428 559 572

PIANOLA and stool in GC, over 50

PICNIC 3pce aluminum folding setting exc cond $30. Ph 0481 046 477

PIERRE Trudeau biography by George Radwanski. $5. Ph 0447 445 319

chair, reclining black padded leatherette very comfy, good cond $68. Ph 0448 142 260

TERRACOTTA pots x 6 large. Lion mosaic $500 for all 6. Ph 0438 645 627

TOASTER, Kambrook model LTA620BSS brand new. $60. Ph 0488 429 163

TOTE bags, handmade 5 available. $6 each. Ph 0467 655 663

, Avanti AT380, good cond owner’s manual. Pick up PM. $250 neg. Cash only. Ph 0413 889 231 RUSe271126

Atlantic boat on unregistered trailer, late model 115hp Yamaha motor, unfinished project to inspect. $8,000 neg Ph 0429 651 780 10ft Brooker boat on unregistered trailer motor oars etc.,

Roadstar caravan 16ft, 2 berth, many extras reg ‘til 12/11 G96521 $11,500 ono. Phone Graham on 6581 0810 RUSe080127

BOOKS! Books! Books! Come and find your favourite author, also model toy cars, dolls and bears. 83 Burrawang Drive, PM Sat 24th and Sun 25th July 2011 EVOLUTION tracker, 22ft, semi offroad, 12mths rego Z75408, bike racks on rear, washing machine separate shower/toilet tunnel boot w/pull out BBQ. $41,990 ono. Ph 0428 653 278

NESPRESSO coffee capsule machine with Podista milk frother as new cond. $99 Ph 0481 046 477 F220526

timber table 1050 x 660 x 750 with ornate metal legs $85. 6585 7393

side table w/glass top, cream $30. 0402 164 639

desk, wooden 2 shelves w/pull out slide drawer section as new cond. $99. Ph 0412 321 092

QB bed frame, grey fabric, less than 1 yr old. $100. 0414 719 471

10 fin $20. 0402 164 639

ROHO Quadtro wheelchair cushion select HP for 59x50cm as new. $99. Ph 0412 310

$40. Ph 0427 951 211 F240426

To place a classified ad, Call 02 4981 8882 The deadline is 12pm Wednesdays. List an item for sale for $100 or less for free LAWNMOWER, $95 0478 926 676

COMPUTER desk with keyboard drawer and storage shelf on top $50. 0459 597 012

OLD fashioned desk, 6 drawers large, GC. $40 Ph 0459 365 025

cabinet, solid pine with cupboards and drawers 2m w x 1.4m h x 55cm d. $50. 0408 229 600 F100726

cabinet, wooden 1 shelf, 2 door. 540d x 980w x 665 h. $50. Ph 0412 321 092

Unit 1970s dark brown, top glass section lower wooden sliding doors, 200 x 175cm GUC $95 0405 292 205 F110725

BED - QB base and pillowtop mattress limited use stored for years, VGC. $60 ono Ph 0405 292 205 F100726 2005 Honda Accord VTi 1 owner, full history, exc cond, 246,486kms, REG CZ87VZ. $4,800 ono 0437 186 651

WESTINGHOUSE Refrigerator. Good cond $90 ono 1702mm H x 790mm W x 612mm D 0419 226 048 F171025

BINOCULARS - Nikon Sportstar 10 x 25 dcf. $20 Ph 0405 292 205

CONCRETE mixer electic. GC. $120. Ph 0438 645 627

$900. 0412 310 475 KING single bed base - two available. $30 each Pick up Port Mac. Ph 0435 641 556

with lid, hardly used. $30. Ph 0402 835 950 LADIES W/P green jacket, 3/4 length, size 10/12, very warm, as new. $25. Ph 0402 835 950 SUITCASE, large. $10 Ph 0402 835 950

OIL heater on wheels 1500watt, DeLonghi Cash only. $10. Ph 0408 446 129

SANLI GMC garden blower vac, 2 stroke 26cc in exc. cond. $79 0403 800 775

Caravans
NDIS Providers

BEST ON THE BOX

SATURDAY

LOVE IT OR LIST IT AUSTRALIA

TEN, 7.30pm

It’s the Melbourne suburb with a name that divides the locals from the pretenders: Prahran. It’s a pronunciation minefield for Englishborn real estate guru Andrew Winter (pictured), who visits the chic inner-city enclave with co-host Neale Whitaker in the fifth season of this property series. The pair are coming to the rescue of parents

Joel and Anna, who bought an art deco home on a corner block with the intention of knocking it down and rebuilding their dream dwelling – before parenthood and rising interest rates put the brakes on their budget. Whitaker sets about overhauling their existing layout to create a space that suits the young family, while Winter takes the couple on a tour of open-plan alternatives.

FRIDAY,

July 24

SUNDAY

MASTERCHEF AUSTRALIA

TEN, 7pm

When it comes to VIP guests, this season of MasterChef has seen its fair share of star power – from Jimmy Barnes to Robert Irwin – but securing Sunday’s guest will be the show’s crowning achievement. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (pictured), is bringing her love of food, entertaining and seasonal produce to the kitchen for an unforgettable episode. The final four contestants are tasked with creating a dish that celebrates one of the Duchess’ favourite ingredients – among them artichokes, honey, macadamia nuts and quinces – and accompany it with a personal story that allows Meghan and judges Poh Ling Yeow, Sofia Levin and Jean-Christophe Novelli to feel a sentimental connection to the meal.

WEDNESDAY

with a missing teenage daughter (Eubha Akilade). Though Olivia disappeared some time ago, Chris and his wife Michelle (Vinette Robinson, pictured), herself a former undercover cop, are still calling on their professional skills and contacts in the hope of finding out what happened to their daughter. Inspired by the Japanese novel by Hideo Yokoyama, this fourpart series quickly tangles us up in another missing girl’s cold case, raising questions of cover-

6.00 News Breakfast. 9.00 News. 10.00 Compass. (PG, R) 10.30 Stuff The British Stole. (PG, R) 11.00 Race Around The World. (M, R) 12.00 ABC News At Noon. 1.00 Portrait Artist Of The Year. (PG, R) 1.50 Treasure & Dirt. (R) 3.00 Fake Or Fortune? (R) 3.55 Murdoch Mysteries. (PG, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R) 6.00 WorldWatch. 7.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 8.00 WorldWatch. 10.00 UAE From Above. (R) 11.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 12.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 1.00 WorldWatch. 3.00 Nula. 3.30 The Cook Up. (R) 4.00 Michael Mosley Secrets Of The Superagers. (R) 5.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 6.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games: Opening Ceremony Continued. 7.00 Sunrise. 9.30 The Morning Show. (PG) 12.00 Seven’s National News At Noon. 1.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth

6.00

SATURDAY, July 25

6.00 WorldWatch. 7.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 8.00 WorldWatch. 10.00 The World From Above. (Return) 11.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 12.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 1.00 WorldWatch. 3.00 Following The Flow. (PGal, R) 4.30 Grand Tours Of Scotland’s Rivers. (PG, R) 5.30 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights.

6.30 SBS World News.

6.05 Kath & Kim. (PGals, R) Brett plans a romantic trip away.

6.30 Hard Quiz. (PG, R) Hosted by Tom Gleeson.

7.00 ABC News. A look at the top stories of the day.

7.30 Cooper & Fry. (Ma) A local photographer is found dead. 9.05 Doc Martin. (PG, R) Martin advises Mrs Moore to stop cold-water swimming until they’ve ruled out the cause of her migraines. 9.55 Believe Me. (R) The victims of a serial rapist fight for justice.

10.40 Little Disasters. (Mal, R) 11.25 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

7.30 Cycling. Tour de France. Stage 20. Le Bourg d’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez.

170.9km mountain stage. From France.

1.00 Underground Army. (Ma, R) The underground blows up trains.

2.55 Michael Mosley Secrets Of The Superagers: Future Of Ageing. (PG, R) Dr Michael Mosley focuses on medicine.

3.50 Ireland In Music: Sclimpini. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning.

5.15 Euronews.

5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 1: Morning. 7.00 Weekend Sunrise. 10.00 Morning Show.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 2: Evening.

8.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 2: Night. 10.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 2: Late.

12.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 2: Overnight.

2.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 2: Pre-dawn.

4.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 2: Early morning.

6.00 9News Saturday.

7.00 A Current Affair.

7.30 MOVIE: Legally Blonde. (2001, PGls, R) A ditzy blonde enrols in law school. Reese Witherspoon.

9.30 MOVIE: Crazy, Stupid, Love. (2011, Mls, R) A middle-aged man’s wife asks for a divorce. Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling.

11.50 MOVIE: If I Stay. (2014, Ma, R)

1.50 My Way.

2.00 The Incredible Journey Presents. (PGa)

2.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

4.30 Global Shop. (R)

5.00 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R)

5.30 Helping Hands. (PG, R)

6.30 The Dog House Australia. (PGa, R) Narrated by Dr Chris Brown. 7.30 Love It Or List It Australia. A couple live in the “worst house on the best street”, in a space that is not conducive at all to their lifestyle. 9.50 Ambulance Australia. (Mal, R) In Brisbane, a bystander calls in a crash in the heart of Brisbane’s CBD involving a motorcyclist and taxi. 10.50 Ambulance UK. (Mlm, R) Paramedics deal with a hit-and-run accident.

12.00 FBI. (Madv, R) 1.00 Home Shopping. (R) 5.00 Hour Of Power.

6am Children’s Programs. 2.30pm The Makery. 3.00 Play School. 3.30 Octonauts And The Ring Of Fire. 4.50 Gardening Australia Junior. 5.15 MOVIE: Tummy Tom 2: A New Friend For Tummy Tom. (2024) 6.25 Emerald. 7.05 Let’s Go Bananas! 7.30 Kids Baking Championship. (Final) 8.10 Kids BBQ Championship. 8.55 Chopped Junior. 10.00 Fresh Off The Boat. 10.40 Merlin. 11.25 Late Programs.

H’lights. 4.05

6.05 Mastermind Australia. 6.40 The Mega-Brands That Built The World. 7.30 Record-Breaking Submarines. 8.35 Icons Unearthed: Harrison Ford. (Premiere) 9.30 MOVIE: Crossing Over. (2009, MA15+) 11.30

6am The Silver Brumby. (1993, PG) 7.45 A River Runs Through It. (1992, PG) 10.00 The Fisher King. (1991, M) 12.30pm Only The Brave. (2017, M) 2.55 The Ploughman’s Lunch. (1983, PG) 4.55 The Amazing Mr. Blunden. (2021, PG) 6.30 Jumanji. (1995, PG) 8.30 Gone Girl. (2014, MA15+) 11.15 The Little Death. (2014, MA15+) 1am The Client. (1994, M) 3.15 Late Programs.

SUNDAY, July 26

6.00 WorldWatch. 7.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 8.00 WorldWatch. 10.00 The World From Above. (PG) 11.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 12.00 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights. 1.00 Motorcycle Racing. Aust ProMX C’ship. 4.00 WorldWatch. 5.00 Going Places. (PG, R) 5.30 Cycling. Tour de France. H’lights.

6.30 SBS World News.

6.30 Compass: Faith, Power And Modi.

7.00 ABC News.

7.30 Race Around The World. William heads to Madagascar.

8.30 Treasure & Dirt. (Maln) Ivan and Nell finally catch up with Stanley. Nell gets a disturbing call from Phelan.

9.30 Believe Me. (Mals) Laila’s assault claim is dismissed by police.

10.15 Cooper & Fry. (Ma, R)

11.55 Rage. (MA15+adhlnsv)

2.40 Poh’s Kitchen On The Road. (R)

3.10 Doc Martin. (PG, R)

4.00 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

5.00 Insiders. (R)

FAMILY (22) ABC FAMILY (22)

6am Children’s Programs. 2.30pm The Makery. 2.45 Wiggle. 3.00 Play School. 3.25 The Wiggles. 4.25

J And

7.30 Paris Underground.

8.30 Arc De Triomphe: The Passion Of A Nation. (PG, R)

9.30 Castle Secrets. (Mav, R)

10.25 Kennedy. (PG, R)

11.20 Framed. (PGad, R)

11.50 this bond i and Bondi. (PGns, R)

12.00 Beautiful Game Changers. (R)

12.05 Cycling. Tour de France. Stage 21.

4.25 Bamay. (R) 4.55 China Bitesize. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning.

5.15 Euronews.

5.30 PBS News Horizons.

de France.

4.20

24. 4.55

4.00

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 3: Evening.

8.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 3: Night. 10.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 3: Late.

12.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 3: Overnight.

2.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 3: Pre-dawn.

4.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 3: Early morning.

5.30 Sunrise.

6am Morning Programs. 3.40pm MOVIE:

6.00 9News Sunday.

7.00 LEGO Masters Bricktacular. (Final, PG) Hosted by Hamish Blake. 8.30 60 Minutes. Current affairs program, investigating, analysing and uncovering the issues affecting all Australians. 9.30 9News Late.

10.00 The First 48. (Mav)

11.00 Black Widow. (Premiere, MA15+a) 11.50 Murder In The 21st. (Mav) 12.40 For The Love Of Pets. (PGa, R) 1.30 TV Shop: Home Shopping. (R) 4.00 Skippy The Bush Kangaroo. (R)

4.30 CampByMe.

5.00 Today Early News. 5.30 Today.

6.30 10 News+. Hosted by Denham Hitchcock and Amelia Brace. 7.00 MasterChef Australia. (PG) Special guest is Meghan Markle. 8.15 Watson. (Md)

5.15 Zog. 5.40

7.05

Cuz. 4.50 Gardening Australia

Monsters. 6.05

Bananas! 7.30

Masks. 6.25

Inbestigators. 7.45 The Lady Grace Mysteries. 8.10 Epic Adventures With Bertie Gregory. 8.55 Animal Park. 10.25 Secrets Of The Zoo. 11.10 Late Programs.

Washington Week. 5.20 PBS News Compass Points. 5.50 The Food That Built The World. 6.40 Abandoned Engineering. 8.30 MOVIE: Ready Player One. (2018) 11.00 Under The Bridge. 12.50am QAnon: The Search For Q. 1.45 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

6am The Amazing Mr. Blunden. Continued. (2021, PG) 6.40 Dancing At Lughnasa. (1998, PG) 8.25 Jumanji. (1995, PG) 10.20 The Professor And The Madman. (2019, M) 12.45pm Rogue Agent. (2022, M) 2.55 The Silver Brumby. (1993, PG) 4.40 A River Runs Through It. (1992, PG) 6.55 The Terror. (1963) 8.30 Arcadian. (2024, M) 10.10 Gangster Squad. (2013, MA15+) 12.15am Late Programs.

MONDAY, July 27

6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Big Fat Quiz Of Telly 2026.

9.10 Alone Australia. (Ml, R) 10.20 SBS World News Late. 10.50 Gomorrah. (MA15+v, R) 2.25 Merrill’s Marauders: Burma WWII. (Mav, R)

3.25 The Kim Dynasty: A Family Affair. (PGa, R)

4.20 Bamay. (R)

4.55 China Bitesize. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning. 5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 4: Evening. 8.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 4: Night. 10.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 4: Late.

12.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 4: Overnight.

2.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 4: Pre-dawn.

4.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 4: Early morning.

5.30 Sunrise.

6.00 9News.

7.00 A

Footy Classified. (Ml)

Tipping

6am Children’s Programs. 2.30pm The Makery. 3.00 Play School. 3.25 Wiggle. 4.05 Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.40 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.05 Young Sheldon. 8.30 Young Sheldon. 8.50 Badgers: Their Secret World. 10.20 Kids Baking Championship. 11.05 Late Programs.

6am Children’s Programs. 4.05pm Andy’s Dinosaur Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.40 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.05 Young Sheldon. 8.30 Young Sheldon. 8.50 Ice Age. 9.35 MythBusters “There’s Your Problem!”. 10.00 BattleBots. 10.45 Animals Up Close With Bertie Gregory. 11.25 Late Programs. ABC FAMILY (22) ABC FAMILY (22)

6am The Terror.

Continued. (1963, M) 6.45 Finding Altamira. (2016, PG) 8.25 All At Sea. (2010, PG) 10.00 Arcadian. (2024, M) 11.40 The Client. (1994, M) 1.55pm The Amazing Mr. Blunden. (2021, PG) 3.30 Mr. Holmes. (2015, PG) 5.25 Where Angels Fear To Tread. (1991, PG) 7.30 Michael Collins. (1996, M) 9.55 Seven Samurai. (1954, PG, Japanese) 1.35am Perrier’s Bounty. (2009, MA15+) 3.15 Late Programs.

TUESDAY, July 28

6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS World News.

7.35 Portugal With Michael Portillo. (PG, R) 8.30 Insight. 9.30 Dateline.

10.00 SBS World News Late.

10.30 Stanley Tucci: Searching For Italy. (R)

11.20 The Negotiator. (Malv)

12.55 MOVIE: Julia. (2021, Mals, R)

2.40 A Certain Mother. (PGan, R)

4.00 Bamay. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News.

5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

(31)

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 5: Evening. 8.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 5: Night. 10.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 5: Late. 12.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 5: Overnight.

2.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 5: Pre-dawn.

4.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 5: Early morning.

5.30 Sunrise.

6am Mr. Holmes. Continued. (2015, PG) 6.55 Seven Samurai. (1954, PG, Japanese) 10.35 Princess Mononoke. (1997, M, Japanese) 1.05pm Finding Altamira. (2016, PG) 2.45 The Terror. (1963) 4.15 All At Sea. (2010, PG) 5.50 I Know Where I’m Going! (1945) 7.30 Resistance. (2020, M) 9.45 A Samurai In Time. (2023, PG, Japanese) 12.15am Darkland. (2017, MA15+, Danish) 2.20 Late Programs.

WEDNESDAY, July 29

TV (2)

6.00 Morning Programs. 10.00 Four Corners. (R) 10.55 Foreign Correspondent. (R) 11.25 Back Roads. (R) 12.00 News. 12.30 Press Club. 1.35 Media Watch. (PG, R) 1.55 Back Roads. (PG, R) 2.25 Home Delivery. (PG, R) 3.00 Race Around The World. (R) 4.00 Murdoch Mysteries. (Ma, R) 4.45 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22)

6am Children’s Programs. 2.30pm The Makery. 3.00 Play School. 3.25 Wiggle. 4.05 Andy’s Aquatic Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.40 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.05 Young Sheldon. 8.30 Young Sheldon. 8.50 Steven Universe. 10.00 Pokémon: Diamond And Pearl. 10.55 Late Programs.

(3)

6.00 WorldWatch. 9.05 For The Love Of Dogs. (PGa, R) 10.05 Canada’s National Parks. (PG, R) 11.05 America’s Great Trails. (PGa, R) 12.00 WorldWatch. 1.00 PBS NewsHour. 2.00 Dateline. (R) 2.30 Insight. (R) 3.30 The Cook Up With Adam Liaw. (R) 4.05 Ireland’s Wild Islands. (PGa, R) 5.05 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia. 6.30 SBS World News. 7.30 Alone Australia. (Ml)

8.40 Titanic Sinks Tonight. (Premiere, PGa) 9.45 Six Four. (Premiere, Mv)

10.40 SBS World News Late.

11.10 Forest Of The Missing. (MA15+asv, R)

2.55 Children Of Chaos: What Became Of WWII Orphans. (PGa, R)

4.40 Bamay. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning.

5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

VICELAND (31)

THURSDAY,

TV (2)

6am Where Angels

Fear To Tread. (1991, PG) 8.05 A Samurai In Time. (2023, PG, Japanese) 10.30 Michael Collins. (1996, M) 12.55pm Once Upon A Time In China II. (1992, M, Cantonese) 3.00 The Movie Show. 3.35 Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind. (1984, PG) 5.50 Brief Encounter. (1945, PG) 7.30 Dog Day Afternoon. (1975, M) 9.45 Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai. (1999, MA15+) 11.55 Late Programs.

July 30

6.00 Morning Programs. 10.30 Spicks And Specks. (PG, R) 11.00 New Zealand Spy. (PG, R) 11.25 Dr Karl’s How Things Work. (R) 12.00 News. 1.00 Believe Me. (Mals, R) 1.55 Back Roads. (PG, R) 2.25 Home Delivery. (R) 2.55 Race Around The World. (PG, R) 3.55 Frankie Drake. (PG) 4.40 Long Lost Family. (PG, R) 5.30 Antiques Roadshow. (R)

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 6: Evening.

8.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 6: Night.

10.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 6: Late. 12.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 6: Overnight.

2.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 6: Pre-dawn.

4.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 6: Early morning. 5.30 Sunrise.

7TWO (62)

6am Room For Improvement. 6.30 Escape To The Country. 7.30 Harry’s Practice. 8.00 Million Dollar Minute. 9.00 Animal Rescue. 9.30 NBC Today. Noon Better Homes. 1.00 Secrets Of Beautiful Gardens. 2.00 Weekender. 2.30 Hornby: A Model Empire. 3.30 Harry’s Practice. 4.00 Animal Rescue. 4.30 Better Homes. 5.30 Escape To The Country. 6.30 Bargain

6am Morning Programs. 10.00 The Car Club. 10.30 American Resto. 11.00 Storage Wars.

6.00 9News. 7.00 A Current Affair. 7.30 Live Aid: When Rock ‘n’ Roll Took On The World. (Ml, R) 9.25 To Be Advised. 10.25 9News Late. 10.55

(3)

6.00

2.00 Queens That Changed The World. (Ms, R) 3.10 The Cook Up With Adam Liaw. (R) 3.40 Ireland’s Wild Islands. (PGa, R) 4.40 Jeopardy! 5.30 Letters And Numbers. (R)

6.00 Mastermind Australia.

6.30 SBS World News.

7.30 Spain With Michael Portillo. (PG)

8.30 Eva Longoria: Searching For France. (PGa) Eva Longoria continues her journey in Burgundy.

9.20 Say Nothing. (Premiere)

10.10 SBS World News Late.

10.40 Bonn. (Mav, R)

4.25 Bamay. (R)

4.55 Destination Flavour China Bitesize. (R)

5.00 NHK World English News Morning.

Antiques Roadshow. (R)

5.30 7.30. (R)

ABC FAMILY (22) 6am Morning Programs. 3.30pm Seinfeld. 4.30 Addams Family. 5.30 Bewitched. 6.30 Baywatch. 7.30 Seinfeld. 8.30 MOVIE: The Dark Knight Rises. (2012, M) 11.50 Seinfeld. 12.20am The 100. 1.10 Winter House. 2.00 Below Deck. 2.50 The Summit. 4.00 Barbie: A Touch Of Magic. 4.30 Bubble’s

6am Children’s Programs. 3.25pm Wiggle. 4.05 Andy’s Aquatic Adventures. 4.20 Santiago Of The Seas. 5.30 Talking Tom Heroes. 5.55 PJ Masks Power Heroes. 6.45 HexVets And Magic Pets. 7.05 Batwheels. 7.40 Ninjago: Dragons Rising. 8.05 Young Sheldon. 8.25 Young Sheldon. 8.45 Ultimate Vets. 9.10 Animal Park. 9.55 Secrets Of The Zoo. 10.40 Amazing Animal Friends. 11.30 Late Programs.

5.30 ANC Philippines The World Tonight.

VICELAND (31)

Mysteries From Above. 7.05 Jeopardy! 7.35 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown. 8.30 History’s Greatest Mysteries. 9.20 The UnBelievable With Dan Aykroyd. 10.10 Alone Australia. 11.20 The Expanse. 1am The Change. 2.10 NHK World English News. 5.00 Al Jazeera.

(32)

6am The Movie Show.

6.30 Nausicaä Of The Valley Of The Wind. (1984, PG) 8.40 I Know Where I’m Going! (1945) 10.25 Resistance. (2020, M) 12.40pm The Tunnel (Part 1) (2001, M) 2.25 Rabbit-Proof Fence. (2002, PG) 4.10 The Crow’s Egg. (2014, PG, Tamil) 5.50 The Blockhouse. (1973, PG) 7.30 The Prestige. (2006, M) 9.55 The Last Samurai. (2003, MA15+) 12.45am Late Programs.

(6)

6.00 Seven News. 7.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 7: Evening.

8.30 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 7: Night.

10.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 7: Late.

12.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 7: Overnight.

2.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 7: Pre-dawn.

4.00 Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. Day 7: Early morning. 5.30 Sunrise.

7TWO (62)

PORT MACQUARIE

SPORT News Of The Area

PORT Macquarie Pirates have won their top-of-the-ladder clash against the Coffs Harbour Snappers during the latest round of the Mid North Coast Rugby Union Northern Division season.

The Pirates inflicted the Snappers’ first loss of the season, prevailing 22-19 at Coffs Rugby Park.

The match marked an impressive milestone for Port’s Kaes Besseling, who ran on for his 100th first-grade game with the club.

The Pirates paid tribute to Besseling’s achievement on social media:

“This journey began 19 years ago, on a Friday night at Stuart’s Park. Kaes became a Pirate!

“Throughout the past 19 years Kaes has played in and led

Port wins top of the ladder clash

q Kaes Besseling (in centre of picture, wearing headgear) notched up his 100th first-grade game for the Port Macquarie Pirates on the weekend. Photo: Emma Jane Photography

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Port Macquarie News Of The Area 24 JULY 2026 by News Of The Area - Issuu