July 7, 2026
Stinker: Monster tailor schools about
Fishing

Stinker: Monster tailor schools about

ALL the local fishing gossip is about the monster tailor swimming in big schools along Stockton Beach and around Fingal. Thumping great fish averaging over 3.5 kg. In all the years I have been reporting fishing in and around Port Stephens I have rarely mentioned tailor over 2kg. I do wonder how these fish managed […]

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Stinker’s fight for survival – how it began and ended The mighty little craft, ‘Stinkpot’, after being swamped and battered on rocks.
Fishing, Local News

Stinker’s fight for survival – how it began and ended

BELOVED News Of The Area fishing writer John ‘Stinker’ Clarke faced every boatie’s worst nightmare and lived to tell the tale. How it began: “Dropping anchor around 2.30pm, I was excited at the prospect of great fishing. “The whales were jumping everywhere, breaching within 20 metres of my tinny, and a huge school of salmon […]

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Best spots to land rock blackfish in Port Stephens If you’re fishing off the rocks, wear a lifejacket and try to fish with a mate.
Fishing

Best spots to land rock blackfish in Port Stephens

FROM recent reports black drummer, also known as rock blackfish, are keen to rumble off the rocks anywhere between Fingal and Rocky Point. Best baits include fresh or salted cunjevoi, or bread and prawns tossed into a bread berley trail. A 2/0 hook and just enough lead to get you into the strike zone, which […]

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Absolute waterfront at North Arm Cove
Property

Absolute waterfront at North Arm Cove

115 Promontory Way, North Arm Cove4 Bed, 3 Bath, 5 Car Expressions of interest  POSITIONED in one of the most sought-after absolute waterfront locations on the East Coast, 115 Promontory Way presents a rare opportunity to secure a beautifully renovated waterfront residence with breathtaking west-facing views and unforgettable sunsets. Set on a generous parcel of […]

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Medowie Coles receives its first-ever camel delivery Two Dudes founders Tomas Tappin and Michael McRae outside of Coles Medowie with the camel who helped them deliver. Photo: Supplied.
Event

Medowie Coles receives its first-ever camel delivery

SHOPPERS and motorists in Medowie did a double-take this week when two camels carrying bathrobe-clad riders made an unexpected delivery. In a scene more suited to a desert caravan than a suburban shopping centre, two New Zealand entrepreneurs arrived at Coles Medowie on camelback to celebrate the launch of their products into Australia. The founders […]

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Soldiers Point Hall hosts performance about growing up in a religious household During Simon’s performances, the venue is turned into a makeshift church. Photo: Supplied by Simon Vaughan
Entertainment, Local News

Soldiers Point Hall hosts performance about growing up in a religious household

  During Simon’s performances, the venue is turned into a makeshift church. Photo: Supplied by Simon Vaughan   Spiky hair and tattoos are not the usual look for a religious teenager, but Simon Vaughan made it work. Photo: Supplied by Simon Vaughan   WHAT is it like growing up in a deeply religious household? And […]

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Public called on to judge winner of One Square Foot art competition The top 40 artworks in the competition have made it to Lion Studios, and it’s now the public’s turn to judge. Photo: Nico Lombardo
Community, Entertainment

Public called on to judge winner of One Square Foot art competition

THE community will decide which of the 40 artworks featured in the One Square Foot exhibition receive the People’s Choice prizes. The competition, organised by Lion Studios, challenged artists from all around Australia to paint creative pieces, on a square-foot canvas, in any style. Artists were permitted to choose oils, acrylics, and even mixed media. […]

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Local Medowie farmers a fresh option Pumpkins for sale at Farmer Bob’s Medowie Fresh Produce stall.
Business, Food

Local Medowie farmers a fresh option

Pumpkins for sale at Farmer Bob’s Medowie Fresh Produce stall. Fresh fruit and vegetables displayed at Tomatoes at Abundance in Medowie. LONG-TIME locals will remember Medowie for its once‑thriving peach farms. Those orchards may be gone, but Medowie hasn’t lost its connection to fresh, home‑grown produce. A handful of small farms still operate quietly across […]

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Commercial Collective hosts event to discuss investments in Raymond Terrace Raymond Terrace is forecast to see significant growth during the next 20 years. Photo: Port Stephens Council
Business, Government, Property

Commercial Collective hosts event to discuss investments in Raymond Terrace

RAYMOND Terrace isn’t just a sleepy service town. Port Stephens Council and Commercial Collective identifies the area as a growing market ripe for investments and a projected population growth of more than 5,400 people in the next 20 years. To explore the future opportunities that await Raymond Terrace, Port Stephens Council and Commercial Collective hosted […]

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