August 26, 2026
Where have all the Port Stephens squid gone What once was a typical catch of squid that could be caught in all the quiet bays from Broughton Island to Boat Harbour. Photo: Supplied by ‘Stinker’.
Fishing

Where have all the Port Stephens squid gone

I WAS reading through some old articles I wrote years ago when I came across this story of squid. I can clearly recall when catching squid did not offer a challenge. Anywhere from Kiddies Corner in Fingal, south to Big Rocky, squid could be found in every protected bay. Simply by tossing out a squid […]

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Façon Magazine announces winner of the $10,000 Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship Australian Idol Casey Donovan joined the event with a special performance. Photo: Nico Lombardo.
Event

Façon Magazine announces winner of the $10,000 Indigenous Storytellers Scholarship

From the left: Kirrah McClelland, Head of Community and Sustainability at Greater Bank; painter Jasmine Christie; digital artist Nicole Smede; musician Aimee Hannan; writer Aaron Taylor; dancer Holly Faulds; director Liam Forrest; accessory designer Robbie Hartigan; fashion designer Kartika Medcraft-Smith; photographer Raymond Kelly; and Indigenous Employment Partner Simone Jordan. Photo: Nico Lombardo. Jasmine Christie’s artwork, […]

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50 Years of Deadly – NAIDOC March through Raymond Terrace streets Traffic stopped in Raymond Terrace as hundreds marched in the streets to celebrate NAIDOC Week. Photo: Nico Lombardo.
Community, Event

50 Years of Deadly – NAIDOC March through Raymond Terrace streets

Traffic stopped in Raymond Terrace as hundreds marched in the streets to celebrate NAIDOC Week. Photo: Nico Lombardo. Uncle Justin Ridgeway invites onlookers to join in the smoking ceremony. Photo: Nico Lombardo Riverside Park was full of stalls and activities for the whole family, with the biggest turnout at a Raymond Terrace NAIDOC event yet. […]

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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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