NEWCASTLE Airport is soaring to new heights – and that’s great news for the people of Port Stephens. Last week, I was honoured to help announce direct international flights to Bali starting in August 2024. Just the week before, we also celebrated the launch of direct flights to Perth. These announcements mark the beginning of […]
DEAR Jasminda, I am going away with a group of school friends and we are sharing rooms. To save money, we booked a room with two queen beds, but one of our group members has become an incessant snorer. I’m a light sleeper. How do I tactfully ask that she is not my bed companion […]
DEAR Jasminda, It’s Normine B again. It was so much worse than you imagined. As my brother in law was ripping down the driveway, he knocked over my prize geraniums, breaking the pot and my heart while he was at it. The dog thankfully came away unscathed, but the cat wasn’t so lucky. He now […]
TO THE action enthusiasts who were devastated by the conclusion of John Wick: Chapter 4, there is the promise of exquisitely choreographed violence in the new entry to that film series, Ballerina. Marketed with the tag “From the world of John Wick”, this spin-off concentrates on the exploits of Eva (Ana de Armas), a graduate […]
DEAR News Of The Area, I WRITE this during National Reconciliation Week. This is the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum which finally recognised the First Peoples who have lived here for millennia and meant that they were included in the National Census as people and permitted to vote. It is also the reminder of Mabo. […]
ONGOING wet weather across our region continues to challenge both our infrastructure and our communities. For many residents – especially those in our rural areas – persistent rain has caused major disruption, damaging roads, isolating properties, and making our day-to-day life that much harder. While the impacts have been felt across the entire community, the […]
DEAR News Of The Area, ADVANCE is a Liberal funded lobby group with a major aim of wrecking the Greens (‘We won’t be silenced on offshore wind’, Sandra Bourke, spokesperson Advance, NOTA,12 May 2025). When you think about the reasoning behind this objective one can only come to the conclusion that Advance has a major […]
DEAR Jasminda, MY new girlfriend sleeps with her dog (Brutus) in the bed. I really like her, but I find this behaviour bizarre and, frankly, a relationship breaker. How do I navigate this? Gerard P. Dear Gerard, The early phase of a relationship is often marked by constant affection, but this should not include waking […]
