Letter to the Editor: Peace and joy in the Christmas rush
DEAR News Of The Area, CHRISTMAS is nearly here again! Is the pace of life getting faster? Christmas brings family gatherings and presents. We wish each other “Merry Christmas” and, hopefully, we have a good time. But Christmas can be busy and stressful, so please pause for just a moment. You’ve likely heard, in a […]
13th Day Christmas
From the Mayor’s desk: Coastal Management Program
THE Port Stephens coastline is central to our lifestyle and economy, offering stunning beaches, thriving marine life and vibrant places to live, work and visit. These coastal areas are more than just beautiful backdrops, they are the heart of our community, supporting tourism, recreation, biodiversity and the lifestyle we value so highly. Protecting these natural […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, FOR five years, I have been minding a friend’s dog (Minty) while they go on holidays. This is usually no problem; the dog and I get on very well. This time, though, I was left with instructions that Minty (who is 15) now eats breakfast at 4.30am and dinner at 3.00pm every day, […]
Stargazing: The secret star maps of moths
ON a moonless night, when the world goes quiet and even the gum trees seem to hold their breath, something small is commuting through the darkness. Not a drone. Not a late-night bird. Just a moth, humble, silent, and roughly the size of your thumb flying with the confidence of a seasoned pilot. Inside that […]
Kids Banned
Letter to the Editor: False assertions on Tomago
DEAR News Of The Area, I REFER to the recent letter from Charles Hemming, in which he links the increasing amount of renewable energy in the grid to what he terms as the likely demise of the Tomago Aluminium Smelter. This assertion is not true. All of the smelter’s electrical power is currently supplied by […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, I’m thinking of getting an ice bath for stress relief. Do you have any views on this? Gavin H. Oh, Gavin, Sometimes I read a conundrum and my first thought is, yes, I have views on this, but do you really want to know them? I have no qualifications in ice-bath therapy, so […]
OPINION: Reflections on the 1975 constitutional crisis
THE dismissal of the Whitlam Government in November 1975 highlighted the fragility of our parliamentary and constitutional system and the danger that, if the various constitutional norms that protect that system are ignored, the democratic system itself can be weakened. The real villains in the whole affair were two State Premiers who went against a […]
