Facilitators Chris Rapaport and Ben Grover opening the community catch-up event at Little Beach. Conch player Donna May calling in a sense of unity and connection. Anna Bay attendee Dylan Brown in the ice bath. THE air was crisp but the rising sun took the edge off the fresh Port Stephens dawn as Talk2MeBro held […]
Council backs drainage review across Port Stephens
DRAINAGE across Medowie will be evaluated following unanimous support for a motion put forward at last week’s council meeting. Port Stephens councillors Chris Doohan and Ben Niland, and Port Stephens Deputy Mayor Jason Wells, said that poor drainage was particularly impacting residents in Medowie, Salt Ash, and in the Hinterland. “We need to get community […]
Business Hunter: Few surprises for Hunter in ‘conservative’ Budget
THERE were few surprises for the Hunter and little relief for businesses battling challenging economic conditions from a conservative NSW Budget handed down last week, according to the region’s peak business body. Business Hunter CEO Bob Hawes described Treasurer Daniel Mookhey’s third budget as “anti-climactic for the Hunter”, with the big-ticket new investments having been […]
Teen charged after pursuit crashes at Woodberry
A TEENAGER has been charged following a pursuit and crash near Raymond Terrace last Wednesday morning. Police were called to a unit on Molly Morgan Drive, East Maitland at about 4am, following reports of a break and enter. At the scene, police were told a black Honda Jazz had been stolen from the property a […]
New paramedic interns for the Hunter
TEN new paramedic interns set to begin the on-road component of their 12-month internships in the Hunter region, taking their next steps towards becoming fully qualified paramedics. Four of the interns will be based in Hunter Zone 1, with the remaining six heading to Hunter Zone 2. Zone 1 is a smaller geographical area which […]
Scammers on prowl as Tax Time begins
A recently received scam email. A Commonwealth Bank infographic illustrates that Aussies are scam-aware, but a third of us still miss the clues. Image: CBA. THE clock is now ticking to get annual tax returns in before the 31 October deadline. Sadly, this window provides a veritable hunting ground for scammers, prompting warnings from the […]
Port Stephens named a trending Winter holiday destination
PORT Stephens has been named a trending winter school holiday destination by travel booking site Wotif. “Port Stephens’ popularity is well and truly booming this year,” said travel expert Rebecca Hurley. “It’s great to see the momentum continue into the winter school holidays as a trending destination, especially following its crowning as the 2025 Aussie […]
E-petition launched to secure additional flood support
AN E-PETITION is now available on the NSW Parliament website calling for upgraded support to assist Hunter and Mid North Coast communities devastated by the May flood. The petition calls on the NSW Government to maximise Category C funding and urgently declare Category D funding for devastated small businesses, primary producers and communities in the […]
Stinker’s Fishin’: Monster mullet
WITH the mullet schools moving on, it was one of the last schools of fish that surprised even the fishermen. As the fish were hauled closer to the beach it was noticed that the mullet were different to all the fish that had been caught earlier in the season. These mullet were monsters, all weighing […]
Stinker’s History: Daphne the author
RECENTLY I wrote about the amazing life and times of Geoffrey Wikner. I mentioned in that article that I was introduced to Mr Wikner by my neighbour, a lady by the name of Daphne Rooke. As it was with Mr Wikner, Daphne has an extraordinary story to tell. The following is a small part of […]
