The Bonny Hills-made belt gifted to the cast and crew of Castaway. Mike Dodkin and Ross Bennett with the Castaway belt. A LEATHER belt gifted to one of the cast and crew of the ABC TV series “Castaway” has been returned to its maker, Ross Bennett of Bonny Hills. Castaway was a 1974 Australian drama […]

LIBERAL MLC Aileen MacDonald OAM has sponsored a petition to the NSW Legislative Council demanding the reinstatement of three-month and six-month NSW TrainLink Discovery Passes. The six-month Discovery Pass, previously available for $420, offered unlimited travel across NSW TrainLink’s regional train and coach network. The longer term passes have recently been paused by the state […]

Participants displayed a great degree of skill. During weather emergencies Marine Rescue NSW can be requested to assist by NSW SES. Marine Rescue NSW multi-purpose vessels were used in the exercise. Marine Rescue NSW volunteers from seven units across the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast took part in the Red Rock exercise. MORE than […]

DO not be alarmed if you encounter a large koala with a blue head trudging along the road to Sydney – it is simply “KoaLaMan looking for a home”. The 550km, 30-day walk from Coffs Harbour to Parliament House in Sydney, is the latest in Peter Elzer’s efforts to halt logging of koala habitat. He […]

GUULABAA – Place of Koala has been shortlisted for the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2025 Awards, recognised in the Completed Buildings: Civic and Community category. Held annually, the WAF is one of the world’s most respected design events, celebrating the best in built and future architecture across a broad range of categories. This year’s shortlist […]

John Williamson reads from his new children’s book ‘Koala Koala’ Photos: Koala Conservation Australia. Signing a copy of the book for two fans. AUSSIE music icon John Williamson has taken storytime to the bush with a visit to Koala Conservation Australia’s Wild Koala Breeding Visitor Centre at Guulabaa. The visit coincides with the celebration of […]

Whiddon residents Jan Pelham and Jan enjoying their award winning garden. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. Jan can be found in the garden daily, watering, raking, weeding or planting. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. The Beautiful Whiddon garden. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. The Beautiful Whiddon garden. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. The Beautiful Whiddon garden. Photo: Kim Ambrose/SaltyFoxFotography. The Beautiful Whiddon garden. […]

FARMERS are calling for a government crackdown to stamp out fire ants in NSW after the pests were discovered in Tweed Heads last week. Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta) are prohibited under the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and high-risk materials are restricted from infested areas of south-east Queensland. On Wednesday the NSW Government confirmed an immature […]

Bus users can use websites and apps to plan their journeys with up-to-date service information. All buses are now fitted out with GPS and automatic passenger counting technology. FOR the first time, all NSW regional bus passengers can access real-time bus travel information from their smart devices. All 3,010 contracted buses across rural and regional […]

ADDITIONAL support has been announced for primary producers in New South Wales affected by the extreme flooding event from 18 May 2025. This funding is provided under Category D of the Commonwealth-State Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) and is jointly funded by the Australian and NSW Governments. The package will be available through grants administered by the NSW […]