October 29, 2025
Letter to the Editor: Loss of XPT service
Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor: Loss of XPT service

DEAR News Of The Area, THE XPT service from Grafton to Sydney has been taken off the rails and replaced with coaches for twelve months. Pensioners, seniors, students without a car and children all rely on this daylight service. The majority of these people would prefer to travel by train for the comfort it provides […]

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Hooked on the Camden Haven
Opinion

Hooked on the Camden Haven

AS we transition into winter, we’ve been blessed with a couple of lovely, calm and sunny days. However, the recent floods unfortunately the mackerel season has drawn to a close. While the fishing report highlights the bounty the region offers, it is impossible to ignore the impact of the recent floods and the incredible resilience […]

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Marine Rescue save the day for travellers as medicine runs out Don Delport and Michael Powter.
Opinion

Marine Rescue save the day for travellers as medicine runs out

A PAIR of Port Macquarie locals have shared their experience of attempting to get home during last week’s weather event, after visiting family in Narrabri. Don Delport and Michael Powter take up the story from here. Our flood experience We came down Oxley Highway through the “Walcha Road” and missed getting through on the highway […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, THE other night, my brother-in-law invited himself over for dinner. However, I had not prepared enough for him (as he was unannounced), and he got annoyed and left. Now he won’t reply to either my husband’s or my messages. How do you suggest I go about this? Normine B Dear Normine, I’m picking […]

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Exploring the depths: A passion for deep drop fishing
Opinion

Exploring the depths: A passion for deep drop fishing

WITH recent weather significantly impacting local fishing, I wanted to share insights into one of my favourite angling passions deep dropping. The Mid North Coast offers some of Australia’s premier deep drop locations. This technique, long utilised by commercial fishers, targets species found in depths of up to 600 metres. I still recall, as a […]

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The Big Screen
Opinion

The Big Screen

A TWIST on an established horror franchise has been applied to Final Destination: Bloodlines. The original Final Destination was born from a fairly ingenious idea for the genre: a horror film in which Death itself was the “villain”, orchestrating Rube-Goldberg machinations of misfortune that result in suspenseful, grisly deaths. In this latest instalment, college student […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, WE are organising a large birthday function and there are relatives that don’t get along with each other. How do we ensure no one feels left out while still making it an enjoyable experience for everyone? Harriet P. Dear Harriet, If your large family events traditionally look like an episode of Dr Phil, […]

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‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
Jasminda's Advice

‘On the couch’ with Jasminda

DEAR Jasminda, I AM someone who likes a firm handshake but some people in my social circle, and even at work seem to think it is acceptable to give me a hug or even a kiss. How do I make my position clear without causing offence? Alena P Dear Alena, There is nothing offensive about […]

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