July 30, 2026
STINKER: Cook brought winds of change to the Bay The Fingal Spit. Photo: Supplied by John ‘Stinker’ Clarke.
Fishing

STINKER: Cook brought winds of change to the Bay

LIVING in tranquil Fingal Bay, surrounded by incredible natural beauty, it is difficult to visualise the area as a centre of great volcanic activity, bubbling and hissing lava, heaving earth movement and giant blocks tumbling into the sea. In the time of great change the islands off our coastline were part of the mainland. When […]

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STINKER: Bedlam on board with a monster Mulloway
Fishing

STINKER: Bedlam on board with a monster Mulloway

I AM asked at times: “What is the biggest fish you have caught?” I immediately think of a thumping cobia I caught off the rocks off Cabarita headland some years ago. Kingfish, snapper and mulloway come to mind. Then I think of the monster I caught off Fingal. It was when I had Graham Duffy […]

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STARGAZING: A full moon worth stepping outside for
Opinion

STARGAZING: A full moon worth stepping outside for

IF you only make time to admire one full moon this year, make it this one. This weekend Australians will be treated to the Strawberry Moon – the highest full moon of 2026 in our skies. The real spectacle comes after sunset, when it climbs high above the winter landscape and shines brilliantly throughout the […]

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Dungog should not be disadvantaged by Chichester Dam
Letter to the Editor

Dungog should not be disadvantaged by Chichester Dam

DEAR News Of The Area, DUNGOG Council’s Mayor Digby Rayward’s comment in your recent issue that: “requesting money for Chichester Dam Road was not a request for special treatment, it is about fairness”, is absolutely spot-on. That is exactly the case, and has been the case for more than 100 years. Dungog LGA, because of […]

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Timeline of adulthood has changed
Local News

Timeline of adulthood has changed

IF you’re 31 years old and still living with your parents, you shouldn’t be, according to new research based on the answers of more than 1000 respondents. 1010 Australians were asked to weigh in on what age is ‘too old’ to still be living at home. The harshest critics were the youngest and oldest Aussies, […]

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A funding boost puts rural local community halls in line for an upgrade The upgraded Rowena Community Hall, originally built in 1934. Photo: Supplied
Community, Local News, Regional

A funding boost puts rural local community halls in line for an upgrade

The upgraded Rowena Community Hall, originally built in 1934. Photo: Supplied Community Association member Vanessa Radford standing at the Rowena Community Hall. Photo: Supplied FOR many rural towns, the local hall is far more than a building. It is where neighbours gather, volunteers organise events, children perform in concerts, emergency information is shared and communities […]

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Stroud Community comes together to celebrate NAIDOC Week Aboriginal traditional dancing workshop led by Murrook Culture Centre staff. Photo: Rachel Barry.
Editor's Picks

Stroud Community comes together to celebrate NAIDOC Week

Estelle Leishman demonstrating how to use ochre as paint. Photo: Rachel Barry. Aboriginal traditional dancing workshop led by Murrook Culture Centre staff. Photo: Rachel Barry. Uncle Justin Ridgeway sharing the Dreaming story of Yapii the platypus. Photo: Rachel Barry. Uncle Justin Ridgeway with children Connor and Charli during the smoking ceremony. Photo: Rachel Barry. STROUD’S […]

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