Stargazing: Enjoy your shortest day
HAVE you ever wondered why summer days last forever (well, almost!), and winter nights feel like they never end? It all boils down to two amazing celestial events: equinoxes and solstices! These are like nature’s cosmic calendar flips, marking the shift between seasons in Australia, down under where things are a bit opposite compared to […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, I am going away with a group of school friends and we are sharing rooms. To save money, we booked a room with two queen beds, but one of our group members has become an incessant snorer. I’m a light sleeper. How do I tactfully ask that she is not my bed companion […]
The Big Screen
HOW to Train Your Dragon is at the top of the schedule for cinemas and families this week, as the beloved franchise transitions to live action. Your kids could probably fill you in on the basics: young Hiccup (Mason Thames) is an innovative but hopeless Viking in training who forms a bond with the dragon […]
Beyond the bite: How our fishing community rises above the floods
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 its impossible to ignore the impact of the recent floods and the incredible resilience of […]
Afford
Letter to the Editor: Why not consider Bennett?
DEAR News Of The Area, IT was announced last week that Mal Meninga had been appointed as coach of the new NRL franchise the Perth Bears and as a result had to resign as coach of the Australian team who will travel to England at the end of the year for a test series. Since […]
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 […]
‘On the couch’ with Jasminda
DEAR Jasminda, MY new girlfriend sleeps with her dog (Brutus) in the bed. I really like her, but I find this behaviour bizarre and, frankly, a relationship breaker. How do I navigate this? Gerard P. Dear Gerard, The early phase of a relationship is often marked by constant affection, but this should not include waking […]
Don Delport and Michael Powter.
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 […]
