This week's edition of The Bugle brings you the full story on three local legends who have been recognised as part of the King's Birthday Honours List. Kiama’s Belinda Mackinnon has been honoured with the Public Service Medal (PSM) for outstanding public service to TAFE NSW in the delivery of education and organisational leadership.Click here to view our latest editionGerringong’s Andrew Sweeney has been awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) for distinguished service as a member of an Australian fire service.Kiama SES volunteer Ashley Sullivan has received an Emergency Services Medal (ESM). He has been a volunteer and staff member with the the NSW State Emergency Service since 1997 and has been an NSW SES staff member since June 2010.You can also read all about the developments in Council's plan to get 380 houses built at South Kiama, as well as the seven local Hidden Treasures who were rewarded for their sterling community service.There is also plenty of great community stories including the latest from the three local festivals which kept everyone rocking over the long weekend, a local naturopath who is making waves and a boost to Kiama's GP numbers. Our intrepid photographer Brian Scott has taken lots of pictures of our local sporting community, there is a full list of What's On in our region and our puzzles page filled with brain teasers.

Art and culture lovers have converged on Berry for the OpenField Arts Festival, which kicked off on Friday at Berry School of Arts.The festival was officially opened with a smoking ceremony led by Drew Longbottom, songs in language by Yaala, Emma Stewart and Tamika Townsend, and a Welcome to Country by Nabumarra Aunty Delia Lowe.Longbottom, a Gamea-Dharrawal/Jerrinja-Wandra Wandian Guruyal Gadhungal Marring Yuin, ba Djirringanj Guyangal Gadhungal Marring Yuin man, explained the purpose behind the smoking ceremony.“The smoking ceremony’s pretty much to cleanse the spirit that sits within us … Our inner health is important, so if we strengthen that, nothing negative attaches.”Before the ceremony began, he gave a speech to honour Nabumarra Aunty Delia Lowe.He spoke about the role of mothers as nurturers, saying that everything we need comes from them and that “Mother Earth nurtures us in that same way.”“Everything that we need in life comes from our mother."Whether it be the food you eat, whether it be the wood that builds your home, whether it be the electricity to charge your phone in to get that power in the battery."Electricity comes from mother, jewellery comes from mother, everything we exploit for our good looks comes from mother!”He used the native cherry, or cherry ballart, as an alternative to eucalyptus for the smoking ceremony.Once the smoke began to rise, everyone in attendance was invited to take part. It became so smoky that the front doors of the arts centre had to be closed as the smoke started drifting inside.Afterwards, the guests made their way inside where artwork lined the room.In Aunty Delia's Welcome to Country, she delivered a heartfelt speech and reminded everyone: “Never say never, you can always strive to be better.”Federal Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips, was also in attendance and thanked the sponsors, funding bodies, artists, volunteers and everyone who contributed to the festival.Describing herself as an appreciator of art rather than an artist, she said, “art is like planting a seed of what can be.”Afterwards Yaala, Emma Stewart and Tamika Townsend, musicians "revitalising local languages through song", sang songs in language, with traditional instruments and powerful voices.There will be many more cultural artists and workshops throughout the weekend, through the First Nations program curated by Guringai and Yuin cloak-maker and storyteller Amanda Jane Reynolds.Fiona Phillips described the Open Field arts festival as a “smorgasbord of events” and most of which are free.Click here to check out the schedule go here and get immersed in local art, culture and festival fun this weekend in Berry.

More than 4,000 people flocked to the picturesque Crooked River Estate in Gerringong over the weekend for the Winter Wine Festival, making it the event’s biggest year yet.Held over two days, the festival featured a standout musical lineup, with Xavier Rudd and The Beautiful Girls headlining Saturday, and Boy & Bear and Meg Mac closing out Sunday’s festivities.Event photographer Lisa O’Connell described the atmosphere as “electric.”“This year's Winter Wine Festival at Crooked River Wines delivered a weekend to remember,” O’Connell said.“The South Coast has produced some amazing talent, and it was fantastic to see Kiama’s Surely Shirley alongside Illawarra locals like Kane Calcite and Cheeky Leash - whose awesome set even included flying monkeys taking the stage.” “I’m sure Boy & Bear’s Feeding Line and Xavier’s Follow The Sun could be heard all across Gerringong with the crowd singing along.”Some of the 4000 people who attended the Winter Wine Festival over the weekend. Photo: Lisa O’Connell @daughter_of_the_revolution The 2025 festival marks the fifth edition since the event was revived in 2021, and Crooked River Estate Managing Director Roger Lloyd confirmed this year was their biggest yet.“This was one of our best events in terms of the weather and the bands,” said Lloyd. “We partnered with Yours and Owls this year to help with the lineup, and that collaboration worked really well.”The festival also served as the perfect opportunity to unveil Crooked River Estate’s brand-new on-site wedding venue, which doubled as a bar for the weekend.“We’ve only just completed that space and used it as one of the bars. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive - people were genuinely awestruck. We’re really proud of how it turned out,” Lloyd said.The Winter Wine Festival capped off a packed weekend of community events across the Kiama LGA, showcasing the region’s thriving live music scene, vibrant culture, and community spirit.

“Skate park to be removed.”When you read the summary of Kiama Sports Complex Masterplan, it seems clear: Kiama’s local skatepark will be demolished.However, for those who read the full 56-page document, the truth is buried behind the bullet points: the Masterplan suggests the skatepark is rebuilt in “Central Kiama”.This is good news for the thriving community of skaters, bikers and scooter fans who use the skatepark regularly, including Kiama Skater Kids - a social group that brings skate families together.The current skate park is old, especially compared to Berry’s Boongaree Park and Holborn Park in Berkeley.However, the local skate community do have concerns, especially the size, location and whether it’s fit for purpose.The Masterplan suggests there is space for a “small skate park” in Coronation Park or Black Beach Reserve.These have been chosen because of their “central location” and “better surveillance”.The current skatepark is covered in graffiti, tucked away in the corner of a carpark with poor lighting.Beachside skate parks make great Instagram photos, but what about the flooding and the sand that blows in? (Sand and skateboard wheels are not a good combination.)“I just hope they don’t reduce the size dramatically, and it’s built by someone who knows what they’re doing,” a local skater dad told me.My advice to Council? Ask the skater kids. This is their playground.Amy Molloy is a journalist and editor, and the creator of Kiama Skater Kids - a social group that brings kids who love to skate, bike and scooter together.

St George Illawarra's chances of qualifying for the NRL finals have taken a huge hit after they gave up a 12-point lead to the Sharks on Thursday night.The Dragons appeared on track to score a boilover victory against their local derby rivals at Sharks Stadium but they went from being 18-6 up to losing 30-18.Cronulla ran in four unanswered tries in the second half to put a major dent in St George Illawarra's hopes of sneaking into the playoffs.Heading into their third and final bye next week in Round 16, the Dragons are sitting in 12th spot on the ladder with a 5-8 record.They will probably need to win at least eight of their remaining 11 matches to have any chance of figuring in the playoffs.The Dragons host Parramatta in Wollongong on 28 June in their next martch before they face a tough run against the Raiders, Roosters, Bulldogs, Cowboys and another clash with Canberra.On current form, they could be well out of the finals hunt after that stretch.They started slowly against the Sharks but after conceding the first try, they equalised when veteran hooker Damien Cook crossed the stripeRising star Lyhkan King-Togia notched a clever individual try and when the Dragons made it three tries in a row before half-time with Sharks centre Jesse Ramien in the sin bin, they went to the break holding a commanding 18-6 advantage.But they had a series of fumbles from high kicks and gave away silly penalties as the Sharks drew level and then went ahead following a try to winger Sione Katoa. With the match in the balance and the Sharks clinging to a six-point lead with less than 10 minutes left, the Dragons were on the wrong end of a controversial call from referee Grant Atkins from a kick restart which left coach Shane Flanagan up in arms.Dragons centre Moses Suli batted the ball back while over the 40m line after the kickoff from halfway but the referee ruled the ball had not travelled 10 metres so he gave the Sharks a penalty, which led to Katoa scoring again to ensure victory for the home side.Flanagan was "amazed" at that decision and a few others which went against his team."There's a red line there that's called the 40-metre line and Moses Suli was on the other side of the 40-metre line," he said in the post-match media conference.He conceded the Sharks "ran a little harder in the second half, got good field position and all their kicks were contestable"."We didn't handle the kicks."

While the entire state is lamenting the fact that it will be another 119 days to the next public holiday (here at The Bugle, we call it the Long Winter), the King’s Birthday holiday allows us to honour those in our community that make invaluable contributions, on a daily basis. There was an expectation from some that the road to a republic might have gained some momentum following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022 – however this has yet to eventuate. And given the sorry state of affairs that is currently the experience in the greatest republic of them all, we don’t think that there’ll be a renewed push any time soon. But anyway, enough of the elitest talk about heads of state, and princes and kings – at the end of the day everyone can get behind a three-day weekend, a sleep-in and another crack at doing the hedges. And we can certainly support such a day if it means recognition for people like Raymond Strong, Joan Crabb, Belinda Mackinnon, Andrew Sweeney and Ashley Sullivan – all of whom have contributed to our community in different and invaluable ways. Particularly in the case of Mr Sullivan, his tireless dedication over three decades with the State Emergency Service has literally saved lives across our community, the Northern Rivers of NSW and even in the north-western state of Idaho, USA. With more wild weather (what happened to the above-average winter temperatures that were predicted only two weeks ago?!) and the threat of floods and storms on the horizon, we are lucky Mr Sullivan and the Kiama unit of the SES will be here to assist. The stories and contributions of these King’s Day Honour recipients have been covered by The Bugle and as we have always said – what makes this community great, is its people. It’s not only these five individuals, but it’s also all the operators and business owners who contributed towards Kiama again being recognised as NSW’s Top Tourism Town, and the people who will make events like the forthcoming Winter Street Festival, another success.As we roll into a very chilly long winter, The Bugle’s View is that we should be celebrating our local heroes and our community, year-round. Not just in the summer and warmer months where our landscapes are their most pristine and accessible, but also when we need to hunker down and all get a little bit closer and warmer!So, over the next couple of months, make sure you get out and about and embrace what makes us not only the best tourist town, but the best town overall – our community.

Kiama Power have announced the exciting signing of Maddie Edwards, a former VFLW midfielder, to bolster their women’s team for the rest of the season.Edwards brings top-level experience, having played for both Richmond and Williamstown in the Victorian Football League Women’s competition.“She spent the last two seasons with Williamstown, where she was voted Players’ Player in 2023 and finished runner-up in the Best and Fairest,” said Kiama Power committee member Anthony Grady.“She was also in their leadership group last year and was the inaugural captain of the Coburg Lions women's team when they entered the competition - she’s incredibly credentialed in both talent and leadership.”Grady said Edwards has already made a strong impression at training.“She jumped straight in - vocal from the start, giving direction and sharing tips. It’s like having another coach on the field,” he said.“Her experience at the elite level and exposure to high-quality coaching is something she brings with her, and she’s already passing that on to our younger players.”Kiama Power’s women’s team has had a mixed start to the season, with three wins and three losses. Their next match is a rematch against the Bulldogs, who beat them back in Round 4, and they’ll be looking to turn the tables this time.Meanwhile, the men’s first-grade team is taking advantage of an extended break following the King’s Birthday long weekend and this week’s bye.“We lost to the Lions two weeks ago, but for three quarters it was a tight contest,” said Grady.“We let them kick five goals in the third quarter, and that was the difference. If we’d taken our chances and stayed focused, the result could have easily gone the other way.”With time to regroup, the team is focusing on building consistency and playing four strong quarters when they return to the field.

Over the recent glorious long weekend, The Co-Op at Gerringong lit up with the Distilled festival showcasing a talented selection of local and visiting distilleries and artists.The Co-Op owner, Kiama Deputy Mayor Melissa Matters was thrilled to see hundreds of people out and about in the beautiful winter weather to sample some of the local delights and some great music. “We were lucky with the weather and the crowds,” Cr Matters said. Among the distilleries on show were several from the Illawarra, South Coast and Southern Highlands regions, including Tara Distillery, Wolf and Woman Distillery, Old Salt Distillery and Merrigangs. “There were a couple of different changes we had to make with the licensing, so we had to adapt. It still went well,” Cr Matters said.“It is really good for other businesses to come in and have a few hundred people have access to sample their products. I think they are really happy.“People love to come down and have samples.“A lot of locals came on Sunday (to Distilled), with many out of town, I think overall it is really fabulous to see that.” Local emerging singer-songwriter Olivia Coggan was one of the 15 musical performers who entertained the crowds.“People obviously love music, and it is good to have options around. We want more of that for people to come and enjoy some live music,” Cr Matters said.“Other events like the winery had a great turn-out, and I’m pleased that there’s no rain for them as well. I think it is just fabulous for businesses to have all the venues ‘happening’ and people going in between venues.” With many events held across the region on the long weekend, it highlights the region’s strengths with the engagement from locals and tourists.It is estimated that around 400 people attended the Distilled event over the two days.

Local naturopath Melissa Poczwa has returned to Kiama to help people from all walks of life to take control of their health.A research-based naturopath with a Bachelor of Health Science, she is passionate about guiding people to improve their overall well-being. She grew up in Kiama and returned to the area in late 2023 to raise her first child and returned to work earlier this year with the Sunny Natal clinic on the corner of Terralong and Shoalhaven streets.“I work in a holistic way, supporting patients through nutrition, diet changes, herbal and nutritional supplements to help support their symptoms as needed,” she explained.“Foundationally, we review diet in detail because we are looking to see if there’s anything underlying which might be causing symptoms. “Something really common I see is iron deficiency so we look at how much intake you get each week. We’re always looking at underlying causes as to why you’re feeling this way and to try to promote them to feeling more like themselves.“Often we’re looking at their digestion, supporting hormones or energy production. Also when it comes to winter in particular, a lot of immune support.“Stress and sleep are common for a lot of patients - we’re all under a lot of high pressure these days. Especially with Mums and post-partum, sleep can be a big factor as to why they’re feeling tired. “A lot of being a naturopath is working with herbal and nutritional medicine as a key focus but looking at them as the whole person rather than just treating one symptom.”Melissa specialises in supporting women through all stages of life, from period problems and hormonal imbalances to postnatal recovery and perimenopause. She also has male and female patients “across the stages of their lifespan”.Melissa will be hosting a baby-friendly Nourishing Busy Parents workshop at Kiama Library on 24 June from 10.30am to 11.15am designed to support new mums with simple, practical nutrition strategies.Attendees can learn how to meet their daily protein needs for sustained energy, discover easy breakfast ideas and snack hacks, and explore how food can support mood, sleep, and stress levels.Melissa will provide realistic tips that people can put into practice straight away – even with a baby in tow!“I’m quite passionate about supporting post-partum mothers and what I commonly see is they’re usually quite nutritionally poor in some ways because they’re doing a great job looking after their little ones and not so much looking after themselves,” she said.“One of the things they can do to help them feel better - because they’re usually low on energy and feeling high stress - is just working on how to meet their daily protein needs. “In that event, I’ll be talking about their daily protein requirements as a post-partum female or if they’re breastfeeding, how their requirements increase. “Quick, easy ideas so they can grab and go if they need to and how they might support their mood, sleep and stress levels because if you’re not looking after yourself, it’s incredibly hard to look after your little ones as well.”Curious if naturopathy is for you? Start with a free 10-minute discovery call – visit melissapoczwa.com.au to book or find out more.Info for the Kiama Library Event can be found at the Council website.

Around 380 residential lots are a step closer to being built after Kiama Council has received the development application for Stage 1 of the South Kiama Urban Release Area.Situated to the west of the Princes Highway between Saddleback Mountain Road to the north and Weir Street to the south, this URA contains 40 hectares of land that will also include public open space, environmental conservation and heritage areas, stormwater and associated infrastructure.The subdivision and development of the overall URA is being carried out over four stages and the DA for Stage 1, closest to Saddleback Mountain Road, provides for 81 residential lots between 300sqm and 700sqm in size.“This is the most significant housing development our Municipality has seen for many years and will affect most of us either directly or indirectly,” Mayor Cameron McDonald said.“I urge everyone, to have a look at what’s proposed, see what you think, and make a submission.”As part of the application, Saddleback Mountain Road will be upgraded and roads within the subdivision will be constructed, along with footpaths, bicycle shared paths and other infrastructure such stormwater worksRehabilitation work will be conducted on the riparian corridor, including bank stabilisation, rock batter retaining walls, bioretention basin and revegetation.A public park just under 2000 square metres will be a major part of the development, including a half basketball court, playground with soft fall areas, shade structures, seating and landscaping.Kiama Council will ensure the Conservation Management Plan protects heritage items such as Kendalls Cemetery and the existing dry-stone walls.The Stage 1 development application was placed on public exhibition this week for community feedback up until 5pm on 9 July.Kiama Council director of planning, environment & communities Ed Paterson said the Development Control Plan for the South Kiama URA would set specific controls for the subdivision and dwelling construction.“Having a site specific DCP for South Kiama ensures we can get the best possible outcomes from this development, for its future residents, and the wider community,” Paterson said.“I’d like to thank my planning staff for their efforts getting this DCP in place as well as working with the developers to ensure their plans adhere to the letter and spirit of the DCP.“Another win for our community is a Planning Agreement we’re negotiating, where the developer will provide land, works and monetary contributions to Council.”The Planning Agreement, once finalised, will also be put on public exhibition for community feedback.To view the development application and make a submission visit Kiama Council's website.The documents can also be viewed at Council’s administration office at 11 Manning Street, Kiama.

Kiama MP Gareth Ward’s defence lawyer has wrapped up his cross-examination of a sexual assault complainant by suggesting the alleged incident between the two men never happened.Ward is facing five charges and has pleaded not guilty to each of them: sexual intercourse without consent, common assault and three counts of indecent assault.The trial resumed on Wednesday at the Downing Centre District Court in Sydney after a week-long break due to Judge Kara Shead needing to attend to a personal matter.Ward’s barrister, David Campbell SC, continued questioning the complainant under cross examination over an alleged 2015 incident in which the political staffer claimed he was sexually assaulted by Ward at Potts Point in Sydney’s east after a night-time function at NSW Parliament House.The man, who was 24 at the time and cannot be identified due to legal reasons, said he went to Ward’s apartment and that after he went to sleep in a spare bedroom that the politician sexually assaulted him.Campbell put it to the complainant that the incident never happened but he responded by saying “that is not true”.The complainant also said the delay of several years before he reported the incident to police was due to his occupation in state politics making him “think twice” before making the allegations.He added that Ward had “achieved a great deal in his electorate” and that the electorate “should not have to pay the price for some bad mistakes he made”.The complainant said that he did not raise the matter with his employer because he was unsure who would see the claims if it was sent to the Premier’s office.He also said that he did not want the claims to be played out in the media while describing Ward as an “incredible” local member.Another man, who had just turned 18 at the time of an alleged incident in 2013, has also accused Ward of an indecent assault at the Kiama MP’s Meroo Meadow property in the Shoalhaven.The trial before Judge Shead continues.1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service 1800 211 028

John Mara and Peter Daley weren’t always masters of the hook and yarn. In fact, four years ago they hadn’t crocheted a stitch. But COVID changed that, as it did for many of us. Bored on the lounge during lockdown, the married couple from Forest Lodge turned to YouTube, hit play, and discovered talents they never knew they had.“We were watching TV and said, ‘There has to be more to life than this,’” Peter said. “I’d always wanted to try crochet, so we gave it a go.”Their go-to channel? TL Yarn Crafts, where American fibre artist Toni Lipsey teaches everything from beginner stitches to advanced Tunisian techniques. “She’s fast, clear, and has the best tutorials,” said John. “We even bought her book.”What started as a pandemic project has grown into a colourful passion. John now specialises in Tunisian crochet, a technique that uses a long hook with a cord extension, ideal for large pieces like blankets. “It looks like knitting, but it’s crochet,” he explained, showing off a black and white chevron throw that took three months to finish.Peter prefers traditional crochet, favouring baby blankets, granny squares, and the occasional crocheted toilet roll cover. “It’s the kind of thing your great-grandmother would be proud of,” he laughed.But yarn is just the beginning. John also makes resin jewellery using rose crystals, resin brooches, and even a resin Christmas tree. He decorates the house every year, crochets costumes, and takes his projects on the train, to medical appointments, and anywhere there’s good light. “I’ve had young boys stop and tell me it looks amazing,” he said. “It’s always a conversation starter.”The couple were special guests at Gerringong Library and Museum for Worldwide Knit in Public Day, invited to showcase their skills and remind everyone that creativity has no gender. They brought books, blankets, jewellery and joy, drawing curious onlookers and plenty of admiration.From personal projects to planned donations for nursing home residents, their craft is as generous as it is joyful. COVID taught us a lot, including how to sit still long enough to discover something new. For John and Peter, that something was crochet. And they’ve been hooked ever since.

Sing Australia is throwing a party to celebrate 15 years of bringing music and enjoyment to the local community, with a special birthday night set for 25 June.The occasion marks years of performances across some of Kiama’s biggest events, from the Kiama Folk Festival, and Jazz & Blues Festival, to Anzac dawn services and Christmas carols.Leader and Conductor of the group, Maree Shepherd, welcomes the celebrations for the group which currently has over 40 members, with the purpose of the party being to honour those who have helped build and grow Sing Australia Kiama."We're doing this to honour people that have made such a big contribution to the success of Sing Australia Kiama, that may no longer be with us, but really were instrumental in helping establish it in the area,” Maree said.The celebration is particularly meaningful as the group missed celebrating their 10th birthday“We missed our 10th because it was in the middle of COVID, and whilst I did Zoom sessions with everybody throughout COVID, we couldn't actually get together,” Maree said.“So, we thought, look, we're going to set this up to have a little more fun for the 15th."Past and present members have been invited to join in on the night of celebrations.“We've invited back past leaders of SingAustralia who are going to be coming along to attend, plus some of the older members that are no longer with us, but for various reasons, going to come along to help us celebrate,” said Maree.Since forming in 2010, Sing Australia Kiama has performed at major local events including Citizenship Ceremonies, the Lion’s Convention, Festival of Choirs, Jamberoo Jam Festival, South Coast Sings, and Shellharbour Senior’s Expo.They’ve also brought music to aged care homes and performed at notable venues like Floriade, Old Parliament House, and St Mary’s Cathedral as part of the national Sing Australia network.The birthday celebration will be a night to remember with special performances as well as karaoke-style singalongs, and party food.“Some of the members will be doing various acts. We'll do some sing-alongs. We've got a bit of karaoke that I know people will sing along to and dance,” Maree said.While the birthday party is focused on honouring past and present members, Maree is always keen to welcome newcomers to their weekly Wednesday meetings.However, Maree finds the biggest problem with finding new members is that people are worried to join because they think they can’t sing.“Sing Australia isn't about judging people's singing voices. It's about connecting people through singing,” Maree said.“I think what attracts most people is not so much the singing, it's the friendships and it's the fun time you just have being together on the night having a go”.The group is a part of a network of over 70 singing groups across Australia, with a song list of about 500 songs, meaning members can join any group across the country without rehearsal.“I often invite members from the Wollongong, Vincentia and other groups from other Sing Australias to join us without rehearsal, because we sing from the same song books and as such, we can join together,” Maree said.For those wanting to try Sing Australia Kiama, the regular Wednesday night meetings from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Uniting Church are the perfect opportunity.“I'm always welcoming people to come and give it a go, they can come for three weeks without any commitment or payment or anything just to see the group,” Maree said.Maree is particularly keen to attract younger people to keep the group thriving for another 15 years of using music as a form of self-expression, free of expectations and judgement.For more information visit Sing Australia's website or contact Maree Shepherd at [email protected]

The 11th annual Kiama Red Cross Fun Run raised more than $10,000 over the weekend to support vulnerable individuals and families in the local area.Sunday's weather broke in favour of the event, offering a clear window for the 384 participants who took part in the 5km, 8km, and 21.1km races and fun runs.“We were so blessed with the weather - things weren’t looking good the day before or the day after,” said Judi O’Brien, president of Kiama Red Cross.Runners of all ages were invited to participate in the Fun Run. Photo: Brian Scott“People came out in droves. We had 384 entrants, which is up on previous years, and we raised more than $10,000 for the Red Cross. It was an excellent day.”O’Brien said feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many praising the stunning coastal views and the supportive marshals stationed along the course.“You couldn’t have asked for a better winter day - fresh air and that beautiful Kiama coastline. It really made for a special atmosphere,” she said.“We’re also lucky to have so many service clubs and community members helping with marshalling. Runners were so appreciative of their encouragement - it really lifted spirits.”While the focus of the day was on community and charity, O’Brien acknowledged the achievements of the top finishers:21.1km winners:Male: Scott FraserFemale: Lucy Holman8km winners:Male: Colt PhillipsFemale: Mariana Byrne5km winners:Male: Rob LittleFemale: Emily CrumpA whole family getting into the action at the Kiama Red Cross Fun Run. Photo: Brian ScottThe Kiama Red Cross Fun Run began in 2014, originally envisioned as a one-off event to promote healthy living and raise funds. But the success of that first year sparked a now decade-long tradition.“It was so popular and raised so much money that we decided to keep it going,” O’Brien said.“In over 11 years, we’ve raised more than $80,000 just from this event alone.”'She added that the event has grown and evolved in response to community feedback, including the recent introduction of a half marathon (21.1km) for more competitive runners, while maintaining shorter distances for walkers and casual participants.“We’ve really honed the event to make it something people look forward to every year.”O’Brien praised the Kiama community for its continued support and said planning is already underway for the 12th Fun Run in 2026. The Bugle will feature an extensive collection of photographer Brian Scott's Fun Run photos in next week's digital edition.

Kiama author Karen Deen was at a superannuation conference, staring out the window at boats on Sydney Harbour, when she came up with the idea for her first novel.It was 2017 and the now world-renowned romance writer was not yet a novelist. She was a partner in a successful Jamberoo accounting firm who always had a book on her bedside table but never dreamed of being a writer.“I was a good reader but I never wanted to be an author,” says Karen, who last month released her 16 th novel The Attraction. “I left school and went straight into accounting”.So what changed? Like many women walking the wobbly tightrope of family and work commitments, Karen suffered from “working-mum guilt” and tried to do everything for everyone except herself.“As a full-time working parent, I was juggling being a partner in a business, with raising kids, running a household, caring for my mum who was sick and volunteering for local sporting teams,” she recalls.“I had run myself into the ground and I was physically and mentally exhausted. It felt like everybody wanted a piece of me and I had no pieces left to give. "I was doing everything for everyone else but needed to do something for myself.“So, when I was at that conference in Sydney, staring at the luxury yachts on the harbour, I started sketching out a plot for a novel.”Once Karen began plotting and jotting she couldn’t stop, and the accountant of 32 years found herself writing a book.“It all just came flooding out,” she laughs. “I scribbled it all down in my accountant’s notebook and in a few days I had written 10,000 words in pencil on paper. "I had to buy myself a laptop so I could type it all down, that nearly killed me!”Once she had written 40,000 words, Karen told her husband she was going to “write that book I’ve been talking about for a while” and asked three girlfriends to read what she had written and “tell me honestly if it’s crap”.“They loved it and couldn’t wait to see what happened next, and my family was so supportive,” says Karen. That book was Loves Wall - the first in a five-book series - and she would get up at 6am, go to work as an accountant, come home take care of her family and write until 2am.While Karen loved her career in finance it was writing that “enthralled” her and she spent every spare moment “creating a world that would take me, and my readers, out of the everyday”.“Books are an escape from the daily grind and that’s one of the things I love most about reading, but when you’re writing a book you also get to choose where the story goes and that is such a privilege and so exciting,” she says. “And the research is so much fun, all my books are set overseas so I do a lot of googling to build those worlds and create that character development.”Karen routinely writes 5000 words a day and churns out as many as four books each year now that she is a full-time novelist. She has written three series – The Time for Love, The Chicago Boys and the Hotel Temptation series which includes her latest release The Attraction. She has also kept the scrawled first draft she wrote in pencil many moons ago as a reminder of when “her two worlds collided” and she eventually resigned as a partner in her accounting firm.It was a “big leap of faith,” but the decision was made easier when COVID decimated the finance world in 2020.“I was fielding calls at all hours of the day and night from panicked clients who had to stand staff down,” she says. “We became their counsellors; it was emotionally taxing for everyone and that’s when I decided life’s too short. "I was working and writing around the clock, and it wasn’t sustainable. I thought ‘if I don’t do this know I never will’.”Karen was also caring for her beloved mum, who had cancer and was in palliative care.“I didn’t tell mum I was writing my first book until I’d completely finished it,” she explains. “Then a few years later when we knew we were going to lose her, I wanted her to know I was going to be a full-time author.”Next month Karen will travel to the UK for a book signing of The Attraction, attended by thousands of romance fans. The novel is a contemporary romance set in London and centres around a workplace relationship between a financial controller for a top hotel chain and the second-in charge of a rival company.“Writing about a billionaire’s romance in the corporate world draws on the world I lived in when I worked in finance,” explains Karen. “Every author draws on parts of themselves and the things they know without meaning to.”She says becoming a full-time writer is “one of the best decisions” she’s ever made but locals still sometimes “look at me like I’ve got two heads when I tell them I’m a romance writer”.And while a coastal love story set in Kiama is not on the cards, Karen hasn’t ruled out a small-town rural romance set somewhere in Australia.Copies of her novels are available on Amazon and her website.

By Stephanie Kemp Helping those in needGerringong Rotary Club continues to support the work undertaken worldwide by ShelterBox, who work with disaster-affected communities to provide the emergency shelter, essential items and training needed to support families in the long process of rebuilding their lives. This year marks ShelterBox’s 25th year since being founded. Since inception, with the assistance of Rotary, ShelterBox have supported over 3 million people recovering from disaster or conflict. Rotary's partnership with ShelterBox continues to make a significant impact across the globe including supporting families in Lebanon and Gaza (through collaboration with Rotary in Jordan), those who lost their homes after Hurricane Beryl swept through the Caribbean, and those families displaced through drought in Ethiopia. Later in the year we are planning a big travel raffle – watch this space!We have also been able to help those affected by the recent Queensland floods.The April Markets, held on Easter Saturday, were a great success. We had the best BBQ results for a while and were able to make a donation to the flood relief efforts.Volunteers neededIn order to keep making a difference by helping charities like these as well as running local initiatives like the monthly Gerringong Markets and helping to found Active Aging NSW, which is bringing new dementia programs to the South Coast, we need new volunteers. While our focus is on our charity work, we are a social bunch – Wednesday morning meetings in Gerringong Town Hall have a visiting speaker, once a month we all go out to dinner and we have sporadic social activities, such as our visit to the Jervis Bay Botanical Garden and our morning tea at Tilda and Cacao chocolate makers in Gerringong. Later in this year a group from the club is planning a few days away.A Focus on travelPeta Godfrey, owner of Travel Focus in Gerringong spoke at one of our recent meetings about her journey as a travel agent through the COVID period and what has changed between before and after the pandemic.Peta grew up locally and joined Guidepost Travel, the predecessor to Travel Focus. She bought the business in 2017 and in 2020 she was suddenly facing closing borders and clients stuck overseas, with no idea how long the situation was going to last. Thanks to JobKeeper, she could retain some of her staff, but the business was making no money so she had to close the office and surrender her lease, while working from home to get clients back to Australia and cancelling and rebooking holidays, rebooking and rescheduling up to three times to prevent the client losing their money altogether. By the time borders reopened in 2023, staff had got other jobs, as had Peta herself! Airline staff were untrained, pilots had left the industry and there was a shortage of planes as it took six months to get them back in the air again after being parked in the desert. Flight prices had gone up threefold and Peta was wondering whether to reopen the business at all in the face of these challenges as she was enjoying her new low stress life.What made the decision for her was locals stopping her in the street and asking when she was going to reopen so they could book a trip. Peta talks to the Club. The people reignited her passion for the industry, and she has found that business now is even better than it was before the pandemic. Travel has become more complicated with new visa requirements everywhere and clients now appreciate the service they receive from a specialist travel agent and how much time they save compared to doing all the bookings themselves. The service has become much more consultative and for the agent, the satisfaction comes from hearing clients’ stories about what a great trip they had.The joy of learning to appreciate fine chocolateA wet Wednesday morning saw 16 or so Rotarians assembling at Tilda and Cacao in Gerringong for a talk on the origin of the business and how chocolate is made and how artisan chocolate differs from the mass produced (think fine wine as compared to the cask!).Tilda and Cacao buy from small sustainable producers and, like wine, the terroir influences the flavour of the chocolate. They also process the cacao without roasting so that all the natural flavours are revealed. The big factories buy their cacao from numerous producers and roast it and add flavourings like vanilla to ensure they always produce a standard product, but the artisan chocolatier relishes the regional differences in flavour. Sarah from Tilda & Cacao.They have also focused on local ingredients, such as Davidson plum, to flavour their chocolate and create something unique.As well as learning about the grinding and tempering processes, we were able to try the product (delicious!) and enjoyed a chocolate inspired morning tea.New members and friends always welcome - see www.gerringongrotary.com.au or contact [email protected] from Tilda & Cacao.

St George Illawarra's hopes of making the NRL finals are fading fast after last Friday's 50-point drubbing at the hands of the Dolphins.They get a chance to put their playoff campaign back on track on Thursday night when they travel to Shark Park to take on traditional rivals Cronulla.Dragons coach Shane Flanagan has made several changes to the side that was thrashed 56-6 at Suncorp Stadium although he has been forced to make a couple of changes due to injury and State of Origin.Veteran centre Valentine Holmes is out after being retained by Queensland for next Wednesday's Origin clash in Perth with Corey Allan returning to the side in his place.Dragons winger Christian Tuipulotu has been sidelined after aggravating his hamstring injury early in the Dolphins defeat with Tyrell Sloan regaining his spot on the flank.Front-rower Blake Lawie has been dropped and second-rower Raymond Faitala-Mariner will also miss the Sharks showdown after suffering an asthma attack during last week's loss.Gerringong forward Hamish Stewart has been relegated to the bench after starting at lock against Redcliffe with Jack de Belin getting the No.13 jersey.Stewart made 36 tackles and only missed two but made just 66 running metres in 52 minutes of game time.He has played 11 matches in his rookie season and has started in the past five matches.Hame Sele and Emre Guler have been added to the pack to face Cronulla as St George Illawarra try to rebound after dropping to 11th place on the ladder with a 5-7 record.Flanagan said in the post-match media conference that the poor showing in Round 14 would not happen again."I'll make sure of it. Don't you worry. That's my job," Flanagan said."We can make excuses but we are not here to make excuses. It just wasn't up to standard. It is really disappointing."It's not acceptable for the Dragons."

After rescheduling due to Cyclone Alfred earlier this year, the Gerringong Music Club is bringing jazz quartet Estampa back this month.This might be the event to broaden your musical palate.Gerringong Music Club’s Imogen Stewart has nothing but praise for the group.“Everyone loved Estampa so much that we decided to bring them back again.They bring a vibrant, colourful delightful program,” Stewart said.The group is made up of Rebecca Karlen on violin and vocals, Paul Henderson on guitar and banjo, John Reeves on accordion and Samuel Vincent on double bass.Rebecca Karlen told The Bugle that with a strong flavour of French and Brazilian jazz, the group leans on various influences that hold significance to the individuals.And then they put their own stamp on it to rearrange the music to suit.“We are such an eclectic group of musicians, but we all bring in our own passions,” Karlen said.“I absolutely love the group because we play such diverse music, we all have very different musical backgrounds.“Because we have played together for so long, and we genuinely love playing together, it is such a privilege working with these musicians, because they are so incredibly invested in everything they do.“The joy that we feel when we play together - I think that’s the best feedback you can have as a musician, when it makes people feel something.”Stewart explained what makes Estampa so good: “Rebecca’s vocals are just so beautiful with the violin, piano, accordion, banjo, bass, and guitar.“It’s just a beautiful mix of instruments and their repertoire is phenomenal.”Another component that Estampa incorporates into their shows is improvisation, with Karlen explaining “because we play such diverse repertoire, we don’t improvise certain pieces of music, like Vivaldi, but in most of our music, we will incorporate improvisation in some way”.Reflecting on her recent visit to Gerringong, you could sense the nostalgia from Karlen.“I have wonderful memories of Gerringong, it is such beautiful town, really lovely, warm audience, so it was very memorable,” Karlen said.With tickets available at the door, you don’t need to be a member of the Gerringong Music Club to attend.The event will be held 29 June at Gerringong Town Hall from 2pm-3:30pm.

Gerringong’s Greg Ball, a volunteer firefighter of 35 years, continued his lengthy history of helping those in need by helping the flood-ravaged NSW Mid North Coast recently.Greg joined crews from all over NSW and beyond in the extensive recovery operation led by the State Emergency Service. The historical floods decimated several Mid North Coast townships and five people died as the result of the devastating natural disaster. “It’s shattering… it’s just mind boggling,” Ball said. “Even driving up there, the mess, the fences, the debris.” Gerringong Rural Fire Brigade was a part of an 836-strong service partner personnel from NSW and across the country, which contributed to the rescue efforts in the towns across the Mid North Coast. Up to 800mm fell within parts of the region in May. “That was just terrible. If it comes up gradually over two weeks, there is no force (with the floods) and people can prepare a bit better,” Ball said. “A couple of old ladies against the Macleay River just wanted their pathways cleared so they could get to the clothesline. Little things, but important things.“It’s depressing, but you know you got to help each other … we gave a couple of upset ones a cuddle and then you get a group hug. Little things for morale.”. To remain as close to the affected areas, a basketball court was turned into makeshift accommodation for volunteers which resembled a base camp with rows of stretches for their beds. Ball praised the SES leadership which helped direct the rescue efforts. “It is not just about us boots on the ground, it’s the whole system right from the top down to the individual districts. It was really well done,” Ball said. “It’s great working together and we all get on and they do their jobs, have a bit of a yarn here and there, the food was great.”Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib said in a statement: “We’ve seen thousands of people come together in support of one another with many more putting their hand up to join our volunteer ranks.” Also representing Gerringong Rural Fire Brigade was fellow volunteer firefighter Sandra Lightfoot. It was her first deployment to a rescue appointment.“My mum has been up there for 30 years, so to me it was really important, and I really wanted to assist because it is like my second home,” Lightfoot said. “They needed heavy vehicle license drivers to go up north and I hold that license.” NSW SES Commissioner Mike Wassing thanked the SES volunteers “and our emergency service colleagues from across Australia and New Zealand for their dedication and commitment during this crisis”. The NSW Reconstruction Authority has now taken over from the NSW State Emergency Services and will now assume responsibility for managing clean-up and repair efforts in the impacted communities as part of the recovery process.