The Illawarra Flame – Shellharbour Edition No. 1

Meet Our Contributors

Lesley Roulston is a passionate writer who enjoys hearing the inspiring stories of the people of the Illawarra. Originally from Newcastle, Shellharbour has become her permanent home. She can be found walking her King Charles Spaniel most evenings around the Shellharbour Marina. Her interests include reading and listening to podcasts on health and ageing well.

Amanda De George is a naturalist, writer and photographer. Her passion lies in discovering interesting critters in urban environments and bringing them to the followers of her Facebook and Instagram page Backyard Zoology. Oh, and adventures and naps and wine; she’s passionate about those things too!

Ian Badham spent much of his 48-year career in developing and operating rescue helicopter and aeromedical services (Westpac LifeSaver then CareFlight). In addition to his volunteer work, Ian worked as a journalist, mainly in newspapers with some radio reporting. He continues to mix aviation with flying as a tour guide and the media officer at the all-volunteer HARS Aviation Museum.

Tyneesha Williams is a journalism student at University of Wollongong. Born and raised in Central West NSW, Tyneesha fell in love with the Illawarra’s stunning scenery and local community. She runs her own business, Neesh Photography, and in her spare time enjoys taking pictures, attending gigs and going to the beach.

Rob Brander – aka ‘Dr Rip’ – is a coastal geomorphologist and professor at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. He’s been studying beaches for more than 30 years, starting in Canada where water temperatures convinced him to come to Australia. He is an international expert on rip currents and beach safety and runs a community education program called The Science of the Surf.

Genevieve Swart is a journalist who has spent 30 years at newspapers, magazines and websites in London, Cape Town and Sydney. For the past decade, she has run a community news business, which rebranded in 2022 to become The Illawarra Flame, a name inspired by a tree. Genevieve is a co-director of True Story festival and a founding member of the Local & Independent News Association. On days off, she goes kayaking.

www.theillawarraflame.com.au

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THE ILLAWARRA

NEXT DEADLINE 15 May for the Winter edition

EDITORS Genevieve Swart, Marcus Craft

CONTACT hello@theillawarraflame.com.au.

Features Coordinator Shellharbour: Lesley Roulston, 0411 025 008, shellharbour@ theillawarraflame.com.au

Write to PO Box 248, Helensburgh, 2508. TheIllawarraFlame

ADVERTISING www.theillawarraflame.com.au 0432 612 168 | T&Cs apply

NEXT EDITION Winter 2024

DEADLINE 15 May. Contributions welcome.

COVER February’s MerMeet in Shellharbour. Photo: Matt Houston, Ironbark Photography

THE ILLAWARRA FLAME is published by The Word Bureau trust, ABN 31 692 723 477

DISCLAIMER: All content and images remain the property of The Illawarra Flame unless otherwise supplied. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission. Views expressed do not reflect those of the publishers.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: The publishers acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their cultural and spiritual connection to this land. Their stories are written in the land and hold great significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, from the mountains to the sea.

Expressions of Interest

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Welcome to our first edition!

By Marcus Craft

Welcome to the first Shellharbour edition of The Illawarra Flame

We are thrilled to bring our high-quality publication to the vibrant community of Shellharbour and give residents their very own trusted, independent source of community news – delivered free to letterboxes and local businesses.

We aim to provide residents with engaging local news and stories that reflect the unique character of Shellharbour.

Initially, about 5000 homes around Shell Cove and Shellharbour will receive the magazine via letterbox deliveries. Copies will also be available for free pick-up at locations across the city.

Thanks to Shell Cove’s Lesley Roulston for coming on board as our Features Coordinator Shellharbour. Lesley has held many roles –including as a writer for South Coast Style – and we’re thrilled to draw on her local knowledge.

The Illawarra Flame is unique among local newspapers in that it is powered by the people. We believe it takes a community to produce the news and welcome articles by local residents on their social club, their charity work or their sports team.

The Flame is also the only news publication hand-delivered to letterboxes and, as community news is not classified as junk mail, our distribution is exclusively widespread.

We’d love to hear from you, so make sure you share your community news and upload events for free via The Illawarra Flame website.

About The

Illawarra Flame

Named after a beautiful local tree, the Illawarra Flame is a small family publishing business celebrating 10 years as a trusted news source in the Illawarra. My wife, Genevieve, and I are both journalists, each with more than 30 years of experience in Australia, the UK and South Africa. When we moved to the Illawarra 12 years ago, we saw the need for a high-quality ethical community news source in the region – so we started one!

The publication has grown from a small paper for Helensburgh to a region-wide voice for volunteers, small business, sustainability and the

arts. In 2022 we received funding from the Walkley Foundation to launch a website – this has grown tremendously and has had almost 200,000 page views in the past 12 months.

Increasingly we’ve found great stories arising in Shellharbour – in this edition alone, you’ll find articles on everything from mermaids to pilots. Local businesses have also been asking, “When are you coming to Shellharbour?”

So here we are!

After publishing community news in the northern Illawarra for a decade, we are very excited to provide Shellharbour residents with their very own free magazine, supported by our advertising partners.

In this first edition, a big thank you to founding community news partners, including Monique Field Property and Kylee Dennis of Two Face Investigations, as well as longtime clients, such as Elossa, Mahler Building and Darkes Glenbernie Orchard. Jo Fahey pioneered business storytelling in our original magazine 10 years ago and the Faheys’ 6th generation family fruit farm still shares fabulously juicy stories today!

If you own or manage a local business, no matter how big or small, this is a unique chance to connect with your target local audience via both print and digital packages. Please contact us about our upcoming Winter Special and help support this new community journalism venture!

Advertise

It’s easy to book online. Go to www.theillawarra flame.com.au/book-an-ad and use the discount code ‘Winter’ for your special deal!

Subscribe

Shellharbour’s print magazine is quarterly. Jump online to subscribe to our Weekend digital edition, free to inboxes across the Illawarra every Friday.

Distribute

To apply to deliver the magazines or become a stockist, email news@theillawarraflame.com.au

Share your event for free!

Simply register as a free subscriber on our website, then click on “Submit an event” at the top left to share your community event.

Contact

Owner/editors Marcus Craft and Genevieve Swart, 0411 025 910, news@theillawarraflame.com.au

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Keeping our ageing bodies fit

The benefits of exercise go beyond fitness. Evidence tells us that keeping active can reduce our risk of chronic diseases, writes

This month is a celebration of seniors, with the NSW Seniors Festival running for 2 weeks in March. This year’s theme is “Reach Beyond”, which reminds us that challenging ourselves to do more should not be limited by age. In fact, one of the keys to healthy aging is to keep our mind and body active as we age.

The benefits of regular physical activity on health are well known, however, the 2021 National Health Survey found 1 in 2 people aged 65 and over did not meet the Australian exercise guidelines of at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on most, preferably all days.

Losing muscle mass and strength is a natural part of aging and is called “Sarcopenia”. There is a perception that this is inevitable and therefore nothing can be done about it. But science tells us otherwise. Sarcopenia is the age-related loss of muscle strength and function that not only impacts our ability to engage in physical activity but also carry out our day-to-day activities, such as carrying groceries, hanging out the washing and walking the dog. However, research has shown us that Sarcopenia can be slowed, stopped and even reversed by combining balance and aerobic training with resistance exercise.

The benefits of exercise go beyond fitness. Evidence tells us that keeping active can reduce our risk of chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. Exercise also helps maintain strong bones, decreasing the risk of osteoporosis.

Exercise has emerged as a key treatment for reducing the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. The UK Alzheimer’s Society states: “Of all the lifestyle changes that have been studied, taking regular physical exercise appears to be one

Elossa founder Lilliana Barone

of the best things that you can do to reduce your risk of getting dementia.”

With so many reasons to exercise, many older people still feel very uncomfortable joining a regular gym. And that’s where Elossa Fitness comes in.

Elossa is a specialised gym for ages 60+ which has circuits designed to improve functional fitness and combat sarcopenia with a combination strength, aerobic and balance training. Each circuit class is led by a team of university-trained Accredited Exercise Physiologists so members always receive the latest expert and science-based advice and guidance.

Elossa is a safe and supervised studio where no matter what level of fitness and no matter what age, members are able to meet physical activity guidelines and become stronger and healthier. Elossa strives to provide a space where members can be safely challenged to reach their goals, as well as a space that encourages social connection and a sense of fun which is also important as we age.

Elossa has been open in Corrimal since 2022 and has recently opened at 2/7 Minga Avenue, Shellharbour City Centre.

If you are ready to “Reach Beyond” and become a healthier and fitter version of yourself so that you can Do More, book into an initial assessment with one of Elossa’s exercise physiologists by calling 0468 357 720 or visit www.elossafitness.com.

To celebrate the Seniors Festival and the Illawarra Flame’s first Shellharbour edition, Elossa are offering 1/2 price initial assessments. Book an Initial Assessment and bring along a copy of this article to your assessment to redeem the offer. This offer expires 30 April 2024.

SPECIAL OFFER

To celebrate the Seniors Festival, Elossa are offering 1/2 price assessments.initialThis offer expires 30 April 2024.

Veteran pilot turns back time in the Caribou he flew

By Ian Badham of HARS Aviation Museum

It was as if the clock suddenly turned back 45 years when veteran pilot Jock Cassels climbed from his wheelchair into the cramped cockpit of a former RAAF transport Caribou aircraft.

Jock is 100 years old and now the world’s oldest Caribou pilot. His son Charles recently brought him to the Illawarra’s HARS Aviation Museum to inspect Caribou 234, which he last flew in Vietnam in 1976 before retiring from the RAAF a year later.

“This is so wonderful,” Jock told former Caribou pilot and now head of HARS flying operations Richard Elliott, “I never expected to get back into this aircraft.”

In a remarkable 38-year flying career, Jock served in both the RAF and the RAAF, flying aircraft including Tiger Moth and Harvard trainers, Spitfire and Meteor fighters then Sunderland flying

boats and Lancaster bombers for the RAF before flying 1499 war sorties in Vietnam for the RAAF.

Joining the RAF in 1941, he initially trained in Rhodesia then was sent to Europe as World War Two raged.

After his Spitfire was shot down over northern Italy, fellow comrades pooled their meagre rations and made a cake to celebrate his 21st birthday in a German POW camp.

“Well, it was a cake of sorts but memorable,” he said.

His service with the RAF continued after the Second World War in Iraq and Hong Kong before he returned to England.

Days after retiring from the RAF, Jock answered an advert in a London paper that sought pilots up to the age of 43 to join the RAAF – which he

successfully did just days before the age deadline. He retired as a Squadron Leader and still keeps an eye on flying from his home near the RAAF Base at Richmond in Sydney’s north-west.

Caribou 234 is one of almost 500 built by de Havilland in Canada. Alongside Caribou 210 at HARS Aviation Museum, it is one of only three in original condition still flying; the other is located in Texas.

Volunteers at the Historical Aircraft Restoration Society regularly fly both aircraft, including over special events for Vietnam veterans who fondly remember its remarkable short field take-off and landing capability that provided support for the troops. Caribou 234 was the last RAAF aircraft to leave Vietnam in 1972.

The two Caribou and almost 60 other aircraft of special significance to Australia’s aviation legacy –many still airworthy – are on display at HARS Aviation Museum, located at Shellharbour Airport, just off the old Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail.

It is open daily from 9.30am to 3.30pm for tours conducted by volunteers (last tour at 2pm) and Cafe Connie provides hot and cold food plus excellent coffee.

Entry details at www.hars.org.au

Former war pilot Jock Cassels in Caribou 234. Below: In the cockpit with pilot Richard Elliott. Photos: Ian Badham, Howard Mitchell

What’s On

More events at theillawarraflame.com.au

The Great Australian Rock Musical

April 19-May 4 Roo Theatre Shellharbour. A hilarious tale with outback shearers, a B & S ball, an inherited fortune and a ‘Gilbert and Sullivan style conundrum!’ www.roo-theatre.com.au

Shellharbour Men’s Shed

Open Tue, Wed & Thurs Work on projects in a well-equipped workshop. 32A Addison Street, Shellharbour Village. Contact: 02 4297 8005; shell_mensshed@yahoo.com.au

HARS Aviation Museum

Daily The Historical Aircraft Restoration Society (HARS) Aviation Museum is open 9:30am to 3:30pm at Shellharbour Airport. On the weekend of the second Friday of the month, HARS holds Tarmac Days outside the hangars with static displays of aircraft. Board and sit inside planes, including the cockpits of aircraft like the F-111C fighter bomber and Neptune submarine hunter. Visit hars.org.au

Waterfront Walkers

Every Wed 8:30am. Waterfront Marina: Top of the stairs opposite the kids’ beach area. Get fit and meet new friends in picturesque surrounds.

Solo Seniors Meetup

Monthly on Thursdays 12.30pm. @ Georgia Rose – The Waterfront Shell Cove. Thursdays 21 March; 18 April; 16 May; 20 June. Contact Shellcove.community@frasersproperty.com.au

Run Shellharbour

Race Day: Sunday April 14 Eric Creary Park, Northern side Shellharbour Surf Lifesaving Club Various distances including 5km, 10km and half marathon. www.runshellharbour.com.au

Shell Cove Community Garden

Every Wed 9am-11am & Sat from 3pm -5pm Join gardening enthusiasts, in a social setting tending to the garden. For further details, email: Shellcove.community@frasersproperty.com.au

Filming Workshops

6 April (Ideas & Storytelling ) & 4 May (Editing) Want to make a short film? You don’t need special gear. A smartphone can do the job, or you might have a digital video camera or SLR that has video capabilities. Facilitator: Phil Crawford of coequal. Hosted by Shellharbour City Council at the Civic Centre, bookings via Humanitix.

Youth Art & Design Exhibition

April 8-28 Shellharbour Civic Centre. As part of Youth Week, enjoy the works of talented young people aged 12-24 years from the Shellharbour area. www.shellharbour.nsw.gov.au/whats-on

Illawarra Light Railway Museum: Tramways April 14 Relive those days when steam was in charge, then ride the miniature train for a great day with the family. www.ilrms.com.au

Illawarra Light Railway Museum: School Holiday Rides

Tuesdays April 16 & 23 10am to 2pm. Ride the rails at the Illawarra Light Railway Museum. Info and tickets at www.ilrms.com.au

Movies Under the Stars: Wonka

Friday, 19 April Grassland behind Shellharbour Civic Centre. Enjoy an outdoor screening of the new Wonka movie! From 5pm. Come early to secure the best spot and order Steve’s Woodfire Pizza. Bring picnic rugs, bean bags, low chairs.

Civic Centre Market

Sat 20 April Celebrate the talent of young makers, creators & performers from 10am-1pm, during Youth Week 2024. With live music, entertainment, and awesome stuff to buy.

Australian Freestyle Mountain Bike National Championships

Sat, 20 April Watch history in the making, as Greenvalleys Mountain Bike Park hosts the inaugural AusCycling Freestyle Mountain Bike National Championships 2024. www. greenvalleysmountainbikepark.com

Toddler Tales

Tues 10am – 11am during school terms Waterfront Shell Cove Sales Centre. Storytime for littlies aged 2-5 years, with their parent or caregiver. No bookings required. Contact Shellcove.community@frasersproperty.com.au

Have Your Say

Shellharbour City Council’s draft Shellharbour Airport Master Plan is on public exhibition until 28 March. Give Council feedback on its ‘Draft Fees and Charges 2024 - 2025’ by March 26. You can also share your opinion of the 2024 Seniors Festival, your development application experience, plus ideas and inspiration for play spaces across the city – and more. Go to letschatshellharbour.com

All set for the Dark Side of the Moon

Jeremy Lasek reviews the anniversary event

When was the last time you sat in total silence to immerse yourself in what’s commonly described as one of the greatest albums ever released, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon?

For me, having played the album hundreds of times over the decades, too often as mood or background music, there’s no way I was going to miss a special celebration experience at the University of Wollongong’s Science Space to mark 50 years since the release of the classic album. And hundreds of mainly baby boomers have taken a psychedelic step back in time and listened in total silence to relive those ground-breaking musical memories from the Seventies.

The band decided to celebrate Dark Side’s golden anniversary by recreating the album’s famous 1973 press launch at the London Planetarium and to date more than 100 planetariums across the world have presented a truly immersive convergence of sights and sounds befitting the remarkable 42 minutes of magic produced on the album.

As such, the Fairy Meadow planetarium has hosted sold-out performances for months and can now proudly claim to share the global Pink Floyd stage with planetariums in Las Vegas, Paris, Glasgow, Chicago, Brussels and Hamburg.

For those who know nothing of Pink Floyd, and specifically Dark Side of the Moon, five decades on it remains one of the best-selling albums of all time. Its eye-catching album cover featuring a ray of light going through a prism, coming through as a rainbow is one of the most famous album covers of all time.

While the shows at UOW have been consistently selling out, staff told me they planned to continue adding new shows as long as there’s continuing demand.

So, you’ll likely know what you’ll be hearing under the UOW Science Space dome but it’s the visuals that give the Dark Side of the Moon a whole new perspective.

Each of the 10 songs has a different theme, some futuristically looking forward, others a retro acknowledgement to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and place experience, embracing up-to-the-minute technology that only a planetarium can offer. In the modern parlance, it’s truly immersive, an all-encompassing surround sound and visual treat that takes you way beyond the realms of 2D experience.

While my experience was fabulous, it would have been further enhanced with a bit more volume (us baby boomers can still deal with noise and this album deserves to be heard loud) and we

were unfortunate on our night that a pesky moth decided to make the occasional (unwanted) guest appearance across the lens of the projector.

The local season has been extended, so don’t despair if you find a SOLD OUT sign at the door. The shows will run once a month until December. Visit www.sciencespace.com.au

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A Flavourful Future

Jo Fahey reports from Darkes Glenbernie Orchard

Recently there has been much media discussion about the viable options farmers have for selling their produce. There seems to be a big disconnect between what the farmer is paid and the final price of fruit and veg at the supermarket. Our farm is no different from those you may have heard about in the media and has had to change focus. We are shifting from growing a limited selection of varieties to a more diverse range,

PINK LADY & GRANNY SMITH APPLES

COMING EARLY APRIL

including some specialist cider varieties. This opens the doors to exploring unique flavours that make exciting juice blends and ciders, as well as innovative jams and sauces. We are looking for new tastes. Imagine a nectarine wine or rose cider. As the year progresses we hope to release some of these new creations.

Right now it’s true! We do have Golden Delicious apples at the on-farm shop and online. This apple (pictured left) is highly sought after and hard to find, so if you know someone who’s waiting for them – make sure you let them know!

A little about Golden Delicious:

• They begin their life as a green apple, however, turn a gorgeous golden colour as they age.

• They can be incredibly sweet, although have a little acid like a Pink Lady (totally different to a Granny Smith!), and get even sweeter as they get older!

• They are one of the parent apples of Pink Lady! The other parent is called a ‘Lady Williams’.

• They can have a noticeable ‘russet’ on the skin which looks like gold-coloured rough patches. This does not affect the flavour and is characteristic of some varieties.

• As well as an excellent eating apple, these make incredible cooking apples, and are often regarded as one of the best! Perfect for that apple pie you’ve been meaning to make!

• They are very prone to bruising so please be gentle with them!

About the orchard

Darkes Glenbernie Orchard is a sixth generation family fruit farm in Darkes Forest, producing apples, peaches, nectarines and persimmons, plus international award-winning Darkes apple cider, apple cider vinegar and honey mead. ‘Pick Your Own’ experiences – including a tractor trailer ride – run from November to April, bookings essential. Visit the AppleShack farm shop to buy fruit, cider, local honey, vinegars, jams, relishes and pickles or shop online at darkes.com.au with free delivery of orders over $50 weekly from Sutherland to Shellharbour. Visit www.darkes.com.au

• They have a lovely texture, slightly different to other apples you might have previously eaten.

• Left to ripen, their skins will go wrinkly and they are STILL DELICIOUS!

So after reading about how amazing they are, why aren’t they readily available?

Many orchards (including ourselves) pulled out their crops years ago, after the variety became increasingly difficult to sell to retailers, coupled with the fact they can be difficult to grow and

handle without the fruit developing russet, marks on their skin, and easily bruising!

We have recently (a couple of years ago now) grafted a few rows of trees back over to Golden Delicious, as we have the community’s support buying them directly from us! We do not have to rely on what’s ‘trendy’ or what retailers will buy anymore – we can grow the things our own customers and community want!

Thanks for supporting us, we are so happy to have these available for you and we hope you enjoy them!

GLENBERNIE ORCHARD’S APPLESHACK IS OPEN DAILY 10AM-4.30PM

Visit the farm store at 259 Darkes Forest Road or shop online at www.darkes.com.au

Photos: Sasha Faint, Casey Fahey

SUP star steps into the boxing ring for charity

By Lesley Roulston

Shellharbour’s Stand-Up Paddle Boarding Queen, Rebecca Dunning, is swapping the SUP board for boxing gloves when she takes on a competitor in the ring at The Battle of the Businesses Fight Night – a boxing tournament on April 20, to help raise money for i98FM Illawarra Convoy 2024.

When asked what inspired her to want to step inside a boxing ring, Bec said: “I love a challenge, and I am very community minded, so I liked the idea of stepping outside my comfort zone and raising funds for Convoy. So, I spoke to Karlie from Tiny Tins who was organising the fighters and begged her to let me participate. Everyone that knows me knows I’m always putting my hand up for something crazy!” (Please note, Bec was

sporting a black eye from sparring practice at the time of this interview.)

A qualified fitness instructor, Bec had a taste for boxing through her time teaching cardio boxing, however, when it came time to step inside the ring and start punching an opponent, it took a while for her to get used to it. It became a “mental game” she said, “to get yourself ready to actually punch someone”.

Training for the three two-minute round fundraising fight that Bec will participate in involves 12 weeks of fitness and boxing training, with three training sessions per week at Shellharbour’s Grechys Boxing and Fitness.

“We practice fitness, ducking and weaving,

Photos thanks to Karlie Zec of Tiny Tins

throwing and defending punches. The training sessions are intense, starting off with five minutes of skipping after which I am dripping with sweat!”

And that’s only the warm-up.

The fights are serious stuff, performed in accordance with Boxing NSW rules, and if all required qualifications are met, the fights could even be classified as genuine Boxing NSW matches. On the night, in addition to the celebrity matches, there will be professional boxing matches, as well as entertainment by popular DJ Havana Brown.

Bec is no stranger to jumping feet-first into a challenge to raise money for charity – she performed centre stage at the 2021 Stars of Wollongong Dance for Cancer fundraiser.

She is also well known for helping Shellharbour’s ‘Scooter Dave’ (Dave Williamson), a selfless local who moves around the area on a mobility scooter collecting and returning cans, and then donating the proceeds to charities. So far, he has collected more half a million cans and raised money for many different charities. Bec helps Dave each month, using her SUP van to take his collection to the recycling centre at Unanderra.

Battle of The Businesses, Saturday, April 20 at 5.50pm at WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong

“I love a challenge, and I am very community minded, so I liked the idea of stepping outside my comfort zone and raising funds for Convoy.”

–

Bec Dunning, of Shellharbour SUP

Autumn escapes

Teagan

Underwood of TravelManagers shares 3 travel trends this season

1. Take a laid-back trip to Cairns

What do we need as the weather gets cooler? Tropical vibes! Cairns is a great place for the young and young-at-heart. The city serves as a gateway to a range of experiences: snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef, shopping at the magical markets in Kuranda and exploring the Daintree Rainforest. With regular deals on cheap flights and accommodation styles to suit everyone’s budget, Cairns will be a top Australian destination this year.

2. Cruise the South Pacific   Want to switch off and leave the planning to someone else? Cruising from Sydney to the Pacific Islands is a perfect choice for school holidays or anyone seeking a hassle-free escape. Having meals and drinks included makes budgeting a breeze.

3. Say Ciao to Italy!

Italy is the No.1 international destination for my clients and has long-captivated travellers with its stunning architecture and, of course, the food. Take a romantic gondola ride through the canals of Venice, get your steps up touring the Colosseum of Rome, embrace the spirit of the Vatican, or hike between the five towns of Cinque Terre, the seaside villages offering breathtaking coastal views from cliffs dotted with lemon trees.

Visit www.travelmanagers.com.au/ ptm/teaganunderwood/

PARTNER CONTENT

Children’s author celebrates beauty of local life

By Lesley Roulston

Shellharbour children’s author Karen Hendriks was overjoyed with the community’s response to Our Shellharbour, as her new book was in demand even before it was launched.

“I was planning a December launch, but shipping delays caused problems,” Karen said. “I wasn’t sure I would have the books in time and people wanted the book for Christmas gifts. Luckily, the books arrived with a day to spare for a community launch on the 17th of December.

“The book has been embraced by locals. It felt like the whole community turned out for the launch party – I was overwhelmed by the support.”

Karen grew up in the area and Our Shellharbour was inspired by her childhood.

Before writing, Karen had to decide what the book was going to be – a coffee table book to showcase the region or a children’s picture book. In the end, being a children’s author, it was a no-brainer. What better way to show children the amazing place they live in?

The story centres on two children, Lani and Oli, who travel together around the beautiful Shellharbour region having loads of fun and discovering birds and creatures along the way. Their journey takes them to many places, including Cascade Falls at the bottom of Macquarie Pass, Oak Flats, Windang Bridge, Blackbutt Forest, local

beaches, Lake Illawarra and more.

These familiar places are rediscovered through the fresh eyes of the children on their whimsical journey. The final pages exploring some history of the locations is a wonderful addition.

The illustrations are spectacular. It took time, but Karen found the right artist for the job. Emma Stuart is an award-winning illustrator who loves hand drawing and using watercolour washes.

Emma worked with a brief, Karen’s manuscript and photographs to bring the story and Shellharbour’s landscapes to life.

Karen also researched every detail to ensure accuracy and authenticity.

The flathead Oli catches in Lake Illawarra is one example. In her groundwork, Karen learned which fish could be caught here and when a local child excitedly told her that his first catch in Lake Illawarra had also been a flathead, she knew she had made the right choice.

Our Shellharbour is visually stunning and a brilliant children’s book for all ages.

Buy the book at www.karenhendriks.com; Genie’s Vault – Shell Cove Marina; Shellharbour Visitor Information Centre; Shellharbour and Warilla Post Offices

Our Shellharbour author Karen Hendriks shows her new book to Anna Watson MP. Photos supplied

EARLY BIRD TICKETS ON SALE

From scientist to doula

How motherhood led me home to myself and my truest calling, by Andy Lawrence

Before I became a mother, I was a successful scientist, respected in my field with many published research papers to my name. For the most part, I did not enjoy my work, but I was good at it and I just assumed that everyone felt unmotivated in their jobs. My favourite part of my work day was always the deep conversations had in the lunchroom that I seemed adept at eliciting from colleagues and that I relished being part of. My most motivating moments were in deep connection with other people.

When I became pregnant with my first child, I used all my research skills to educate myself on all things ‘birth’. I was a very good ‘birth’ scientist and soon amassed a wealth of knowledge about optimal health, evidence-based practice and navigating our maternity system.

And then birth, as birth is wont to do, threw me a curveball.

My waters broke, I messaged my whole family excitedly expressing the imminence of our baby’s arrival, then waited for labour to begin.

Only, it didn’t.

I waited: walking, dancing, bouncing, yearning for contractions to begin. I watched as the clock tipped past 24 hours, 36 hours, then 48 hours. I knew the data: the clock pushed me further and further into the tiny proportion of women whose contractions take more than 48 hours to begin after

membranes rupturing. At 50 hours, I hit my own threshold of comfort, took myself and my husband into the hospital and asked to be induced. This story ends with the beautiful water birth of my first daughter, but the two days prior to her birth were agonising. It was in those two days that I realised: despite all my knowledge and data, I am alone. I deeply craved and needed a safe and trusted person or people to hold space for me and my partner as we navigated the deviation from our desired path.

The birth of my daughter awakened my inner voice and I began to listen to my own feelings, including my desire to connect deeply with others. In preparation for birthing my second daughter 18 months later, I radically built myself a village of women to hold me through the process. I did this by attending women’s circles. These gatherings were so supportive and so transformative that now I run my own circles in the community.

My first daughter taught me the power of birth and my second daughter taught me the power of motherhood.

Both taught me that neither birth nor motherhood happen in a vacuum. Our transition to motherhood, our matrescence, occurs within community: within a rich tapestry of relationships, each adding its own flavour to a mother’s experience. Our experience of birth, and whether we experience it as traumatic or empowering

Andy with her daughters. Photo: Kelly Ryan

depends on how we feel about it. And how we feel depends on whether we were listened to and respected. The best way to achieve this is to have continuity of care with a known care provider. Yet, this is hard to come by in our public health system. Doula care is one way to create continuity of care regardless of where and how you give birth.

My birth experiences were vastly different. I learnt from my first birth that I could gather all the data I wanted, I could gain a second PhD on birth if I so desired. But the thing I really needed, that all mothers, that all humans need is connection. Deep, attuned, loving connection.

My second birth was wrapped in the warmth of trusted relationships and a loving community: a doula, private midwife and new soulful friends. And the difference was palpable. The experience allowed me to see the commonality in all people, our needs and our pain that remind us of our mammalian nature, and the achy paradox of joy and struggle that defines our existence as humans on this earth. I felt called to lean into the intangible but undeniable aspects of birth and being human.

I felt called to become a loving presence to walk beside women and celebrate them as they traverse their rite of passage into parenthood. It is a role that feels profoundly fulfilling.

That is how I came to be where I am today:

in deep connection with myself, other women, my community and the earth. That is how I made my way from data to doula.

For full-spectrum doula care, mother-centred

Explore the history of NSW’s Best Beach, The Farm

Lesley Roulston takes a trip back in time

It has been named the best beach in NSW and Tourism Australia crowned it Australia’s second best beach in February this year, but behind its natural beauty and great waves, Killalea State Park’s ‘The Farm’ has a fascinating history.

It starts with Dharawal history, as the Tread Shellharbour App states in its historical Killalea tour: “Aboriginal people have lived in Shellharbour for at least 17,000 years.”

In 1836, the area’s namesake, Irish convict Edward Killalea, was sentenced to transportation to Australia. Shellharbour City Museum records indicate his involvement with the Farm started in 1847 when he and his wife took up a clearing lease on the land. The couple had 12 children and the family lived in a slab hut on the hillside near the beach now known as The Farm.

Edward explored for gold in the area but stopped when his attempts only uncovered alluvial gold, and his partner, Thomas Henry, left for the goldfields. In 1872, Edward started prospecting again with another man, Thomas Reddall, whose name would also later become attached to a popular gathering place in the area: Reddall Reserve, Lake Illawarra. The renewed partnership was short-lived, however, when Edward died.

The land we now know as Killalea Regional Park was once farmed by two brothers, Timothy and Daniel Buckley. One of them is presumed to have built a homestead known as ‘Seaview’ (pictured at right) near where the kiosk now stands at Killalea. The Dunster and Fraser families both leased it until the Fraser family took it over. The Seaview Farm later became known as Killalea.

Historical records indicate that, possibly in the late 1930s, Edward Killalea’s son, Patrick, on a visit to his hometown, met a member of the Fraser family while walking on the beach. John Fraser, then 15, took Patrick to his home to meet his parents and after this meeting the Frasers renamed Seaview Farm ‘Killalea’ in honour of Edward and his family.

Another private farm, however, actually gave ‘The Farm’ beach its name. It was behind Killalea Lagoon and beach-goers had to walk via the lagoon to access the beach. Access was not from the top as it is today.

“Killalea National Surfing Reserve was declared in 2009 and includes Killalea Beach (‘The Farm’) and Mystics Beach,” according to the Tread Shellharbour App.

In 2021, the Farm was the focus of much media attention when a battle between the state-owned

“Another private farm, however, actually gave ‘The Farm’ beach its name. It was behind Killalea Lagoon and beach-goers had to walk via the lagoon to access the beach”

Reflections Holiday Park and the public over a proposed redevelopment dominated local news.

A huge response from the public – including well-supported petitions, rallies and a recordbreaking 682-strong surfer paddle-out – managed to prevent the development from happening.

The park was transferred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service in July 2022.

Information thanks to The Shellharbour City Museum, visit the website at www.museum. shellharbour.nsw.gov.au

Meet the Master Builder

The Director of Adlington Homes, Duane Adlington, shares his story

Right from the start, building has been in my blood, my Dad was a builder and I practically grew up on building sites, and had a desire early on to one day continue his amazing legacy.

Today, I’ve been building for 35 years, and it all started when I built my own home at the age of 17, in Cordeaux Heights.

Having built hundreds of homes and custom projects over the years, I still love the partnership of working with great people and the accomplishment of handing over to you something you have dreamt about, worked hard for and planned for.

There’s nothing like seeing the look on people’s faces at the end of the build and the appreciation of what we have achieved together. Love seeing the joy on your face with the final product.

I’d love to meet you and see if we can help with what you would like to do.

Scan the QR code to visit our website for ideas and inspiration, and know we are here and happy to help in any way. Just give us a call.

All photos thanks to The Shellharbour City Museum

Mermaids ’ tale THE

By Amanda De George

L to R: Talitha, Siren Sepha, Glitter Siren, MerSharma. All photos: Ironbark Photography

A shiver of sharks. A pod of dolphins. A school of fish. So what is it called when mermaids from around NSW get together in Shellharbour for a weekend of glamorous fantasy make-up, ocean swims, stunning photo shoots and a good dose of gossip and catching up? A MerMeet, of course!

The three-day event was hosted by The Aussie Mers, Shellharbour’s Bonnie Harris and her sister, Rochelle. They specialise in creating otherworldly crowns and bras for mermaids and have customers around the world. They also know how to throw a great meet-up.

Bonnie said, “I think we had around 10 different mers plus their various partners over the course of the three days. From Southern Highlands, Newcastle, Sydney, Nowra, Penrith and local.

“Overall it was a lot of fun even with the weather being crazy hot then stormy and overcast and everything.

“People had a fun time with lots of laughs. We definitely surprised many families when we did the rainforest shoot at Macquarie Pass!”

Soph, a professional mermaid who goes by Siren Sepha, travelled down from Sydney to take part.

She’s been mermaiding for a few years now. “I first found out that professional mermaiding existed through social media in around 2016,” she said.

“It was the perfect combination of performance, trying to emulate the movements and characteristics of a mermaid for realism – which I already loved – and swimming, so I knew I had to try it!”

Nowadays, the art form has seen her travel throughout the state, working in aquariums, festivals and even appearing on TV.

She said, “Mermaiding is such a diverse hobby … On the one side it’s this foundation for performing art, creative expression, expression of self… And on the other side it’s this extreme sport where we dive and perform in the open ocean, borrowing breath-holding and stroke techniques from freediving, it’s exercise and a challenge and a way to explore the world that many never experience.”

Corinne Ashleigh Lomas from Campbelltown, otherwise known as Glitter Siren, has been mermaiding for about 10 years. “I got a random little tail for Christmas and then it just snowballed.

“I love dressing up but then also in the water it just feels free. I hate human legs now,” she said. “My main favourite part is being in the water [with the other mermaids] and looking at all the ocean life. It’s just really relaxing. They’re my pod.”

But it’s more than that. Channelling as a ‘dark siren’ has helped Corinne to become more confident. “It brings out the bad-ass,” she said.

Originally from the Illawarra but now living further north, Charmaine Low describes herself as a “very diverse person with a lived mental health experience and also a rainbow community ally”.

MerSharma, decked out in her rainbow-bright mer-sona, is a relatively new mer but is already reaping the benefits.

“I’ve always liked being near the ocean but never found a way to get in there. I like getting in the ocean for a human swim, between the flags, but then when you get on the mermaid tail, you can find more creative ways to get in the water,” she said.

“You find coves to swim in and then friends to swim with and it becomes a social real fun experience and you don’t have to do it on your own between the flags, alone.

“For me, it’s escapism. Being away from reality for a while. Releasing and letting go and relaxing. It’s time out.”

For Bonnie, the days after the mermeets are spent resting and recovering and in this case scrubbing some very stubborn rainforest stains out of her elaborate costumes, before getting ready to do it all again. “It’s always sad when it’s over and I have to start planning for next spring.”

Above: Glitter Siren. Below: Siren Sepha.

Fintastic work

Merfolk. Mer-meets. Mer-handler. Mer-vert. It’s not every day that you get to add a range of new words to your vocabulary, but then again, it’s not every day that you get to meet a real-life mermaid.

Bonnie Harris wears many hats (or crowns, but we’ll get to that later). She’s a scuba instructor, free diver, underwater model, designer and owner of Shellharbour Scuba Centre with her husband, Michael. Oh, and she’s a mermaid.

Bonnie – also known as Mermaid Bonnie – has been mermaiding for seven years. What started out as doing some underwater modelling in bikinis and dresses for her underwater photographer husband turned into something more.

“I have met up with a lot of underwater models and underwater photographers and I sort of accidentally fell into finding out about mermaids who were doing underwater modelling in mermaid tails and I was like ‘Oh my god, that could be me!’” Bonnie said.

“Why wouldn’t I have a tail on instead of a dress?”

For Bonnie, mermaiding is a form of play.

“For mental health, it’s amazing. It got me through Covid playing with all these bright shiny things and something I could do in isolation… It lets you tap into the inner child part that you’ve had to put away when you get your first job and mortgages and bills,” she said.

However, transforming into half fish isn’t as easy as pulling on a tail, although that’s part of the fun. There’s the safety aspects to consider.

“There is a whole danger aspect to it: breath holds and shallow water blackouts, hypothermia and entanglement,” Bonnie said. “Everyone drowns in their hair until they learn how to move their head so the wig doesn’t strangle you.”

You also have to act the part and Bonnie said this is a real learning curve. “There’s learning how to open your eyes with the salt water, having water up your nose is another thing. Looking graceful, obviously,” she said.

When I first met Bonnie, she was explaining the etiquette of swimming with grey nurse sharks (don’t duck dive down onto them, no erratic movements and absolutely no touching).

But what do the sharks make of her all glammed up, not only looking like, but swimming like a mermaid?

“I’ve been down there with dark tails. I’ve been down there with bright tails. I’ve been down there with shiny tails and they don’t care. I’ve swum with whale sharks and they didn’t care, with schools of

baitfish, manta rays and turtles.

“Generally speaking, provided that your swimming is not awkward and panicked, you’re just another sea creature.”

In 2020, due to the prohibitive cost of purchasing costume pieces from overseas, Bonnie and her sister, Rochelle (who’s also a mermaid), started The Aussie Mers, creating beautifully elaborate crowns, intricate swim-friendly bras and accessories for other merfolk around the world.

They also run twice yearly mer-meets, where merfolk and their mer-handlers (no one wants to have to ‘earthworm’ along in their tail to get from place to place!) get together to catch up, do ocean swims with or without the tail and get fully glammed up for land and underwater photoshoots.

But there’s more to mermaiding than the glamour and fantasy.

“It’s also a way to get you outside and in nature and appreciating the world we have and exercising for yourself. You’re being athletic without even realising you’re being athletic. There’s just multiple benefits that you don’t even realise.”

Follow Mermaid Bonnie and The Aussie Mers on Instagram

Amanda De George meets Bonnie Harris, co-owner of Shellharbour Scuba Centre and The Aussie Mers

Mermaid Bonnie brings the glamour of The Aussie Mers to the marina. Photo: Hunter V Photography. Opposite page, from top: Ironbark Photography, Serenity Images, Robert McKee

Reawakening the Whale Songline

By Genevieve Swart

Dr Jodi Edwards has always been a trailblazer. As a girl, she busted the gender barrier to play soccer for NSW and represented Australia in powerlifting and weightlifting. As an educator, she has led the revival of the Dharawal language. Locally, Jodi has founded youth programs, helped create public art, led Indigenous SUP tours, written bestselling children’s books and won numerous awards, including 2022’s Shellharbour Woman of the Year.

This month, this proud Yuin woman with Dharawal kinship is embarking on another first: using her gift as a story sharer to research the relationships connecting dolphins, orcas, humpback and southern right whales with Land, Sea and Sky Stories in a project called Unbroken Whispers – The ripples connecting sea kin.

“We’ll be out on boats, out on the water. We’ll have drones up; we’ll have hydro drones down. We’ll be in the water, on the water, on land”

– Dr Jodi Edwards

“It’s such a big project, such an important project for me,” Jodi said during an interview at the University of Wollongong, where she is a Vice Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security.

Unbroken Whispers recently received $300,000 in federal government funding and will take Jodi and her research partner, ecologist Dr Chelsea Marshall, all along the East Coast to reconnect Aboriginal knowledges over the next two years.

“The ancient coastline is what we’re mapping, from a cultural perspective,” Jodi said.

“We’ll be looking for the things that nonAboriginal scientists don’t look for. So ancient billabongs, ancient artifacts, ancient engravings,

ancient caves that have art still inside of them.

“We start in Mirning Country, South Australia. We’re going to migrate with the whales.

“We’ll go in and out of Sea Country. We’ve looked at 20 communities that have whale kinship connections. We will go to those communities, spend time in there and then we’ll travel with the whales when they go to the next community.

“We’ll be out on boats, out on the water. We’ll have drones up; we’ll have hydro drones down. We’ll be in the water, on the water, on land, because we’re not only mapping the whale migration, but we’re mapping the ocean floor, we’re mapping the land that relates to the stories of the ocean, and we’re mapping the sky that relates to the stories that relate to the whale migration.”

Jodi – whose Yuin ancestors were among the first cultural whalers – will also explore symbiotic relationships and how scientific truth has survived in age-old stories.

“Dolphins, to me, are like cultural custodians because they stay in their own area. The whales come through and share their songs and stories of the world. Then the dolphins to me are story sharers, they pass the stories on to their cousins the sharks. The sharks are the ones that say, enough talk. Sharks teach us about personal space, particularly the bull shark.

“Dharawal people have a kinship connection with the humpback [burri burri]. The humpback teaches us about moving Country and rising waters, an ancient story of climate change.”

Jodi is driven by the fact that research so far has

been done through a non-Aboriginal lens.

“I wanted to ensure that we were looking at our ancient coastline based on our stories, our songs, our dances, our rock art, because that’s how we learn. That hasn’t been done.

“It hasn’t been done with Aboriginal people. Certainly, there has been mapping of the coastline done, and certainly at times they’ve talked to Aboriginal people, but this is more than just a mapping exercise.

“This is looking at the symbiotic relationship between whales and dolphins, sharks, marine life, the relationship that then goes back to land country and sky country.

“When non-Aboriginal people want to know something, they go to a library or they Google it. When we want to know something about Country, we go on Country, we find the story that goes with it.”

For First Nations people, stories are far more than words, they are songs, dances, art and landscape. “The coastline has never been mapped like that,” Jodi says.

“It’s no good people just saying, oh, there’s a whale migration pathway out there. Because there’s a whale migration pathway on Country, there’s a whale migration pathway in the sky. It’s more than just Sea Country, there’s an inherent and cultural kinship connection.”

Read more about Unbroken Whispers –The ripples connecting sea kin in our Winter 2024 edition

Dr Jodi Edwards, pictured beside sculptor Julie Squires, with Burri Burri at Reddall Reserve.

Photo: Shellharbour Council. Opposite: At 2023’s True Story festival. Photos: Ironbark Photography

Charity serves free food and a chat

By Tyneesha Williams

Homestead of Hope was set to hold a lunch on March 22, with all funds raised to help the charity in its work to support marginalised people.

“Perhaps you’re socially disadvantaged, financially disadvantaged, widowed or even homeless,” said the president of Homestead of Hope, Mary Spillane. “Some people are struggling with mental health or simply feeling lonely.

“It’s based on all the Christian churches in Kiama. But anyone is welcome – believers, non-believers, doesn’t matter. That’s not what it’s about. It’s all about helping and reaching out to each other.”

Homestead of Hope holds a free lunch every Tuesday at Kiama Harbour Scout Hall. Anyone is welcome to come along and enjoy home-cooked meals, served by volunteers.

“People are on a roster to volunteer – to wash up and cook and serve. And we’ve now started a new roster – someone just to sit and chat,” Mary said.

“Kiama is a beautiful place – the community is very people centred and community centred. But some people have to stay on the trains riding back and forth, and others are just lonely or have mental health issues and trouble socialising.

“They come to know each other when they come here.”

Homestead of Hope has been working with organisations like St Vincent De Paul for more than 13 years to help people through hardship.

“The dream was originally that we could have a house of our own and we could let people stay. Even just to have a shower and do some washing. But in today’s market, it’s not achievable yet. But we haven’t given up,” Mary said.

“The rental market is terrible. We had one lady we helped last year. She was living in Warilla and the landlord said that they were renovating and putting the rent up – and she just could not find anywhere to live.”

Visit homesteadofhope.org.au

Walk raises $90k for KidsWish

By Zachary Houtenville

The 17th Great Illawarra Walk has raised nearly $90,000 for the charity KidsWish, thanks to the efforts of 548 walkers who covered 42km from Shellharbour to Austinmer on Saturday, March 9.

The fundraiser began as a conversation among friends almost two decades ago and today the Great Walk has become a popular annual event,  dedicated to supporting children facing disabilities and illness.

“It was a casual chat in a coffee shop with friends who noticed I was walking a lot, ” said Chris Lovatt, the founder of the Great Illawarra Walk.

“I was trying to stay healthy mid-age and they suggested a charity walk might be an idea.

“Being an ex-teacher, helping kids was a big inspiration.”

Initially a 100km trek from Shellharbour to Botany Bay, it became a 42km route to Austinmer after safety concerns led to alterations. Chris went the full marathon distance this year, starting at 7am and finishing at 3:30pm.

In its 17th year, the walk featured some course adjustments. There were three starting points; the

first was at Bean Roasted Espresso Bar in Shellharbour. The second start was at Belmore Basin for a family-friendly two-kilometre walk to Stuart Park with fun activities at the end. The third leg, from Stuart Park, covered 18 kilometres, ending at Headlands Hotel in Austinmer. Thanks to the walk’s sponsor, Illawarra Security Guards, walkers were kitted out with shirts and water en route.

The organisation is now looking for ongoing support and more corporate sponsors.

“We’ve managed on pretty much a shoestring budget,” Chris said.

“We’d love to get a few more corporate sponsors to throw some money in because it just helps us to raise that little bit more.”

Visit greatillawarrawalk.com

Dr Rip’s Science of the Surf

Professor Rob Brander on Flash Rips and Mass Rescues

Earlier this summer a lot of media attention was given to a mass rescue of over 20 people in a flash rip at Sydney’s Maroubra Beach. While the actual number of people rescued was exaggerated, it does raise the question: what exactly is a flash rip?

There are different types of offshore flowing rip currents on our beaches and most attention is given to those that sit in deeper channels between sandbars that can stay in place for days, weeks and even months. These channelised rips appear as narrow, darker gaps of greener water between the whitewater of waves breaking on the adjacent shallow sandbars and are thought to be the main cause of surf drownings on our beaches.

But are they?

Flash rips are significantly different and also very dangerous. They form suddenly when a large group of waves (a wave set) breaks, or some randomly big waves break, causing the local water level to rise and force a sudden flow of water offshore. They only last for a minute or so before disappearing and are totally unpredictable. They tend to occur on days when the waves are messy and they can pop up and disappear all along the beach, including between the flags.

They also look different and appear as offshore moving clouds of turbulent, bubbly whitewater and clouds of sand. They don’t flow particularly fast, but as they tend to form off of sandbars, they can

quickly move people into deeper water. Flash rips are usually the main cause of mass rescues on beaches because a group of people standing on a sandbar in relatively safe depths (and between the flags!) can suddenly lose their footing when the water level rises and be taken offshore out of their depth. That’s not good for poor or inexperienced swimmers! Often you’ll hear reports of mass rescues being caused by a collapsing sandbar, which is totally incorrect. Sandbars don’t collapse, it’s a physical impossibility and a total myth. Guaranteed it’s a flash rip.

In some ways flash rips are the most dangerous type of rip because you can’t see them until they happen, but the good news is that they generally don’t take you that far offshore before stopping. If you even find yourself caught in a flash rip, or any rip current, the best thing is to stay afloat and signal for help if you need it.

It’s hard to find good photographs of flash rips because they happen so fast, but there’s a few on the Rip of the Month page on my website: www.scienceofthesurf.com. It’s well worth a look. Last month was also the 15-year anniversary of the Rip of the Month – that’s a whole lot of rip photos!

A new edition of Dr Rip’s Essential Beach Book is out now. Visit www.unsw.press/DrRip or Collins Booksellers Thirroul

The flash rip at Sydney’s Coogee Beach is the streak of turbulent water heading offshore in the middle of the beach. Photo: Rob Brander

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Port Kembla Tidal Chart

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Australia 2023, Bureau of Meteorology

Astronomical Tide (UTC +10:00) or daylight savings time (UTC +11:00) when in effect