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© 2025 The Illawarra Flame

Sport & Leisure

Is the Wodi Wodi Track upgraded? Yeah Nah

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) announced last December that one of my favourite little walks in the Northern Illawarra had re-opened after a multi-million-dollar upgrade. Our local member, Maryanne Stuart, repeated this announcement in her newsletter shortly after. So with great excitement I set off on the Wodi Wodi track from Coalcliff to walk to Stanwell Park station.

Sport & Leisure

Local Secret turns 70

Set high on Cliff St, with stunning views of the ocean, St James Park Tennis Club is a well-kept local secret. And that’s the problem. “At one stage, we had upwards of 100 members, the vast majority of them being social,” says Rod Zabell, club...

Genevieve Swart

Sport & Leisure

Unsung Heroes: Cheers to Adam Turner at Austi Surf Club

Austi local Adam Turner is chief training officer at Austinmer Surf Club. (Ironically, while these articles are supposed to be about individuals or families, during my conversation with Adam whenever I said ‘you’ (meaning Adam), he would correct...

Sport & Leisure

Hello Fish: Sea sawdust at Bulli

In mid-February astute ocean observers may have seen what looked like dirty brown streaks on the ocean surface, some of which easily extended a couple of kilometres in length. At one point I got caught in some while snorkelling off Sandon Point and...

Duncan Leadbitter

Sport & Leisure

Swimmers call on Council to extend Continental Pool winter opening hours

Regular swimmers at North Wollongong’s popular Continental Pool are calling on Wollongong Council to extend its opening hours during the cooler months. Amabile Cunzolo, a teacher at Bellambi’s Holy Spirit College, told the latest meeting of the...

Sport & Leisure

Golfing at Boomerang: Whose banter could be heard half-way around the course?

Sunday Social Golf Club report By Robert ‘Indy’ Jones The opening event for HSSGC was held on February 2nd, Stableford with the distraction of loud unfamiliar shirts worn to take your eye off the ball. We welcomed Michael Deura, Kyle Brown...

The Illawarra Flame

Sport & Leisure

Coalcliff SLSC postpones Dave Winner events

If you wish to swim in the Dave Winner Beach to Bombie Swim you can register and buy your entry ticket at the following link

The Illawarra Flame

Sport & Leisure

Bushwalk: Helensburgh Ridgetop Walk

By Geoff Whale, author of Northern Illawarra Beachwalks DISTANCE 6 km or 8 km, 50m climb. DIFFICULTY Easy, but many track junctions. SUMMARY Mostly flat family walk through casuarina/banksia/gymea-lily forests. Best in dry weather in the warmer...

The Illawarra Flame

Sport & Leisure

Legends in the surf at World Cup

We qualified for the Usher World Boardriders Cup again in 2025. The event was held from January 17 to 19 on the Gold Coast. The top 48 clubs from Australia and all over the world competed, including well-known surfers Joel Parkinson, Layne Beachley...

Sport & Leisure

Grant secures lifesaving gear at Stanwell Park surf club

By Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Life Saving Club’s secretary, Harley Dreghorn The Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Club building is now more secure with the installation and commissioning of a new security and access control system funded by...

The Illawarra Flame

Sport & Leisure

Tee time at Boomerang for Sunday Social Golf Club

By Robert ‘Indy’ Jones On December 8th we played 2 Man Ambrose as the fog rolled in, making seeing and believing two very different things. A definite cover-up, the handicapper (Hcp: 32) needs to be audited pairing up with the Nephew (Hcp: 40)...

The Illawarra Flame

Sport & Leisure

U14s earn Surf Rescue Certificates

Helensburgh-Stanwell Park SLSC kicked off summer with a strong start, full of achievements and community spirit. Congratulations to our U14s, who have proudly earned their Surf Rescue Certificates (SRC) and are now officially lifesavers. This...

Christine McDonald

Sport & Leisure

Well done, division winners at Scarborough Boardriders

It was the culmination of a huge year for the club in 2024 with our awards presentation at Scarborough Wombarra Bowlo on Saturday, 23 November 2024. The new venue for our presentation worked well, with a grommet-friendly environment. Congratulations...

Sport & Leisure

Jonno’s 100km run raised funds for Movember

On November 30, 22-year-old Thirroul lad Jonathan Seager took on the massive challenge to run 100kms from Sydney to Wollongong to raise money and Awareness for Movember. I sat down and had a chat to ‘Jonno’ about his epic journey. How far was it...

Sport & Leisure

Jones Co Tennis to host Kiama’s first Pickleball Social Comp this weekend

Kiama is set to host its first pickleball social competition this Saturday, January 11 at Kiama Leisure Centre from 2-4pm.

Lesley Roulston

Sport & Leisure

Take the plunge: Join Coalcliff Ocean Swim Club

Coalcliff Ocean Swim Club is run by Coalcliff SLSC and proudly sponsored by Equilibrium Healthcare. It aims to support community members to improve their ocean-swimming skills in a safe, inclusive and supportive environment. As the club coordinator...

Brigid Collaery

Sport & Leisure

Discover the Corals of the Illawarra Coast

If you thought corals were warm-water spectacles exclusive to distant underwater seascapes, think again. Shellharbour scuba instructor Bob McKee has corrected many a tourist who’s assumed it’s too cold for corals on the South Coast. Local divers...

The Illawarra Flame

Sport & Leisure

Pickleball’s a hit!

Pickleball is taking off in the Illawarra but it’s not new – the game has been played in the US since the 1960s. The paddle and ball sport is played on a hard surface, either indoors or outdoors. According to Pickleball Australia, it’s an...

Lesley Roulston

Sport & Leisure

Illawarra wall honour ‘very special’: BMX champ Saya

BMX Olympic gold medallist Saya Sakakibara says having her name included on the Illawarra Olympic & Paralympic Tribute Wall is “very special”. OR BMX Olympic gold medallist Saya Sakakibara is already preparing for another huge competition...

Sport & Leisure

Incredible swim: Three locals cross the English Channel

The English Channel is the busiest shipping lane in the world with hundreds of vessels moving from England to Europe and from the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean and vice versa, every day. So, it’s not sharks but water traffic, that is the biggest...

Lesley Roulston

Sport & Leisure

Surf, Sand, and Success at Stanwell Park surf club

By publicity officer Christine McDonald of Helensburgh-Stanwell Park Surf Life Saving Club The patrol season is here, and the beach is alive with activity! With the warmer weather drawing crowds, it’s fantastic to see so many beachgoers enjoying the...

Christine McDonald

Sport & Leisure

Start Sundays with Barefoot Yoga at the Farm

More info: Barefoot Yoga at the Farm on Facebook

Lesley Roulston

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