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

4 hours ago

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...

Marcus Craft

15 hours ago

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

December 2024

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

December 2024

Sport & Leisure

Start Sundays with Barefoot Yoga at the Farm

More info: Barefoot Yoga at the Farm on Facebook

Lesley Roulston

December 2024

Sport & Leisure

‘Exercise is medicine’ - UOW’s Fitness for Life gym group celebrate another big year

Three times a week a group of local baby boomers get together at the UOW Innovation Campus gym to increase their levels of fitness. Over the years it’s also resulted in the creation of a strong, caring social network. Gym manager Kim Faulkner...

Jeremy Lasek

December 2024

Sport & Leisure

First black belt at Stanwell Park Hapkido Club

Benjamin Driscoll has made history at Stanwell Park Hapkido, becoming the club’s first student to earn a first-degree black belt in the Korean martial art.

Zachary Houtenville

December 2024

Sport & Leisure

December’s Golf Reports

Indy signing off: Best wishes for the festive season, keep safe and well. See you here in 2025 in the fabulous Illawarra Flame

The Illawarra Flame

December 2024

Sport & Leisure

Scarborough Boardriders end surfing year on a high

Scarborough Boardriders took out the 2024 Hyundai Australian Boardriders Battle South NSW Qualifier after an action-packed day at East Corrimal Beach on 2 November. The South Zone is a huge area from south of Sydney Harbour Bridge to the Victorian...

Ian Pepper

November 2024

Sport & Leisure

Bushwalk: Explore Mt Keira Ring Track

By Geoff Whale, author of Northern Illawarra Beachwalks DISTANCE 6km to 11km, climb 250 to 500m. DIFFICULTY Moderate to hard (summit). SUMMARY Classic track with variations. HAZARDS Stinging trees, leeches after rain. TRANSPORT Park at Byarong Park...

The Illawarra Flame

November 2024

Sport & Leisure

Thirroul Thunder FC prepares for 2025 soccer season

By First Grade coach John Cropper After a hugely successful 2024 season in which Thirroul Thunder Senior Men’s teams were the only club in Football South Coast competitions to qualify for finals football in all three grades, the club will commence...

The Illawarra Flame

November 2024

Sport & Leisure

Big month for Scarborough Boardriders

Firstly 16 of our juniors, eight boys and eight girls, made their way up to Queensland for the annual Junior Boys Kirra Teams Challenge and Women’s Kirra Teams Challenge. The three-day event is the biggest of its kind in the world with 24 club...

Ian Pepper

November 2024

Sport & Leisure

Thirroul wheelchair curler sets sights on training for 2025

For the second year in a row, Thirroul’s James Powell traveled to Seoul to compete in the Asia Championships for Wheelchair Curling. Despite finishing fifth and not achieving the desired results, James enjoyed his time in Seoul. As before, he met...

Zachary Houtenville

November 2024

Sport & Leisure

Golfing in November: Mighty Down Towners v Up Towners

Helensburgh Sunday Social Golf Club Robert ‘Indy’ Jones reports Boomerang Golf Course on October 6th where the weather was fine and HSSGC members played stableford and, to confuse the masses, Irish 4 Ball. The day witnessed four groups striving...

The Illawarra Flame

November 2024

Sport & Leisure

Thirroul’s wheelchair curling champ James Powell is set for Seoul

Thirroul’s James Powell is heading to South Korea for the second year in a row for the Wheelchair Curling Asia Championships in Seoul.

Zachary Houtenville

November 2024

Sport & Leisure

Wollongong’s Bicycle Mayor compares cycling in Australia and Indonesia

By Edward Birt, President of the Illawarra Bicycle Users Group & Bicycle Mayor of Wollongong “Was it much more dangerous than Australia?” asked a friend, one of many people to enquire about the road safety of riding a bicycle in Indonesi...

The Illawarra Flame

November 2024

Sport & Leisure

Sun, fun & SUP Festival is just two weeks away!

The Shellharbour SUP Festival is back on the first weekend of November. Download the magazine layout here or read the Spring 2024 cover story below… When she’s not running her business (Stand-Up Paddle Boarding Shellharbour), or starring as a TV...

Lesley Roulston

October 2024

Sport & Leisure

Sunday golfers celebrate life of a long-standing member

Helensburgh Sunday Social Golf Club Robert ‘Indy’ Jones reports We returned to Boomerang Golf Course on Sept 15, after four successful years on tour in The Shire, Georges River and Campbelltown council areas. Our return celebrated the life of...

The Illawarra Flame

October 2024

Sport & Leisure

Shellharbour Bulls seize chance to learn and compete

Learning to play basketball in Shellharbour has become easier with the formation of the Shellharbour City Basketball Association. Members of the Shellharbour Bulls, the first basketball club in Shellharbour to be officially affiliated with...

Lesley Roulston

October 2024

Sport & Leisure

Helensburgh Tigers and Tigerlillies are recruiting

by Dodge Cobb, president of Helensburgh Tigers Rugby League Football Club The 2024 rugby league season might be over but we never rest. Next year’s going to be another step up for the Helensburgh Tigers. We’re continuing our campaign back into...

The Illawarra Flame

October 2024

Sport & Leisure

Hello Fish at The Farm

It’s been some time since I was in the water and wrote about it for the Illawarra Flame. Months of heavy rain created lousy conditions in the first part of the year, then a mix of work travel and big seas accounted for the rest. It was great to...

Duncan Leadbitter

October 2024

Sport & Leisure

Boardriders make history with club’s first wave pool pointscore

Making history today for the club with our 1st ever club pointscore in a wave pool Urbnsurf Sydney. We teamed up with Surf Park Productions to make this dream become a reality on Tuesday, August 27. We had the entire wave pool exclusively for two...

Ian Pepper

October 2024