SEVEN months ago, if someone had told me I’d be writing for News Of The Area (NOTA), I’d have said “Ya dreamin’!”, but here I am, and what a year it’s been. My year started with stepping outside of my box, and leaving my job to do the things I love;

  HAVE you been enjoying Coffs Coast News Of The Area and Nambucca Valley News Of The Area? Chances are you have and more than likely one of the reasons is because of the range of stories delivered by our reporters and underpinning those is the independent nature of this regional newspaper. In

  AS 2021 comes to a close, we get to ponder on the year that was. The year that we hoped would be better than 2020 somehow disappointed us along the way as the Covid-19 virus failed to disappear and public health restrictions caused disruptions to student schooling and unrest among the

  2021 HAS been a difficult year and our New Year’s celebrations may be a bit smaller than usual but it can still be infused with tradition and good cheer. Some of my favourite traditions come from Scotland where the celebration is called Hogmanay. If, on New Year’s Eve, you happen to

  DEAR Jasminda, Our neighbours have gone away for three weeks, and they've asked me to water their plants. I thought I would also use the opportunity to take daily swims in their pool, but they have padlocked the gate (I guess as a safety measure). They've given me their keys in case

  SO, this is Christmas. And what have we done? Another year over, a new one just begun. As we wrap up another year, it’s worthwhile to look back on where we’ve been and set goals for the new year ahead. The year just seems to have flown by, especially with the chaos and uncertainty

  STARTING this month, Coffs Harbour’s John Akway Cham will be contributing stories for News Of The Area on the diverse, multicultural nature of the region. Born in Ethiopia, John settled in Coffs Harbour as a permanent resident in August 2019 under the Humanitarian Visa Program, after spending time as a refugee

  TELLING the incredible stories of the Coffs Coast is what News Of The Area (NOTA) is all about. The NOTA launched in Coffs in July 2020, and is proud to keep locals up to date with the happenings of the area. Now, NOTA is seeking more enthusiastic locals with a background in

  LOVE it or hate it, the classic Christmas pudding is an iconic part of the festive season. Fruit, nuts, brandy, flour, butter, spices and sugar come together to make a hulking monolith which dominates the Christmas dessert table. My Nan would make a Christmas pudding every year and it was served on

  THIS year as you sit down to a well-deserved cup of tea and a mince pie, or leave a plate out for Santa, take a moment to think about the centuries of history behind this Christmas staple. During the medieval period it was common to mix meat or even fish with