Secret elopement adds chapter to Ros and Kel’s lasting love story Nambucca Valley Nambucca Valley - popup ad by News Of The Area - Modern Media - August 9, 2024 Ros and Kel as teenagers. ROS O’Keeffe and Kel Sussems returned from a long planned and Covid-delayed three-week holiday in Bali on 10 July with broad smiles. What may have seemed a simple tropical holiday was in fact a well-kept secret elopement. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02) 4981 8882. Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au The fiancés confided in a small cohort of family, including a relative from Argentina, and friends, who accompanied them on their long-anticipated marriage mission. Ros and Kel’s enduring romance was sparked as teenagers in Manly on the Northern Beaches of Sydney. The couple relocated to the Mid North Coast about 40 years ago and now are contentedly ensconced in the hills beyond Bowraville. The fantasy of an intimate tropical wedding was presented by Kel as an ‘itinerary’ delivered on their 50th anniversary. Ros was delighted to have Marcia Hillery from Bowraville, accompanied to Bali by her granddaughter, as her Matron of Honour, witnessing their exchange of matching Celtic wedding rings, signifying their Irish heritage. “It’s like living in a fairy tale… a dream come true!” Ros said, beaming. A dream that the couple firmly believe everyone can achieve with true love and shared commitment. “You can’t rush these things,” Kel offered cheekily. Though still reluctant to identify as ‘locals’ to the Nambucca Valley, the couple enjoy a strong community of friendships made over the decades. They fondly recall their time as the ‘The Cackleberries’, along with Dallas Walker on the 2NVR Wednesday Brekky Show, which went to air for the last time in February 2015. By Jen HETHERINGTON Ros and Kel enjoying tropical wedding bliss.
