Newcastle News

An early morning swim turned into a traumatic ordeal for a man at Port Stephens, who wound up fighting off a shark. Paul Kenny punched the ocean predator as it latched onto him, off Samurai Beach.

Bike paths, basketball courts, and more trees are on the way for Camp Shortland, on Newcastle’s foreshore. The half-a-million dollar state-funded makeover is Supercars friendly – all the structures are removable. But for the other 50 weeks of the year, it’ll be a kids playground. “What I’m really excited about is the child’s bicycle area, somewhere where kids can come and ride between the lines in a safe, off road area where parents can come and bring their kids,” said Deputy Mayor Declan Clausen. “Work will start pretty much straight after the V8’s , I think they’ve got the plans there ready to go so they’re just waiting for the race to be put to bed and then they’ll be into the works,” said Scot MacDonald Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter. (NB: AUDIO IN PARTS)

Birubi Beach is one of the Hunter’s natural wonders, attracting thousands of people every year. Now the state government and Port Stephens Council have joined forces, in an effort to better cater for the growing number of visitors.

Few of us are likely to be on hand in 2118, but thanks to the effort of the Newcastle community, a little piece of our lives will. On Saturday, a new time capsule was lowered into the ground at Lambton Park, replacing a century-old one unearthed weeks ago.

The bids were constant, and the hammer kept falling at Lake Macquarie’s Lost in the 50s museum today… in a bittersweet weekend for the Jennings family, which is auctioning off decades worth of memorabilia. The museum at Cameron Park took visitors back in time, but for the owners, it’s time to move on… selling almost a thousand vintage cars and collectables. Tomorrow, the big ticket items go under the hammer – one car is expected to fetch more than $200,000.

It’s not the usual kind of crowd that fills McDonald Jones Stadium. Today the deafening roar of footy fans was replaced by the silent meditations of a few hundred yogis. The event was a fundraiser for the Mark Hughes Foundation, before 38 people board a plane for Borneo on Wednesday. That group – which includes Knights players – will make a two-week trek across the country, also raising money for brain cancer research. MORE INFO: https://borneocoasttocoast2018.everydayhero.com/au/mark-hughes-1

When the going gets tough, the tough get going – and that’s certainly the case for a group of friends from Maitland. A father and daughter have cycled 250-kilometres, all to help another family, dealing with a rare disease. MORE INFO: https://www.facebook.com/PANAwareness4PaulReading/

A man is recovering in hospital after he was bitten by what’s believed to be a shark at Port Stephens. The 50-year-old was in the water at Samuari Beach when he was attacked at around 8 o’clock this morning. It’s believed he suffered minor injuries, after being bitten on the right arm. He was taken to Newcastle’s John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

Almost 1,000 classic American cars and collectables will fall under the auctioneer’s hammer at Cameron Park this weekend, when a local businessman parts with his 35 year obsession. Online bidding has begun for the “Lost in the 50s” collection, with a classic movie icon already exceeding $200,000.

The benefits of medicinal cannabis are gaining credibility through evidence based research according to international researchers. The advantages of the controversial treatment were high on the agenda in Newcastle on Friday, where experts spoke about debunking the myths.