Wollongong residents and businesses are reflecting on a week of global attention and local disruption following the 2025 World Triathlon Championship Finals. The event, which which brought nearly 5,000 athletes and 15,000+ spectators to the city from 15 to 19 October, caused localised road closures, parking restrictions and altered routines in areas surrounding the course. While the event showcased the Illawarra on the world stage, many locals such as a Cliff Road resident Mark Sullivan are still counting the cost of access issues during the event. “I’m proud Wollongong hosted something of this scale, but it did throw daily life out…
Author: Ava Geralexis
An almost sold-out ABBA tribute show turned Anita’s Theatre into a buzzing celebration of music, nostalgia and community on Friday night. The performance transformed the historic 1925 Thirroul venue into a disco and pop paradise, with fans singing along to classics like Mamma Mia, Waterloo and Dancing Queen. Marketing and Events Coordinator Rachel Meikle said the night captured everything Anita’s stands for. “It’s the heart of Thirroul,” she said. “Anita’s is where people come to connect, dance, laugh and sing. Everyone feels like they’ve got a little bit of ownership over the place.” Eighteen-year-old audience member Sienna Mathie said the…
Wollongong’s streets came alive on Saturday as Culture Mix 2025 transformed the CBD into a vibrant celebration of art, music, dance, and food from around the world. Held in Wollongong and supported by NSW Government funding, the free festival attracted crowds of families, students and performers to areas across the Arts Precinct, Crown Street Mall, Lower Crown Street, Wollongong Library and Wollongong Art Gallery. The day began with a Welcome Ceremony, featuring Aunty Sharralyn Robinson’s Welcome to Country, a cultural dance by Kugang Djarmbi, and a smoking ceremony led by Uncle Peter Button. For many attendees, this opening set…
Austinmer’s Moore Street General Café is redefining local sustainability by implementing solar power and cutting waste with compostable packaging to build a greener community. Located just a minute from Austinmer station, Moore Street General Café is demonstrating how café businesses can reshape sustainability in the Illawarra. By tackling challenges such as milk packaging and the use of plastics, owner Katie Canosa is trying to incorporate eco-conscious practices into every aspect of the cafe’s operations. Canosa said local sourcing is central to her approach. “They’re called I’m Not Paper… all compostable. That was really important to me. Sourcing local food, local bread,…