Clarence Valley Independent

Emma Pritchard. After achieving a national qualifying time and establishing a top two ranking in Australia for her age group in the 5000m open water swim, along with a silver medal, Andrea 'Torpedo' Thomson (13) is currently training to compete in the Australian Open Water National Championship in Adelaide on January 30 and focused on adding further accolades to her impressive record.

Emma Pritchard. Proud Bundjalung, Dunghutti and Gumbaynggirr artist Danielle Gorogo doesn’t just have one canvas displaying her beautiful artwork, she has several. Only in this instance, her canvases are the stunning uniforms Clarence Regional Library staff are proudly wearing.

Emma Pritchard. Orchestrated by Maclean teenager Nash Crofton, Clarence Tunes is a home-grown music festival which aims to provide local performers with an opportunity to gain valuable experience and boost their confidence on stage in front of a live audience. Nash told the Clarence Valley Independent he felt inspired to organise the event to help support the live music industry in the region, and the response from musicians and singer-songwriters keen to join the line-up has been incredibly positive.

Emma Pritchard. As the Clarence Valley welcomed visitors from many parts of the country during the Christmas and New Year period, local businesses embraced the opportunity to boost sales during one of the busiest times on the calendar. Hospitality venues exuberantly greeted travellers, retail outlets rejoiced at the increase in trade, and accommodation throughout the Clarence Valley was in hot demand.

Emma Pritchard. The streets of Ulmarra were filled with seasonal festivities, joviality and plenty of community spirit over the weekend when the riverside village hosted a special Christmas evening ... President of the Ulmarra Village Inc Steve Pickering, who also owns the Coldstream Gallery in Ulmarra, said local business owners were thrilled to be involved with the event and he estimated upwards of 500 people attended throughout the evening.

Geoff Helisma. The NSW Government is adding drumlines into its mix of  anti-shark measures  along the state’s coastline. Last week at Yamba, Clarence MP Chris Gulaptis met with Paul Butcher, principal research scientist with NSW Department of Primary Industries, to mark the installation of 15 SMART (Shark Management Alert in Real Time) drumlines, which will be deployed daily between Iluka Bluff and Angourie Back Beach.

The Clarence Valley’s own eagerly awaited annual fiction collection has been launched in time for Christmas. ‘Stories from the Clarence Valley 2021 – Look Up,’ a collection of stories by 60 local writers, has been nearly a year in the making, according to Long Way Home co-founder Claire Aman.