NSW

Rod Fuller. With an exemplary record of three wins from four previous outings under his belt, Elusive Eagle is poised to account for rivals in the Mid North Country Championship Preview at Port Macquarie on Sunday.

Explore close to home and be blown away. I am close to the sky. The breeze in the thick canopy that covers the hillsides makes the mountains look like they're moving. The landscape is more ocean than forest – even though I stand 110km from the sea. This is Pinnacle Lookout in the Border Ranges where the peak of Wollumbin-Mt Warning shouts its presence by protruding from the waves of green.

Kyogle's newest vet Simon Wake lives in an idyllic setting. He shares his 80ha property near the Border Ranges with his schoolteacher wife Sally, daughter Lucy, dogs Arthur and Millie, 10 chickens and 18 Speckled Park cattle. Sitting by a huge dam where koalas hide in the trees, Simon's Land Rover is parked under the gums nearby, ready for the next callout.

Geoff Helisma. For Derry Moroney, photography started as “just a little hobby”, but now that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and other media outlets from around the world have contacted him, that ‘little hobby’ is growing into something much more. “My partner got me a camera a few weeks after we came here three years ago,” says Derry, “… it went from there. “I started going out every day; I went to every sunrise and every sunset and I’ve been doing it ever since.”

The Australian Rugby community is today mourning the passing of 14 cap Wallaby breakaway, Norman 'Mac' Hughes, aged 88. A world-class loose forward who commanded automatic selection in the Wallaby back row, Hughes was and forever will be Wallaby 398.

Ernie Mayo's January golf update

... Minister Kean was incredibly excited by the community-led progression towards renewable energy, and our efforts to provide energy security and insulation from fuel price shocks ... There was much discussion regarding the opportunities and the appetite for the Island to explore a transition to 100% renewable energy ...

The C.B. Newling building at Armidale, known locally as the Old Armidale Teachers’ College, will become one of four new Department of Regional NSW hubs and will house up to 100 new jobs in the New England region. Deputy Premier John Barilaro visited Armidale today and announced $2 million for initial works to establish the State Heritage-listed building as one of DRNSW’s four regional locations ... The Armidale hub will become one of four new DRNSW offices, alongside Queanbeyan, Dubbo and Coffs Harbour.

Federal Member for Parkes and Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government Mark Coulton said the new truck wash was a great win for the local trucking and agricultural community. “This project is about supporting our stock carriers to improve their efficiency and truck cleanliness, which I know has been widely welcomed by the Warialda community,” Mr Coulton said ...

“We have a wetland here of national significance — like a mini Kakadu,” Jimmy Malecki said. State MP Janelle Saffin joined the gathering because of her interest in Landcare groups ... Richmond Valley Councillor Jill Lyons said the first Bungawalbin Landcare was initiated in the 1990s ...

The Hayman family must leave their Colches St home in Casino because the landlord is moving his brother in. They have rented the property for three years. With four children living at home and two elderly dogs, finding a new rental is proving difficult.

Lynne Mowbray. Lawrence cane and cattle farmer, Bruce Green, was a skilled horseman and was deeply entrenched in both the Grafton and Maclean Show Societies, campdrafts and the Lawrence Rodeo which has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to community groups within the Clarence Valley, since its inception ...

Emma Pritchard. Grafton’s country music sweethearts and fan favourites The McClymonts, added two more Golden Guitars to their growing collection at the 2021 Toyota Golden Guitar Awards in Tamworth on January 23, bringing their new total to 15. The beautiful sisters, Brooke, Samantha and Mollie, won Contemporary Country Album of the Year for their most recent production Mayhem to Madness which was released in June 2020, as well as Group or Duo of the Year.