Newcastle Hunter Catch Up: Recent Episodes
ABC Newcastle
Every weekday, we'll take 15 minutes max to explain the day's biggest stories for the Newcastle & Hunter Valley region.
Young people encounter grief in moments of loss, such as when they lose a parent or grandparent. But how do young people cope when a partner unexpectedly passes away?
This week, Laurise Dickson reflects on what Liddell has meant to the Upper Hunter communities who have grown up in the shadow of the smokestacks and speaks with former workers about their time on site.
Tiny homes are often pitched as a low-footprint, cost-effective housing solution. But as rents spike across Newcastle-Hunter, are they a realistic option?
In the 1950s when homosexuality was criminalised, queer people were trying their best to live their authentic lives. Yellow socks were part of a secret gay code that helped the queer community to evade policing.
It’s 22 years to the day since Newcastle woman Maria hit rock bottom and stopped playing pokies for good, but she says local clubs and lawmakers need to break their own addictions to gambling revenue.
Back in the 1950s, Pommy Town was the place to be. That was the nickname for Belmont North in Newcastle where 50 Nissan huts housed British migrants. Now, 70 years later, more than half of that temporary accommodation has been knocked down. A few people reckon there's a place for this history alongside modern housing.Laurise Dickson hits the streets with Darlene Cameron who grew up in a tin can home on Somerset St and speaks with Susan Sedgwick, who helped renovate one of the houses.
With the rise in true crime as entertainment in podcasts and documentaries, cold cases and curious legal decisions are getting more and more attention than ever before – but do these shows match the reality of legal advocacy?
Simon Schofield's house is like any other. Behind the front door, it's what Simon and his house mates are doing that is blazing a new trail for people living with a disability.
And while Simon's now enjoying share life of cricket and cleaning, the journey to find a place to call home is much like any other in the Hunter – but with the added challenges of disability, it's something Simon wants everyone to have the same opportunities.
Buses of supporters screamed their lungs out on Sunday for the Knights, as the NRLW squad rolled into their first premiership.
It has evoked memories of the mens Knights first win in ’97 – but the plan of an NRLW win came together long before the women held the trophy aloft.
With the cost of living rising and affordable housing becoming rarer than hen's teeth, more and more people are falling into homelessness. But you won't necessarily see this in the Hunter Street Mall. People are crashing on friend's couches with no fixed address, or sleeping in parks in tents.
For Rolanda Clout-Collins and Harriet Bell, two young women farming in very different ways in very different parts of the Hunter, the past year has been challenging. But both are committed to smashing the stereotype of the old white man standing around his paddock.
This week, we're uncovering the nearly 200 year old history of Jewish settlement in the Hunter. And it all starts with an overgrown and forgotten cemetery on the edge of town and a 100 year old woman who wanted a quiet place to rest.
Is Newcastle a smart city? Find out how we've been the site for testing new products dating back to the Maccas brekky menu and Tiny Teddies.
Carol and Evan Yeung have called it a day at their legendary Chinese restaurant at Warners Bay, after more than 45 years together serving locals and visitors.
And how Science week has literally exploded this week in the Hunter.
And a note from us. We'll be back with the Newcastle Hunter Catch Up on Wednesday, August 31 for a new weekly pod with intriguing stories of Hunter legends.
If this is your first time here - don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss out!
While the mens Newcastle Knights season has come to a disappointing end, the womens is ready to fire up with new recruit and a brand new side.
We go into the rooms with Millie Boyle about the NRLW season for 22/23
Merewether surfing legend Phillipa Anderson dreams of hitting this Tahiti break as part of the World Surfing League tour, but Phillipa reckons you need to keep your eye out for another champ coming through the ranks from Newy.
And what current drugs are being trialled to help treat ovarian cancer? It's being done right here in the Hunter
It may have stopped raining, but Port Stephens natural wonders under the sea are running into big freshwater problems
And how locals at Whitebridge are dammed if they do and dammed if they don't
TikTok is exploding right now, with life advice for everything. Including the best spots for the Hunter. Today, how influencers are describing our part of paradise right across the world.
Ever driven past a paddock with a donkey amongst a pack of sheep? They're doing some good work, despite being declared a pest species in some states and territories. And in Maitland, one farmer says her donkey is worth its weight in gold.
And moving back with your parents - the Hunter weighs in.
Kia's in the bad place of TikTok #diydentistry. So we're calling a Hunter dentist to find out what they're coming across with this new fad.
And stand aside Johns brothers - there's a new Hunter duo set to rock rugby league
What a difference a year makes. 12 months ago, the Hunter was in full lockdown over dozens of cases. Today, the harbour opened back up to cruise ships.
Kia, Laurise and Andy went down to the wharf to see how the locals and visitors enjoyed the big ship
The death of Olivia Newton-John has made the world a little less brighter today, but did you know about ONJ's connection to the Hunter?
And the Newton-John name lives on to help those living with cancer in the Hunter.
Newcastle's Deer problems are getting out of control, with even motorists reporting swerving on the M1 to miss Santa's favourite four legged friend.
And how ethics has one Newcastle local taking her gap year to come back to the school she started in more than 10 years ago.
Babies bring together so many people within a community and now, for the first time since COVID, Awabakal elders have been able to hold their traditional baby welcoming ceremonies.
Get ready to meet Leigh Creighton. He's one of the locals participating in Newcastle's brand new People's Library, where you lend your ears to hear someone's life story.
If you've been watching 'Hunted' you've probably been seeing a lot more surveillance cameras around your place - but how intrusive are they and just what are we looking for? Kia is on the run to find out.
And when can technology be used for good?
We often talk about homelessness as a concept, but we miss the voices who have lived it firsthand. Today on the pod, Shane tell us about his experience of sleeping rough in the Hunter Street Mall.
From the Yolgnu in Eastern Arnhem Land all the way back to the Hunter. Bindi Bryce, Barkandji woman, reports back from the 2022 Garma Festival.
It's tough being a regional queen but with the new season of RuPaul's Drag Race round the corner, a Newcastle local is sashaying into the spotlight.
Molly Poppinz is one of the lucky competitors fighting to be crowned Down Under's Next Drag Superstar.
School buses are a rite of passage for most kids. But lately kids are waiting much longer than they're used to because the local bus service round areas like Port Stephens has been cancelling services and not telling parents about it.
A nurse from Newy has taken out the top prize for health care workers in NSW - usually something reserved for those with 'ologist' in their title.
And can e-scooters be a thing to bust the congestion in Newcastle?
Broke by name, broke by nature. Quite literally, as 30 sinkholes have opened up in the tiny village of Broke.
Newie punters hoped Splendour in the Grass would be a rain-free affair. Instead the event became Splendour in the Mud. Today, we speak to two locals who braved the weather and ultimately had a pretty good time... and a frozen banana on the way home.
We know there's lots of doom and gloom but we're still smiling, that's why we're spreading the good vibes across the Hunter today.
And think you know the difference between a servo pie, a bakery pie and a supermarket pie? Our pie expert did not.
It's hard out there at the moment if you're a university student.
Balancing work and study as the cost of living bites is tough and today we're speaking with two students who are finding it difficult at the moment round the Hunter.
Stop everything - The Rocket Man, Sir Elton John is coming to Newcastle! But is this the start of the big names coming to Newy?
And get around the big callout for volunteers that's helping families in need
All the news recently has been so downbeat, so today we're off to the pub. We've still got a show to do though, so Kia and Laurise have volunteered to try some zero alcohol wine.
What's the worst thing you get on holiday? It's not the cheap singlet you overpaid for, it's not the bad sunburn, it might actually be foot and mouth disease that could destroy literally all Australian livestock farming.
Your milk might be about to have a price explosion - but for many farmers here in dairy country, we've had it pretty good for a while.
And did you know you can spell TYPEWRITER with the top line of your keyboard? The world of typewriters is being explored by a big fan in Muswellbrook
This podcast started off with an idea and left Kia with a personal disaster. Just another day in this unforgiving rain.
Can you make life easy around Newcastle's potholes? We find someone to help.
Newcastle's famous Bar Beach is much loved, but giant storms and a surging king tide has washed the sand back to the rocks. Kia and Laurise on the scene to talk it out.
And the University of Newcastle's latest graduates with their passion of speech and Sri Lanka.
Newcastle and the Hunter are facing a huge threat - a bee collapse. Starting weeks ago, more of the 'Varroa mite' bugs are beginning to be found and a US biotech company emailed the pod with their experiences of this nasty plague.
And despite the rain and cold, a Kingfisher found in a backyard at Ellalong has lit up social media - but how rare is the bird in the Hunter?
Kia sits down with local reporter Madeline Lewis on a weekend that didn't stop for the Newcastle Floods with rescues and a nervous wait for many.
Towns became islands, livestock rescued and how people dig in when the odds are against them.
Sure, it's been a time for the Upper Hunter. But besides floods, we're getting texts about birds. And a man with a chainsaw.
Bulga is a much loved village of the Upper Hunter and the locals know a thing or two about the country. Including how to fight a flood.
And Bulga is praising two lifesaving heroes as they rescued a baby and mum from rising floodwaters.
It's been a hectic 24 hours for Bulga
Flooding. Yet again, the Hunter's heroes swing into action as we go on the ground in Singleton and the Hunter Valley where we're bracing for more flooding from the swollen Hunter river.
We hear from the publican at Wollombi, and Upper Hunter reporter Bridget Murphy in a soggy Singleton.
Let's face it - we've googled our symptoms before going to a medical professional. Before we write out our last will and testament based on the results, one Hunter pharmacist reckons come in and ask. And Chloe Woodburn would know, she's in a competition to be the best!
And how do Catholicism and Indigenous Australians interconnect. We find one woman's journey to bring her culture and her faith together, with a mission for all of the Maitland diocese.
Hunter Stadium is home to 35,000 screaming Newcastle Knights fans every home game, but beyond the game, can the stadium host international acts? And as Kia and Laurise find out, it's been done before.
Also, University of Newcastle students are hitting the road in a big bus to go west across the state, with a mission to learn more about the world's oldest continuous living culture.
The Steve Irwin has been saved for the second time in its life by Kerrie Goodal who never saw her life working with ships taking this turn.
And this week has been tense. The outbreak of the contagious 'Varroa Mite' has not just beekeepers on edge. Farmers everywhere, already recovering from an incredible wet autumn are now on high stress waiting on what is next
A new program to help rehome greyhounds in a Hunter Valley prison is bringing more than hoped for inmates and companions.
And as the last mass vax clinic shuts in Newcastle, a plea from one long Covid sufferer that the pandemic still has a while to go.
The Census is out - and the Newcastle region has had a surge in people saying they don't have a religion. In sharp focus is the Anglican Church, which lost thousands of followers from the last Census - but Newcastle's Anglican Diocese is already making changes.
And are you trying to get into #vanlife? Seems you're not the only one, but the lack of vans is for a very good reason.
Kia and Laurise are taking action on a decent shop for fresh goods in Newcastle, on a budget. And we ask locals how they're shopping fresh while not blowing the bank balance.
And remember Daisy the goat that went missing last week? She's back!
Bees are life - and an outbreak of a nasty mite could bring disaster to Australia's bee population. We go on the ground to talk with Hunter beekeepers after the varroa mite outbreak in Newcastle
This episode talks about mental ill health and eating disorders. Please listen with care and if this raises anything for you, know Lifeline is there to help on 13 11 14
If you've tried to access mental health support in the Hunter you'll know books are closed and wait times are long.
We asked for your stories and this is what you told us about what you've found as you've tried to access local mental health services. Plus we take a look at some local solutions to keep you and your loved ones mentally well.
It’s the big dream we’d all love - and for one Newcastle local and his Swedish bride they're heading around the world on a boat called 'Merewether'
And Newcastle needs foster carers and one Dad needs you to know that you can do it!
A much loved member of the Branxton community, Daisy the Goat, has been stolen from a local store. And Branxton has swung into action, with a massive social media appeal to get back one of its iconic members of the community.
And Newcastle's latest basketball sensation is taking on the likes of Lauren Jackson as the heads to the USA to hit the court.
With all the technology improvements in our lives, why has the scrutiny of umpiring lifted beyond bearable in our community sports? Referees in one Newcastle sports league are fed up, so the league is taking swift action to bring it under control
And if you're driving past Muswellbrook's Campbells Corner tonight, you'll see a splash of yellow. Find out why 7 year old Brooklyn is making a difference as she faces a skin condition call scleroderma
You're riding peacefully through National Park when you sense you're not alone. This is what happened to Jason Poole, cycling in the Mount Royal National Park in the Upper Hunter, as vicious dogs appeared out of nowhere, keen on bringing him off the bike and who knows what next.
And what rewards do volunteering bring you? For Newcastle's Matt Heseltine, his young life has been changed for the better thanks to 95 year old Bill
Learn how one school in Maitland is learning how to make a possum skin cloak and how one brewery in Dungog is making beer for Ukraine... with just a hint of beetroot.
Mt Arthur coal mine near Muswellbrook is set to shut, with the announcement coming in the middle of an energy crisis. Back in Hamilton, we take a trip to check out the Orange Sky laundry van.
How did Park Run change Alex and Courtney's lives forever? And is hiring designer dresses for special events the new big thing round Newcastle?
Newcastle's Ray Baartz was like the rest of us this morning - glued to the TV to watch the Socceroos gain a place in the World Cup in Qatar later this year. For Ray, it all started 48 years ago when him and his fellow Socceroos went to the 1974 World Cup in West Germany, playing against superstars of the game like Pele.
And if you grew up in Newy - there's probably a red hot chance you've busted some moves to 'Star Struck', the iconic Newcastle school kids concert performance. This year, this legend of Newcastle turns the big 3-0 and organisers are ready for a big return to the stage.
At the Festival of the Fleece, sheep are thundering down the main street of Merriwa. But what's the story behind their cute little socks? Meanwhile, over in the Barrington Tops, devils are mating... Tasmanian devils in a program to save the species.
Newcastle parking is atrocious. Will a plan to turn a Cardiff street into less parking to get more people make us rethink the way we move around the city? And after all this rain, gravediggers at Sandgate are struggling to make our final resting place peaceful
The fight to help locals get out of their car and into accommodation is the big fight of ‘Our Back Yard’, a group dedicated to helping the homeless in the Hunter. Can you believe it's been 15 years since the Pasha Bulker ended up on Nobby's beach?! But it's not the only historical event to happen in the Hunter on this day. And a Newy boy turned ice hockey star is ready to take the ice for Australia…in Mexico.
A Hunter families heartbreak as they waited for an ambulance. Will wait times be fixed by more NSW health staff announced by the NSW government this week? Remember the pet boom of 2020? It’s come back to the local pounds, with a band of rescuers working to find new homes and a farmer in Gloucester is taking to the skies to get his pasture planted.
The Hunter is getting a specialist centre for hearing impaired children, one man clocks up the k’s for the climate and former Newcastle soprano celebrates the Queen in Windsor.
New volunteer run wholefoods coop for Dungog, classroom ventilation stopping kids from spreading winter germs, and starmaker Max Jackson puts the Newy in Nashville.
A local power station is running short of coal, while Mt Pleasant coal mine extends to find more, uni students set sail to scope out underwater landslides, and premiership winner Hannah Southwell returns home to the Knights
Local women teaching kids consent workshops, new techniques developed to destroy PFAS, and swimmers celebrate the start of winter with an icy dip in the Merewether baths.
The hunter is reeling from last night's wild weather, and Newy's pinball wizards unite for ten years of Pinfest
Is the road to Barrington Tops ready for snow chasers? How could you not know you were about to have a baby? And a local indigenous artist tackles the Newcastle Knights jersey design for the NRL Indigenous round
Families are getting ready to sleep on the streets to raise money for homelessness, Zac Garred talks about his new movie and why is Singleton the tidiest town in NSW?
Could your doctor prescribe parkrun over pills? Students at the University of Newcastle want action on sexual harassment, and Kia and Laurise try to dry out after all this rain.
Police want information about the abduction of Lake Macquarie teen Gordana Kotesvki, local shop owners get ready to bin their plastic bans and what can you do to keep your place free from mould?
Sean Gordon explains the importance of Albo’s commitment to the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Natalie Mitchell takes us on a trip to the Share Shop and Gisela Kaplan has her bra stolen by a naughty corella.
Why Kahibah local Mark Gilmour says voluntary assisted dying is all about choice, the Hunter Valley goes Labor in all corners as One Nation takes a hit, and Heidi Regan brings her comedy home... with a slight London accent.
It's our big election bonanza! Complete with very serious music! Matt Bevan breaks down the local Newy electorates, Amelia Bernasconi takes us through the key seat of Hunter and some local pets pick our new PM.
Another inquiry has been announced into Hunter Valley woman Kathleen Folbigg's convictions for killing her four infant children and why are Hunter residents waiting 6 weeks to see a mental health professional?
An old home movie has locals fascinated by a Newcastle of yesteryear, how a suburb of Maitland is moving away from Facebook to keep locals engaged and how Kia found her favourite artmaker on her For You page
What’s the biggest issue for you this election? How a quilt is connecting the Hunter to the Ukraine and why was Sam Kerr the best backseat driver Rod the cabbie had ever had?
How do first home buyers break into the Newy property market? Climate change forces vigernons to adapt, and did Kia inspire Blak Douglas to win the Archibald Prize?
A Newcastle Knights doctor is heading back to his homeland of Ukraine to help. Carl Caulfield is treading the boards with his local play inspired by everyday life and it's girls in, groms out at the beach this weekend.
Supply, pandemic and climate change will hit your hip pocket for local coffee prices soon, Newcastle's cocaine mystery death sees an arrest in Cairns and how the Hunter has dug deep for flood victims in Lismore.
A Ukrainian couple has fled to Australia after their homeland was invaded earlier this year and a day on the farm for Hunter Valley kids casts a spotlight on the realities of a hard day’s work.
All of Newcastle is talking. How did $20 million of cocaine wash up with a dead man? Locals furious after wheelchairs blocked from early voting. Newcastle's adopted fighter Tim Tszyu immortalised in the Archibald Prize.
What does live music bring to a local economy? A bunch of Newcastle musicians are taking up the fight to save the historic Cambridge Hotel from becoming student accommodation. Ten principals across NSW are being rewarded for their work, including one from Charlestown, and Muswellbrook may soon have 24-hour care for pets.
How are mums coming together after dealing with loss? Why are tradies missing out on the 9-5? And who made the cut in the World Surf League?
If this podcast raises issues for you, these support services are available
Lifeline on 13 11 14 BeyondBlue on 1300 22 46 36 SANDS (miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death support) on 1300 072 637 Stillbirth Foundation (research and education to prevent stillbirth) on 02 9557 9070 Red Nose on 1300 308 307 Emergency services on 000 (triple zero) if you are in immediate danger
Can Kia and Laurise hit 40 kph on Darby Street? Can men's underwear tell us all about the economy? And why is Scott selling his finest milkers?
Would you want 400 dogs living next door? Why are these kids starting a food truck? And why do teachers want more than thanks?
It’s all about housing today. Could homes in the Hunter become uninsurable? How are high rents harming victims of domestic violence? And would you buy the Tesla of houses?
What is life like when you're on the NDIS? What's the plan to prevent droughts in the Hunter? And why is Craig covering himself in lanolin?
Why is this Newcastle pub getting rid of pokies? Cessnock prisoners build flood housing, and would you pash a llama?
Who are Newcastle's resident tooth fairies? What made a farmer pick up a pen? And what even is hydrogen?
Who pays for a council cycleway? Why do vinyl records stay in rotation? And will teachers go on strike next week?
Why are L platers locked out in the Hunter? Can Bailey hike across Australia? And how big was the Country Music Festival for local artists?