Welcome to Wollongong.
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We're a friendly bunch, well mostly.
As long as you avoid talking to the locals about the road closures, ignore the ongoing threat of train strikes and skip conversations about the miserable season of our biggest sporting team, the Dragons - a rugby league club based at the stadium next to the world championships finish line - you'll be fine.
The weather looms as a problem next week.
While much of Europe was baking in record summer heat, we're heading for another year of the La Nina effect, which brings with it buckets upon buckets of rain.
And we're a bit weary after a couple of lengthy COVID lockdowns in recent times, you see, but it makes it all the more exciting to have you on our patch to watch, or compete in, the greatest show on two wheels, outside the Tour De France.
There's a Dutch corner on Gipps Road, a German Club at Kembla Grange, a Portuguese Club at Warrawong and Helenic Club at Figtree, plus an assortment of cuisine in town, including several American-style burger barns.
If football is the global game, the Illawarra Premier League reflects the melting pot of our region's culture, moulded from migrants taking jobs at the Port Kembla steelworks, which offered bright futures for war-ravaged European families generations ago.
Port Kembla wear the black and white stripes of Juventus and have a rich Italian heritage, as does the Fraternity Club at Fairy Meadow, headquarters for the world titles-watching Tifosi.
Wollongong United are the league titleholders, as proud of their daring Australia Cup run as they are of their Macedonian roots.
Cringila Lions (also Macedonian), Wollongong Olympic (Greece), South Coast United (Croatia) and Albion Park White Eagles (Serbia) highlight some of our cultural diversity, while second division Balgownie Rangers lay claim to being the oldest registered club in Australia.
Adrian Alston (Luton Town, Cardiff City, Tampa Bay Rowdies); Scott Chipperfield (Basel); Luke Wilkshire (Dynamo Moscow, Middlesborough, FC Twente); Mile Sterjovski (Lille, Basel, Derby County) and Caitlin Foord (Arsenal, Vengalta Sendai, Portland Thorns) are all iconic names in the region.
We don't have a team in the A-League, our national competition, yet, but the Wollongong Wolves, champions of the old National Soccer League in 2000 and 2001, are working on a comeback.
But we do have the new Greatest Of All Time to dive into a swimming pool, Emma McKeon, who will start proceedings today at the Wollongong 2022 community ride.
Sally Fitzgibbons (surfing), Blake Govers, Flynn Ogilvie and Grace Stewart (hockey) are other Olympians we're proud to call our own, as are cricketers Brett Lee and Adam Zampa and cycling talents like Ben Kersten and Rochelle Gilmore.
It's a pity Caleb Ewan, who comes from the Southern Highlands, just up the escarpment, missed selection, but Josie Talbot carries the torch as an Illawarra product wearing the green and gold this week. Speaking of the colours, the team jerseys are amazing and a respectful nod to the traditional owners of the Dhawaral country you're standing on.
The design by Chern'ee Sutton features a deep Indigenous connection, as well as national pride.
"The green and gold community symbol in the bottom left of the artwork represents the Australian cycling team, proudly representing our nation," Sutton said when announcing the jersey.
"The travelling lines within symbolise the athletes travelling around the world to compete and the U symbols represent the men and women. The Us with coolamons and digging sticks are women and the Us with spears are men. The community symbol in the centre represents our home, Australia."
So, welcome to our place, relax, stay awhile, make yourself comfortable, we really are grateful to host the world's best. Let's face it, the traffic flow in Wollongong was terrible long before the cycling convoy arrived.
After the long-haul flight, be up for the on-track fight, local knowledge might just be crucial as Josie Talbot and the Aussies chase gold.
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