It was the fitting end to a bumper summer.
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After three years of interruptions due to fires, pandemic and rains, the Illawarra was finally able to enjoy the best of the region this past summer.
Hot days, balmy nights and - relatively - fewer rainy days took us back to the summers of years before, where beaches, barbecues and kicking back was possible.
While Stuart Park might have been out of action for the usual summer festivals, and Lang Park in recovery mode after hosting the UCI World Cycling Championships, Fairy Meadow's Thomas Dalton Park stepped up, and has become the home of music, dancing and general revelry.
For the final weekend of summer, For The Love descended on these grounds, and brought with it a roster of local and international dance and pop acts.
Leading the charge was hyperpop superstar Charli XCX.
Fresh from headlining the pulsating opening concert of World Pride alongside Kylie Minogue, the 'Hot in it' star got locals moving and brought down many of her Sydney fans that missed the WorldPride event - or couldn't get enough that they went to see her twice.
Backing up the Cambridge-born singer were local beatmakers Cosmo's Midnight and Sonny Fodera as well as pop-RnB up-and-comer Budjerah.
Keeping the antipodean connections going was London-based DJ and record producer Duke Dumont, whose club-style set continued the heat into the evening even after the sun had gone down.
After a few summers to forget, this year's was one to remember.
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