Illawarra Mercury

Find out what's on for kids and family in Illawarra, and the South Coast including things to do, children's theatre, school holiday activities and weekend listings.

Family and Kids | Illawarra Mercury

Family and Kids

Desiree Savage

Thirroul Butchers v Collegians at Gibson Park. Photos: Anna Warr

Sodden turf in dire straits for Illawarra sports clubs.

To play or not to play? Illawarra grounds trashed by weekend sport

From 10am to 10pm live music will ring through the Shell Cove Marina on June 18, including hits from The Vanns (above). Picture: Supplied

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Shut up and take my money .. oh wait, it's a FREE festival!

The Vanns headline free festival at Shell Cove Marina

Coming back: Illuminate Wollondilly is returning and the Long Table dinner will be one of the features. Picture: Simon Bennett

There's been plenty of grey skies over the shire lately, but things are about to get a whole lot brighter with the return of Illuminate Wollondilly Festival of Art and Light.

Watch Picton glow with Illuminate Festival of Art and Light

FLASHBACK: Competitors in the 2016 CosPlay competition. Comic Gong is an annual pop culture festival that celebrates a love of comics, graphic novels, gaming and cosplay. It is an inclusive and all-ages event. Picture: Georgia Matts

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Here is everything you need to know about Wollongong's glorious celebration of comics, graphic novels, gaming, cosplay and pop culture.

Your Guide: Wollongong brings the love back for Comic Gong

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY: Jane Wishart with her daughter and aspiring pro surfer Holly, 16, at Werri Beach on Sunday. Picture: Sylvia Liber

Unlike dance mums there are no extravagant costumes sprinkled in diamantes needed, just surfboards and wetsuits (which the sponsor helps with) and lots of early morning starts.

Meet the Gerringong mum raising an aspiring pro surfer

The world-renowned festival suitable for families, tourists and singles ready to mingle is returning to transform the harbour city into a kaleidoscope of colour with more than 200 events between May 27 and June 18.

Heading to Vivid? Here's some of the highlights and how to get there

Supplied images from Disney on Ice. Which is returning to Wollongong in June.

It's been three long years since Disney stars ice-capaded around Wollongong.

Disney on Ice returns to Wollongong this year

Briannah Devlin

Bags of fun: Everyone can compete in activities like the potato sack race and spud and spoon race at the Robertson Potato Festival. Picture: Supplied 

The Robertson Potato Festival is family friendly with live music, cooking demonstrations and sack races.

What you can do at this spud-tacular festival in Robertson

BIG FEAT: Clive Featherby driving his Outback Thunda monster truck on Wednesday. Picture: Sylvia Liber

WATCH - "We're like Santa and bringing all the little toys into a giant reality."

'It's more than monster trucks': Thrillmasters head to Bulli

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Watch the world's longest running musical out in the open, or see hundreds of artworks strewn across the city with various grand exhibitions on, or one of the biggest LEGO shows you'll ever see.

8 events you'll want to travel to Sydney for this April

What's On

Multimedia

Sushannah Taylor and her six-month-old daughter Luna (right) and a tent their family of four lived in a person's backyard in Bundaberg (left).

Sushannah Taylor her husband Tristan and their two daughters have been homeless in Bundaberg, Queensland since April 10, 2022.

Mum documents family life in tents, motels amid rental crisis

Adam Bandt is prepared to back the Haines model, saying he 'doesn't care' whose name is on the bill. Picture: Sitthixay Ditthavong

The new government has promised an anti-corruption watchdog with teeth. The powerful crossbench wants it within months.

'Ready to go': Greens want ICAC before budget

NATURAL TALENT: Kaison Hao is passionate about learning the piano. Picture: supplied.

He started learning aged five, and he's only be playing for 11 months.

See why this young pianist was named one of the world's best

Police officers at the scene after a teenager shot and killed 19 children at a Texas primary school. Photo: AP Photo

A teenage gunman has killed 18 children and three adults.

Teenager in gun massacre at Texas school

A further 1.5 million Australians will be able to receive a fourth COVID-19 vaccine.

The expanded advice is expected to allow more than 1.5 million additional people to receive the fourth vaccine dose.

Second COVID booster eligibility expanded

ON THE LOOSE: There are two main variants of monkeypox, the more severe Central African strain and the milder West African strain.

Two people in Australia's largest cities have the virus, so is it likely to spread further?

What is 'monkeypox' and how did it arrive in Australia?

FOCUSED: Holy Holy's Oscar Dawson and Tim Carroll have built a reputation of constantly evolving. Picture: Simon Eeles

The indie-rock duo are always looking towards the horizon

Holy Holy refuse to repeat themselves

This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning .

A shabby, desperate ploy that sank fast

CHARISMA: Phil Jamieson will release his debut solo album Somebody Else on July 27.

Old troublemaker Phil Jamieson in solo gig

Wauchope resident Anthony Mahr is asking people not to pat or feed his guide dog. Photo: Liz Langdale. 

Anthony Mahr is asking people not to pat or feed his guide dog.

'Shadow is my eyes': Plea not to distract guide dogs

Voters biting the hand that never fed them

Member for Cowper, Pat Conaghan. Photo: Mardi Borg

For the first time since Federation, the seat of Cowper is in limbo

Pat Conaghan on lessons learned and being in election limbo

ON TOUR: Art Simone and Etcetera Etcetera will bring a live show and makeup tutorials to the Illawarra Performing Arts Centre in June. Picture: Supplied

Art Simone and Etcetera Etcetera have teamed up for a live show and drag queen makeup workshop sessions.

From RuPauls Drag Race to Wollongong's IPAC, Queens unite for tour

SAD NEWS: Jackie Monk has paid tribute to her husband David Kiefel.

Wife pays tribute to much-loved husband David Kiefel after long battle.

61-year-old dies from Japanese encephalitis

Hydrogen has been touted by many as the answer to climate change. So what's the deal with it?

Will hydrogen technology be the answer to Australia's emissions woes?

STATEMENT: Jaymee Beveridge, Executive Director (Indigenous Strategy) at UOW and Director of the Woolyungah Centre. Picture: Adam McLean.


The Uluru Statement from the Heart was handed down five years ago, and called for a constitutionally enshrined voice to parliament, and a Makarrata Commission overseeing treaty agreement making.

Promise for Uluru statement reignites hope for Illawarra First Nations people

Too close to call: A razor sharp margin separates the two key Gilmore candidates, Liberals' Andrew Constance and Labor's Fiona Phillips. Pictures: Grace Crivellaro.

Gilmore voters may be waiting another two weeks for an answer on who their new representative is.

'Very, very tight': Greens preference will decide Gilmore

The interim Albanese frontbench. Picture: AAP 

Crossbenchers Rebekha Sharkie, Bob Katter, Andrew Wilkie, Helen Haines and Zali Steggall have given Labor confidence of supply.

Labor secures support for a working minority government, but hopeful of more

The May 23 post-election front pages of publisher ACM's daily newspapers in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the ACT

From Barnaby country to Labor's heartlands: what the ACM papers say

This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning till the end of the election.

The hoary old chestnut of hip-pocket politics no longer cuts it

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Postal votes appear to be favouring Labor's Madonna Jarrett over the Greens in the seat of Brisbane.

Five seats key to final election result

Police raids across southwestern Sydney on Tuesday followed a 10-month covert operation.

NSW syndicate members in court after raids

Peter Counsell training for the Everest Marathon in Nepal. Photos: Supplied

Peter Counsell is proving age and altitude are no barrier, as he takes on the Everest Marathon at the age of 65.

This 65-year-old is set to tackle the world's highest marathon

Biannca Edmunds is on trial accused of directing her husband to kill her former partner.

Woman bashed after seeing partner murdered

Sandra Mullaly is cheerful in her police photo but her time in the force was anything but.

Former cop says she was driven to breaking point by the organisation she once loved.

An addict broke her jaw. The force broke her spirit

Crash investigation: Jaskaran Singh at the scene of the crash in November 2020 and Libby Ruge (inset). Picture: Adam McLean/Instagram

Evidence on day three of the trial focused on the driving behaviour of Jaskaran Singh.

'I couldn't do anything' Driver says he lost control before crash that killed Libby Ruge

National Tertiary Education Union members Jonny Mackay and Professor Fiona Probyn-Rapsey want more investment in staffing at the University of Wollongong. Picture: Adam McLean

The university has reported a surplus for 2021, despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Union calls for staffing boost after UOW records surplus

Stephen Warwick Baker will remain behind bars until at least November 2024. Picture: Supplied

Baker admitted slicing the woman's skin with a knife and pouring an unknown liquid into her wounds.

Koonawarra man sliced open disabled woman's skin in horrific knife attack

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The vehicle will be slow and will leave Port Kembla about 11pm.

Motorists are advised to delay their journeys if possible or use alternative southbound routes as the operation will be slow moving.

Warning to avoid the M1, other roads late on Thursday night

The 'Seacliff' townhouse construction site at Wombarra from above. Runoff was washed across the road, through private properties, onto the ocean rock ledge. Picture: DAVID CORBETT.

When the Mercury asked Wollongong City Council where the inspections would be, or had taken place, the council eventually made clear it was not conducting any - and called it an 'EPA blitz day initiative'