Take a jaunt to Campbelltown for Chill Fest. Photo: Chill Fest.
From Campbelltown’s winter festival to stunning exhibitions in the Southern Highlands, the Illawarra’s neighbours have cooked up some delightful ways to lure locals from their beloved coastline this week.
Closer to home the always hgihly-anticipated South Coast Readers & Writers Festival has a massive line-up for literature lovers.
In between there are workshops, live music events and informative talks on a range of topics. Here are our top nine picks for the week.
All week
Chill Fest
When: Until Sunday 21 July, noon to late
Where: Koshigaya Park, Hurley Street and Camden Road, Campbelltown
Cost: Free entry.
Expect stunning light displays, amazing carnival rides for all ages, roaming performers, a “Winter Food Village” and the spectacular Private Igloo Dining. Online ticket sales for the ever-popular open-air ice-skating rink are open, with tickets ranging from $15 for children aged four and under to $75 for a family.
Want to up the ante? Book your “Dine & Ride” bundle, including a mouthwatering wood-fired pizza and a drink in the heart of this winter wonderland and ride coupons to use throughout the park.
All weekend
A jam-packed schedule of stories and conversations promises something for everyone at the region’s highly anticipated readers and writers festival. Image: South Coast Writers Centre.
South Coast Readers & Writers Festival
When: Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 July, various times
Where: Thirroul District Community Centre & Library, 352-358 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul
Cost: One day $90, two-day general $160, book here.
The South Coast Readers and Writers Festival promises a weekend filled with captivating stories, thought-provoking discussions and inspiring conversations. This year’s festival line-up features more than 40 stellar award-winning authors, talented new voices, acclaimed poets, broadcasters and thinkers, in more than 22 sessions to choose from.
At 50 cents a pop, snap up a bargain at Wollongong City Council’s annual winter book sale. Photo: TTStock-Photography.
Winter Book Sale
When: Until Saturday 20 July, 9:30 am to 5 pm
Where: Corrimal, Dapto, Helensburgh, Thirroul, Unanderra, Warrawong and Wollongong Libraries
Cost: Free entry.
Wollongong City Libraries have all once again cleared the shelves and have bagfuls of books ready to be snapped up by book lovers from any of the seven branches. With all books priced at 50 cents, you can grab yourself a bargain. Items will be restocked throughout the sale period to ensure fresh reads no matter when you go. All proceeds will be donated to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation to help remote Indigenous communities.
Sunday
Terry Fielding meets The Romeos on stage for a folk lover’s must-see event. Photo: The Illawarra Folk Club.
Terry Fielding and The Romeos
When: Sunday 14 July, 2 to 5 pm
Where: Thirroul Railway Institute Hall, 14 Railway Parade, Thirroul
Cost: Illawarra Folk Club members $20, non-members $25, book here.
Terry Fielding, co-writer of Aussie 1970s hit song The Whale will be a special guest at this Illawarra Folk Club concert. Joining him on stage will be The Romeos (Helen and Tony), one of the most passionate duos singing and interpreting Australian traditional folk and bush music. Your ticket includes skilled storytelling, musical virtuosity and a yummy afternoon tea.
Learn empowering skills that will help you get the most out of your wardrobe. Image: The Sewing Collective.
Mending Morning
When: Sunday 14 July, 10 am to 1 pm
Where: The Heart, 44 Atchison Street, Wollongong
Cost: $75, book here.
This beginner-friendly mending workshop will arm participants with ways to give their clothes a new life. Bring up to four items to mend or alter and from hemming to fixing holes, adjusting sizes and attaching buttons, you’ll learn some basic techniques to help you mend and alter your own clothes. All of the equipment including use of a sewing machine and basic mending materials such as thread are included, as well as morning tea and coffee.
Tuesday
Aunty Shas is set to share a Dreaming story complemented by lively percussion. Photo: Wollongong City Council.
School Holidays: Dreaming Storytime with Aunty Shas
When: Tuesday 16 July, 10:30 am to 11:15 am
Where: Warrawong Library, 1/67-71 King Street, Warrawong
Cost: Free, book here.
Looking for ways to occupy the kids these school holidays, while learning more about the oldest continuous living culture? Join Aunty Shas as she shares a captivating Dreaming story and engages everyone with lively percussion. This session is suitable for children aged three to five years old and their siblings. Children under eight years old must be accompanied by a parent who stays in the room during the activity.
Wednesday
The Woman in Black
When: Wednesday 17 to Sunday 21 July, various times
Where: Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, 32 Burelli Street, Wollongong
Cost: Family: $296, premium $109, adult $89, pension $79, group 8+ $79, Under 30s $74, book here.
After three decades in the West End, the stage adaptation of Susan Hill’s acclaimed ghost story starring incredible duo John Waters (Doctor Doctor, Offspring, Rake) and Daniel MacPherson (Land of Bad, Foundation, Neighbours) has arrived at Wollongong. Billed as a “thrilling theatrical exploration of terror”, it tells the story of a lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over him and his family by the spectre of a “Woman in Black”. He engages a sceptical young actor to help him tell his terrifying story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It all begins innocently enough, but then, as they reach further into his darkest memories, they find themselves caught up in a world of eerie marshes and moaning winds …
Thursday
You don’t need to be an avid birder to appreciate Peter Fackender’s insights, gained from decades of experience in bird-watching. Photo: Supplied.
Nature Talks in the Library: Nesting Birds
When: Thursday 18 July, 6 pm
Where: Shellharbour City Library, 76 Cygnet Avenue, Shellharbour City Centre
Cost: Free, book here.
Peter Fackender has been involved in bird watching since he was a boy growing up on a dairy farm at Dapto. Following retirement, he travelled extensively throughout Australia following his passion for bird watching and has recorded at least 550 of the 850 bird species in Australia. Find out about the extraordinary efforts he has gone to to obtain better quality photographs and to eliminate risks to the birds, and gain fascinating insights from this long-time member of Illawarra Bird Observers Club (IBOC).
Let The Rivers Run Murray-Darling oil on canvas by Del Cooley. Photo: Del Cooley.
Recent Works
When: Thursday 18 to Tuesday 23 July, 10 am to 4 pm daily.
Where: Bowral Art Gallery, 1 Short Street, Bowral
Cost: Free entry.
More than three decades after sharing a special teacher/student relationship, celebrated artists Del Cooley from Bundanoon and Canberra’s Caroline Deeble will join forces for this eye-catching display of their highly sought-after works. Del’s stunning atmospheric works in acrylics and oils together with Caroline’s striking watercolours and mixed media showcase their shared vision of light, shadow and atmosphere, creating awareness of both the beauty and fragility of our environment.
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