If you work in the creative industries or are looking to start a creative business, don't miss out on information workshops hosted by the Manning Entertainment Centre.

Both workshops - 'How to start and run a creative business' and 'Creatives guide to marketing' - will run on Thursday 30 October.

Run by creative powerhouse Monica Davidson from www.creativeplusbusiness.com, these fun and friendly workshops will cover all the essentials you need to get the basics of creative business right.

Learn to avoid some of the most common pitfalls that artists can experience when entering the world of self-employment and freelancing.

The information sessions are your passport to a world where you can be creative, make money from your craft, and love your work.

To book, head to Workshops for Creatives by MidCoast Council | Eventbrite 

Our Nourish to Flourish program is coming to your local MidCoast Council Library featuring a variety of workshops and events to help you connect, care and grow. Many of the activities are completely free, so book soon!

Nourish to Flourish is all about nourishing the mind, body, soul, and environment through a series of engaging activities across the library network during October and November.  

From bird watching and sourdough baking it’s a perfect opportunity to explore something new.

“Libraries are a centre of learning and development, so it’s appropriate that our facilities host some of these diverse educational experiences for the community,” said Manager Libraries, Community and Cultural Services, Alex Mills.

“The more we know about ourselves and our environment and the more skills we develop, the more our community will thrive.”

See the complete program below. Get more details and book online at Nourish to Flourish Festival by MidCoast Council Libraries | Eventbrite or contact MidCoast Council Libraries on 7955 7001.

Feathered: Birds in Myth and Memory is a new exhibition for Manning Regional Art Gallery that offers perspectives on the importance and significance of birds, through the eyes of artists. 

It brings together artworks from talented local and regional artists alongside a selection of key works drawn from the state collection of the Art Gallery of New South Wales. 

These works are from renowned Australian artists including Brett Whiteley, Arthur Boyd, Jeffrey Smart, Sydney Long and Del Kathryn Barton.

“This is a significant exhibition of artworks valued at over $4million, easily the highest value of any exhibition ever held at Manning Regional Art Gallery,” said Alex Mills, MidCoast Council’s Manager Libraries, Community and Cultural Services.

“As the exhibition reveals, birds have long captivated artists and audiences with their dominance of the sky and association with freedom.

“Their graceful forms and enigmatic behaviours have long been seen as powerful symbols of remembrance and transformation. The fleeting presence of birds mirrors the way human memories drift between clarity and obscurity, shaping our sense of time, loss and connection.

“The curation process involved careful selection of works from invited artists together with works held by the Art Gallery of NSW, and none of the artworks have been exhibited in our region before now.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to see some remarkable works by esteemed artists, we hope you’ll get a joyous lift from this exhibition.”

• What: Feathered: Birds in Myth and Memory

• When: 26 September to 29 November 2025

• Where: Manning Regional Art Gallery, 12 Macquarie St, Taree

Presented by Manning Regional Art Gallery in partnership with the Art Gallery of NSW. Proudly funded by TLE Electrical in partnership with the Friends of the Manning Regional Art Gallery.

Manning Regional Art Gallery is a cultural service of MidCoast Council.

Technology can be hard to keep up with so MidCoast Council Libraries will host several Tech Savvy Senior sessions.

Book a free 30-minute one-on-one session with a friendly tech tutor to get all your tech questions answered.

The hands-on sessions will help you gain confidence when using the latest technology. From staying in touch with loved ones and accessing important services online to enjoying everything the digital world has to offer.

If you know someone that could use a helpful guiding hand with dealing with the online world, let them know about these sessions.

Book your spot here: https://bit.ly/4nbsZiW

The best whale watching spots along the Barrington Coast of   NSW.

With whale numbers booming in recent years, the Barrington Coast is the perfect place to watch the passing parade. Here are our top spots for whale watching: lookouts, headlands and cruises.

On land or at sea, pick any spot on this list and you'll be mesmerised by these gentle giants.

When is whale watching season in New South Wales?

Whale watching season is an annual event where whales migrate north to give birth to calves in warmer waters. We start seeing whales as they head north from about May to July. Whales then start returning to the rich southern feeding grounds in the Antarctic from about August to early November. The later the season, the greater chance you'll see calves heading south with their mothers... a truly beautiful sight as these marine mammals recover in numbers.

1. Cape Hawke Lookout at Forster

Just five minutes from Forster, Cape Hawke Lookout offers spectacular 360-degree views along the coast from the top of a dedicated tower, perfect for whale watching. Positioned right at the northern end of the national park, this superb lookout is worth every step of the 500m hike through regenerating littoral rainforest. Pull on your walking shoes and bring some binoculars and a camera – after approximately 420 steps you’ll reach an 8.4m tower with 360-degree views of the surrounding area.

2. Bennetts Head Lookout at Forster

Prefer an easy drive and no walking? Then drive to Bennetts Head at the end of Bennetts Head Road. This spot is easily accessible with car parking at the lookout and you can park right next to the edge.

Or if you don't mind the short walk then the famous sand dune at One Mile Beach is the next-best spot for feeling like a sea eagle watching the whales. 360-degree views can be enjoyed while listening to the gentle crash of the waves on the cliffs below.

3. One Mile Beach sand dune at Forster

One Mile Beach is located in the residential area of Forster and is extremely popular with surfers and families. The sand dune at the northern end is an incredible vantage point to spot waving fins and water spouts out to sea. If the kids get bored, bring along a boogie board for some sand dune downhill racing.

4. Booti Hill at Pacific Palms

Starting at The Ruins Campground, walk out to the stunning Seven Mile Beach and look for the signpost for the Booti Hill walking track – this climbs up the northern side of Booti Hill through twisted eucalypts. There are rest spots along the way, and a small opening with a scenic view of Seagull Point right before you enter some refreshing rainforest. Eventually the track emerges onto the ridge above Lindemans Cove and joins a fire trail that leads to a small clearing. Go straight ahead for Elizabeth Beach and a terrific opportunity for an ocean dip, otherwise get the binoculars out and start looking for those flapping fins! There are also tables and a barbecue just 100m along the trail, so don’t forget your picnic.

5. Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse at Seal Rocks

Sugarloaf Point Lighthouse stands on a dramatic headland east of Seal Rocks village. Sugarloaf Point is a top spot for watching whales as they migrate on their journey along the coast. There’s a dedicated grassy lookout point behind one of the cottages, with chairs to relax and take in the view. Or climb all the way to the top of the point and observe out over the cliffs below from the lighthouse itself.

6. Yacaaba Headland at Hawks Nest

Yacaaba Headland offers spectacular views. The final section of the walk to the top is very steep and unformed, its more suitable for experienced walkers. There is no formal lookout but the top is marked by an old trigonometrical survey point. The walking track begins from Bennetts Beach (also called Hawks Nest Beach) and the initial section is a well-formed path, winding its way through a tall open forest. You'll walk 6 km in total and ascend 228 metres above the glittering waters of the Pacific Ocean and Port Stephens. Allow three hours for a return journey.

7. Tuncurry Beach viewing platform

Accessed from the most northern beach access track from the Tuncurry Rock Pool carpark, this small platform is a relaxing place to soak up the vastness of Nine Mile Beach while watching the passing whales and playful dolphins.

8. Black Head viewing platform

This is one of the best purpose-built vantage points along the Barrington Coast. The Black Head viewing platform is solid timber and stands 4 metres tall to ensure the protection of its littoral rainforest surrounds. Access the platform via the walking trail through the forest on the headland reserve at the end of Main Street, just behind the Black Head Surf Life Saving Club.

9. Crowdy Head Lighthouse

The panoramic views at historic Crowdy Head Lighthouse are breathtaking. Looking north you can see beyond Diamond Head and the Three Brothers mountains. To the south you can see as far as Seal Rocks. This is a great spot for whale watching as Crowdy Head has a great easterly position and you can drive right up to the carpark next to the reserve.

10. Diamond Head Loop Track

At the northern boundary of the Barrington Coast you'll find Diamond Head Loop Track. This option combines the best of bushland hiking and spectacular coastal views to make it the perfect vantage point for whale watching.

If you're searching for Migaloo swimming past our coastline, this 4.3 km track combined with Diamond Head Campground as a base, is the way to go.

MidCoast Council is assessing the health of the koala population within the Bootawa Dam area with key research partners including the Koala Health Hub at the School of Veterinary Science of The University of Sydney.

Starting this spring, qualified wildlife handlers will catch, collar and tag koalas in a bid to understand the following points;

• The level of disease within the population and the health status of individual koalas.

• The role of habitat features such as water availability on koala health and habitat use.

• Whether the population breeding at a self-sustaining rate.

• Whether the hardwood plantings are utilised.

• The impacts of lantana on koala health and habitat use.

Koalas will undergo a full health assessment before release and healthy adult koalas will be considered for a tracking collar.

The collars used will be custom fitted to each individual animal and provides GPS and radio tracking options. This study is designed in line with the NSW Koala Strategy Sentinel Program and follows all current wildlife research and ethics guidelines.

The collars are designed with a breakaway mechanism to ensure they will release if the animal becomes entangled and sends alerts if unusual or no activity is registered. All alerts will trigger a welfare check within 24 hours. Koalas will be checked daily via GPS and visually at least once a month.

You may see koalas marked in blue using stock mark paint which is water soluble and non-toxic. This helps prevent accidental recapture during the field work.

We are confident that this research will guide an evidence-based management plan for the koalas at Bootawa Dam while addressing community concern.

Barrington Coast, MidCoast Council’s destination brand was one of only three destinations in Australia to make the Top 100 Green Destinations list.

The Green Destinations Top 100 Stories is an annual competition that collects and celebrates initiatives from destinations globally, inspiring responsible tourism leadership.

The competition celebrates destinations leading the way in sustainable tourism and leadership and recognises innovative sustainable measures for both community and visitors.

Our story - Barrington Coast: The place where the leaves touch the waters, from the mountains to the sea focuses on Council’s Destination Management Plan. This recognises the intrinsic values of our region’s natural and cultural assets and management of visitor numbers.

MidCoast Council Mayor Claire Pontin said this recognition was a clear sign MidCoast Council was on the right path with its Destination Management Plan.

“As we work towards obtaining our ECO Destination Certification with EcoTourism Australia, the Green Destinations Top 100 list spotlights our progress towards a more sustainable tourism industry, while creating more attractive experiences for locals and visitors,” she said.

“I encourage everyone to have a look at the Barrington Coast story which outlines our aims, goals and directions to make our region on of the best green destinations in the world.”

The opportunity to enter the Top 100 was made possible through a partnership with MidCoast Council and Ecotourism Australia, as part of the ECO Destination Certification program.

The successful Top 100 destinations were announced on 15 October 2024, with the official ceremony to take place in Chile, South America at the Green Destinations 2024 Conference.

Check out the Barrington Coast Story here: https://lnkd.in/gqGx3yVS.

Our local waterways are highly valued for recreation, fishing and enjoying nature. Last weekend MidCoast Council celebrated the release of its annual Waterway and Catchment Report Card.

Water sampling is undertaken across our six major catchments to check in on their health and allow us to greater understand the patterns, trends and cycles of our waterways.

“Each year between October and April we work with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water to undertake monitoring in our waterways. We assess the changes to algae growth and water clarity at 21 sites, and the results are presented as a Report Card with scores from A-F.” said Manager Natural Systems, Gerard Tuckerman.

The results of the Report Card are significantly influenced by what we do in our catchments, as land use, urbanisation, agriculture, and industrial practices all interact with natural water systems. They can also be heavily influenced by weather patterns as has been seen over the last 6 years with periods of drought, bushfire and flooding.

“The results of the 2025 Report Card continue to be influenced by the amount of runoff from the catchment. During the 2025 sampling season, rainfall was slightly below average. However, rainfall in January 2025 was two times higher than the long-term average which impacted the results.” Said Dr Rebecca Swanson from the Department Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

In 2025 three sites including Browns Creek, Mid Wallamba Estuary and Wallamba Cove had improved ecological health when compared to last year's results.

The remaining 17 sites maintained the same results as last year; these results were mainly driven by reduced algal levels due to shorter residence times which is common in periods of rainfall.

No sites saw a reduction in their grade during 2025.

Sampling for the 2025 report card had already concluded prior to the May 2025 flood event, so is not included in the results. However, how our waterways react following floods was a key feature of the document. Following the 2021-2022 floods scientific research has been undertaken in our waterways, particularly the Manning River with a number of studies and their findings included in the document.

This year Council released the results at a special event on the banks of the Manning River. Attendees got the opportunity to see the results of these studies, and how they information will be utilised to inform long-term management of our waterways.

Scientists from the Fruition Environmental and DCCEEW were in attendance to talk about their cutting-edge research on the Manning River, exploring how riparian vegetation and bank assessments can help build flood resilience.

Our community also pitched in to help plant trees and riparian vegetation in the heavily flood damaged Manning Waters Reserve. Helping to regenerate the area and improve both the biodiversity and amenity of the reserve.

"It was great to see so many people join us on to learn more about the way that science supports catchment management and protects our environment." Said Mr Tuckerman.

“These results are also a reminder of the importance of setting strategic priorities for our waterways and manage them in a way that protects their environmental, social, cultural and economic values for the future and builds their resilience.” 

Recognising this Council is currently in the process of implementing the Manning River Coastal Management Program as well as developing a number of similar Coastal Management Programs which will set the direction for the future of our estuaries outlining actions required to protect our estuaries and coast.

These management programs will help maintain and improve water quality and estuary health as well as support our communities economic, social and cultural values.

For more information about the Southern Estuaries Coastal Management Plan, visit https://haveyoursay.midcoast.nsw.gov.au/oursouthernestuaries.

More information about the Waterways and Catchment Report Card can be found at midcoast.nsw.gov.au/reportcard.

The Report Card is supported by the New South Wales Government through its Coast and Estuary Program and Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.