Ballina Information Blog

It’s been a great week for surfing, highlighted by the excellent conditions for last weekend’s Gromfest at Lennox Head.
The Gromfest sure packs them in — almost 350 groms were entered, and by the time you add on their parents and siblings, that’s a lot of extra people in the district.
The contest is a great boon […]

NSW Fishing Monthly editor Tony Zann reports on the local fishing scene …
Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says there are improved numbers of bream moving around the beaches, headlands and working their way into the rivers with fish to 1.4kg starting to show.
Blackfish are coming on well with bag limits starting to show at […]

Southern Cross University researchers have again confirmed the steady growth of the humpback whale population, with close to record numbers of whales counted during the annual Cape Byron Whale Research Project.
The annual survey, held over 12 days, was conducted by Southern Cross University’s Whale Research Centre in collaboration with NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, […]

Northern Rivers Junior Rugby League’s Brian Rix, left, is pictured presenting Westlawn Finance Ballina manager Bill Wilson with a Northern Rivers JRL polo shirt.
“Westlawn have been a sponsor of the Northern Rivers JRL since its inception three years ago, along with Kwik Insulation, Tweed Heads, and David R Clarke Real Estate, Ballina,” Rix said.
The partnerships […]

Following the success of the trial earlier this year, another ‘Healthy Parents/Happy Kids Program’ will be held in Evans Head from today.
The North Coast Area Health Service says the six-week, yoga-based program is aimed at boosting the health of parents and improving their ability to care for 0-12 year old children.
The weekly sessions will be […]

A co-operative baiting program to reduce the threat foxes pose to the threatened Pied Oystercatchers is set to begin along coastal land from Ballina to Evans Head, the NSW Environment Department said.
The department says baiting is conducted annually by the Rural Lands Protection Board, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), the Department of Lands, […]

NSW Fishing Monthly editor Tony Zann reports on the local fishing scene …
Bruce at Dave’s Bait Shop says there are still good numbers of nice jewfish around the walls and along the Town Reach. They’re biting on Halco hard lures, soft plastics and live bait, with some fish of 15-20kg, and there are smaller school […]

All eyes on the local surf scene this weekend focus on Lennox Head, where the annual Rusty Gromfest will be held.
And it’s good news for the 350 competitors, with a solid south-east swell to 1.5m today.
The forecast is that the swell will hold over the weekend, decreasing for the final days of the competition early […]

The efforts of the Sylvia Smith Singers, a group which entertains retirement home residents, have been rewarded with a $3000 grant to purchase a portable piano.
Member for Ballina Don Page said: “The Sylvia Smith Singers have been entertaining the region’s retirement home residents with their enjoyable performances for 23 years.
“Many of the retirement homes do […]