Locals Do It Better Newsletter | 034 |
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And just like that, after a hiatus of 2.5 years, I Love Kurri Kurri's Locals Do It Better newsletter is back* baby! *it may be a one-off, but how much fun to be back in your inboxes today, I hope to get back in the swing of it to hopefully make it a semi-regular thing! |
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Please note: because it has been a hot minute, this is a pretty long read, so it may get cut off before the end on your email so please click the red button below to view the entire newsletter on your web browser - thank you! |
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Well, what a glow up our small and mighty town has had in that time! My new favourite past time is stretching the legs and soaking up the glorious autumn sunshine (when it decides to turn it on) and take a leisurely stroll through Col Brown Rotary Park. What a triumph the beautification of the park has had on the town. The perfect oasis for groups to meet (shout out to the Kurri Mongrels who I spy there every Tuesday morning), day care excursions, a mandatory place to enjoy a pie from Kurri Kurri Hot Bread (there is quite often a busker out the front who makes for a great soundtrack for those in the park and how clever is he as KK Hot Bread is one of the last places on the planet that has no Eftpos so the majority of clientele leaving would have some spare change to lovingly chuck into his guitar case…genius!! The poor dude out the front of Coles probably doesn't have as much luck!) Anyhoo, I am loving my daily ritual and please come and say g'day if you see me beavering around the park! |
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The message that became the catalyst behind the comeback |
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I had been toying with the idea of bringing back the newsletter, but over the last couple of weeks I have had multiple local legends encouraging me to bring it back, but it was this message above from Leah that ultimately lit the fire to dip my toe into the water again to share the stories that Kurri cares about. Thank you Leah from Blue Leaf Cafe at Abermain Hotel for giving me the nudge that I needed to get back on the (pit) horse. Read to the end to learn more about the awesome events Blue Leaf Cafe will be hosting in June! And what about the legend Antonio Barber's Shop being on-site at the Abermain Hotel for walk-ins on Thursday 9-6,Friday 9-6 & Saturday 8-12. Eftpos or Cash accepted. A barber shop with beer…that is what cut and fade dreams are made of! And whilst we are fan-girling over the Abermain Hotel, have a go at the bougie Ladies powder room, isn't she divine! |
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Thanks to the legendary Jade at the Abermain Hotel for always being the host with the most and for bringing this beauty back to life after the devastating fire earlier this year! We had a gorgeous day to sample a lovely Lovedale Rose ( 3 Fat Cows) a couple of weeks ago in their stunning beer garden…the perfect place to host an event or simply enjoy a Sunday sesh like we did! |
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Speaking of glow ups… what about the incredible makeover at The Chelly! Congratulations to my beloved Lang St neighbouroonies, Jason and Mel for having the vision to transform The Chelly into an all-day bistro by adding The Hilltop Cafe (we love this name!) to its food offering, serving up deloi brekkie and coffee from 7:30am as well as cafe classics. The legendary chefs Steve and Brian are also continuing to serve up the BEST pub meals for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. The sensational transformation of the function area/band room is also a triumph, we are truly loving this makeover! The pivot has been embraced wholeheartedly by the community and it is such a joy to see so many loyal regulars grasping their coffee cups lovingly as they walk past my office every morning. |
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No one does ANZAC Day better than Kurri A belated shout out to the legends at Towns With Heart and the dedicated volunteers who delivered the breathtaking ANZAC Day tributes - River Of Poppies and Field Of Honour that made our town so proud |
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My shop neighbour, Steve sent me a photo of Col Brown Rotary Park lit up in preparation of the Dawn Service which prompted me to share the striking image on ILKK social media ANZAC Day eve which elicited such an overwhelmingly proud response. The Dawn Service gets me every time, the park was filled with so many generations of families respectfully honouring those who served for our country. We headed to The Chelly a couple of hours after the Dawn Service and propped ourselves next to the Kurri Rotary van who were run off their feet serving the community their iconic bacon & egg and sausage & onion rolls from 6:30am with proceeds going to the Kurri RSL Sub Branch, It's my favourite time of year hanging out with these legends and reflecting on the selfless service they give to the community. I'm looking forward to being a guest at their Changeover at Kurri Kurri Golf Club on June 18 to welcome in the new incoming board and to celebrate their achievements for the 2023-2024 year. Check out these superstars below - Team Rotary and students from Kurri High School who proudly (they were so very proud, it was super adorable to see their smiling faces!) represented the school in the ANZAC Day March accompanied by our favourite Megan from Rotary who did a quick change out of her cooking apron to reveal this gorgeous ensemble to walk in the march. |
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Random musings… We truly have the greatest pubs in regional NSW We have loved spending time over the last couple of months at Abermain Hotel soaking up the sun in their glorious beer garden, the Abermain Bowling Club has your “cozzie livs” woes sorted with an epic Buy 1 Get One Free lunch special, the almighty Neath with their hectic and hugely popular food challenges with a mouth watering Mexican feast coming soon, The Crio where we devoured lovely cheeseburgers in their fabulous beer garden as well as experiencing a fun Sunday sesh in the aforementioned beer garden at their open mic event…so much fun frolicking to joyous live music in the sunshine, stepping into Qirkz is always a reminder of how lucky we are to have such a unique and vibrant live music venue in our neighbourhood (they are also doing brekkie/boozy brunch Wed - Sun - get amongst it, the sauso rolls are a winner), and there appears to be movement at The Station with the new owners finding their feet (we will always have a soft spot for The Station, staying there to see a show at Bimbadgen in 2016 is one of the main reasons for us moving to the area) and of course we are obsessed with our neighbours at The Chelly/The Hilltop Cafe transformation and the all day dining situ, something the town desperately needed. Having the option to sample traditional pub food as well as cafe classics is such a winning combination. We love supporting these iconic pubs that are the heart and soul of our community. New kid on the block It has been so wonderful seeing my Lang St neighbour, ray of sunshine Lisa from Osborn Real Estate making her mark in the town. It's so good seeing their unmissable green Volkswagen Beetle and For Sale signs dotted around the town and I do a little cheer when I see the SOLD stickers added to them. We are rooting for you at I Love KK and we are loving seeing your success so far! Go on…Give me the goss Who has the skinny on what is happening with the eyesore that was the Workers Club (I spied a For Sale/Lease sign there but it has promptly fallen down …LOL), it looks like something is brewing at the former Happi Chicken site - can't wait for that reveal, what about when Woolies will be taking over Kingsway Plaza (can not wait for this to eventuate, even though I'm a loyal Coles gal, it's always lush to have options, it hasn't been the same since IGA closed), I believe there is a Kurri Curry event at my fave Col Brown Rotary Park on the horizon, please make it be true, who can tell me more? I will be there sampling everything! What about what is happening with the time capsule in Col Brown Rotary Park (it's been 50 years since it was placed there in 1974 and is meant to be unveiled in 2024!! P.S. Yay to all the 1974 babies turning 50 this year!!) or any news on the upcoming council election in September? Do we want to hear more from our Ward D candidates? Speaking of Curry delights in Kurri Can someone PLEASE bring this heavenly kebab to Kurri - it is literally a Curry Kebab! It is a piece of boneless tandoori chicken tikka, 1 piece of Aloo Choops/Veg Pakora on plain or garlic naan bread with either mild butter chicken gravy, medium chicken curry gravy, or hot beef vindaloo gravy. YUUUUUUUUM!! This used to be my after pub staple when I lived in Neutral Bay across the road from The Oaks…I'm looking at you Kurri Curry Kebabs or the Crio's new neighbours, KJ Kebabs that I have been hearing great things about, to bring this heavenly creation to life, you will have me as a loyal customer for life! Even Time Out Sydney rave about them here! Let's make our town famous for these succulent treats that (drunken) dreams are made of! Droolworthy image below courtesy of Time Out Sydney (actually it tastes so much better than it looks!) |
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Goodness this incredible charity, Hunter Food Relief represents everything I love about our community. Their mission, is to prepare and distribute food to those who are doing it tough, no matter their backstory. They aim to feed the hungry and ensure our community is at its best by providing great quality re-heatable, take away meals to the homeless, elderly and those in need around the Hunter Region. If you are free to attend their AGM on Tuesday (May 28 from 6:30pm) at Weston Workers Club, they are on the hunt for Board Members, Volunteers, Donations - in whatever capacity you're able to give - they would love to hear from you ( info@hunterfoodreliefcentre.org.au) or they would love to see you there! Chuck them a follow on Facebook, the work they are doing in the community changes lives and I love how they are introducing youngsters into the vital work they are doing for the community…the future is bright ( read more about it here). |
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They don't wear capes but they are our town's Hometown Heroes |
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A very special thank you and so much gratitude to St Paul's Anglican Church of Kurri for their donation to assist and support students and their families that are doing it tough. Nellie, my neighbour shared this news on her Facebook page and she is the proud daughter of Marg Brown in the photo, a really good person doing great things for our community. |
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Life has been so challenging and pretty damn tough for so many people in our amazing community, so I felt it was time to revisit the town's favourite local legend, Paul Hughes' words of wisdom that he authentically lives by and I have this screenshot on my phone and check back on it often. |
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If you are feeling a bit wobbly, I hope you know that this community has their arms wrapped tightly around you and there is a guide below for where you can access essentials throughout the week. |
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MUST TRY: Truly, take a stroll in the revamped Col Brown Rotary Park - it's free and you won't regret it! It's my new happy place on our doorstep especially when the sun is shining! I'm a nanna and go to bed ridiculously early, but apparently it looks an absolute treat lit up at night (please send me pics to hi@ilovekurrikurri.com.au if you capture shots of the park in all its lit up glory!) MUST DO: Give The Chelly's new all day menu a whirl, the hordes of peeps making their way in that direction can't be wrong! I'm a pub grub gal, but my friend is a cafe & cake girlie, so it is a match made in heaven for our catch ups! |
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REELS WORKSHOP at Blue Leaf Cafe at Abermain Hotel Thursday June 6 from 10am - 1pm I am LOVING these informative and entertaining events Leah from Blue Leaf Cafe at Abermain Hotel is hosting for the community and this Reels Workshop will be a beauty! Learning over lunch sounds like heaven to me! Starting a new business? Taking your established business to a new level? Want to elevate your social media presence? Blue Leaf Cafe at Abermain Hotel is hosting a ‘hands on’ REELS WORKSHOP, talking all things content creation, strategy, planning and even time to practise creating your own and question time! Welcoming Tash Miller from SheLeads Creative Agency. Come by yourself or get the team together for a fun learning experience Invest in yourself & your business! Link to buy tickets here (booking fee applies), or call Blue Leaf Cafe to purchase over the phone (0400 038 850) |
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Thanks so much for having me back into your inboxes and for reading the return of the newsletter, it means the world to me! Until next time, here's to living life better…locally! |
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PS: Shout out to my darling Mum (who I know will probs be the only person reading this far)… she had a wee tumble and now has a broken wrist and is miserable as it will be 3 months recovery and 6 weeks rehab. She is the most positive and resilient person on the planet so I hope this landing in her inbox cheers her up a little bit. Love you Mum xoxo
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