🌄 No Bluff News #11: rare aurora lights up the region, Albany makes WACA Grand Final & live music everywhere

G'day {{first_name | Friend}}. Hope you had a wonderful Australia Day! Here's edition 11 of No Bluff News – your weekly wrap of positive local news, weekend plans, and all the community highlights you actually care about.

Here's what we have for you today:

Time to get stuck in!

Locals across Albany, Torbay and Mount Barker looked up Tuesday night to see pink, red and green dancing across the southern sky. The aurora australis was bright enough to see with the naked eye, not just through long-exposure cameras.

Keen aurora photographer Ruth Tinley was holidaying at Camp Kennedy in Torbay and reckons the southerly view brought out green tones you don't usually get from Williams, where she's based. Mount Barker's Courtnee Brown called her sighting stunning. "You could see it without the camera," she says.

Albany's cricket team battled through to the CSBP Senior Men's Country Week Grand Final, playing on the iconic WACA Ground turf against WA's best regional sides. The team went down to Busselton Margaret River in Friday's decider (206 to 164), but reaching the final in a tournament that draws the state's strongest country cricketers is a solid result.

Upper Great Southern also represented the region in A-section, while teams travelled from as far as East Pilbara to compete. Country Week is the pinnacle event for regional cricket in WA, with months of preparation going into each campaign.

Albany's Tyler Wallrodt finished third in the world in both the under-18 and under-21 divisions at the 2025 World Junior Windsurfing Wave Championships in Geraldton. The 17-year-old held his own against elite international competitors across the January 10-18 event.

Wallrodt impressed judges with massive forward loops, powerful jumps and smooth wave riding at Geraldton's famous Spot X. He reckons competing against the best in the world his age and still finishing third is "pretty unreal."

Next up is the Severne Margaret River Wave Classic from 31 January to 8 February, then the world grand final in Chile this November.

Walpole locals have raised $15,000 of a $30,000 GoFundMe target to back 80-year-old Michael Filby, who's spent 20 years voluntarily keeping a 200-kilometre stretch of South Coast Highway clean. Local hairdresser Jo Lane set up the page after hearing Filby paid $4,000 out of his own pocket for car repairs.

Donations will cover fuel, safety gear and volunteer training. Filby's largely self-funded the work aside from a $2,000 annual shire stipend.

Respiratory Care WA brought specialist children's respiratory care to Albany on 22-23 January, with free lung function testing and fully bulk-billed consultations led by paediatric specialist Dr James Gibbons. The pop-up clinic helped families avoid travel to Perth and cut wait times.

Two more Albany clinics are planned for later this year. Families need a GP referral to book.

The Shire of Plantagenet's annual report shows debt dropped from $1.26 million to $878,000 while landing $5.2 million in grants and contributions. That grant haul is up from $3.97 million three years ago.

The report shows an $11.9 million loss on paper, but most of that ($16.5 million) is depreciation. Council also put $3.26 million into maintaining the region's 1,300 kilometres of roads.

The Central Great Southern Early Years Partnership Dental Health Project won best practice in health and wellbeing at the 2025 Institute of Public Administration WA achievement awards on 12 December. The outreach program provides dental screening and treatment to kids under four across regional towns.

Since September 2024, more than 500 children have been treated, with over 80 receiving surgery at the new paediatric dental clinic at Katanning Health Service instead of travelling to Perth.

Phil Tunstall is transforming a derelict Mount Barker primary school and its 13 acres into a botanical garden, with about 936 species already planted across planned themed gardens. Murals on the old school walls set each garden's theme, including a 3D piece from Spain that dictated subtropical plantings in the foreground.

Tunstall reckons the garden will look really good in about two years and hopes to open it to the public as the work continues.

Wildcats Basketball Visit: players and former Olympians visiting for youth clinics, talks and community dinners | Gnowangerup, Ongerup & Borden | Thursday, 29 Jan

Eclipse Events Summer Market: Summer market showcasing local stalls and food vans, 9am–2pm | Albany Town Square | Saturday, 31 Jan

Come Try Tennis: Beginner tennis for 5–8 year-olds with Nelson from Albany Tennis Academy (rackets available), $5, 9:30am | ALAC | Wednesday, 28 Jan

Wendy Rudge Author Event: Free storytime sharing Ruby's 'get down low and go, go, go' fire-safety message, 10:30am | Albany Public Library | Thursday, 29 Jan

Seeds, Seeds, Seeds: Seed craft workshop for ages 6+, bookings essential, limited places, 10:30–11:30am | Denmark Public Library | Thursday, 29 Jan

Super 8s Cricket Competition: Fast, fun 14-overs-a-side comp under lights with cash prizes, evenings from 30 Jan | Albany & Districts Cricket Association | Friday, 30 Jan

Family Circus Exploration: hula hoops, juggling, poi, slackline and handstand play, $45 per participant, 9:30–11:30am | Albany Historic Whaling Station | Saturday, 31 Jan

EPIC SPLASH FUN DAY: community splash day for kids 5+ with water wars, slip 'n' slide, games, prizes and sausage sizzle, 11am–1pm | Albany PCYC Centre | Saturday, 31 Jan

Where is the Green Sheep?: Immersive puppet and animation show for young audiences, 11am and 4pm | Albany Entertainment Centre | Tuesday, 03 Feb

Creative Coding Club: Eight-week hands-on coding program for 9–11-year-olds building a shareable digital game, 4–5pm | Albany Public Library | Tuesday, 03 Feb

Albany Pride Festival Launch: End-of-month drinks turned launch party to meet sponsors and enjoy light canapés, 5:30pm | The Premier Hotel | Friday, 30 Jan

Playlunch Sex Ed Regional Tour: Melbourne bogan-funk favourites bring their nostalgia-packed Sex Ed show, 7:30pm | Albany Town Hall | Saturday, 31 Jan

Learn to Skate: Adult 4-week beginners course, free gear hire, 1–2pm | ALAC | Sundays, 01 Feb–22 Feb & 08 Mar–29 Mar

Open Mic: First open mic night at Wilson's Brewery for music, poetry and more, 5–8pm | Wilson's Brewery | Thursday, 29 Jan

Rockcliffe Summer Music Series presents Dave Rastrix & Friends: funk, reggae, soul and danceable originals, 5:30–8:30pm | Rockcliffe Winery | Friday, 30 Jan

Something Else: Piano and bass duo Steve Dougherty & Caleb Drage featuring jazz standards, blues and reworked originals, 5–8pm | Wilson's Brewery | Friday, 30 Jan

LIVE AT THE EARL - Matt Black & The Two Timers: Live rock from the three-piece Matt Black & The Two Timers, 6–9pm | The Earl of Spencer Historic Inn | Friday, 30 Jan

Mister Sister: Live funky blues-rock and soul from Perth, 4pm | Wilson Brewery Bar | Saturday, 31 Jan

Jazztrix play Hendrix: Jazztrix rework Jimi Hendrix songs into swing, Latin, waltz and ballad jazz arrangements, 7pm | Spectrum Theatre | Saturday, 31 Jan

RNB SOUL TRAIN: Local Albany duo showcasing soulful originals and acoustic RnB covers in a relaxed afternoon setting, 2–5pm | Karribank | Sunday, 01 Feb

Live at the Earl: Terry Mack: Terry Mack hits the Earl for a live set, 4pm | Earl of Spencer Historic Inn | Sunday, 01 Feb

Art Exhibition Opening Night - Jeannie Orr Smith "Aqua Reflections": seascape collection, meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments, 5pm | Denmark Arts | Fri, 30 Jan

Rob Carlton - VIRGIN IN A KNIFE FIGHT: four true tales of chaos, courage and accidental heroism, 7:30pm | Albany Entertainment Centre | Saturday, 31 Jan

Learn to Surf Sessions: Beginner lessons with Due South Surfing Academy for ages 10–17, $25 per person, 7:30–9:30am & 10am–12pm | Muttonbird Beach | Thursday, 29 Jan

Merrifield Real Estate A Grade – Rd 12 (Friday, 30 Jan)

Merrifield Real Estate A Grade – Rd 13 (Saturday, 31 Jan)

Bendigo Bank Shield – Rd 15 (Saturday, 31 Jan)

Bibbulmun Track Foundation Welcomes New CEO: Su-Mita Hill brings a lifelong love of the Track (completed in 2019) and will boost community education and citizen science.

Mt Barker Community Centre Space Offered for Two-Year Lease: the Community Centre is being offered to AtWork Australia. Written submissions due by 12 February.

CBD Architects: New Middleton Loop studio with in-house interior design selection space so clients can view samples without a trip to Perth | Albany | Moved in January

2026 Albany Bicentenary Tournament: ALAC now has 16 courts marked and will host the Bicentenary tournament with $20,000+ in prize money | Albany | 28 Feb to 1 Mar

Boston Brewing Co Artisan Markets: Calling artisans, makers, growers and food producers to book a stall for a Taste Great Southern market | Denmark | Sat 7 March

Social media & content officer: creating social content to share council projects, official updates, local wins, and keep the community connected | Shire of Kojonup | Kojonup

Front of house manager: supervise and train FOH staff, manage rosters, POS and online orders, control stock and deliver standout experiences | Ocean and Paddock | Albany

Market coordinator: manage the Albany Farmers Market's day-to-day operations and supporting the committee (part-time contract) | Albany Farmers Market | Albany

5 St Georges Crescent, Goode Beach: 3-bed, 1-bath on 776m². 1970s beach shack, private track to the sand, northerly aspect and protected ocean views | Mid $1,000,000s

27 Drew Street, Mira Mar: 2-bed, 2-bath on 1,518m². Large block with bore and subdivision potential, minutes to Lake Seppings and Middleton Beach | Above $800,000

11 Carlton Street, Woodanilling: 2-bed, 1-bath on 3,245m². Built 2008 with open-plan living and cosy tile fire, wraparound verandah. 3 open car spaces | $385,000

⛵ Sicarius wins stormy harbour race

Mark McRae's Sicarius took out Saturday's Princess Royal Sailing Club harbour race in blustery 22-knot southerlies with gusts to 25 knots. Only four yachts competed in the mixed keel boats race, with the Flying Fifteen fleet sitting it out.

Richard Hodgson's Escapade came second, while Brett Hawker's Jessie James grabbed third and recorded the fastest time. Racing resumes 31 January.

And that's a wrap!

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Catch you next Tuesday!