🌄 No Bluff News #48

G'day {{first_name | Friend}}! We're back with edition 48 of No Bluff News. Summer plans are starting to take shape, with a festival headliner announced, The Chats on their way to the Town Hall and live music across the region this weekend.

Today's highlights:

Time to jump in!

Middies named Skegss as its 2027 headliner on Friday. The Byron Bay band's album Rehearsal went to number one in Australia, and their song Up in the Clouds is double platinum.

Three locals started Middies to fill the gap left when the Wignalls music festival ended in 2020, after 24 years. Hundreds turned out under stormy skies for the first one in February.

Year two is Saturday 27 February, with Adelaide's George Alice, Surf Trash and Birdland also on the bill. Tickets are on sale now.

Denmark councillors approved a lease for the Ocean Beach kiosk on 29 September. The Gin Lao food truck team wants it open as Ocean Beach Cafe by the summer holidays.

The kiosk next to the surf club has never opened, and a tender last year drew no one. The new tenants went for it after an email wrongly said it was for sale. A week later, they were in the Shire CEO's office.

There isn't enough power for a full coffee machine, so they'll do things a little differently, with Great Southern produce and their own Asian-inspired flavours.

Albany's Chamber of Commerce named its finalists on Friday for the 30th Great Southern Business Awards, picked from more than 150 entries.

Rustlers, Mrs Jones in Denmark and Katanning Firewood Services are on the list. Denmark Chocolate Company, Great Southern Seafoods and The Gardens at Bullimah are each up for three awards.

Five of the tourism finalists, including the Whaling Station, are also up for the WA Tourism Awards. The local winners are named at Retravision Stadium on Friday 6 November, and tickets are on sale now.

Paranormal crew Afterlife Party released the last of nine YouTube episodes from their Camp Quaranup lockdown on 4 October. The old quarantine station is better known these days for school camps.

They reckon they recorded a woman's voice saying "You shouldn't be here", and two of the crew lost their breath in the old second-class men's bathroom. Watch the trailer and decide for yourself.

Kojonup duo Old Mervs released their second album, Carparks, on 2 October. Their first went to number one in Australia, and they'll finish this year with 85 shows across Australia, the US and the UK.

Back home, Dave House and Henry Carrington-Jones still do the fencing, seeding and sheep work. "Kojonup is a fair chunk of who we are," Dave says.

Denmark councillors voted on 29 September to ask for a Turner Road design that keeps five mature karri. The biggest is 41m tall and an estimated 180 to 240 years old.

Ten of the 12 people who spoke at the meeting were there for Turner Road. The new design comes back to council after officers work through it with Main Roads.

Damien Boyle won a record 27th Open shearing title at the Perth Royal Show late last month. He first entered as an under-15 in 1996.

He grows wool for a living, and calls shearing "my sport I do on the weekends, basically". His advice for anyone starting out: "You just got to shear exactly what's right in front of you."

Andrew Sherry, a former New Zealand executive chef who has cooked for the All Blacks, started serving free vegetarian dinners outside the Women's Rest Centre on York Street on Friday 2 October.

On the first night, he cooked enough for 100 plates for anyone doing it tough, and paid for it himself. "We're there and will be there every week," he says.

Cruise Ship Markets: Stalls for the Crown Princess, the first of 13 cruise ships due this season, from 9am | Eclipse Events | Friday, 16 Oct

Ajahn Brahm: One of the world's best-known Buddhist teachers visits Albany and Denmark | Buddhist Society of WA | Friday, 16 and Sunday, 18 Oct

Albany Farmers Market: Produce straight from the growers, coffee and live music, 8am–12pm | Collie Street, Albany | Saturday, 17 Oct

Scout Hall Markets: A morning of community stalls, 8am–12pm | Denmark Scout Hall | Saturday, 17 Oct

Albany Boatshed Markets: Local growers, cooking demos and Great Southern wine by the water, 9am–1pm | Albany Boatshed | Sunday, 18 Oct

All-girls Cricket Blast: A free pop-up session for girls, with limited spots, 3:15–4pm | McLean Oval, Denmark | Thursday, 15 Oct

Wine Show of WA trophy dinner: See who takes WA's top wine trophies, with the winning wines poured over dinner, 6pm, $220 | Retravision Stadium | Friday, 16 Oct

Alma and Ross: Alma Limondin-Dwyer, Gaston and Ross Dwyer play the cellar door, 5:30–7:30pm. Free | Rockcliffe Winery, Scotsdale | Friday, 16 Oct

Simon London + the Spirits: The reformed Albany rock band plays a home-town Oktoberfest gig, 8:30–11pm. Free | Six Degrees | Friday, 16 Oct

Brass Across the Plains: The City of Albany Band plays African grooves, with the bar open, 2pm | Stirling Club | Saturday, 17 Oct

Julia Anwar Trio and EXP: An Albany Blues Club double bill of soul blues and psychedelic blues-rock, 7:30–10:30pm, $20 | King River Tavern | Saturday, 17 Oct

Nicky C: Covers of Powderfinger, Crowded House, Missy Higgins and The Waifs over Sunday lunch, 1–4pm | Karribank, Porongurup | Sunday, 18 Oct

Frankland River Wine Festival: The town's growers pour in one place, with local food, produce to take home and live music, 12–7pm | Frankland River | Saturday, 17 Oct

Piyalbajarri: Songs and stories in a critically endangered language with 92-year-old Thiinma Elder Peter Salmon, 6:30pm, $25 | Denmark ArtsHouse | Wednesday, 14 Oct

Carmine: Works by women artists from the City of Albany's art collection, 10am–4pm. Free | Vancouver Arts Centre | From Wednesday, 14 Oct

The Great Southern in Watercolour: Self-taught artist Tony Cusack's watercolours of Albany and the region, from 10am. Free | Museum of the GS | From Thursday, 15 Oct

Let's Shine: The all-ability dance group performs two new pieces, then afternoon tea with the dancers, 1:30–3:30pm | Albany Port Theatre | Friday, 16 Oct

Wildflower and Nature Photography Exhibition: This year's local entries on the walls for ten days, from 9am | Frost Pavilion | Friday, 16 to Sunday, 25 Oct

Kikuyu control workshop: Horticulturalist Karlee Bertola on keeping kikuyu in check, then a paddock walk, 1–4pm | King River Hall | Saturday, 17 Oct

Albany basketball – Round 1: Senior summer season starts with Men's A Grade and Women's Open games, from 6pm | ALAC | Tuesday, 13 Oct

ADCA A Grade – Round 1: Albany's senior cricket season starts with three one-day games, from 12:15pm | Full fixtures and venues | Saturday, 17 Oct

Roller derby double header: Albany's last bouts of 2026, juniors first, then the Breakers v the Dread Pirate Rollers, with food vans and a bar, 5–9pm | ALAC | Saturday, 17 Oct

Anti-money laundering session: Crime Stoppers on the warning signs of financial crime, 4:30–5:30pm. Free | Hilton Garden Inn Albany | Thursday, 15 Oct

Development and Infrastructure Services committee: The City of Albany committee meets, and the public can come along, 5:30–7:30pm | City of Albany | Wednesday, 14 Oct

The Chats, the Sunshine Coast punks behind Smoko, close the Live @ the Town Hall season on Saturday 24 October. They played Coachella this year, and Albany's PACKHOaRSE are on the bill with Mannequin Death Squad, Sooks and Grand Casual. A food truck and vintage clothing market opens in the courtyard from 5pm. Tickets are $60, or $50 for concessions and groups of six or more, plus a booking fee, and it's 18+. Get your tickets.

A tribute show recreating Elton John and Billy Joel's 1998 Face to Face tour plays the Albany Entertainment Centre on Saturday 31 October. Greg Andrew plays Elton and Anthony Mara plays Billy, each with a set of hits from Rocketman to Uptown Girl and Piano Man, then duets together with a full band. It starts at 7:30pm, and tickets are $80, or $75 for concessions and groups of eight or more. Book your seats.

Nine Albany veterans tell their own stories on screen at the Albany Entertainment Centre on Thursday 12 November, the night after Remembrance Day. Their 10-minute film screens before A Tree We Grew, a WWII ballet that ends with the dancers forming the shape of a tree, and you can meet the veterans on the night. It starts at 7pm, and tickets are $50, or $40 for concessions, including veterans. Get tickets here.

Fireworks light up the first night of the 130th Albany Show at 8pm on Friday 13 November. The show runs Friday and Saturday, with the log chop, horse events, animal displays, vintage machinery, rides, and the cooking, craft and decorated cake judging. The sheep dog trials follow on Sunday at the Eastern Pavilion. Entry is $20. Buy show tickets.

Seven eras of Great Southern history each get a dish and a matching local wine at Camp Quaranup on Saturday 21 November. The menu starts with First Nations connection to Country and moves through the first ships and settlement to today's wine industry. It runs from 5:30 to 10:30pm, tickets are $240, and a return bus is $30 extra. Reserve a place.

Albany's Commonwealth Bank branch is staying open until at least 2030: The bank extended its regional branch pledge, which was due to end mid-2027. Read the story.

Small shops and cafes can get up to $2,000 back on security cameras: The State covers half the cost, from Monday 19 October. Check if you're eligible.

Paid work now counts for Denmark's Citizen of the Year: People can now be nominated for what they do in their job. Nominations close 3 Nov. Nominate someone.

You can have your say on 107 new house lots in Lockyer: Submissions on the McAlpine Rise plan close at 5pm, Thursday 5 November. Make a submission.

Albany's La Botanic is the AusMumpreneur Regional Business of the Year: Southern Aboriginal Corp.'s Asha Bhat also took gold, for Leader of the Year. See the winners.

The Earl's beer garden reopens in about two weeks with a new look: It closed to the public on Monday for a renovation. See the update.

Clinical nurse specialist, mental health older adult: about $143k plus super | WA Country Health Service | Albany

Senior livestock worker (sheep and working dogs): $100k to $110k, with housing | Quokkaroo | Mount Barker

Regional manager: $125k to $137k, leading public programs and exhibitions at the Museum of the Great Southern | WA Museum | Albany

28 Erindale Court, Yakamia: 4-bed, 2-bath on 684m². Powered 6m by 5m workshop, with potential dual access and a granny flat (STCA) | From $740,000

22A Menston Street, Mount Barker: 4-bed, 2-bath on 771m². Brand-new custom build, ready to move in, on a quiet backstreet | Offers above $690,000

5 Franklin Court, Bayonet Head: 4-bed, 2-bath on 1,138m². Views over farmland to the ocean, and a high-clearance shed for the boat or caravan | Offers above $900,000

Emu Point's Macgregor and Crosby are State over-60s pairs champions: Kevin Macgregor and Kelvin Crosby beat 106 other pairs and won the final 14-5 at Morley with an end to spare. Crosby calls it "probably my biggest win".

Holly Froehnelt's 34 goals win the Golden Boot: The Caledonians forward also took the women's Brinham Dibble Medal and Young Player of the Year at the GSSA awards night, where Caledonians celebrated both league titles.

Albany-born Bryce Jackson takes 3/36 on his Shield debut: The NSW fast bowler's first wicket against Tasmania last Thursday was their captain, Jordan Silk, caught behind for five.

And that's a wrap!

If you know someone who'd love the good stuff from the Great Southern, forward this their way or get them to sign up at noblufflocal.com.

Enjoy the live music this weekend, and if you ever heard anything odd on school camp at Quaranup, now you know you weren't the only one.

Catch you next Tuesday!