Phil and Karen Riley purchased their Milton farm two years ago and made the huge lifestyle change from city to country.

Phil had never grown a vegetable in his life until he bought Claydon Park Farm on Croobyar Road.

Now he is raising beef cattle, pigs and has planted garlic, onions and shallots that he plans to sell at the local farmer’s market.

Initially he will sell vegetables from his existing patch, but Phil hopes to soon be selling local Square Meaters beef and Berkshire pork packs as well as bacon and ham smoked on site.

He said support from local families would be crucial to the success of the new Gaia markets.

“I really hope it will be sustainable for farmers,” he said.

“A lot of people have worked hard to get the ball rolling and it’s a great thing for the community.”

ABC gardening guru Costa Georgiadis will officially open the first Gaia Farmer’s Market which will feature local produce ranging from meat, fish, eggs and oysters, to honey, fruit and vegetables, mushrooms and freshly cooked hot dishes made using local ingredients.

More than 30 producers will have stalls, along with food organisations, including Slow Food Shoalhaven, and there will be information about sustainable living, gardening and plenty of activities for the kids.

With more people adopting a healthy lifestyle and choosing to eat fresh, chemical-free produce, organiser Simi Chee believes the market will be well supported by the community.

“It’s something local families have been wanting for a long time,” she said.

“The market will not only supply fresh, locally grown food, it will support local farmers.”

Affectionately known as “the mayor of Milton”, David Johnson has been battling prostate cancer for 12 months, but he considers himself one of the lucky ones after being given a clean bill of health just days out from hosting Ulladulla’s Relay for Life event.

When he emceed the first relay at the Milton Showground, David said he was “blown away” by the brave cancer patients, family members and survivors who took to the stage and told of their journeys, their losses and their triumphs.

He never expected that one day he would be the one spreading a message of hope and stressing the importance of early detection.

During his annual health check in June last year, the 69-year-old was told he had prostate cancer.

“It was only in its early stages, so it could be treated without surgery,” he said.

“In September I had brachytherapy which involved the insertion of radiotherapy pellets into the prostate to kill the tumour from the inside.

“I had a check-up about a month ago and the doctors were happy that the treatment had worked and the cancer was pretty much eradicated.”

David said it would have been “a completely different story” if he had gone another year without a prostate exam.

“I’m a very lucky cancer person really,” he said.

David said, when he agreed to become involved with the inaugural Relay for Life in 2011, he didn’t know what to expect or how the community would respond to the event.

“I don’t think any of us knew how amazing it would be,” he said.

During that first event he and many others were overcome with emotion and were moved to tears by the community’s passion.

“Everyone was there for the same reason, with the same goal,” he said.

“I was blown away by the stories that came out of that first event.

“People made friends and felt they were not alone on their cancer journey.

“It’s was the biggest community bonding experience I have ever witnessed in our area.”

David believes every person should attend at least one Relay for Life event.

“It’s something every person in our community should experience,” he added.

“It’s one of those things that you need to be a part of to understand.

“I’m very proud to have been involved.”

Along with prevention and looking after yourself, David said talking to people and remaining positive was crucial for cancer patients.

“People sometimes bottle things up and keep living their lives determined not to let the cancer take over.

“I think it is important to talk about it and to share stories with others in a similar situation.

“It’s a really weird world that you enter as soon as you find out you have cancer, but there’s so much help and support out there – it’s incredible.”

The Relay for Life brings people together for one cause and raises funds for cancer research and community programs.

David commended the committee that worked to get the event off the ground each year.

“I take my hat off to the small but totally dedicated committee of passionate women led by Caz Boland,” he added.

A very loyal and remarkable woman, Cindy Wheatley was known as a planner and organiser, always thinking of others and this was reflected in her involvement with the Ulladulla Relay for Life where her team raised more than $13,000 for cancer research and programs.

Her death from cancer one year later rocked the community that she grew up in.

Family member Tom Law described Cindy as “encouraging and an inspiration to others”.

Cindy was born in Milton and lived in her family home in St Vincent Street Ulladulla.

She was the youngest of four siblings and attended St Marys and Ulladulla High Schools before taking up a job at Emmots department store, where Harris Scarfe is today.

Cindy and her soulmate Shorty Wheatley had known each other for a long time before he finally popped the question on Milton Show Day and the couple were married in 1995.

Tom said after the wedding, the couple lived in the old Wheatley family home at Yatte Yattah and Cindy dreamed of living in a big new home.

About six years ago the house was finished and she loved nothing better than entertaining her friends and family.

The past 20 years of Cindy’s life was a roller coaster as she battled myactnia gravis, a muscle condition, and three years ago, was diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer.

Tom said she fought hard but unselfishly and, in the midst of all her pain and suffering, she got up got out and continued to look after others.

“For Cindy it wasn’t about her it was all about others, family,” he said.

Cindy loved to cook and share what she cooked.

She loved chocolate, fishing, folk art and making things for others.

She loved her roses, had a good go at planking when it was fashionable and of course was partial to Summer Wine.

Cindy had an unbelievable great sense of humour which was straight to the point, earthy and blunt.

Tom said Cindy was a “very unique and remarkable woman, honest and loyal”.

“A perfectionist in what she did, always organised forever planning and preparing.

“Always, always doing what she said she would do,” he added.

“Encouraging and inspiring others to go that extra mile.

“Her final illness and battle for life did just that for so many.

“We as a community and as a family have been so blessed to have, known, loved and shared part of our lives with this wonderful human being.”

Ulladulla Relay for Life coordinator Caz Boland said, despite having only known Cindy for 12 months, she made an impact on her life.

“She was such a warm loving, funny, selfless person to be around,” Caz said.

“Cindy put her heart and soul into Relay For Life and I know it won’t be the same without her.  “Cindy was unanimously voted by the committee to receive the Heidi Brook award and, in true Cindy fashion, she shared her prize with her team.

“Cindy truly was one in a million and I feel so lucky to have known her.

“I am sure at this year’s Relay Cindy’s team will do her proud and be bigger than ever.

“Her infectious smile and her loving heart for everyone she meets will be so missed.”

WITH demand for food growing at nearly twice supply in recent years, aquaculture could play a vital role in addressing future global food security concerns.

Delegates at the Australasian Aquaculture Conference in Melbourne this month learned that by 2060 around 600 quadrillion calories will be needed every single day to feed the human race.

The answer to this major food security problem could be aquaculture, which may become one of the boom industries of the 21st century and potentially the world’s largest livestock sector.

More than 1000 delegates from around the world, including representatives from the University of Wollongong’s Freshwater Marine Centre at Nowra, were told that, by the second half of the century, algae culture could easily become the biggest cropping industry on Earth, producing food as well as most of the world’s transport and aviation fuels.

Doctor Pia Winberg from the marine centre said Ulladulla’s proposed ARRC aquaculture facility at the old sewage treatment plant could play a big part in feeding the world in the future.

She said some of her researchers presented their work on oysters, abalone and seaweed at the conference.

“When the ARRC gets going there will be opportunities for it to lead some ground breaking research there,” she said.

“We just need it up and running.”

While Dr Winberg has stepped back from the project, which she managed for several years, she still supports the concept and is assisting with its development.

Ulladulla ARRC chairperson Rae Gallagher said the facility aims to provide for aquaculture research and development, education, tourism and food production.

“The facility will be developed as a freshwater facility and we plan to produce yabbies in our first stage of development,” she said.

“Global demand for fish and shellfish continues to increase but the capacity of natural fisheries to meet this demand is not increasing.

“Most natural fisheries have reached a production peak or are in decline.

“This means that all future increase in production will be from aquaculture, which already provides over 30 per cent of the world’s seafood production.”

Ms Gallagher said the ARRC would create opportunities for jobs in scientific fields as well as administration, marketing, education, hospitality and tourism.

“It will offer workshops and short courses in sustainable living, sustainable gardening and sustainable cooking, as well as providing practical working skills and knowledge for the aquaculture and hospitality industry,” she said.

The facility would offer tours that showcase sustainable water use, renewable energy, environmentally sustainable building and sustainable food production as well as creating a new venue for a community garden and local produce markets.

“The park will also be closely aligned to school curriculum and provide an excellent base for school visits from within the region and potentially further afield,” Ms Gallagher added.

The ARRC committee would like to hear from anyone interested in getting involved with the project, with a Concept Development Application currently in the hands of Shoalhaven City Council.

“Don’t sit back and wait for it to happen, help make it happen,” she said.

The committee is preparing a stormwater management plan, bushfire, flora and fauna assessments, fisheries licenses and car parking plans for the site in Camden Street, to be completed by the end of June.

Ms Gallagher said the ARRC has received support in council’s draft Local Environment Plan Council to re-zone the land from Industrial to Public Recreation and Environmental Conservation which will allow greater flexibility in developing the site.

She said a “small but dedicated group of volunteers” are continuing to drive the large and complex project.

“With limited resources, continuing the work of turning this worthwhile idea into a reality is unfortunately slow.

“The group has conducted extremely successful information booths at the Milton Show and the Blessing of the Fleet, and the community has demonstrated their support by becoming paid members – we now have more than 100,” she said.

JULIE Sydenham has tinkered with the idea of entering the Archibald Prize for many years, but only recently felt she was “professionally ready” to place her work among the most distinguished portraits in the country.

While she is keeping her painting under wraps until the finalists are announced, the Milton artist described her work, depicting five different angles of a spinning Sarah Stein, wife of celebrity chef Rick Stein, as “contemporary” and “very out there”.

“There’s nothing conservative about it,” she said.

After honing her portrait skills and doing a lot of figurative work in recent years, Julie said she felt she was finally ready to take on the stiff competition which will reward the winner with $100,000.

“It’s a highly sought after prize,” she said, “and I am under no illusion that I’m going to win.

“The competition is really stiff and I’m a first time entrant, so the chances of being announced as a finalist are really slim.

“I delivered my painting last week and, comparing my work to others that were being entered on the day, I felt mine was definitely worthy of being there.

“I don’t expect to be among the 100 finalists, but if I’m chosen I will be absolutely chuffed.”

The finalists will be announced on Thursday July 9, along with the highly sought after Packing Room Prize winner, with works to be displayed at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.

A selection of works will also be chosen for the Salon des Refusés exhibition.

The Archibald Prize winner will be announced on July 17 and the People’s Choice winner on September 10.

Anyone can enter the often controversial Archibald Prize that was first awarded in 1921 and is judged by the trustees of the Art Gallery of NSW.

Entries must be a portrait painted from life, with the subject known to the artist, aware of the artist’s intention and having at least one live sitting with the artist.

Julie said she photographed London-based Sarah dancing and also held a sitting in her Milton studio.

“Sarah loved it and was really positive about it,” she said.

“I’m really happy with the end result.”

It has been a busy week for Julie, who runs the House of Jules Art Studio as well as her retail shop Splatters of Milton and is the co-ordinator of ARTfest.

Still on cloud nine following her Archibald entry, Julie was awarded Rotary’s highest honour, the Paul Harris Fellowship at Tuesday night’s Milton-Ulladulla Rotary Club dinner.

She was commended for her ongoing contribution to the local community based via her role as ARTfest co-ordinator for 11 years and involvement in many other art and cultural activities.

“I felt honoured and humbled to be presented with such a prestigious award,” Julie said.

“It felt really special to be recognised by an organisation that I am not directly involved with.

“I had an inkling something was happening when Greg (husband) told me I had to cancel my Tuesday night classes, but no idea what.”

MOLLYMOOK Surf Club members tackled the unpredictable waters off the Turkish coast when they took part in the two-day Gallipoli 100 Surfboat Challenge.

Sweep Barry Page and 10 rowers took on teams from New Zealand and Turkey in the 53 kilometre event when they represented Australia in a surfboat inscribed with the names of Milton-Ulladulla residents who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War I.

The boat race was held from Ecebat to North Beach in the lead up to the official 100th anniversary commemorative service held at Gallipoli on Anzac Day 2015.

Some of the group were selected to attend the Anzac Cove dawn service and laid a wreath on behalf of the community, while others took part in a Gallipoli landing re-enactment in the Mollymook boat on the nearby peninsula.

Rower Craig Matthews has a passionate interest in war history and the Gallipoli campaign and had always wanted to visit Anzac Cove.

“When the opportunity came up to row in Turkey around to Anzac Cove, I couldn’t pass it up,” he said.

“Rowing has been my life, I love jumping in the boat with my mates and have been involved with Mollymook Surf Life Saving since a nipper, rowing competitively for Mollymook since a junior.

“I have made many great mates and memories over the years and I was keen to add to it by this once in a lifetime experience.”

Before leaving for Turkey, Craig said he was keen to “seek an adventure like the young lads from the Milton-Ulladulla district did 100 years ago”.

“It will be a very emotional time and it’s quite hard to even explain the emotions that I’ve had so far, trying to imagine what those young men went through all those years ago,” he said.

Craig’s great uncle Eric Millard fought in France on the Western Front during World War I and he was one of the lucky ones who returned home.

“The experience will be amazing, I’m happy to be able to represent Mollymook alongside great friends,” he added.

Long-time surf club member Stuart Turnbull lives in Singapore and said, after missing Anzac Day events for 13 years, he was thrilled to be taking part.

“This was always an event that I was not going to miss,” he said.

“The Gallipoli landing holds a great deal of emotion for all Australians and New Zealanders.

“My great uncle Max Ewin was killed during the first landing so I feel I have a connection with the place.

“Every time I think about it I get chills up my spine thinking how those soldiers gave up their lives so that we could have our freedom today.”

Both Lesley Gagan’s grandfathers fought in World War I and her husband’s great uncle William Hitchen started the original Cooee March from Gilgandra and his grandfather fought in Europe in WWI.

“I am very proud to be representing Mollymook Surf Club and we have trained both in the gym and gradually over longer distances to build up the stamina for the race,” she said.

“Having been to Gallipoli once before it will certainly be a moving experience and an honour to be present at the official dawn service.”

Also flying the Aussie flag were rowers John Patterson (dec) Russell Bartlett, Len Bolin, Di LeStrange, Ken Burton, Gary Gavegan from Wollongong, Darren Jones from Melbourne and sweep Barry Page.

Lake Tabourie resident Bill Barker has had an incredible close encounter with an endangered snow leopard while on a skiing tour in Kashmir.

Bill was part of a group of Australian adventurers skiing in the mountainous Gulmarg region of India when his tour guide, American Dave Marchi, was chased by the leopard.

The chase was caught on film by Owen Lansbury who posted it to his Facebook page.

He said the leopard “almost ran over” the tour guide who took evasive action.

“We skied our first powder line and the guide in yellow almost ran over the leopard,” Owen said.

“I stopped just as it huddled in the snow, where it stayed for about a minute checking us out.

“It then let out a solid roar and bounded away down the slope towards Dave, but scooted off into the forest, where we think it probably had a kill stashed.

“It was a pretty amazing experience!”

Watch Owen’s video here (strong language warning):

The tour group, consisting of three women and two men along with their guide, has been in the remote region of India, since January 31.

Snow leopards are endangered but pose little risk to humans

They listed as endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, with a 2003 study estimating the total wild population at between 4,080 and 6,590, and declining.

There are between 200 and 600 in India, with the remainder spread across a wide region extending from Nepal across India then north into Kazakhstan, and east to China and Mongolia.

THE sea runs in her blood and there’s no place Sarah Meharg would rather be than aboard a boat, watching whales frolic or tackling a big marlin.

Since she was three-years-old Sarah has enjoyed the freedom of the ocean, so deciding to become a commercial skipper was the obvious choice for the petite 17-year-old.

“I’ve always fished and gone out on the boat with dad since I was little – I love the sea,” she said.

A former Ulladulla High School student, Sarah left school last year at the start of year 11 and commenced a traineeship at the Ulladulla Fishing Centre.

In only 12 months she has completed both the TAFE two-year Retail Certificate 3 course and the two-year Coxswain Certificate 2 in transport and distribution coastal maritime operations course.

Her knowledge of the sea and maritime operations, as well as her proficiency in the Wason Street tackle shop, led to Sarah taking out the Illawarra Retail Trainee of the Year Award at the NSW Department of Education and Communities Training Awards in Wollongong last Friday night.

She was also chosen as the Illawarra representative for the NSW Phil Darby Memorial Award for high achievers to be announced later this year.

Sarah has now commenced the Master Class 5 course which will allow her to operate larger commercial vessels.

Born and raised in Ulladulla, and a member of the prominent Greco fishing family, Sarah knows her way around a boat and is looking forward to skippering charter vessels once she turns 18 in September.

Her employer, Wayne Humphries, said Sarah’s academic results were outstanding and matched her skill in the workplace.

“When we take a group of fishermen out, Sarah basically runs the trip and I drive,” he said.

“In what is a male-dominated field, she does extremely well.”

As well as hosting fishing charters, Sarah and Wayne take people out to watch whales and birds.

Her training has included the navigation and safety side of operating a charter boat as well as marketing and selling tours.

Sarah said she enjoys taking fishing groups out and sharing stories about how she has caught 13 marlin, including a 155.8 kilogram black marlin in the recent Jess Sams Game Fishing Tournament.

“Some of the blokes are pretty surprised to see a girl running a fishing trip or working in the shop,” she said.

“But I’m up with the latest fishing gear and know where and how to fish in the local area.”

When she’s not fishing, for work or pleasure, Sarah dances with the Entertainers and spends time at the beach with friends.

Her initial dream to become a professional ballerina with the Australian Ballet Company was shattered four years ago following a car accident.

“That’s when I decided to study my Coxswain Certificate instead,” she said.

Wayne said Sarah’s success was an example of how young women can achieve anything they set their minds to.

Music, the lake, animals, friends. Penny Lovelock’s artwork is inspired by everything around her.

“I’m inspired by my emotions and music brings out a lot of different emotions,” she said.

The Conjola Park artist held her first solo exhibition at a regional art gallery in the Southern Highlands and her 30 works featured some of her musical companions, the nearby waterway and its inhabitants, as well as her faithful Border Collie Flynn.

An illustrator and award-winning artist, Penny was invited to exhibit at the Milk Factory Gallery in Bowral.

“It was a bit daunting at first, and I didn’t quite know how I was going to paint 30 pieces, but it all came together,” she said.

A member of the Tribal Funk Orchestra, better known as TFO, and the Glorious Mudsingers choir, both led by Hamish Richardson, Penny said the colourful characters and the music created by them has influenced her work.

“You can see a glimpse of some of the musicians in my paintings,” she said.

“A lot of the works have a violin or cello.

“Music is definitely a big part of my life and the works are inspired by the emotions that music can bring to the surface – people can feel joyous, sad, perplexed.

“I often watch the faces of the choir members when they are singing or the the musicians in TFO and I can see that emotion.

“It’s hard to vocalise how music had affect people’s emotions.”

The oil and acrylic paintings are often set by the lake or on the jetty near Penny’s Conjola park home and feature of some the local residents, including ducks, geese and cows.

Tea cups also make plenty of appearances, floating on the water or flying through the air filled with musicians in full swing.

Note: This story was written before Penny lost her home at Conjola Park in the NYE bushfires.

When the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge eventually return to Australia, an Ulladulla lady hopes to lure them to the south coast with a royal blue ball.

Dot Meehan has a golf ball she believes belonged to Prince William’s mother, the then Lady Diana Spencer, who visited the district in 1981.

The Milton-Ulladulla Times reported that Lady Di, having just been proposed to by Prince Charles, was seen walking on the Mollymook Golf Course surrounded by body guards in March 1981.

Only days later, Mrs Meehan’s sister Ethel Entwistle was playing with the Mollymook Lady Golfers when she found the pale blue ball in the rough near the 16th green.

Mrs Meehan said the ball was light blue with Lady Diana inscribed on it in old English style text, along with an asterisk and number one.

At the time, she said, no-one really knew whether it was Lady Di’s golf ball or not, however she had been spotted in the vicinity.

“Our pro at the time, Mike Wilsdon, looked at the ball and he had never seen anything like it,” she said.

“We think it must have belonged to her, maybe it was a gift – what else do you give a woman who has everything?”

Mrs Meehan’s family has held onto the ball for almost 40 years as a reminder of Lady Di’s visit.

She said it would be “wonderful” if the young royals could include the Shoalhaven, and maybe Mollymook, when they next visited Australia.

She said if the royals came to Mollymook, and she had a chance to meet them, she would have to have her best outfit on.

The royal ball has been passed around and showed off at various golf club functions, including the 50th anniversary celebrations and is currently kept under lock and key by a family member.