Bega family: school run, kids and puzzles
The school run, the kids, your village, plus puzzles, stars and a bit of fun with your coffee.
Updated
Monday 26 October 2026 · No. 12
Community. Information. Together again.
Australia’s first free regional hub, sourced by AI, powered by U. No editorial. No opinions.
Source: The Armidale Express May need a subscriptionWhy did the Reserve Bank Governor quote Dr. Suess to UNE graduatesMichele Bullock gave the address to science, business and law graduates.Fri, 23 Oct · Read the full story →One app instead of 40+ (38 here)
= 1 Daily Maverick
Live alerts: 2 fires within 100 km · 1 weather warning. See alerts →
Coming up in the sky: Asteroid 2025 UK9 passes closer than the Moon (314,648 km away), Sat, 31 Oct in 5 days · Asteroid 524522 passes 15.7 times as far away as the Moon, Tue, 3 Nov in 8 days. More in the sky →
Alerts
In an emergency call 000.
Fire danger today
🟢 MODERATE Plan and prepare.
No Total Fire Ban today. Gas, electric, wood and charcoal BBQs are fine with care: keep an adult on it, water handy and nothing that burns nearby. Burning off or a fire in the open? Check if you need a permit.
Tomorrow: 🟢 MODERATE
Source: NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire Danger Ratings (Central Ranges). Updated Mon, 26 Oct, 5:20 am.
Fires within 100 km
- SNOWY MOUNTAINS HWY Not Applicable
PINE HILL LODGE, SNOWY MOUNTAINS HWY, PINE VALLEY 2630 · 79 km away · Under control · 0 ha - Minuma Range Advice
COOMA RD, JINDEN 2622 · 97 km away · Under control · 11 ha
Source: NSW Rural Fire Service, Fires Near Me. Updated Mon, 26 Oct, 5:52 am.
Weather warnings
Source: Bureau of Meteorology, NSW warnings. Updated Mon, 26 Oct, 5:52 am.
Roads now
No crashes, floods or fires listed on roads within 40 km.
Roadwork nearby (1)
- Scheduled Roadwork Bridge Work: Princes Highway, Stony Creek 20 km away · updated 11 Oct, 6:01 am
Source: Live Traffic NSW (Transport for NSW, open data)
More local stories today
Source: The Armidale Express May need a subscriptionHaines loses both legs, but 'heart and her mind are in good shape'Accused attacker led from court in custody.Tue, 20 Oct · Read the full story →
Source: The Armidale Express May need a subscriptionMurder case delayed into next year as prosecutors seek psychiatric assessmentCrown prosecutors will appoint an expert to assess a murder-accused.Wed, 21 Oct · Read the full story →
Source: The Armidale Express May need a subscriptionFuture teachers learn how to overcome 'fear of blank canvases' from artistDavid Zinn shares why conquering the blank canvas matters.Thu, 22 Oct · Read the full story →
Source: The Armidale Express May need a subscriptionThousands flock to Uralla for bumper Thunderbolts Festival in sunshineThe sun broke through earlier rain clouds for a spectacular day.Sat, 24 Oct · Read the full story →“Do the difficult things while they are easy, and the great things while they are small.”— Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching, ch. 63
More headlines
- Source: The Armidale Express May need a subscriptionBeyond hot flushes: Experts clear the air on menopause stigma at free event
- Source: The Armidale Express May need a subscriptionDitched $1.8b hydro project a 'devastating loss' for local jobs says MP
- Source: The Armidale Express May need a subscriptionMeet the quiet achievers who define the true can-do spirit of Australia
These stories are written and owned by Area News and, when they mention your area, national outlets like the ABC, SBS and The Guardian, not us. We show the headline (and for local outlets a short summary); tap a story to read it in full on their site. Thank you to them for the hard work they do: we’re a community hub, not a news outlet, and we’re here to send them more readers. means that site may ask you to subscribe. The good, the bad and the ugly are sorted by a free AI from each headline’s topic, not by our opinion. Updated Sun, 25 Oct, 4:52 pm.
One app instead of 40+
Your page right now: 38 apps and sites you no longer need to check.
No more checking 38 apps and websites every morning: that’s about 38 min back every day, or 4 hr 26 min a week (at about a minute an app). Everything below is on your page or one tap away.
= 1 Daily Maverick, your way
Scam watch
Buying from a business you don't know? Check the NSW Fair Trading Complaints Register first: it lists businesses with 10 or more complaints in a month.
Scam watch: report a scam, the tips banks agree on, product recalls →
What's on
Specials, members nights, trivia, live music, markets and events around Carrathool, in one place.
Read from each venue's own website twice a day. Specials can change, so check with the venue before you go. Know a venue we're missing? Tell us.
What’s on in Bega
Nothing listed in 2550 yet. Know something on? Add it free.
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Deaths
Remembering locals who have passed. Our thoughts are with their families and friends.
No recent notices.
Just for curiosity
Trending baby names
Top 10 across NSW, 2025
Girls
- CHARLOTTE =
- AMELIA =
- OLIVIA =
- ISLA ▲1
- MIA ▼1
- SOPHIA ▲3
- CHLOE ▼1
- HAZEL =
- LILY ▲2
- SIENNA ▲3
Biggest climber: LAINEY, up 41 to #56
Highest new entry: AMIRA at #79
Boys
- NOAH =
- OLIVER =
- THEODORE =
- LUCA =
- LEO ▲1
- HENRY ▼1
- ELIJAH ▲3
- LEVI ▲5
- HUDSON ▼1
- JACK ▲4
Biggest climber: ELIAS, up 52 to #35
Highest new entry: MATEO at #65
Source: the latest full-year list from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. Arrows show the move since 2024. NSW doesn't publish names by town. Checked Sun, 25 Oct, 3:15 pm.
Number one in every state, 2025
| Girls | Boys | |
|---|---|---|
| NSW | Charlotte | Noah |
| VIC | Charlotte | Noah |
| QLD | Charlotte | Oliver |
| WA | Isla | Noah |
| SA | Charlotte | Oliver |
| TAS | Charlotte | Noah |
| ACT | Evelyn | Oliver |
| NT | Amelia | Noah |
Source: each state and territory's Births, Deaths and Marriages registry. There's no single official list for all of Australia.
Top 5 around the world, 2025
New Zealand
Isla, Charlotte, Amelia, Hazel, Olivia
Noah, Luca, Oliver, George, Theodore
United States
Olivia, Charlotte, Emma, Amelia, Sophia
Liam, Noah, Oliver, Theodore, Henry
Canada
Charlotte, Olivia, Emma, Sophia, Amelia
Noah, Theodore, Liam, Leo, William
Source: Statistics Canada
England & Wales
Olivia, Lily, Amelia, Isla, Florence
Muhammad, Noah, Leo, Luca, Arthur
Scotland
Freya, Isla, Olivia, Amelia, Grace
Noah, Luca, Rory, Muhammad, Oliver
Source: National Records of Scotland
Ireland
Lily, Éabha, Fiadh, Grace, Sadie
Rían, Jack, Noah, James, Oisín
Source: Central Statistics Office
Names that travel: Noah (top 5 in 6 places), Amelia (top 5 in 5 places), Olivia (top 5 in 5 places).
NSW's number one, decade by decade
| Girls | Boys | |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | AMELIA | NOAH |
| 2010s | OLIVIA | OLIVER |
| 2000s | EMILY | JACK |
| 1990s | JESSICA | JOSHUA |
| 1980s | SARAH | MATTHEW |
| 1970s | MICHELLE | DAVID |
| 1960s | KAREN | DAVID |
| 1950s | SUSAN | PETER |
Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, counting every baby given each name in the decade. NSW lists start in 1952, so the 1950s are 1952 to 1959; the 2020s run to 2025.
How popular has your name been in NSW?
Source: NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, top 100 boys' and girls' names every year since 1952.
G'day, I'm Mav. Tell me a bit about what you like and I'll come up with names to think about.
Ideas from Mav, using AI. Meanings and origins are a starting point: check them before you decide. Popularity comes from the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages.
Handy tools
☰ Everything on the Daily Maverick Every page we have, in one place → Community notice board Lost pets, volunteers, clubs and classes. No buy and sell → My home Bin night reminders and a house-sitter sheet to print or share → Why Carrathool? Fun facts: how Hillston got its name, the Lachlan River, Goolgowi's railway → 🟢 What’s open? Local or visiting: pharmacies, doctors, servos, cafés, mechanics and more. Open ones first → Dog beaches & parks Off-leash spots near you → Dog-friendly cafés & pubs Places happy to see your dog → LGBTQ+ friendly Local places that welcome everyone → What are you binging? Shows, podcasts and channels locals vote for, and why → What's in your fridge? Dinner ideas from what you've already got → Birthday deals Which local places look after you on your big day → Kid Zone Games for kids 12 and under, with a grown-up’s OK. No chat, no ads, nothing collected →Dog friendly
Off-leash beaches, dog parks and places happy to see your dog. If there’s nothing mapped, it says so.
Source: OpenStreetMap (OpenStreetMap contributors), the free map anyone can add to.
LGBTQ+ friendly
Local places that welcome everyone. If there’s nothing mapped, it says so.
Source: OpenStreetMap (OpenStreetMap contributors), the free map anyone can add to.
Fuel prices in Goolgowi
Source: NSW FuelCheck
Grocery watch
Team Smarketing is on it.
Comparing everyday prices at Woolworths, ALDI and Coles. The first prices land at the next check.
Good things take time.
You choose what we watch
Suggest something for Grocery watch, or vote for a local’s idea. 50 votes and it goes up, all by itself.
Today in numbers
Facts from the sources named, side by side. No opinions: make up your own mind.
Big tech watch
Figures from June 2026
Figures from March 2026
Figures from June 2026
Life and death
Figures from December 2021
Figures from December 2021
AI for good, AI for bad
A recent AI story of each kind from the news, so you see both sides.
AI for good
The first story is on its way.
AI for bad
The first story is on its way.
Headlines from The Guardian and Google News, sorted into good and bad by AI, so check the full story. See every story we've logged.
Learn how AI can help in your everyday life, from your local experts at Maverick Digital →
Grog watch
Beer, wine, spirits, cider: the price at local bottle shops, posted by the shops themselves. Search for anything, or filter by type. Local only, so your money stays in town.
Cheapest In between Dearest
Own a local bottle shop? Post your price free
You choose what we watch
Suggest something for Grog watch, or vote for a local’s idea. 50 votes and it goes up, all by itself.
Source: prices posted by local shops, with the date they posted. Shown for 30 days. We don't check the big chains: local only. Please drink responsibly.
Banks and the RBA
Home loan rates at the big four, and how quickly each passed on the Reserve Bank's (RBA) rate changes. Numbers only.
Cash rate: 4.60% since 29 Sept 2026
How fast they passed on RBA changes
| CommBank | Westpac | NAB | ANZ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average days to pass on a rise | 10.0 | 12.0 | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Average days to pass on a cut | 10.0 | 14.0 | 11.0 | 10.0 |
| Rises passed on in full | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 |
| Cuts passed on in full | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 |
Days from the RBA's decision to the date the bank's new variable rate took effect, for the 7 RBA moves since February 2025.
Every RBA move and what each bank did
| RBA decision | CommBank | Westpac | NAB | ANZ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Sept 2026 ▲ +0.25 to 4.60% | +0.25 9 Oct 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 9 Oct 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 9 Oct 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 9 Oct 2026 · 10 days |
| 5 May 2026 ▲ +0.25 to 4.35% | +0.25 15 May 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 15 May 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 15 May 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 15 May 2026 · 10 days |
| 17 Mar 2026 ▲ +0.25 to 4.10% | +0.25 27 Mar 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 31 Mar 2026 · 14 days | +0.25 27 Mar 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 27 Mar 2026 · 10 days |
| 3 Feb 2026 ▲ +0.25 to 3.85% | +0.25 13 Feb 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 17 Feb 2026 · 14 days | +0.25 13 Feb 2026 · 10 days | +0.25 13 Feb 2026 · 10 days |
| 12 Aug 2025 ▼ -0.25 to 3.60% | -0.25 22 Aug 2025 · 10 days | -0.25 26 Aug 2025 · 14 days | -0.25 25 Aug 2025 · 13 days | -0.25 22 Aug 2025 · 10 days |
| 20 May 2025 ▼ -0.25 to 3.85% | -0.25 30 May 2025 · 10 days | -0.25 3 June 2025 · 14 days | -0.25 30 May 2025 · 10 days | -0.25 30 May 2025 · 10 days |
| 18 Feb 2025 ▼ -0.25 to 4.10% | -0.25 28 Feb 2025 · 10 days | -0.25 4 Mar 2025 · 14 days | -0.25 28 Feb 2025 · 10 days | -0.25 28 Feb 2025 · 10 days |
Integrated Finance Group · Mortgage Professional Australia · Savings.com.au · Canstar · Finder · Savings.com.au · The Motley Fool. Cash rate from the Reserve Bank of Australia.
Bega tide times & fishing
Loading…
Tide times are modelled estimates. Not for navigation; check the Bureau of Meteorology before boating.
What are you hoping to catch today?
What's biting in October
- Snapper peak
- Pearl perch
- Tailor, whiting & flathead
Seasons: Source: NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development GoFishing guide (Coffs Coast) and Coffs Coast tourism.
Where to fish within 20 km
- Lachlan River, Hillston River
Known for: Murray cod, golden perch
Council lists river fishing and free riverside camping; the Hook Like & Sinker Fishing Festival is the last full weekend of August
Directions
No listed shore spots within 20 km of you.
Further than 20 km
Before you cast: licence, limits and no-fishing zones
- You need a NSW fishing licence (from $7 for 3 days). Get one
- Bag and size limits, or carry them in the free FishSmart app (it shows marine park zones too)
- Rock fishing? A lifejacket is strongly recommended. NSW rock fishing safety
Know your 2550
The handy stuff, all in one place. Every item is sourced and shown as the source has it. We don’t edit it. We tell you where it’s from and how well the owner keeps it up to date.
Who runs the place
- Mayor: Cr Darryl Jardine · Deputy Mayor: Cr Beverley Furner
- Councillors: Michael Armstrong, David Fensom, Heather Lyall, Craig McKeon, Jamie Parsons, Geoff Peters, Nick Smith, Anne-Maree Young. Contact them
- Council meetings: see what's being decided
Source: Carrathool Shire Council, mayor and councillors. Council doesn’t say when they last updated it.
Bins & rubbish
- Put your bin out the night before: Hillston is collected on Tuesday mornings, Goolgowi and Merriwagga on Thursday mornings, and council answers questions on 02 6965 1900. Bin days
- Tip: Carrathool Landfill, Carrathool Road, 1 km south of Carrathool village. 02 6965 1900
- Tip: Goolgowi Transfer Station, End of Penney Street, Goolgowi. Tuesday and Thursday 8am to 11am; Sunday 9am to 12pm; closed public holidays. 02 6965 1900
- Tip: Hillston Landfill, Kidman Way, about 3 km north of Hillston. Monday 7.30am to 10am; Tuesday 7.30am to 10am and 1pm to 4.30pm; Wednesday 7.30am to 10am; Thursday 7.30am to 10am and 1pm to 4.30pm; Sunday 8am to 2pm; closed Friday, Saturday and public holidays. 02 6965 1900
- Tip: Merriwagga Transfer Station, Melbergen Road, Merriwagga (Merriwagga residents only). 02 6965 1900
- Tip: Rankins Springs Landfill, Lake Cargelligo Road, 4 km from Rankins Springs. Tuesday 1pm to 4pm; Thursday 1pm to 4pm; Sunday 9am to 12pm; closed public holidays. 02 6965 1900
- Source: Carrathool Shire Council
- Seen illegal dumping? Tell the EPA online
Source: Carrathool Shire Council, bins and waste. Council doesn’t say when they last updated it.
Got a problem?
- Pothole, broken footpath, streetlight, overgrown block: report it to council online or call 02 6965 1900
- Not happy with how council handled it? NSW Ombudsman
Contact council
- 02 6965 1900
- council@carrathool.nsw.gov.au
- 9-11 Cobram Street, Goolgowi
- www.carrathool.nsw.gov.au
Source: Carrathool Shire Council website. Council doesn’t say when they last updated it.
Spotted something out of date? Let us know.
Renting
Looking for a place in Goolgowi? Every rental site, already searched for you.
- Rentals in Goolgowi on realestate.com.au: Australia's biggest property site.
- Rentals in Goolgowi on Domain: The other big one.
- Rentals in Goolgowi on Rent.com.au: Rentals only, with a free renter résumé to send agents.
- Rentals in Goolgowi on Homely: Rentals plus honest local reviews of each street.
Jobs
Looking for work in Goolgowi? Every job site, already searched for you.
- Jobs in Goolgowi on SEEK: Australia's biggest job site.
- Jobs in Goolgowi on Indeed: Pulls jobs from employers' own websites too.
- Jobs in Goolgowi on Jora: Searches lots of job sites at once.
- Jobs in Goolgowi on LinkedIn: Professional and office roles.
Goolgowi Council watch
Keeping an eye on Carrathool Shire Council, with every item linked to its source.
Meeting dates are on the council's meetings page.
Is council doing what it said?
Every three months Carrathool Shire Council reports on its own plan. We'll show its latest report here, in its own words.
How's council doing?
The unofficial Maverick poll, once a month. Be the first this month. All results
Have your say or make a complaint
- Report a problem or make a request: Carrathool Shire Council on 02 6965 1900 or their website.
- Not happy with how council handled it? NSW Ombudsman.
- Concerns about a councillor's conduct: Office of Local Government.
- Suspect corruption: NSW ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption).
- Have your say at a meeting: ask the council about speaking at public forum before the next meeting.
🏅 Mini Maverick Award
Maverick Digital encourages digital safety for kids. Every Kid Zone game is designed to help with that: a safe place where kids can play and mums and dads can feel safe.
Each month, the top three kids on the Kid Zone leaderboards win the Mini Maverick Award, for proving they’re little mini Mavericks:
- 🥇 $25 first place
- 🥈 $15 second place
- 🥉 $10 third place
📍 Spent at a local Goolgowi business. No multinationals, no chains, no fast food.
Only a winner’s first name is ever shown, with their parent or carer’s OK.
Play in Kid Zone → · Local businesses: be a place winners spend it
🌳 Get outside this weekend
Things for kids and families to do outdoors, free or under $50 a kid. This weekend: Sat, 31 Oct and Sun, 1 Nov.
No kids' events listed for this weekend yet. Running one? Add it free and tick "Good for kids".
Always-good local favourites
- High Street Heritage Trail, Hillston Free
A self-guided heritage trail along Hillston's High Street, as an interactive map or a brochure from the Visitor Information Centre. - Lake Woorabinda walking track Free
A walking track circles the man-made lake at Hillston. Council lists pelicans, swans and cockatoos, and kayaking when water levels allow. - Lachlan River Walking Trail and Hillston Swinging Bridge Free
Walk the river trail and cross the swinging bridge at Hillston. Council also lists river fishing for Murray cod and golden perch. - John Fensom Lions Explorer Park, Hillston Free
Barbecue and picnic areas, toilets, play equipment, a skate park and outdoor fitness gear.
Outdoor and affordable, picked by locals. Check times and prices before you go · Suggest one
Trails, World Heritage and only here
The big outdoor reasons to live in, or visit, Goolgowi and the shire.
Cycle and mountain bike trails
- Lachlan River Walking Trail
River trail at Hillston, with the Hillston Swinging Bridge. Source: carrathool.nsw.gov.au - Lake Woorabinda walking track
Track around the man-made lake at Hillston. Source: carrathool.nsw.gov.au
National parks and visitor info
Park alerts and closures around Goolgowi, straight from NSW National Parks, plus the official places to plan a visit. We source it, we don’t write it.
No current alerts for parks around Goolgowi.
Source: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, alerts. Updated Mon, 26 Oct, 5:20 am.
Visitors to regional NSW
64.7 million visitors, 102.9 million nights and $27.7 billion spent across regional NSW in the year ending June 2026, including 685,800 international visitors.
Source: Destination NSW, Regional NSW statistics. Updated Sun, 25 Oct, 12:00 am.
Plan a visit
Sport & field closures
Team Smarketing is on it.
Field closures and local sport. Clubs can post games and closures free via Add an event.
We're building it right, not fast.
Holidays
Next NSW public holidays
- Fri, 25 Dec: Christmas Day in 60 days
- Mon, 28 Dec: Boxing Day in 63 days
- Fri, 1 Jan: New Year's Day in 67 days
- Tue, 26 Jan: Australia Day in 92 days
Source: Nager.Date public holidays. Updated Sun, 25 Oct, 3:15 pm.
In the sky, next 14 days
Asteroids passing by
- Sat, 31 Oct: 2025 UK9, about the size of a car (roughly 3 to 6 m), passes closer than the Moon (314,648 km away) at 7.8 km a second in 5 days
- Tue, 3 Nov: 524522, bigger than three footy fields (roughly 207 to 463 m), passes 15.7 times as far away as the Moon at 8.7 km a second in 8 days
- Tue, 27 Oct: 2026 TB94, about the size of a bus (roughly 20 to 44 m), passes 5.1 times as far away as the Moon at 11.6 km a second tomorrow
- Wed, 4 Nov: 2021 VC4, about the size of a bus (roughly 11 to 25 m), passes 6.0 times as far away as the Moon at 11.2 km a second in 9 days
Source: NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. Updated Mon, 26 Oct, 3:16 am. None of these will hit Earth. Most are too faint to see without a big telescope
Next school holidays
- Summer school holidays: Fri, 18 Dec to Wed, 27 Jan in 53 days
- Autumn school holidays: Mon, 12 Apr to Fri, 23 Apr in 168 days
Public schools in the Carrathool area. Source: NSW Department of Education · Private schools may differ
🧩 Crossword
Today’s Carrathool crossword in three levels: 🟢 Easy, 🟡 Medium and 🔴 Hard. Sign in free to keep your streak and best times. Play today’s →
✨ Horoscopes
Your stars for Monday 26 October. Full moon tonight-ish: big feelings, big fun. This is the Year of the Fire Horse 🐎.
🎂 Add your birthday and we'll set your Western and Vedic signs:
Bega beaches, surf & surf cams
Surf cams
Coastalwatch charges for its live surf cam feed, so we can’t show it here. Nobody pays to be on this site, and we don’t pay to show other people’s paid content either. Have a look on their site: Coastalwatch.
Swim between the red and yellow flags. Patrol times and beach-by-beach info: Beachsafe.
Source: Open-Meteo (modelled, updated hourly). Not for navigation. Which swell and wind suit each beach: surf-forecast.com break guides; patrols from council.