Profile of the Week Virginia Head: TributeOn Boxing Day, December 26 2024, Virginia Head, Beloved Wife of Malcolm and Loving Mother of Diana and Michele, lost her battle with cancer.
A long-term Member of Avalon Beach SL:SC, the Barrenjoey Breakers swimming group, Pittwater Outrigger Racing Club and the Manly Warringah Kayak Club, Virginia had a passion for watersports and was a very kind lady who sought to save lives in the water.
Virginia made her time available to all who had never swum to teach them 'how to' and extended this to looking after those who had never swum in the ocean and wanted to have someone beside them who would introduce them to this environment.
Virginia Head was that lady who would stand beside you, or more accurately, swim beside you.
Thousands of people were enabled to take to the water through her six decades of teaching others to swim.
In 2023 she was spotted taking part in the Bilgola SLSC 'Billy Ocean swims' - she could still kick, still swim, even if her legs made it hard to negotiate the sand when walking.
Virginia still made it through, and threw her fist up in triumph when she made it back to the beach.
Her love for children, for other people, for inspiring others to 'get in the swim' or try paddling, her favourites, will remain in the hearts of all those whose lives she touched.
As a volunteer Patrol member of Avalon Beach SLSC Virginia was known for her sharp eyes and not missing her duties until she could no longer serve the community in this capacity.
As a member of two paddling clubs in our area Virginia would encourage people to get involved either as a team member or as a solo athlete, sharing how fit and free taking to the water and exploring our area via kayak or outrigger will make you, and how getting to represent your club, state or country will connect you to those who share this passion across the world.
As a mark of respect, love and celebration of a lovely lady who will be much missed in our community, her Profile from 2014 runs this Issue.
Environment Summer's New Pittwater Bubs, Fully recovering Australia’s threatened species would cost 25% of GDP; We can’t do it all at once – so let’s start here, Sydney Wildlife (Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Services) Needs Volunteers, Albanese Government Approves Four more coal mines: one until 2088 - Destroying Habitat; robbing today's + future generations of climate safety to benefit the greedy, NSW Forestry Corporation Cost NSW Taxpayers $29 Million in 2023-2024, much more in loss of Habitat and Wildlife - 'State Government can’t see the forest for the trees': Greens, Developer-State Government Koala slaughter continuing in Western Sydney, Draft Plan of Management for Dogs offleash On South Mona Vale Beach Open for feedback, Preliminary summary of Australia's climate in 2024: second warmest year since records began - BOM, Garigal National Park: ‘1080 pest management’, Science To Revive Our Oceans: SIM's has a PHD Opportunity - operation Crayweed, I Built a Wildlife Pond... and so Many Animals Came: Wildlife Habitats by Robert E Fuller, In 2025 let’s make it game on – not game over – for our precious natural world, La Niña back this summer?; Not likely – and unofficial declarations are jumping the gun, Monarch butterflies are in decline in NZ and Australia – they need your help to track where they gather, Australia needs better ways of storing renewable electricity for later; That’s where ‘flow batteries’ can help, Relentless warming is driving the water cycle to new extremes the 2024 global water report shows, Shrinking wings, bigger beaks: birds are reshaping themselves in a warming world, Don’t go chasing waterfalls: slippery rocks, currents and daredevil jumpers make Australia’s waterways surprisingly deadly, Whales can live way longer than scientists had thought with potential lifespans as much as double previous estimates, Heatwaves and bushfires can be a dangerous mix for the electricity grid; Here’s how to shore up your supplies this summer, A push to cool Australian cities may inadvertently increase our skin cancer risk, Spiders ‘smell’ with their legs – new research, Repression of climate and environmental protest is intensifying across the world, Travelling in 2025?; Here’s how to become a ‘regenerative’ tourist, How China’s appetite for salmon could reshape global seafood markets – new research, Plastic Bread Ties 4 Wheelchairs, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land: Survey, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Watch out - shorebirds about, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where + when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Gardens, Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Reserves: histories + Pictorial Walks, Pittwater's Birds, + more
Aquatics Pittwater Swim Series 2025: 5 great opportunities to dive on in - details of each beach and swim courses
Children Sunday cartoons and animations returns this year. This Issue: Stick Man loves family time, The Elephants of Avalon Beach, Australia boasts some of the world’s most stunning beetles. Look out for these 5 beauties this summer, The beach is an amazing place to teach kids about science. Here are 3 things to try this summer, Curious Kids: How does the International Space Station orbit Earth without burning up? + What is the universe expanding into if it’s already infinite? + why do trees have bark? + what did people use before toothpaste was invented?, Stories this week: Sweet Tooth + 'The Magician's Hat' read by Alison Brie, + more
Youth The Elephants of Avalon Beach, School’s out for 2024 as record 70,000 students celebrate completing their HSC, Applications to join the DOVES Council are open for 2025, Hottest 100 Voting now open, Interstate Glory up for grabs, TAFE Fee-free* courses - semester 1 2025 enrol now, Science To Revive Our Oceans: SIM's has a PHD Opportunity - operation Crayweed, Study subsidies: NSW’s health workforce, First 'Word of the Week' for 2025; Spell, A total eclipse of the Moon, Saturn’s rings ‘disappear’, meteors and more: your guide to the southern sky in 2025, Hidden women of history: the Australian children’s author who captured the bush – before May Gibbs’ Australiana empire, 2025 will see huge advances in quantum computing. So what is a quantum chip and how does it work?, Guide to the classics: written more than 2000 years ago, Cicero’s On Old Age debunks stereotypes that persist today, Nobleman, soldier, revolutionary, humanist – who was Tadeusz Kościuszko, the man behind the mountain?, Cane toads on the barbie? How eating invasive species might help manage them, The closest thing Australian cartooning had to a prophet: the sometimes celebrated, sometimes controversial Michael Leunig, Gabrielle Chanel: the untold story of a pioneering self-made woman, What fashion enthusiasts can learn from older, dapper gentlemen, Summer holidays haven’t changed much since ancient Greece and Rome (except maybe the sand wrestling), Sunglasses reflect more than the light: a brief history of shades from Ancient Rome to Hollywood, The surprising ways ‘swimming off’ a hangover can be risky, even if alcohol has left your system, 5 tips to ace a job interview – including how to prepare for the question they’ll definitely ask, Bob Dylan and the creative leap that transformed modern music, Pompeii comes to Australia and ancient and contemporary stories of disaster and loss converge, Can animals make ‘art’? These examples from nature suggest so, Is it important to read the explanatory labels next to artworks? We asked 5 experts, The multi-billion dollar startup sector is bouncing back – 8 big trends will shape 2025, The discovery of a rare new fossil sheds light on NZ’s extinct dolphin-like reptiles, Isidore of Seville: the patron saint of the internet who shaped knowledge for generations, Word Of The Week: Summer, local services for you
Seniors At Palm Beach SLSC: 96 Years Young, Assistive Technology and Home Modifications List now available, 2025 Heralds New Era of Quality Aged Care, AHPC Statement – Appreciation Statement for Professor Paul Kelly, Cheaper medicines stay cheaper as Australians save $1.1 billion, $440M investment welcome but more is needed for thousands of older Australians who will be kept waiting for support, Energy protections?, Avalon Beach SLSC turns 100 in 2025!, Bob Dylan and the creative leap that transformed modern music, Hidden women of history: the Australian children’s author who captured the bush – before May Gibbs’ Australiana empire, Pompeii comes to Australia, and ancient and contemporary stories of disaster and loss converge, What is reformer pilates? And is it worth the cost?, ‘Cold violence’ – a hidden form of elder abuse in New Zealand’s Chinese community, Local events, services, groups for you + more
Food Christmas Sweet Treats You Can Make As Gifts + Hogmanay (New Years) Dinner Australian Style + Summer Picnic Ideas
Do you get better food at home than you can eat elsewhere? Do you want to give something this Christmas that will be remembered and bring some sweetness – a gift worth giving? Also - it's Summer Salad Season! A few of the favourites for your picnic season
Events Woody Point Yacht Club's 2025 Wooden Putt Putt & Gentleman's Launch Regatta, Australia Day Breakfast at Newport Beach, 189th Australia Day Regatta on Pittwater hosted by Avalon Sailing Club, Pittwater Regattas, Music, Markets, Social Groups, + more.
Park Bench Philosophers 
Pictures Summer in Pittwater: First Week of January 2025 Means Crowded Beaches, Lifesavers on Patrol, Surf Lifesaving Carnivals, First Pittwater Ocean Swims
Inbox News New excavation of ‘rings of mystery’ in Victoria reveals rich Aboriginal history, NSW Public Health Warning: Severe overdoses after using drugs thought to be cocaine, The surprising ways ‘swimming off’ a hangover can be risky even if alcohol has left your system, NSW Government welcomes Engineered Stone importation ban, Do natural fabrics really keep us cooler in summer? Here’s the science, Businesses can’t escape the AI revolution – so here’s how to build a culture of safe and responsible use, A total eclipse of the Moon, Saturn’s rings ‘disappear’, meteors and more: your guide to the southern sky in 2025, Most adults will gain half a kilo this year – and every year. Here’s how to stop ‘weight creep’, Dreading the school or daycare drop-off? How to handle it when your child doesn’t want you to go, How do mosquito repellents work? Even calm people can fly into a rage behind the wheel. Here’s how to curb your road rage – before it’s too late
DIY Ideas DIY A Summer-Autumn Salad Garden for a Balcony or at Waist-height
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s long-range forecast, issued 9 January 2025, states the forecast for February to April shows above average rainfall is likely for much of coastal parts of New South Wales and warmer than average days are likely across much of eastern Australia along with warmer than average nights being very likely with an increased chance of unusually high overnight temperatures across Australia.
As everyone in our household are BIG salad consumers, and ‘getting on’, this Issue we’d like to share a DIY project that will suit those who now want to garden at waist-height or have access to food they can harvest from their flat’s balcony.
All seeds, planter boxes and pots, as well as the seed-raising mix and watering can, were bought online through Johnson Brothers Mitre 10. To avoid the traffic jam that happens at this time of year, known as dodging the Bilgola Bends Barrage of cars heading north, we arranged to pick up everything needed from the Avalon Beach store.
Who wants to sit in traffic when you could be on the beach or pottering in the garden?
You can simply drive around the back of the Avalon Beach store once notified your order is in, to what's known locally as 'Johnson's Lane', and load up from there - thus avoiding that Avalon Parade in Summer trying-to-get-a-parking-spot challenge as well.
