This past week, 420 of the world’s best junior surfers joined together at Surf City El Salvador’s world-class point break of Punta Roca to celebrate the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship (WJSC). Held at the twin breaks of La Bocana and El Sunzal for the third time since 2022, the event began on Saturday September 5, and run through Sunday September 13, South American time.
Athletes from 56 national teams are present as part of one of the largest fields in the event’s history. Members from each nation joined in the traditional ISA Sands of the World ceremony, pouring sand from their home beaches into one container as a symbol of the peaceful gathering of nations of the world through surfing as part of the Opening Ceremony on Friday September 4.
Reports dating from the latest and then reverting to the first day of heats run HERE and will be updated as results come in.
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Team Australia at the Opening Ceremony. Credit: ISA / Sean Evans
Congratulations to the Warringah Rugby Club's 2nd Colts on their Grand Final win last Sunday, September 5, and raising the Rats flag high. Three Warringah Rugby Club teams made to Grand Finals this Season - an outstanding achievement.
Thirty-six illegal e-bikes have been seized following the first NSW Police and Transport for NSW joint operation since new laws came into effect.
On 21 August 2026, amendments to the Road Transport Act 2013 became enforceable; allowing illegal, modified or high-powered e-bikes, other non-registerable motor vehicles, and unregistered registerable vehicles, used in public places to be seized and destroyed.
In a joint operation between Transport for NSW and Traffic and Highway Patrol Command, with the assistance of Northern Beaches Police Area Command and the Bike Coordination and Training Unit, officers patrolled Manly, Curl Curl, Dee Why and Avalon yesterday (Friday 11 September 2016), targeting illegal, modified and high-powered e-bike use in the area.
A speed-testing dynomometer was also used to assist officers test suspect devices.
The locations were identified following recent incidents of illegal, dangerous and reckless e-bike use.
During the operation, police seized 36 e-bikes, including three e-bikes that were identified as non-compliant on the dynamometer.
Police also issued 16 penalty notices and 46 cautions for various offences including helmet and mobile phone offences.
In addition, police officers and Transport for NSW officers conducted education and community engagement.
Of note, an e-bike capable of allegedly reaching speeds of more than 90 km/h was seized from a 14-year-old boy at Warriewood.
A food delivery rider was stopped and an inspection of the e-bike revealed it was allegedly modified and non-compliant.
Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner David Driver, encouraged riders to ensure their bike was road legal.
“Riders need to ensure their e-bike complies with legislation and that when they ride that they comply with the rules about where they can and cannot ride their e-bikes,” Assistant Commissioner Driver said.
“Most e-bike riders do the right thing and comply with the rules; however, police will enforce with new legislation if people ride non-compliant vehicles.”
Transport Secretary, Josh Murray said the majority of people using e-bikes on NSW roads were using them legally and safely, but there were a small number who ignore the rules and our warnings, and they endangered other road users as a result.
“We are serious about e-bike safety and operations like this will continue by NSW Police with support from Transport for NSW to ensure all road users are safe and complying with the state’s upgraded laws,” Mr Murray said.
“E-bikes must behave like bicycles, not motorcycles. If your bike can operate like a motorcycle under throttle or go more than 25 kilometres an hour while being powered, it is not legal to ride in public.
“Before you or your child jumps on an e-bike, please make sure it’s road-legal, otherwise you risk losing the bike.”
For more information on e-bike rules and requirements, visit www.transport.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/bicycle-riders/ebikes
Week Three September 2026: Issue 658 (Sunday Sept. 13)
Profile of the Week Michael Wilding: Scotland Island Wordsmith Releases 10th Sleuth work - 'Point Danger'Michael Wilding is emeritus professor at the University of Sydney. He was a founding editor of the UQP’s Asian & Pacific Writing series, of the short story magazine, Tabloid Story, and co-founder of publishers Wild & Woolley, and Paperbark Press. He has also been a milkman, postman, newspaper columnist, apple-picker, Cosmopolitan ‘Bachelor of the Month’, and Chair of the New South Wales Writers’ Centre. He has published over 30 works of fiction, including the Plant private-eye series, is editor of a dozen anthologies of short fiction and books of criticism on Milton, Marcus Clarke and Henry Lawson. He has been translated and published in over twenty countries.
Point Danger is number 10 in the Plant private-eye series – and it could be Plant’s last case, resting on his lantana farm in the Valley of the Weed, bored and happily idle. Until Fullalove comes to stay and sniffs out a string of potential conspiracies: The well-stocked second-hand bookshop that doesn’t list its books online. The online progressive journal of correct opinion, Mad, Bad and Dangerous. The novelist Mandy Mittelnacht. And Shameless Seamus, the dodgy journalist and his no less dodgy editor, Gilbert Osbourne.
Michael Wilding has lived on Scotland Island in Pittwater for the last 35 years.
This week, a few insights from the author on this new work and writing.
History Avalon Public School's 75th Celebrations: Fete on Sunday September 20 - A few Insights into the History of A great school for its Diamond Jubilee
Park Bench Philosophers First international CAPSTAN voyage takes students from across Australia to the Pacific: CSIRO
Events Kids Try Sailing at RPAYC, Down to Earth Space opening at Newport, Pittwater Softball Club: Play Softball this Summer, Corgi Picnic at Bayview, North Palm Beach Surf Club Anniversary Celebrations, Manly Warringah Waratahs Opener to Cricket Season, Author Talks, Art Shows, PNHA Walks, Music at all compass points, Markets, Social Groups + more on!
Community News Sir Stephen Hansen KNZM joins Manly as Football Performance Director, Warringah Colts Win, SOS Save our Suburb Mona Vale Parliamentary Delegation: Oct. 21, Anchored: A callout to offshore artists & makers, Vale Robert Edward Kennerson - 'Kenno', Vale Sally Jean Torr AM, Vale Roy Haverkamp, Spring School Holidays Break, Hazard Reductions: Wirringulla HR Elvina Bay + Mount Murray Anderson Ku-ring-gai + Bush around Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre, NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM to retire, New Chief Executive to lead Sydney Metro: Camilla Drover, Newport Public School's 'The Wellbeing Engineers' a Game Changer Challenge 2026 Grand Finalist, Veteran and Family SPUR Engagement Day at St. Ives showground, Inspectorate Update: 88 Animals Seized from South-West Sydney Property + Cupcake Day 2026: for the Furry Darlings, Avalon Soccer Club Grand Finalists, Congratulations Johnson Bros Mitre 10 Mona Vale!, Veterans’ Community Grants NSW, RFS firefighters ready to battle at State Championships, Consultation now open on proposed NDIS access changes, Aboriginal Support Group Manly Warringah Pittwater September 2026 Meeting, NSW pharmacists to treat more conditions: ear infections, wound care & chronic illness, Northern Beaches Para Surfer BC: September event, Extension of Feedback for Draft LEP - DCP, Calling All Stallholders for Elanora Heights Village Christmas Market, Garigal National Park: 1080 Operation, Manly Warringah District Junior Rugby League Girls Tackle 2027 EOI, Closed areas: West Head Army Track closed for essential works, Monika's Doggie Rescue Pets of the Week: Candy + Arnie, Unauthorised Muppet Track closed, NDIS Reform: Have your say on support coordination and connection service, Wakehurst Parkway September 2026 Works Notification, Welcome to the new Nippers Season 26/27!, Pittwater Softball Club: Play Tee-ball or Softball this Summer, Get Ready Weekend 2026, SAREX Training Day at Whale Beach, Proposed public land at Seaforth, Pittwater Pitch Night, Works: Submarine Cable Installation Palm Beach, Celebrating 80 years of North Palm Beach SLSC, Marine Rescue Broken Bay Christmas Raffle, Discover Sailing Day Resources Now Available, SNB Surf Sports Calendar for 2026-2027, Defib funding returns for NSW clubs, Avalon Community Library Needs Volunteers, Pittwater Residents Associations, Sports, Environment and Social Groups, Pittwater Offshore Newsletter, Local JP's, + more
Environment Additional H5 bird flu events in NSW: One at Dee Why - a Greater Crested Tern + Worried your pet might catch bird flu? Here’s what you can do, Albanese Government's Broken plastics promise leaves councils and ratepayers carrying the cost, Hazard Reductions, Garigal + Ku-ring Gai National Park: 1080 Operation, Closed areas: West Head Army Track closed for essential works, Safety alerts: America Bay walking track - condition alert, Unauthorised Muppet Track closed, Mozzies are causing Buruli ulcers in more parts of Australia. Here’s what you need to know, Unlocking faster and simpler assessments and approvals through environmental law reforms: have your say, Largest CBD Solar Farm in Southern Hemisphere coming to ICC Sydney, Six in the city: Secret sounds at the Sydney Opera House reveal some unexpected residents, IPART Review of the water pricing framework for NSW data centres: Have your say on terms of reference, Proposed classification of proposed public land at Seaforth, Revamped lookout to deliver panoramic views across Western Sydney, Public comment opens on industrial port and dredging proposal threatening Exmouth Gulf-Ningaloo, Get Ready Weekend 2026, Flying-fox Census, Katandra Bushland Sanctuary Season 2026, Sydney Spring Garden Competition, Stony Range Spring Festival 2026: September 13, PNHA Activities 2026, Coming up at Kimbriki, National Parks protect Southern Right Whales with new ‘stay away’ distance of up to 500 metres, We’re not protecting our oceans as well as we think: new research, How Indigenous Protected Areas became a vital way to protect nature in Australia, As global heating heads to 1.8C, is it time to consider the ‘Voldemort’ of climate policy?, Did the government back down on its gas reservation policy?, Gas from the Beetaloo Basin will only pour fuel on the climate change fire, A court will decide the future of Yuraygir’s feral horses. That matters for native plants and animals, Liquid gold: could we turn our pee into fertiliser?, Farmers can now produce more of their own energy than ever, Tiny backpacks reveal the secret migrations of small songbirds, Saltwater flooding could radically change which crops are worth growing, How the ‘first bird’ leapt into the sky and soared above the dinosaurs, Mona Vale Dunes bushcare group: 2026, Bangalley Headland WPA 2026, Sydney Wildlife Needs People for the Rescue Line, 2025-26 Seal Reveal underway, 622kg of Rubbish Collected from Beaches: Adopt your local beach program, This Tick Season: Freeze it - don't squeeze it, Protect wildlife: dispose of fishing gear responsibly, Notice of 1080 Poison Baiting, Volunteers for Barrenjoey Lighthouse Tours needed, Johnson Brothers Mitre 10 Recycling Batteries: at Mona Vale + Avalon Beach, Reporting Dogs Offleash - Dog Attacks to Council, Plastic Bread Ties For Wheelchairs, Stay Safe From Mosquitoes, Mountain Bike Incidents On Public Land, Report fox sightings, marine wildlife rescue group on the Central Coast, Possums In Your Roof?: do the right thing, Aviaries + Possum Release Sites Needed, Bushcare in Pittwater: where + when, Friends Of Narrabeen Lagoon Catchment Activities, Pittwater Gardens, Environment Groups and Organisations in Pittwater, Ringtail Posses, Pittwater Environment History insights + Walks, Birds +
Children Sunday Cartoon and Animations This week: Courage, Newport Public School's 'The Wellbeing Engineers' a Game Changer Challenge 2026 Grand Finalist, Avalon Soccer Club Grand Finalists, Rip Curl GromSearch Final Heads to Narrabeen: runs November 7-10, Spring Clouds, Aerial Cattle Mustering in the Katherine Region (1973), Pittwater Softball Club: Play Tee-ball or Softball this Summer, Avalon Bulldogs Summer Touch Comp. 2026, OptiChicks at RPAYC, Avalon Public School 75th Birthday School Fete, 2026 Premier's Reading Challenge, Curious Kids: Why does English have so many different spelling rules? + Where do rocks come from? + How was the ocean formed? Where did all the water come from? + How do we get allergic to food? + Why do we have a QWERTY keyboard instead of putting the letters in alphabetical order?, Stories this week: Who is Boo? + 'Petey Perfectpants and the Silly Sock Puppet Problem', Activities and clubs for you
Youth Rip Curl GromSearch International Final Heads to Narrabeen: runs November 7-10, Kobi Clements film 'Unwritten' premieres at Brookvale Friday October 2nd, Creatives make movie magic for Young Filmmakers Comp., Newport Public School's 'The Wellbeing Engineers' a Game Changer Challenge 2026 Grand Finalist, Avalon Soccer Club Grand Finalists, Spring Clouds, Aerial Cattle Mustering in the Katherine Region (1973), Opportunities: Manly Warringah District Junior Rugby League Girls Tackle 2027 EOI + Mick Fanning, Surfing Legend, Sporting Hero, All Heart, in Conversation with Tom Carroll at Warriewood Oct. 1 + 2027 Visual Arts Fellowship (Emerging) + Try Surf Boat Rowing + Newport Boardriders + OptiChicks at RPAYC 2026 + Nature Writing Prize 2026 + 80 years of North Palmy SLSC!! + Pittwater Softball Club: Play Tee-ball or Softball this Summer + 2026 Premier's Reading Challenge, Financial help for young people, School Leavers Support, Word Of The Week: Atavism, Reform wasn’t meant to be easy. Here’s how the battles for Medicare and child support defeated vested interests, What the backlash to the Industrial Revolution can teach us about handcrafts in the age of AI, Needling for change: the surprisingly political history of knitting, Gondwana really was a supercontinent. And it helped kick‑start life on Earth, New fossils show Tasmanian devils lived with people in outback Western Australia 45,000 years ago, ‘Decorating the heavens’: a new Leonard French window sheds light on his masterpiece, The NFL sold out its Australia game in 30 minutes – but will the sport make its mark Down Under?, The Margaret Preston retrospective at the National Gallery of Victoria is a revelation, Groups and Activities and Supports for you ++
Seniors Happy Birthday MM!, How to Turn Off AI on Google, Veteran and Family SPUR Engagement Day, Automated decision-making bill a welcome move but more safeguards are urgently needed: COTA, Charity Ceilidh for Cancer Research, Pittwater/Narrabeen Parkinson's Support Group 2026 Meetings, Call for new members for National Aged Care Advisory Council, Nature Writing Prize 2026, How studying astronauts could help tackle ageing on Earth, AvPals Term 3 2026 Schedule, Blanche d'Alpuget leaves a lasting imprint on Australian literature – and politics, Drunk online shopping is big business – but who is responsible?, The Prime Minister’s Literary Award winners include a collective Yolŋu novel – and a murder trial, MWP Care Seeking Volunteers, Pittwater Probus, Local groups, clubs, events, services for you
DIY Ideas Spring 2026: Time to Help your Garden Grow - your 'how to' list for soil care, mulching, tool care and what to plant now
With the earth starting to turn from its Winter coolness to Spring warmness, now is the time to spend a few hours feeding soil, freshening up mulch and planting out what you'd like to smell, see and eat later this year.
Inbox News The Netherlands forced Meta to let users ditch algorithmic feeds. Here’s what happened, Proposed laws would let you opt out of social media algorithms. An expert explains, Australia’s social media ban has an enforcement problem. These new laws aim to fix it, Childhood sleep apnoea: when snoring is more than a noisy night, Woollahra housing transformation: 9,400 new homes + Government’s luxury high-rise plans won’t solve the housing crisis: Woollahra Municipal Council, Why do I crash at 3pm? The science behind the ‘afternoon slump’, Eating a handful of nuts each day is linked with lower risk of high blood pressure, Scams and governance failures dominate misconduct report: ASIC, Thousands of construction workers to get free qualifications under new national program, New NSW laws to further target organised criminals to be introduced, Pilot to strengthen the health and wellbeing of new dads, Australia has a housing shortage. So why are Bathla and other home builders collapsing?, Government must be more transparent about who gets community grants – and why, Does ‘R U OK? Day’ actually improve people’s mental health?, Feeling angry? Don’t blow off steam. Try these tips instead
Pictures Avalon Beach Historical Society's Spring 2026 Meeting Celebrates Brewarrina Children's Visit to Avalon Beach in 1971 by Geoff Searl OAM and John Stone
Aquatics Australia Solidifies Rankings Lead in 2026 Surf City El Salvador ISA World Junior Surfing Championship
Food Spring Salad Ideas
If you crave the fresh light stuff here are a few inspirations for your Spring table - all using now in Season vegetables and fruits which means they're not only high quality ingredients but also at seasonal prices - cheap!:
Turimetta Beach, south end, sunrise Friday September 11 2026
North Narrabeen headland, reflected
Middle Creek boatshed just after sunrise - Wednesday September 9 2026
Middle Creek - kayakers training at sunrise, Wednesday September 9 2026
Blooming now - Flannel Flowers, Palm Beach. Photo: A J Guesdon