User Profile

Tareyn Varley

Tareyn Varley is a local journalist transitioning to a career as a librarian. She’s passionate about uncovering the stories of unsung community members – people whose hard work often goes unnoticed but deserves recognition.

Arts & culture

From IPAC stage to festival page, Pip Williams set to entertain Illawarra readers

Wollongong is having something of a Pip Williams moment, with her bestselling novel The Dictionary of Lost Words hitting the stage just weeks before she headlines the local writers festival. The excitement began building on May 12, when hundreds...

Tareyn Varley

May 2025

Arts & culture

Thirroul Art Show draws artists and visitors to Seaside Festival

Usually, if David Manks is about to win at Thirroul’s art show, the organisers give him a quiet heads-up to make sure he’ll be there on the night. But last year, the phone never rang – so he assumed it just wasn’t his year. Then, as he stood...

Tareyn Varley

May 2025

Arts & culture

Can local action change the world? Find out at Sydney Writers’ Festival: Live & Local

After more than 200 millimetres of rain fell on the Illawarra in just a few hours last April, locals rolled up their sleeves and did what they do best in a crisis. They turned up at the hardest-hit homes with mops and shovels, asking where to start...

Tareyn Varley

May 2025

Arts & culture

Playwright dishes up David Walliams’ original Ratburger, with extra puppets and dancing

Get your David Walliams fans ready – Ratburger is scuttling onto the Wollongong stage these autumn school holidays. Australian playwright Maryam Master has brought the best-selling book to life, promising a version that’s every bit as...

Tareyn Varley

April 2025

News

Newer, safer tools than shark nets

The NSW Government may have removed its shark nets early this year, but it’s still refusing to commit to scrapping them permanently – even after its own expert panel found no solid evidence they actually work. A new report from the state’s...

Tareyn Varley

April 2025

Science & Nature

How volunteering at Bushcare led to a career in regeneration

Spending time in the bush has given Daniel Pritchard more than just a way to help the environment – it’s given him a real sense of purpose. Whether he’s pulling weeds or planting trees, the work is hands-on and deeply satisfying. “The world...

Tareyn Varley

April 2025

News

Meet Jan Arone, winner of the Dunecare Golden Trowel at Puckeys Bushcare

Most mornings, Jan Arone walks from Fairy Meadow Beach to the lighthouse, stopping for a coffee before heading back – a 6km round trip that keeps the energetic 85-year-old moving. But Thursdays are different. That’s when she leads the Bushcare...

Tareyn Varley

March 2025