Wairewa residents, Karren Scott and Vaughan Hibbs, celebrated Christmas and the New Year in their new home.The couple was burnt out in the Black Summer Bushfires after the blaze, which had been burning for weeks, finally arrived in the Wairewa Valley on the night of December 30.Eleven homes were destroyed in Wairewa after the fire skipped across the valley, randomly selecting its targets.Ms...

Lakes Entrance Police have expressed their disappointment at the behavior of New Year’ s Eve revellers who overstepped the line as 2020 came to a close.Police were forced to use OC foam (pepper spray) on a group of six people who were engaged in a brawl in Myer Street at about 10.30pm.The group, who comprised a mixture of locals and out-of-towners, were aged in their late teens and early...

A COVID-19 crisis has engulfed Lakes Entrance.The town’s busiest trade season has been thrown into more chaos 12 months on from last year’s bushfires after two COVID-positive people attended numerous venues and businesses over two days on December 29 and 30.The positive cases were travelling through to New South Wales, where they were tested and received their results. They are linked to an...

Lakes Entrance police are expecting large crowds to swarm on the streets and foreshore for tonight’s New Year’s Eve celebrations.While no fireworks are planned, as has been the case for many years, the carnival will be operating and many families are expected to enjoy a picnic celebration on the beach and lawns.Restaurants are also anticipating a big night with most establishments already fully...

There is a wealth of history behind Peels Cruises in Lakes Entrance, but Barrie, Cheryl and James Peel have had to put celebrations on hold for their 100th birthday, which was on December 14.These have been uncertain times amid the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly with tourism, and it has been an extremely tough 12 months for the Peels.Even now the boats are operating with only 50 per cent...