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We've trawled our websites across Australia to bring you a curated list of the most uplifting stories in the ACM network. Enjoy this one minute and 30 second respite from real life.
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It's been the best ski season in years but for half of NSW getting there is unthinkable with the COVID restrictions.
So, if you need your snow fix, our video journalist Emma Horn has created the above video just for you.
Enjoy.
Lost a job? Doing it tough? Or just need a caffeine hit?
A hot drink on a freezing winter morning might just make your day.
That's what the Detention River Store staff were hoping when they set up a pay-it-forward system for coffees.
"Carmel Allen had the brainwave while she was working here," Detention River Store employee Bec Johnston said.
"We all wanted to do something last year when COVID started ... a lot of us here are empaths."
Ms Johnston said customers could come in, pay for an extra coffee and then leave a little note on a board.
"They're colour coded for different sizes," she said.
"There's one here that says ' a coffee for a Queenslander', here's one that's for a hard-working truckie."
A whale and her calf resting off the Thirroul coastline provided an excuse for plenty of people to take a beachside stroll on Tuesday morning.
The mother and child - which have been identified as Southern Right whales - were spotted resting offshore and sometimes coming as close as 80 metres to the shore.
Go on, take a moment to watch the video and get your zen back.
Guy Sebastian's 'Open Parachutes' mental health program has been helping pupils in schools in Western NSW.
The Australian singer runs the program through his own charitable organisation, the Sebastian Foundation, and offered it to local schools free of charge. He reached out to Member for Murray Helen Dalton back in May following a string of teenage deaths in the region.
The programme includes custom documentaries to inspire students to engage in honest dialogue about their own wellbeing and covers issues like bullying, body image, grief, anxiety and depression.
Read more about Open Parachutes on the Area News.
A Country Women's Association is cheering up residents by wrapping tress in cosy and colourful winter warmers.
The group of women have even recruited the local school to make pom poms in an effort to bring joy to residents during lockdown.
The yarn-bombing spectacle in Moss Vale aims to bring a pop of colour into lives.
To see some more photographs of their work check out the Southern Highland News.
Happy Birthday to Doug Hinchcliff who just turned 100.
Living in St Georges Basin, Doug celebrated the special milestone on Wednesday, July 21, with a beer in hand in a flash stein marked '100', joined by his family and friends at the local country club
Our reporter was pretty impressive that Doug still has his drivers licence.
"Haven't been stopped by police yet, and I haven't been to jail," Doug joked.
All the best Doug.
The action may have already started but tonight is the "official" start of the Tokyo Olympics.
Already footballers and softballers have strutted their stuff, tonight it's all about the Olympic Opening Ceremony tonight.
For those in AEST time zones, the ceremony will begin at 9pm, while those in the west can watch it from 7pm.
And by the looks of the Tokyo weather, with Typhoon In-fa crossing Japan's Miyako Islands, your couch might be the safest bet. Then - let the action begin ...
Gayle Tomlinson
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury. Scottish but fell in love with Dharawal Land. Send us your feedback and questions. Subscribe so we can continue to speak up for the Illawarra.
Editor of the Illawarra Mercury. Scottish but fell in love with Dharawal Land. Send us your feedback and questions. Subscribe so we can continue to speak up for the Illawarra.
