Local News

LOUIS BURKE | Culture | CONTACT As the nationwide lockdown continues, around Australia have had to completely rethink their group chat content sharing habits. What used to be filled with photos of ice-cold schooners, and all sorts of other shit, the group chats are now inundated with photos of what they’re making for dinner. The Advocate reached out to a member from one of Betoota’s...

TRACEY BENDINGER | Culture | Contact A full and delusional Ava Martin has been found unconscious on her kitchen floor this afternoon after a housemate returned home to see a sprawled-out Ava surrounded by empty food wrappings and Bolognese stained bowls. Ava was rushed to Betoota Private Hospital where she had her stomach pumped and is believed to be in a stable condition on an...

It’s 3pm on a sunny Saturday afternoon in Betoota Ponds, yet hungover local hair and beauty expert, Josie Ross, is lying on her food covered couch with the curtains and blinds drawn.   Ross’s situation came to the attention of The Advocate after her smart watch triggered a 000 call – a new function that has been built in to help...

FRANKIE DeGROOT | News | CONTACT With millions of school students stuck at home hogging the big tv and eating all the snacks, one industry is experiencing explosive growth. Unsurprisingly, it’s the medical industry, although the sheer number of new medical research centres is beyond anything Australia has seen before, with over 2 million Research Centres opening in the past week alone, mostly in suburban...

LOUIS BURKE | Culture | CONTACT For the people fortunate enough to have an essential office job that allows them to work from home, this weekend marks two weeks of making home office jokes on social media.  A learning experience for many, there have been several reports of cautionary tales regarding the rationing of porn breaks and double-checking you’re on mute before actually telling everyone...

FRANKIE DeGROOT | News | CONTACT As Facebook stays full of spicy cough memes and graphs, one thing is conspicuously absent - anti-vaxxer memes from that auntie that sometimes shows up at family barbecues, trying to talk about stupid shit like chemtrails and the high-speed rail bushfire conspiracy. “We do tolerate her, she’s ok until you get her talking” said nephew Boris, 29. "She must have...

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT The rapid technological advancements of Australia's internet illiterates continues today, as one local dad appears to have stumbled across YouTube. Betoota Heights man, Todd Hogg (55) hasn't spent much time on his arse over the last couple decades, but the current coronavirus pandemic means he must now find a way to occupy himself outside of work, sport and 'going...

WENDELL HUSSEY | Cadet | CONTACT Finally, after nearly 2 years of putting it off, Anika Chougule has bitten the bullet today and cancelled her gym membership. Signing up in a post-breakup whirlwind a couple of years ago, the young city worker from Betoota Heights admitted to The Advocate today that she hasn't exactly gotten bang for her buck. "I did sign up with the...

FRANKIE DeGROOT | News | CONTACT As Australian residents deal with the new reality of lockdowns and cancelled social events, a new incentive to quickly find and implement a cure has emerged; the looming threat the virus poses to Christmas in July celebrations. According to early reports, many Christmas in Julys have been moved to the end of the year; in most cases to the popular late December period...

TRACEY BENDINGER | Culture | Contact While many Australians are throwing their toys out of the cot about having to stay inside to stop the spread of a pandemic, one local optimist is bucking the trend and actually says she’s stoked for the lock-in laws. Chantell Vanzime (27) explained to The Advocate via Zoom that she couldn’t be happier that the isolation laws have come...