The South Coast Brekkie Wrap | Tuesday, April 4, 2017

8.30am: That's a wrap for this morning. Remember to check in on your local paper's website for breaking news throughout the day.

8.25am: Plans for the proposed Berry to Bomaderry upgrade of the Princes Highway have been released by Roads and Maritime Services. See the video.

8.10am: Here’s a little morning cuteness to put a smile on your dial.

8.00am: “Get stuffed everyone who thinks women aren’t good enough,” Michelle Payne’s farmous words after winning the Melbourne Cup. 

Ms Payne didn’t lead the way for female jockeys as such, but she did make the world stand up and take note, becoming the first woman in history to win the race that stops the nation. Full story.

7.50am: It’s been a wet and soggy time of late.

While far removed from the cyclone destruction and extensive flooding to the north, Bega still copped more than its usual share of rain during March.

Figures from the Bureau of Meteorology show Bega’s main observation post recorded 166.4mm of rain for the month. That’s more than double the long-term average of 70.2mm. Full story.

7.40am: Dan Hatton has seen first-hand how tough life is for many children living in third world villages.

That’s why he takes great delight in doing whatever he can to raise funds to bring as many children out of poverty as possible. Full story.

7.30am: Merimbula photographer Sam Nerrie is celebrating her latest foray into international award recognition.

Ms Nerrie was shortlisted as a nominee in the recent 10th annual International Color Awards in four different categories. Full story.

For those hitting the road this morning we’ve got a clear run so far. Good news for train commuters, there are no delays on the South Coast line.

Need a national news snapshot first thing - well, we have you covered.

► ILLAWARRA: A woman has been hospitalised with a suspected neck injury after her car was caught out at one of the Illawarra’s most dangerous right-hand turns.  Full story.

► PORT MACQUARIE: IF Aaron Ison had his time over again he admits would have done things differently.

The former Wauchope Blues captain-coach is currently in the middle of a two-year ban slapped on him from the Country Rugby League. Full story.

► SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS:  Throughout the month of June the shire will be known as the Southern Pie-lands. 

The Southern Highlands become the go-to destination for the perfect meat pie when Pie Time was launched on Monday, April 3. Full story. 

►TASMANIA: The Mountain Bike Enduro World Series has landed in Tasmania. Rolling coverage.

►KATHERINE: KATHERINE’s water supply breaches national health safety guidelines during certain times of the year.

The Federal Government has dropped the health limits for the chemicals which have already been found in the town’s water and bores surrounding the Tindal RAAF Base. Full story.

►BALLARAT:  Ballarat manufacturing company MaxiTRANS has landed a mammoth $60 million contract to build 395 trailers for Coles, generating more than 100 jobs in the process. Full story.

► A fraudster who stole a doctor's identity and credentials before working undetected for more than a decade in the NSW health system has been fined $30,000. Full story.

►A renowned Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist and entrepreneur, who is considered the father of microfinance, has warned that growing inequality is a "ticking time-bomb" that will "explode" the political system if it is not addressed, arguing the amount of wealth locked up with the wealthiest in society is not tenable. Full story. 

►Conservative Liberal senator Eric Abetz has slammed the country's top business leaders over a fresh push on same-sex marriage, saying Australians were "fed up" with political correctness being placed above services. Full story.

►Tony Abbott's face might be one of the most recognisable in Australia, but sculptor Linda Klarfeld found herself caught off guard after sitting with the former prime minister for more than an hour. Full story.

►LONDON: Downing Street has explicitly ruled out that Brexit Britain will go to war with Spain over Gibraltar - an extraordinary step made necessary after it backed a former Conservative party leader's sabre-rattling comments over Britain's big Mediterranean rock. Full story.

►CAMBODIA: Cambodia's strongman leader, Hun Sen, has approved a strategy to allow surrogacy-born babies with Australian biological parents to leave the capital, Phnom Penh. Full story.

►WASHINGTON:  After years of being kept at arm's length by Washington, this White House is signalling that Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is being brought in from the cold. Full story.

1973 - In New York, the original World Trade Center twin towers opened. At the time they were the tallest building in the world. 

1974 - Hank Aaron tied Babe Ruth's major league baseball home-run record with 714. 

1983 - At Cape Canaveral, the space shuttle Challenger took off on its first flight. It was the sixth flight overall for the shuttle program. 

1984 - U.S. President Reagan proposed an international ban on chemical weapons. 

1987 - The U.S. charged the Soviet Union with wiretapping a U.S. Embassy. 

1994 - Netscape Communications (Mosaic Communications) was founded. 

Where most people see only junk destined for the dump, Wally Lamont sees the makings of his masterpieces.

The Rankins Springs artist has made a name for himself after a number of years of dragging scraps from wherever they have come to rest and breathing new life into them.

The resulting Wally’s Junk Art Gallery is a hidden treasure trove off the Mid Western Highway, with sculptures ranging from the cast of Wally’s beloved Dr Who to country icons like Ned Kelly and the Carrathool Shire Mayor. Read all about it.