What a weekend. What a community.
This year’s Heaven Can Wait event has once again shown what can happen when people come together with purpose and heart.
After costs, the organising team are proud to report that over $80,000 was raised. From that total, $5,000 will be donated to Marine Rescue, recognising the vital role it plays in keeping our waterways safe.
A remarkable $75,000 will go to the Cancer Council, supporting the Home Help Program, providing practical assistance to people undergoing cancer treatment. Real help. When it’s needed most.
On the water, 57 boats took part in the races, creating a spectacular sight and a strong show of support for the cause.
To everyone who sailed, volunteered, donated, organised, BBQd, cheered and supported, thank you.
Heaven Can Wait continues to prove that community spirit is alive and well on our lake.
One of Lake Macquarie’s most loved charity events is back on the water in February 2026. The Heaven Can Wait Charity Sailing Regatta celebrates its 20th year, bringing together sailors, supporters and the wider community to raise funds for people living with cancer.
The regatta runs from 5–8 February 2026, hosted by the Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto, with races spanning the length and breadth of beautiful Lake Macquarie. From short, sharp dashes to endurance events (12 and 24 hour races), there’s something for everyone who loves sailing, or simply loves seeing sails on the lake.These events are open to yachts, multihulls and trailer sailers, creating a vibrant mix of vessels and crews on the water.
Once again, the Toronto Sunrise Rotary Club is a Major Sponsor, continuing their long-standing support of this important community fundraiser.
The Heaven Can Wait Regatta was founded by local Lake Macquarie resident, keen sailor and cancer survivor Shaun Lewicki. What began as a way to promote sailing and our region has grown into a major annual fundraiser for the Cancer Council Hunter Branch Home Help Program.
This program provides practical, in-home support for people who are terminally ill or recovering from cancer, helping with everyday tasks at a time when it matters most. Each year, more than 200 patients receive assistance thanks to funds raised through Heaven Can Wait.A small portion of funds raised also supports Lake Macquarie Marine Rescue, who provide on-water safety and rescue services during the regatta.
Since its inception, the event has raised over $700,000, with all entry fees and additional “virtual” fundraising by participating boats going directly to the charities.
You don’t need a boat to be part of this event. There are three easy ways the wider community can get involved. https://www.rmyctoronto.com.au/heaven-can-wait.
Buy a raffle ticket! Over $8,000 worth of prizes, including artwork, houseboat holidays, wine packages, joy flights, two-night marina berths, tote bags, meat trays and banquet vouchers. Tickets are here, and QR code.
Attend the fundraising dinner. The fundraising dinner is on Friday 6 February 2026 at the Royal Yacht Club of Toronto. Fewer than 20 tickets remain, book now.
Grab a family BBQ Brekky on the lawn at the RMYC and watch the Paul Bennett Airshow from the Club, 10-10:30am Saturday 7 February
This is a true Lake Macquarie success story, built on community spirit, volunteering and generosity. Whether you buy a raffle ticket, attend the dinner, the family brekky or cheer from the shore, every contribution helps make life a little easier for local people doing it tough.
Heaven really can wait, but support is needed now.
Welcome to all the new residents in our area celebrating your first Christmas in our community. We all think our community is great, here are some of the reasons why we love to live where we do.
Seaworthy Santa
For several generations there’s been a tradition of Santa cruising the western Lake foreshores on Christmas Eve, heralding in the festive season, singing carols, and spreading cheer, in the form of lolly bags, to children who flock to the foreshore reserves to give the big guy a wave and a yo-ho-ho.
Back in the day the Wangi Queen was Santa’s boat-de-jour, but with ‘The Queen’ retiring a few years ago the Toronto Sunrise Rotary Club took up the Santa sack and have continued the local tradition with local boats.
If you feel like joining in the festivities you can join the flotilla from Bolton Point at 4.30 pm or bring the family to one of the local jetties listed below to enjoy this wonderful community tradition. This year will be a little different, alas no lollies, spreading cheer not COVID was the priority.
- Bolton Point- 4:30 pm
- Toronto 5:00 pm
- Kilaben Bay 6:15 pm
- Rathmines 6:45 pm
- Wangi Workers Club 7:15 pm
Waterfront Walking
Another long-time and strong tradition in our community has been the ability for locals to walk along the foreshore as a mode of recreation. Without safe pedestrian paths in our community, the relatively flat foreshore has always been a walking option. Whilst acknowledging that there are absolute waterfront properties in our community with boundaries extending to the high water mark, the neighbourly notion that it was OK to walk past was greatly appreciated and part of keeping the community connected.
Backyard Buddies
Enjoying our bigger bushland backyard and the abundant bird and wildlife is another peculiarity of the Coal Point Peninsula. The sunrise cacophony and sunset chorus of the kookaburra is something special that our suburbs still have. We have large remnant trees with the capacity for kookaburras to make their nests in. The midnight meditative hoots of the migratory koels can be heard above the bark-a-lot dogs, punctuating the day and night, a sound to treasure. Our bushland provides not only a corridor for birds to move through but food and shelter for the wildlife. Responsible pet ownership is key to keeping these places safe for our community-pets-without-borders, our ‘backyard buddies’. https://backyardbuddies.org.au
The Chronicle
The Chronicle has been gracing the letterboxes of the CPPA community since January 1980, with 317 editions circulated to date. The newsletter is wholly produced and distributed by volunteers with sponsorship of spaces covering the printing costs. It takes 3-4 days each month to write, collate and edit the content, lay it out for printing, put it online and distribute into 2300 letter boxes in Coal Point, Carey Bay, Kilaben Bay and Toronto areas.
The demise of the local newspapers in the past year has meant that The Chronicle was one of the few hard copy information sources available with a perspective on the local issues of importance. The protection of the Toronto Foreshore, local sustainability initiatives, development applications, a multitude of Council’s plans and strategies as well neighbours noticing nature, landcare activities and insights on our local flora and fauna regularly grace the space on the yellow pages.
You can also view the Chronicle online - https://coalpointprogress.blogspot.com
or subscribe to receive an email each month with The Chronicle articles, coalpointprogress@gmail.com.
Heaven Can Wait (HCW) Charity Regatta (5-6 Feb)
The HCW Charity Regatta was conceived and inaugurated by Lake Macquarie resident, keen sailor and cancer survivor Shaun Lewicki as a major annual sailing event on the lake to promote sailing and to raise funds for cancer research – particularly men’s cancers. As the survival rates from cancer have improved, so have the needs of the Hunter Branch of Cancer Council NSW, and the funds raised from this regatta are now directed to the Home Help Program. This program provides domestic assistance to both recovering and terminal cancer patients who, because of their illness, are unable to perform many of the domestic duties they would normally do.
In the 15 years that this event has been run, it has raised some $470,000 in support of the charities and it’s expected to be well over the $500,000 after the 2022 event.
The 16th HCW Charity Sailing Regatta will be run over the weekend of February 5 and 6.
The Charity Dinner will again be held on the preceding Friday - February 4th, at the Royal Motor Yacht Club Toronto.
Race Entry and information can be found on the RMYC website - https://www.rmyctoronto.com.au/heaven-can-wait
CPPA Membership Renewal is underway
Membership to the Coal Point Progress Association aligns with the calendar year. Shortly all existing members will be given an update about their membership status, whether they need to renew or how long their multi-year membership has left to run.
If you’re not a member and would like to join, a membership form is available on the website or by emailing cppa.membership@gmail.com.
The 15th year of the Heaven Can Wait Charity Sailing Regatta (HCW) raised $38,000, bringing the total raised so far to $470k and set the goal of $500k for 2022. The event is the centrepiece of Lakefest – a celebration of aquatic and land-based activities on and around Lake Macquarie and hosted by the Toronto Royal Motor Yacht Club.
Regatta Director and Vice Commodore of the RMYC– Mel Steiner said “The money raised is primarily for the Hunter Branch of Cancer Council NSW and their Home Help Program – a program that supports recovering and terminal cancer patients who are unable to perform their domestic duties because of their condition. The regatta also raises money for Lake Macquarie Marine Rescue who provide on water support during the running of the regatta.”
The regatta not only brings boats from local ports – Newcastle to Sydney, but as far away as Queensland and Victoria and is a key activity that supports the council’s objective of activating the Toronto Foreshore. Image S Pritchard.
