Samuel O'Brien

4 weeks ago | abc.net.au | Caroline Horn |Eugene Boisvert |Samuel O'Brien |Kathryn Bermingham

Ocean temperatures off South Australia's coast have dropped following storms this week, sparking hopes the toxic algal bloom will soon end. Offshore buoys looked after by Flinders University, which measure sea surface temperature, show it has dipped below 16 degrees Celsius at Robe for the first time in about two months. Ocean temperatures have also dropped near Adelaide and Victor Harbor. A buoy at West Beach recorded sea surface temperatures of 15.38C yesterday after reaching 16.56C on Sunday.

1 month ago | abc.net.au | Josh Brine |Sandra Morello |Samuel O'Brien

Emergency services have rescued a man from the bottom of a 30-metre deep sinkhole in the centre of Mount Gambier, in South Australia's south east. Police, State Emergency Service and Metropolitan Fire Service crews attended the Cave Garden about 8:45am, following reports the man had fallen in and was stuck at the base. Crews used a ladder, drone and specialised equipment to rescue the man, which took about two hours.

Mar 12, 2025 | abc.net.au | Conor Burke |Samuel O'Brien

Sarah Eccles-Smith suffered an electric shock inside her house when lightning struck her home as she flicked a light switch. About 46,000 lightning strikes hit South Australia during storms on Monday, mainly in the state's south-east. Ms Eccles-Smith returned to work the next day, is feeling only minimal lingering effects. A South Australian woman thought she was going to die when electricity from a lightning bolt travelled through power lines to her house and then to her arm.

Dec 12, 2024 | abc.net.au | Josh Brine |Samuel O'Brien

Growers say more people are buying cut or potted Christmas trees than a few years ago. Perceived sustainability and lower costs in some areas are contributing to the trend. Used trees can be cut up and used as mulch. For seven-year-old Teddy, picking out his family's Christmas tree is one of the most exciting parts of preparation for the big day. "Getting a Christmas tree means you're just getting into the Christmas feel," he said.

Oct 4, 2024 | abc.net.au | Conor Burke |Samuel O'Brien |Josh Brine

Sweet-toothed shoppers are being warned to expect a rise in chocolate prices heading into the new year due to an ongoing cocoa crisis. The price of cocoa reached an all-time high in April with a recent report by Rabobank predicting the increased costs will be passed on to consumers by early 2025. Rhiannon Druce, whose family runs an organic chocolate factory in Junee, NSW, said the industry has been bracing for the impacts of the crisis.