Robert Fletcher knew there was something special about Hephner the alpaca when they were introduced to each other by a breeder almost a decade ago.

Fletcher was looking for a male alpaca to balance out the mostly female herd at his farm in Goulburn in 2016 when the two formed an unlikely bond.

Little did he know the philanthropic waves Hephner would make across Australia.

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"I think it's his temperament, he's totally unflappable," he says of Hephner. 

Hephner and Fletcher have been visiting nursing homes for the last nine years, most recently the pair have been attending Clare Holland House to comfort patients in palliative care.

"The fact that I take Hephner with me, engaging with people is quite easy, just taking an alpaca for a walk up the main street gives me an opening to tell people why I do what I do," Fletcher said.

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"We do nursing homes, we travel around a lot schools as well we get a lot of messages from people asking us to come visit."

Hephner has made appearances on TV, including Bondi Rescue, toured pubs around NSW and Queensland, and has embarked on fundraising trails across the country to raise money for mental health.

One of his most recent endeavours involved embarking on a tour of Tasmania to raise funds for Dolly's Dream – a charity committed to supporting young people affected by bullying.

"We took him on the boat to Tasmania and did two weeks travelling, raising awareness and raising money for mental health," Fletcher said.

"We try to pick a charity each year, then we go on a bit of a road trip."

Hephner has also brushed shoulders with Australian celebrities such as Jimmy Barnes and John Waters, as well as current and former MPs Jacqui Lambie and Christopher Pyne.

And, when April rolls around each year, Hephner is inundated with messages from fans asking if he'll make an appearance at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.

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But it was his interaction with the King during Charles' royal tour of Australia that captured hearts around the nation.

During King Charles' royal engagement at Circular Quay, Hephner found himself face to face with the monarch when he let out a sneeze.

The moment attracted media attention across the world, but Fletcher said the meeting almost never happened.

"My goal was to take a photo from behind with Hephner looking at King Charles," Fletcher explained.

"I never expected him to get as close as he actually did.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DCWStBOB0uT/

"They weren't even going to let us in to start with, I think they changed their mind when they realised how calm he was.

"We lined at a spot close to the fence, then a woman came down and said we'd get a better place at the top. So we stood at the fence and that was it."

In the lead-up to the festive season, Fletcher and Hephner's schedule hasn't slowed down, with the pair making appearances at Christmas parties at nursing homes and schools for children with special needs.

The pair are also hosting their annual Christmas photos at Fletcher's farm, Fletchers Ark in Goulburn. 

"(Hephner's) done weddings in the Opera House, weddings in Sydney, birthdays in Sydney," Fletcher said.

"My wife often makes a comment where if I'm working and she's to take him to a nursing home, she'll comment he doesn't behave the way he behaves for me.

"But certainly like any animal, if you spend enough time with them, you build a bond with them."

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Indie filmmaker Jeff Baena, who was married to his frequent creative collaborator Aubrey Plaza, has died. He was 47.

Baena was found dead around 10:30 am local time Friday (January 3) at a Los Angeles home, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office.

The circumstances remained unclear on Saturday.

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The office said that it was investigating and a full report wouldn't be available until the case is closed.

A representative for Plaza responded to a request for comment with a link to a story about Baena's death on the entertainment industry news site Deadline.

Baena co-wrote David O. Russell's 2004 film I Heart Huckabees and wrote and directed five of his own films, mostly dark comedies.

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Plaza starred in his directorial debut, the 2014 zombie comedy Life After Beth, and appeared in two of his other films: The Little Hours and Spin Me Round.

Plaza, 40, rose to fame playing April Ludgate on the television series Parks and Recreation and was nominated for an Emmy for her role on The White Lotus.

The couple married in 2021.

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An hour after Henry Kiss from the Portsea Surf Life Saving Club took to to social media to warn beachgoers of dangerous conditions to come, the worst was realised.

His team were alerted to an unresponsive swimmer at Gunnamatta Beach, one of Victoria's most dangerous stretches of coastline.

"Gunnamatta is a treacherous beach, it's very well known, it has large surf," Kane Treloar from Life Saving Victoria said.

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It's believed the man suffered a medical episode in the water and couldn't be revived.

His death set the tone for an incredibly busy day for rescue crews across Victoria's coastline.

A lone jet ski found off the coast of Safety Beach about 3pm also set off alarm bells.

A group of boaties waved down rescue crews after they found two boys – aged about 13 years old – struggling in the water.

One was unresponsive and bleeding from his head with a suspected spinal injury, after he was thrown from his jet ski in a collision.

The boy was rushed back to shore and met by a wall of beach towels as he was placed in a neck brace and airlifted to hospital.

In total there were 46 incidents across Victoria, including nine people pulled from a rip at Portsea, with another mass rescue at Jan Juc.

A 19-year-old was also pulled from waters at Brighton Beach.

"It just emphasises that when you are going out to the beach, it doesn't matter how dangerous it is, make sure you are looking for those red and yellow flags," Treloar reminded swimmers.

But many chose not to head the warnings.

Mount Martha, looked more like a Europen postcard, while a spot on the sand was the hottest real estate at Blairgowie and Sorrento.

Inland, firefighters braced for a different kind of extreme.

"Because it is so dry across the landscape in Victoria – particularly the west and southwestern parts of the state – it actually doesn't take much for a fire to start, take hold, and then spread," Jason Heffernan, Chief Officer from Country Fire Authority (CFA) said.

The fire in the Grampians has burnt through 46,000 hectares.

It's contained but even today in Arart, residents were forced to put out spot fires at Green Hill Lake.

The extreme heat is being fanned by a wind change.

"The cold front as it approaches is dragging that heat down from the northern parts of Australia," Miriam Bradbury from the Bureau of Meteorology told 9News.

The heat has also prompted a warning to pet owners, from the Lost Dogs Home.

"If you can't leave your hand on the pavement for seven seconds without it burning, it's way too hot for the dogs," Temira Keat from Lost Dogs Home told 9News.

There is a heatwave warning current for parts of the state, including East Gippsland and West and South Gippsland Districts.

The hot weather is set to last into tomorrow, with authorities fearing the worst is yet to come.

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For many, it's an essential part of the morning routine, but your daily coffee fix could soon come at a steep cost. 

Industry experts warn that skyrocketing bean costs are putting pressure on cafes across the nation. 

"This is happening all around Australia. This is affecting every cafe," Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association chief executive Wes Lambert said.

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"Up to 30 per cent of businesses will feel heavy pressure by these increases, and we've heard about bean prices going up as much as 50 per cent," he said. 

"The supply chain to cafes and restaurants, including beans, is often affected by weather."

A single cup of coffee is predicted to cost from $8-$12 by the end of the year. 

Local businesses say they have no choice but to lift their prices. 

"We're not just greedy and trying to make more money," Little Gossip Cafe owner Fadi Sahan said.

"We've got to increase a little bit just to make it viable to stay open."

It's not just the price of beans and milk.

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Hidden costs like packaging, wages, rent and add-ons all contribute to the price of a quality cuppa. 

For those who can't give up their caffeine fix, your local service station can fuel the cravings without breaking the bank.

These days 7/11 are offering a large coffee for $3. Coles Express and Ampol have offerings for $3.50.

But cafe owners say that with them you're paying for more than just a drink.

"If you want to enjoy your favourite cafe and your favourite cup of joe, you may end up having to pay more," Lambert said.

And that's not the only simple pleasure that will go up in price this year.

Price of beer to increase too

The cost of alcohol is also set to soar with the six-monthly increase to the alcohol excise next month.

Independent brewers say the tax kick could push them over the brink.

"Many that are just on that edge of survival, will not be able to make it," Independent Brewers Association Chief Executive Kylie Lethbridge told 9News.

"If we continue to put off staff and we continue to close, then that tax revenue is lost anyway."

The tax is expected to rise between 2-3 per cent, pushing up the price of a pint at the pub to about $15.

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"They are the ones doing it really tough and it's spreading to families, communities."

The Coalition say they are open to considering cuts.

"All cost of living measures are on the table and up for review," Ley said.

"This is a general part of taxation law that's happened on both sides of government now for many years," Regional Development Minister Kristy McBain said.

The alcohol tax is a revenue stream that brings in millions of dollars for the government.

If changes were to be made, the question would be, what is cut instead.

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The family of Lance Appleby, who became victim to a suspected fatal shark in South Australia, say the pain they are feeling is indescribable.

Appleby was attacked by a shark at Granites beach, near Streaky Bay, just before 7pm on Thursday.

The 28-year-old was one of seven children, with the family calling Streaky Bay home for 25 years.

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Today, his brother Kenneth Appleby paid tribute online to the much-loved surfer.

"The pain we are feeling as a family is impossible to describe," he wrote.

"We are absolutely devastated, and there is a gaping hole in our hearts.

"The only solace we can find is knowing that Lance was doing what he loved with a beaming smile on his face.

"Forever young, forever surfing, forever loved."

As locals laid floral tributes at the beach, volunteers continued to scour the coastline on foot for signs of Appleby.

A number of small items have been located along the shoreline, which could be linked, but the search has been stopped for the evening and will resume at low tide tomorrow.

A witness, who did not want to be named, returned to the beach today and told 9News he saw the attack unfold.

"Someone said 'call an ambulance, he's been taken', then everything went off, horns, people screaming," he said.

"I saw thrashing. I just ran right across the rocks and that's when I saw him.

"There were older blokes wanting to go out and grab him and people had to stop them.

"He wasn't far out, it was only about one-metre deep water. He was in between two people, in the middle, and it just happened to take him."

The popular beach is normally heaving with people but remained closed today as the tight-knit community grieves for one of its own.

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An online fundraiser has reached almost $20,000 for the Appleby family, with the local mayor remembering the victim as very well liked in the community.

"You wouldn't find a person with a bad word to say about him, and a genuinely good bloke," Travis Barber said in a statement.

His former Football Club Marble Range described Appleby as having "a heart of gold, who always had a smile on his face, and adored within our community".

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Three men have been charged after a brutal brawl was captured on video in Adelaide last night.

Three men and some security guards were filmed clashing at the intersection of Moseley and Elizabeth Streets in Glenelg.

Onlookers appeared to step in to try to break up the violence about 7.50pm.

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"Let him go, let him go!" one person could be heard saying in the clip.

A person can be seen lying on the ground with bystanders helping him into the recovery position.

The fight continued for more than two minutes, even as men fell to the ground, multiple blows landing square on unprotected heads.

The chaos finally came to an end as police arrived.

Four others were taken to hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

The security guards work at the Colley Hotel. The bar told 9News the altercation was sparked by an unprovoked attack outside the venue.

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Just hours earlier SA Police had announced measures to stamp out anti-social behaviour by making Glenelg a "declared public precinct", giving police more power to search and even ban troublemakers.

Local workers are already eager to see the extra powers deter similar incidents.

"That was the worst one I've seen. Usually, it's just people yelling," local cafe worker Victoria Zanotto said.

Three men in their 20s were charged with assault and affray. Additionally, one of them, a 28-year-old from Morphett Vale, was also charged with property damage.

They were granted bail to appear in Adelaide Magistrates Court next month.

Four others were taken to hospital and treated for non-life threatening injuries.

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Police are searching for two armed men after a woman was robbed in Melbourne's south-east this morning.

The 29-year-old woman was walking through a shopping centre carpark on Autumn Place in Doveton at about 9am when a white Cabrio smart car stopped nearby.

A man got out of the passenger seat and demanded the woman's handbag.

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When she refused, there was a short scuffle before the men drove away with her handbag and phone.

Police said the driver held a gun out the car window as they drove away.

The Drouin woman was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

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The search for a missing fisherman off the NSW Illawarra coast was called off this afternoon due to choppy conditions.

Tony Andeliero, 60, a father, grandfather and experienced skipper remains lost at sea but his family are holding out hope with the search set to resume on Sunday. 

"He's been fishing his whole life. He's a very experienced fisherman," Andeliero's daughter Kayla told 9News.

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"They've got boats and helicopters and people walking up and down the shore."

Andeliero set off from the Port Kembla boat ramp yesterday morning.

Almost 12 hours later, his tinnie was found empty, 500 metres off Windang Island, triggering a multi-agency search.

Investigators are trying to work out exactly what time or how Andeliero went overboard. 

NSW Police Inspector Will Collins said there were no issues with the vessel itself, which has been seized by police. His car remains parked at Port Kembla.

The search yesterday continued until the early hours of the morning before it resumed again at 6am today. It was then called off this afternoon due to choppy conditions. 

"We don't know where he has left the vessel, where he has entered the water," Collins said.

"There were lifejackets located in the vessel, so there was safety equipment there, but we can't actually say if he was wearing a lifejacket."

The challenge is the vast size of the search area, crews are looking everywhere from Lake Illawarra to the shore and even further out to sea.

The search will resume tomorrow as Andeliero's family desperately hold hope.

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A police investigation has been launched after a Gold Coast racecourse was poisoned ahead of the Magic Millions carnival.

A section of the Bundall Turf Club racecourse was found discoloured and unfit for racing after parts of it were apparently poisoned.

Police were informed of the damage about 7pm yesterday ahead of one of its biggest meetings of the year.

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Police have begun investigating the damage, treating it as a case of willful damage.

Racehorses were moved to the Sunshine Coast at the final hour, so the event could still go ahead in some capacity.

The incident dampened the spirits of many punters who were looking forward to a day at the races.

Organisers offered refunds and opened the gates to the public in an effort to keep the party going.

Country music star Daryl Braithwaite was still expected to take to the stage tonight.

Anyone with more information has been urged to contact police.

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$1 million struck by single ticket – Powerball to jackpot.