Terry Dawson loves his job at the Kiama Bowling Club. Every Thursday night starting at 7pm, he entertains the crowd who enjoy ‘a bit of fun and escapism’. Typically, there are 15 teams (from two to ten people) competing for the bar voucher prizes of $25, $50 and $75.

“The Bowlo is a down to earth place with a good vibe and people enjoy a bit of friendly competition,” Terry says. “The whole purpose of the Trivia night is to give people two hours of escapism, and an opportunity to forget the world, have a laugh and also challenge themselves.”

A former auctioneer with Ray White Kiama where he worked for “18 happy years”, Terry has the public speaking skills for the role. He has lived in Kiama for over 20 years and started going to the Bowlo socially at first. He was also on the Board for a few years, then after retiring from real estate he started doing bar shifts. About a year and a half ago Terry then gravitated to hosting the trivia night after someone left that role, and he loves it. Terry spends some hours each week thinking up the questions – he needs 30 per evening – that need to be challenging but not too difficult! He doesn’t watch trivia shows on TV or grab questions from the internet, but rather does the research himself. 

There are five main knowledge areas that the questions draw from: music, sport, current affairs, geography and Kiama-centric knowledge, and to a lesser extent, history and medical/biological. The questions that people find the hardest are the specific sporting questions like “Which sport is the name xxx associated with?” particularly if it’s not a mainstream sport.

Terry enjoys stirring up the crowd a little and enjoys making friendly ‘digs’ or adding a touch of sarcasm and cynicism. He may also throw in an offbeat question like “What does a kleptomaniac do? and interestingly most people know this! 

Music is played between each question, so contestants have 30-60 seconds to answer each question and talk amongst themselves. Terry thinks that good music adds to the mood.

Rules? No cheating by using smart phones. Terry tries to reduce the temptation by using humour to warn people not to consult their phone!

The best advice for Trivia contestants is “Don’t overthink it,” Terry says. Usually, your first thought is right.

Raylene Holz has been a trivia maven for over four decades. In the early 1990s, Raylene embarked on her trivia journey by organising fund-raising trivia nights for various local sporting clubs, including the Kiama Junior League, Kiama Ladies' Hockey, Kiama Ladies' Softball, and even the Shellharbour Marching Girls.

“I remember running a Trivia Night for Kiama Junior League player, Scott England, when he was selected in the 1991 Australian Schoolboys' Rugby League team...I even handwrote all the tickets!” she fondly recalls.

Raylene is renowned for her meticulous approach to researching trivia questions. She exclusively relies on official government sources, ensuring that at least four reputable sites corroborate the information before a question makes it to her trivia night. 

“Of course, that doesn't mean my information is infallible (who would have thought!), some people can't wait to get online to check the validity of my answers.... I try very hard to be kind in my response,” she says, adding “I've always liked to mark the answers myself as I know which ones deserve at least half a point.” As a teacher for over five decades (53 years and counting) Raylene knows what she is talking about!

Raylene's journey into presenting weekly trivia nights took an unexpected turn. She and her daughter Mel played Trivia at The Grand Hotel each Thursday with friends. One evening, she received an urgent call to fill in as the trivia host at The Grand Hotel when the regular host failed to renew their contract. Without hesitation, she accepted the challenge and continued to run trivia there until the establishment decided to explore karaoke. 

Following her stint at The Grand Hotel, Raylene took her trivia expertise to Tory’s, where Simon and Jeremy Blue welcomed her as the trivia host. For over nine years, Trivia@Tory’s became a beloved spot for trivia enthusiasts. Her questions were displayed on television screens through PowerPoint presentations, enhancing the trivia experience.

After Tory’s changed ownership, Raylene initiated Wednesday night trivia at the Kiama Golf Club. She enthusiastically mentions the wonderful camaraderie among the staff and her trivia teams. It's not uncommon for more than 100 trivia enthusiasts to attend these engaging sessions, which feature a mix of fun, challenging questions, sing-alongs, and a sprinkle of educational revision. 

Raylene's trivia nights are notably phone-free and smartwatch-free zones. Instead, participants enjoy the company of friends, the exchange of ideas, and the sheer delight of having a great time without digital distractions.