Now! - Northern Exposure

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issue no.3 / 2014 / 2015
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Editor: Melanie Spears
Creative Director: Carl Welsby
Publication/Advertising Design: c55.com.au
Copy Editor: Janice Hogg
Photographic Contributions:
Cover image by Colin Heany
Photography by Alan and Perri Wain
www.vibrantimaging.com.au
Peter Gibney
www.byronphotos.com
Jules Hunt
www.juleshunt.com
Printed Printed In China by Everbest Printing Co Ltd
To order your own copy of Northern Exposure please go to
northern-exposure.com.au / Books are $25 each plus postage
If you would like to have Northern Exposure in your holiday rental, or advertise
your business for 2016 please contact sales@northern_exposure.com.au
Acknowledgement of country
Northern Exposure respectfully acknowledges the indigenous elders, custodians,
their descendants and kin of this land, past and present.
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We’ve been waiting for you
What makes the Northern Rivers of Australia so special? Why do people
come here for a holiday year after year and eventually relocate? Is it the
easygoing coastal attitude? The exquisite beaches and surf? The alternative
and creative people who reside here? We are indeed an ocean-loving and
artistic community, just over 100 years young.
I can’t deny that there is something special about
this area. Known as ‘the meeting place’, it is said
that the traditional custodians of this land, the
Bundjalung people, would come to Byron Bay
in times of sickness. The ‘energies’, they say, are
a powerful healing force. The tea-tree lakes on
Tallows Beach were said to hold a protective and
sacred energy that supported women in childbirth.
This is my experience of the area, having moved
here over 15 years ago. Exhausted and burnt out by
my professional life as a psychiatric nurse, I was in
desperate need of rest and recreation. I was drawn
here like a magnet and did indeed rejuvenate and
now I cannot imagine being anywhere else.
So why is this area so special? A geologist friend
shared recently that this whole area sits on a huge
base of black obsidian under the crust of the earth.
From the air you can see most definitely a circle
of, well, lusciousness surrounding Wollumbin
(otherwise known as Mount Warning). It is the
central plug of a volcano that erupted over 20
million years ago.
The rainforest in this area is alive with birds and
insects, flowers, trees and native animals. Perhaps
this is one reason why this place is ‘special’.
With the most recent upgrade of the Pacific
Highway, areas like Pottsville, Kingscliff and
Cabarita are also attracting more attention. They
are equal in beauty, yet still quaint, natural and
underdeveloped.
There’s always plenty to do here. Outdoor activities,
bush walks, swimming, surfing, shopping, massage
and healing sessions… but make sure you leave
aside some time to just sit and be. You might just
get a surprise.
Melanie Spears, Editor
T A
B
PLACES TO VISIT
L
E
O
F
C O
N
T
E
N
T
S
F E AT U R E S
15 HONEY FOR SALE
1 0 B Y R O N B AY
2 9 W E A R E WAT E R S P I R I T S
31 BURSTING THE BYRON BUBBLE
48 BANGALOW
3 7 H I P P I E AT H E A RT
38 WELCOME BACK TONI CHILDS
64 NEWRYBAR
5 0 U N I T Y/ H E A L I N G / P E A C E . . .
60 SHARE THE LOVE
72 MULLUMBIMBY
8 2 T YA L G U M
74 S O T I M E R O L L S B Y
8 4 A W E LC O M E C H A N G E TO A L L T H AT
93 ON SOCIAL MOVEMENT
98 LEGAL SUPP ORT: EDO STEPS UP
100 MY PERS ONAL STORY AND THE
90 BRUNSWICK HEADS
EVOLUTION OF PEACE BY PIECE
111 THERE’S MORE TO MURWILLUMBAH
104 KINGSCLIFF
T H A N A M O U N TA I N
116 MARKETS
108 MURWILLUMBAH
118 POT TERING AROUND
This is a peaceful place for everyone. Whether you’re a family of
four, a lone traveller from afar, a happy hippie or a proud local
you’ll walk away feeling relaxed and energized.
And it’s all thanks to two key ingredients – a beautiful Byron Bay
backdrop of rainforests and lush views combined with laid-back
activities that will leave your spirit enriched long after your visit.
Why not start by discovering our namesake – take a stroll
through the Shambhala Gardens and admire giant crystals
dating back over 500 million years. On the way you may come
across another proud highlight: our Kalachakra Stupa for World
Peace, unique in the southern hemisphere and a project blessed
by the Dalai Lama.
If you’re up for a taste of how the locals live then head to the
café and enjoy our delicious dishes made with ingredients you
may see growing in our organic gardens. Accompanying your
coffee or meal will be an impressive view of Byron Bay’s lush
tropical hinterland.
Aside from the food, you’ll find the locals who work here are
keen to share their stories and experiences behind what makes
this place so peaceful. In fact you’ll walk away feeling less like a
visitor and more like a local.
They’ll tell you the secret to loving life is sometimes taking time
away from it. And you couldn’t find a better place to do it than
here. Your spirit will thank you.
81 Monet Drive, Mullumbimby, NSW, 2482
02 6684 3111 / crystalcastle.com.au
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This is a peaceful place for everyone...
7
COLIN HEANEY
Byron bay is the home to one of the world's most exciting digital print artists. Colin Heaney's luxury
resortwear range can be viewed at his private showroom by appointment. Please call 02 66857798.
Shop online at www.colinheaney.com
8
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To the lighthouse
YRONBA
There are special places where the very heart of our planet has found its way to the surface to burst
forth and speak to us. Byron Bay, and its surrounds, is one such place as it is part of the erosion caldera
of the 40 kilometre-wide and, therefore, giant Tweed volcano that last erupted 23 million years ago.
Perhaps that’s the reason that since time immemorial the Arakwal people called the area ‘Cavvanbah’
or ‘meeting place’ and all those who have been touched by it since have come to know it as a special and
healing place.
European influence arrived in 1770 with Captain James Cook, who named it Cape Byron after John
Byron, the first man to circumnavigate the world and grandfather of Lord Byron. Captain Cook started
a trend for later European cedar-cutter settlers naming the town’s early streets after English writers and
philosophers.
As the area’s first industry was cedar cutting, it led to the word ‘shoot’ following many names, as in
‘Possum Shoot’, ‘Cooper’s Shoot’ or ‘Skinner’s Shoot’, so named for routes where the loggers would slide
or ‘shoot’ the logs downhill to be loaded onto waiting ships. The township officially became Byron
Bay in 1894 and once the hills had been cleared, a thriving dairy and farming industry flourished and
culminated with the Norco Dairy where they refrigerated dairy products and exported butter to the
rest of the world. Byron was once home to a whaling station—a dangerous one at that, as the bay is
littered with wrecks from that era. That grisly trade, as well as the abattoir, were happily consigned to
the past in 1962 and now Byron Bay enjoys whale watching instead, as well as diving, surfing, canoeing,
fishing and watersports of all kinds.
Some might even suggest the next industrial wave might have been surfing due to The Bay’s close
proximity to so many world-class point breaks attracting surfboard manufacturers from everywhere
in the 70s to decentralize there. These enterprises employed young locals as the abattoirs closed and
butter factory jobs waned. And if the number of retail surf shops and people in the water surfing in
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the town is any indication, it’s thriving. With a population of 9,000 plus in the town itself (30,000 in
the surrounding Shire), Byron Bay now boasts several schools and learning institutions to cater to its
fast-growing young population: Byron Bay Public School, Byron Bay High School, St. Finbarr’s Primary
School, Byron Bay Community School, Cape Byron Rudolf Steiner School, two pre-schools, the Lexis
English Centre and Byron Region Community College.
As a hub for so many things young and exciting and so many attractions, the quiet days of sleepy Byron
Bay are a little less so now. And while the hustle and bustle isn’t exactly Sydney’s Pitt or Bourke Streets,
the eclectic and colourful mix of surfers, European and Asian tourists and backpackers from everywhere
have shaped this little beach town into a beautifully cosmopolitan village catering to the young and
romantic at heart.
Whether it’s a photo standing at the base of the lighthouse on Australia’s eastern-most point, a surfboard
from two-time World Longboarding Champion Beau Young or a surfing lesson from 1965 US Surfing
Champion Rusty Miller, a special handcrafted gift or an article of clothing or jewellery for yourself or a
friend, perhaps a painting or special bit of furniture for that little spot or a whole houseful of tasteful
furnishings, Byron Bay has it. And for those with a penchant for the Blues or anything musical, Byron
Bay and its annual Blues Festival certainly provides it all.
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Honey,
for sale
...a night and day in the Bay
“ We all have a big mull...
There’s barely a break in development from
Caboolture to Cabarita these days. To the left and
to the right, not one tall tree in sight. Concrete
tilt-up industrial sheds, project builder’s brick
veneer, Colorbond and tiled roofs for as far the
wary eye can see. Motorway flow stalls every so
often—for no apparent reason. It’s mid-afternoon
heading south. The world’s most expensive
coffee kicks in, soon after doing our bit for the
economy by filling the VW’s fuel tank to the brim.
We nearly run over some kids walking across the
servo car-park as they meander toward Hungry
Jack’s. They’re all head-down, oblivious, texting
into their smart phones. Pretty dumb, if you ask me.
Tradesman and trucks make up most of the traffic.
South of the Gateway Bridge in Brisbane, it’s
insanity and not even peak hour. The sterility and
drab design of the urban sprawl between the outer
suburbs and the theme parks make me wonder:
who would want to live around here, and why?
We cross the first of the rivers that signpost the
far southeast of Queensland. The Logan, then the
Albert. Memories flood in. I recall at the Coomera
River I detour off the highway, right down there
to the scrub; it’s ‘91. The pitstop in the old XB
Falcon serving as a radiator top-up, after I allow
the engine to cool. Meanwhile, we all have a big
mull. I bought the car on tick from my mate’s
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“ Now we’re winding our way through canefields instead of traffic...
old man. Five-hundred, I think? The boot’s so big
we fit three surfboards inside, plus all of our gear,
which only really consists of a towel each. I buy the
gas-guzzling bucket of crap solely because it has
a bench seat. I always dream of driving down the
road with my girlfriend sided-up next to me with
my arm around her, but it never works out that way.
Today, there’s five lanes on the highway south. And,
on the left, skyscrapers reflect the sun back in our
direction. We drive on, selecting the middle lane.
16
“Let’s take the Tweed-Coast Road to Casuarina
then down to Hastings Point so we can check the
surf,” says the driver. I concur with my travelling
companion with a thumbs-up and a nod. Soon
after crossing the border we take the turnoff from
the Pacific Highway. Now we’re winding our way
through canefields instead of traffic. It looks like
it’s going to be a bumper crop. The cane is so bloody
green, and so tall. Every so often I see fruit and
vege stalls along the side of the road, with ‘Honey
for Sale’, and it makes me smile. I’d live from them if
I was a local, maybe. During the walk from the carpark at Hastings Point, down to the rocks, I rub my
eyes, stretch my back and neck, then check myself.
There’s a few good waves, despite the online surf
report claiming one foot of lacklustre swell hitting
the Tweed. I sight our destination of Cape Byron at
the end of 80 miles of beach, without a soul on it.
I turn away from the ocean and I can’t see one manmade structure besides the bitumen and a few
cars belonging to fisherman, surfers, and whoever.
Past Pottsville, Cudgen Creek, it’s just bush and
beach. Mooball Creek shadows us along the
narrow bumpy road to Wooyung. “Yeah, this is
it along here,” I reckon. I wonder how long it’ll
take until development seeps in? Then again, the
natural geography just might see this strip spared
for a long time yet… Back on the highway. We pass
Grey’s Lane. I hear rumours of teatree lakes and
a beach where clothing is optional and anything
goes. A full reconnaissance of Tygarah will have
to wait until I’m alone, or travelling with a special
type of friend—the type with benefits. Soon
enough, we come to a highway bridge, just before
the Byron Bay turnoff. Its guide-rails are painted
with rainbow colours, fading and barely visible. I
wonder if it’s symbolic of Byron ‘Brigadoon’ that
awaits, now only a few minutes away. This trip isn’t
exactly for pleasure, but I hope to make to the most
of it. I’m vibing positive, and for sure, I’m grateful.
Driving through town, it’s twilight. A few of
the restaurants are warming up their kitchens.
A beautifully natural femme maître de, entices
“ A beach where clothing is optional and anything goes...
“ I sight our destination of Cape Byron at the end of 80 miles of beach, without a
soul on it. I turn away from the ocean and I can’t see one manmade structure besides
the bitumen and a few cars belonging to fisherman, surfers, and whoever...
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folks out looking for an evening meal. Shopfronts
glimmer and sparkle with neon lights. Mannequins
are adorned in the latest. Big brand names shout
“inside is what you need.” Woolworths is a hive of
activity like any other normal Australian town. But,
Byron isn’t “normal”, Byron is a bit special. Special,
yeah, in the way that I, or anyone, can walk along
at a leisurely pace with the only care in the world
being what cuisine to sample that evening. We
arrive at our first destination: our friend Mark’s
house, only a five-minute walk to the centre of
town. Tonight, I desire to hear some live music
and retrace the steps of my youth, so I suggest the
‘Railway Friendly Bar’. Mark, seconds the motion.
Mark is a familiar face to the staff at ‘The ‘Rails’
and it’s smiles all round. Last time I was here
with my friends, the train stopped right
beside the bar. An impromptu jam session
by The Cruel Sea, us with a skinful of beer,
great vibes, shared with a lucky few, make
that particular afternoon one I’ll never forget.
Tonight is so mellow I feel like I’m floating
instead of walking, and, I’m not even high this
time. I order free-range organic chicken, Mark
orders grilled mahi-mahi and my frugal cohort,
gnocchi—because it’s the cheapest dish on the
menu. He doesn’t even know what gnocchi is…
We share our food, catch up, and talk story. All
three dishes are sublime; the beer is delicious.
Special-edition Stone & Wood on-tap. The beer is
mother’s milk and packs quite a punch. After my
third, I’m positively glowing and slowly falling in
“ I desire to hear some live music and retrace the steps of my youth...
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love with the young lady serenading the laidback
crowd with soothing vocals and guitar, original,
and from the heart. It’s an evening of simple
bliss, assuring me Byron is still a place dear to me,
despite any naysayer’s rhetoric to the contrary—so
make sure you don’t ever stay away for too long.
Unfortunately, life throws a curve ball to my Byron
friend. It’s January 2014. Mark sustains a workplace
injury to his hand and I can tell he is a little depressed
and out of sorts. Although the hand looks okay, an
X-ray image reveals the gravity of the damage. The
doctors say different things. In any case, they say
he’ll never have the full use of it again. For an active,
healthy man in his prime, the injury is a bitter pill
to swallow, so we rally around him tonight and try
and raise his spirits with positivity and mateship.
We crash-out late as the conversation gets a little
messy and words become harder to find. I make the
couch my bed. My travelling companion sleeps in the
van. Mark retreats to his loft, I think, much happier
than when we found him. He’ll be all right. It’s so
quiet in Byron tonight. I relieve myself outside by
the big gum-tree and look up to see a crescent moon
and a plethora of stars. Tonight, I dream—so deep.
At first light we partake in a dingo’s breakfast and say
hooray to our friend and host. Today, we are visiting
George, which is always bound to be eventful in some
way or another. Last time he was really cranky that
we aren’t on time; we’re only six hours late! We get
held up in Southport at Mickey’s surfboard shaping
shed. I guess George is a stickler for punctuality,
so I can forgive him for the earbashing. At seven
am sharp we shake hands with George and have a
‘bullshit’, that’s what George likes to call conversation.
The instant we exit the van, a fresh gust of icy westerly
wind rolls over the ridge making my skin writhe
with goosebumps. After five minutes of putting a
brave face in front of a barefoot George, I retrieve
a jumper from my luggage to ward off the cold. It’s
as if George magically calls up an inhospitable wind
to make us go away. He doesn’t like visitors much, it’s
plain to see. His body language forces us back down
the steps from his veranda onto the dew-covered
grass. Some find him very odd and eccentric, but I
really like George, and I understand him—perfectly.
The deeds are done and the exchange is made, as I
sample a mandarin from the orchard and inspect
the variety of produce growing in the vegetable
garden. I soak up the sacred energy from the
land, the sea and the sky and meditate on the
wise words George directs toward me completely
out of the blue. “Just make it happen, Damon.”
19
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and lives to live. We part and go our separate ways—George to the beach, us to Suffolk Park Bakery. Their pies
are scrumptious, hearty and hot and the staff is gracious, welcoming, and kind. Away from the wind, which
seems to miraculously dissipate the moment we leave George’s place, the sea-level sun warms us to the core
as we eat. Back into T-Shirts, as the school bus departs brimming with children waving, the bus, emanating
much merry banter. I can’t believe how mild the weather is for June. The day is perfect. I want to try to
catch-up with Melanie while I’m here. She hasn’t returned my call as yet so I take the initiative. It turns out
she can’t meet with me today. Instead—a Skype call is my consolation. George’s words resonate in my head.
After breakfast the journey continues. My travelling companion veers off the main road out of town
toward the industrial estate. “What’s happening”, I ask. No reply is forthcoming. We park adjacent
Bob McTavish’s establishment, yet head in the opposite direction. I follow like a lost puppy until we
reach an obscure roller-door in the far corner of the commercial lot. My friend and the proprietor
greet one another like long lost brothers as I cross the threshold, to make my introduction. Inside is a
pleasant, unassuming man. I soon discover Wayne, to be a father, a husband, a surfer and an artisan,
one of fine printing, in the style of an era long gone. His antique printing machines are amazing. Not a
computer in sight. Three old fashioned mechanical printing presses, quality ink and the finest cotton
paper produce timeless works of art, under Wayne and his beautiful wife, Merrins’, creative hands.
Wayne proudly produces a sample of the work at The Artisan Press. It’s unique, beautiful, original,
precious and simple, yet exquisite. I’ve never held anything quite like the invitation Wayne shows me. I
rifle one question after another and plead for him to turn on one of the presses, so I can hear, as well as
see, the machinations of the post-modern press in operation. As I absorb the sights, sounds and smells
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Suddenly, time appears to be of the
essence. There’s things to do and lives
to live. We part and go our separate
ways—George to the beach, us to Suffolk
Park Bakery. Their pies are scrumptious,
hearty and hot and the staff is gracious,
welcoming, and kind. Away from the
wind, which seems to miraculously
dissipate the moment we leave George’s
place, the sea-level sun warms us to
the core as we eat. Back into T-shirts, as
the school bus departs brimming with
children waving, emanating much merry
banter. I can’t believe how mild the
weather is for June. The day is perfect.
I want to try to catch up with Melanie
while I’m here. She hasn’t returned
my call as yet so I take the initiative. It
turns out she can’t meet with me today.
Instead, a Skype call is my consolation.
George’s words resonate in my head.
After breakfast the journey continues. My
travelling companion veers off the main
road out of town towards the industrial
estate. “What’s happening”, I ask. No reply
is forthcoming. We park adjacent Bob
McTavish’s establishment, yet head in the
opposite direction. I follow like a lost puppy
until we reach an obscure roller door
in the far corner of the commercial lot.
My friend and the proprietor greet one
another like long-lost brothers as I cross
the threshold, to make my introduction.
Inside is a pleasant, unassuming man.
I soon discover Wayne to be a father,
husband, surfer and artisan, one
22
of fine printing, in the style of an era long gone. His antique machines
are amazing. Not a computer in sight. Three old-fashioned mechanical
presses, quality ink and the finest cotton paper produce timeless works
of art under the creative hands of Wayne and his beautiful wife, Merrin.
Wayne proudly produces a sample of the work at The Artisan Press. It’s
unique, beautiful, original, precious and simple, yet exquisite. I’ve never
held anything quite like the invitation Wayne shows me. I rifle one question
after another and plead for him to turn on one of the presses, so I can hear,
as well as see, the machinations of the postmodern press in operation. As I
absorb the sights, sounds and smells of the printing shop, Wayne explains
that he did his time as a young apprentice printer in Sydney using these
machines, and that they were antiques even then. It goes to show, no
skill is ever wasted or obsolete. What follows are more wise words from
another of my elders. Without any prompting, Wayne tells me: “Make
something out of nothing, create your own niche, do what you love, and
do it well.” Wise words indeed. Merrin arrives and we’re introduced. I look
at her and Wayne together and somehow, now, I know what I want in life.
Heartfelt farewells are exchanged again, for the third time this morning.
And, as we’re so close, I can’t resist a peek inside the world of Bob McTavish.
Once inside the surf studio, I interpret, then critique the space. What I see
is a personal reflection of one of the most eminent elders of the Australian
surfing tribe. Adorning the board racks are rows of magnificent longboards,
with the most amazing hues of highly polished colour that I’ve ever seen,
in any surf shop, anywhere in the world. Well out of reach, in the highest
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23
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realms of the walls and ceilings, are collections of original handmade boards
from bygone eras. The studio is spotlessly clean, tastefully arranged and
free from unnecessary clutter, and although I’m informed that Bob is a
devout Jehovah’s Witness, the shop emits quality chi, and displays some good
Feng Shui. After visiting with George earlier, now Bob McTavish, I begin to
imagine the halcyon days of Lennox Head in the 1960s and 70s, and of George
and Bob’s collaborations. Although the two are chalk and cheese, I get that
these two elders share the same philosophy of living in the now, not in the
past, and to make the most of the time we have, and to live life to the full.
It’s the same with Mark and his situation—I counsel him about not dwelling
on the negative “possible outcomes” regarding his injury. I tell him that his
job, right now, today, is to keep up his occupational therapy and to look after
himself, and that things will work out how they’re meant to work out. Bob isn’t
around, after my travelling companion requests an audience with Mr McTavish.
To my surprise, I discover my travelling companion and Bob are old
acquaintances as well. We’re informed Bob’s in hospital having a hip
replacement. The two guys working at McTavish’s seem to be cruising,
too, with not a care in the world. The young men obviously possess a
genuine zest for their vocation, both grateful for living and working in
such a beautiful part of the world, I imagine. Right now, I’m beaming
from ear to ear, pinging with exuberance and passionate about living in
the moment and being grateful for everything, good and bad. It’s like an
epiphany of sorts. I won’t go as far to say I achieve enlightenment after
one night and day in Bryon Bay. Rather, I feel my whole life and each of
the experiences, lead me to the moment. Yeah, that’s what’s happening...
We eventually depart Byron Bay and make our way onto the highway once
again, heading north. My friend takes a wrong turn into the hinterland, but
for me there’s nothing wrong about it, as it too is meant to be. As we wind
our way along the road for a few kilometres then ascend the foothills
of the range, the exit from a long tunnel of trees reveals a vista that rivals
anything I’ve ever seen anywhere in this great country. We pull over and
take it all in without a word spoken between us. On the way back I catch
sight of an old farmhouse with a surfboard lying on the weathered porch
and a blue heeler lazily warming up in the winter sun. I envisage the
frame in black and white and my intuition guides me to purchase a good
camera, to capture images—how I see things, to accompany my writing.
24
“
My travelling companion and I never listen to car radio
when we travel together, we just talk about life and bounce
ideas off each other...
“Buy the ticket,
take the ride...”
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Discover your world beyond the world
Relax • Daydream • Imagine • Chill out
Adventure • New Energy
Freedom • Transformation
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During this visit I see lots of things I don’t like
about the town and things I’d rather not concern
myself with, or reveal to anyone. Byron Bay will
be whatever one chooses to make of it, their life
there, or their visit, it’s entirely up to the individual.
Brigadoon or a Shangri-la, I’m not so sure, as for my
travelling companion—he still refers to Byron Bay
as Byron Pay, because of real-estate prices—and
he’s from Dee Why! My travelling companion and I
never listen to car radio when we travel together, we
just talk about life and bounce ideas off each other.
Buddha Gardens Byron Bay Day Spa is a
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We’re friends, so we don’t need to be deceptive or
guarded, even though some things are taboo and
private, such as intimate details of our girlfriends—
naturally. I reveal to my friend that eventually I’ll live in
the Byron shire for a time and explore everything the
region has to offer. Maybe base myself in one of places
out of town with a fruit & vege stall by the roadside,
with Honey for Sale. Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. I’m
just making the most of my life and being grateful,
wherever it is I may be, and for whatever it is I’ve got.
Written and edited by Damon Bereziat.
[email protected]
02 6680 7844
1 Skinners Shoot Road, Byron Bay
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27
28
We are Water
Spirits
Uncle Lewis Walker is an Aboriginal elder of the Gidabal people of the Bundjalung Nation
of Byron Bay. As the keeper of the ancient songlines of the whales, Uncle Lewis asks that
we remember our inherent connections to dolphins and whales. Reaching out to inspire
present and future generations to protect what’s vitally important in our sacred oceans,
Uncle Lewis says, “Hear the ocean, the wind, the birds, and the didgeridoo speak to
us about the vital connections with our ancestors, both past and present.”
29
He recalls the song of Migaloo, the white humpback
whale who was first recorded in 1988. ‘Migaloo’
means ‘White Fella’. In the ancient language,
Migaloo’s name is Yiragir. He was named by
Australian Aboriginal elders. Yiragir, pronounced
‘yirrigi’, is the ancient Great White Whale, the Great
Great Grandmother Spirit. It signifies the Creator
in many of the Aboriginal peoples’ creation stories.
The ancient white whale, the grandmother, is seen
as the storyteller. The blue whale, the grandfather,
is the songman of the ocean, the caretaker of the
ocean. Uncle Lewis tells us that the whales gift us
visions of who we really are when they sing their
songs. As they ride the waves, dance upon the
water and reach for the stars, our connection is
deepened about who they really are and also who
we humans really are.
“As they ride, going down deep to teach the
newborn to be free, we gotta let them be. When
they are under the sacred ocean, we gotta respect
them. It is a must to care for the ocean, we are all
caretakers to pass knowledge and wisdom from
the sacred ocean and earth from generation to
generation,” explains Uncle Lewis.
“We all care for country like we do. It doesn’t
matter what colour you are, we are all individual
spirits belonging to the one spirit of the water
spirit. We are water people,” he says.
In sharing and connecting to the story of the
Great White Whale, we honour Uncle Lewis’s
indigenous lineage, the Ancestor Spirits and
Uncle Lewis’s innate understanding of the
relationship between the water, the whales, the
Earth and humanity. Uncle Lewis reminds that
there is no separation of species in all beings.
He sees us as all Earth’s creatures, as brothers
and sisters. Uncle Lewis’s role as a custodian is
to share stories of the traditional culture, to be
a bridge between the wisdom and way of his
people with the global tribal community to bring
unity once again to all tribes.
Uncle Lewis’s tribal name is Spirit of the Night or
Possum Spirit. His people still live very close to
the land in Jubullum Country by the Clarence
River with Poppy Harry Mundine Walker’s Clan
in Tabulam NSW. The Clan’s relationship with
Mother Earth is very real and very deep.
“ We all care for country like we do, it
doesn’t matter what colour you are...
30
destinations is not an easy circus trick.
being one of the country’s foremost tourist
Juggling a small town ambience while
URSTING
HE BYRON
UBBLE
“
Byron Bay: There is no door to shut”
I am occasionally asked what changes I’ve seen during my 30 years of living in Byron
Bay. My quick one-liner is, “I see more Land Rovers, fewer Kombi vans”. This answer
is a bit cute but also true. If we look deeper, more interesting things are going on here
than what models of cars are being parked in the main street of Byron Bay.
Juggling a small town ambience while being one of the country’s foremost tourist
destinations is not an easy circus trick. This is Australia’s third most recognised
destination for tourists after Sydney and Uluru. We had over 1.1 million visitors here
in 2013. Also, more southern city retirees are choosing it as the place to make a final
nest. But all this success has its problems. Anyone who takes the time to read the
letter pages in the local rag ‘The Echo’ can see that there is a lot of complaining going
on and a lot of that complaining is around one thing: housing!
Not long ago there was a crusty old councillor called Ross Tucker who once said,
“You people come here and claim a piece of paradise and then want to shut the
door.” He was right, but there is no door to shut. The only way to maintain exclusivity
is with price and now, with Byron’s property prices on par with the southern capitals,
that is exactly what is happening.
31
Byron Bay is not alone with this problem. It is an
ongoing dilemma for small towns and some cities
all over the world. The Silicon Valley area of San
Francisco is possibly the most famous exclusive
urban area. Schoolteachers and government
employees have to commute long distances as
32
close, affordable housing is not available. The
city’s public transport is being left behind by
private fleets of white, wi-fi-enabled luxury
buses commuting the high tech workers to and
fro. The once low-rent areas, such as Mission and
Tenderloin, have been gentrified. Not a problem,
you may think. But it is a problem for many
thousands of long-term residents no longer able to
afford to rent or buy property in their own town.
I have seen this cycle played out a number of times
in Byron Bay over the last few decades. Different
groups of people come, settle, struggle, pack up
and move on. It’s amazing that the resilience of the
community is maintained while being continually
recycled. I hear the names mentioned of the new,
more affordable, versions of Byron Bay as well:
Kyogle, 1770, Maclean, Drake, Bermagui, to name
“ Byron Bay is not alone with this problem. It is an ongoing dilemma for small towns...
At the end of financial year 2014, the median price
for a standalone residential dwelling in Sydney
was $807,880 while Byron Bay and postcode
2481 is $775,000 and Melbourne is $658,000. The
green council that replaced Ross Tucker has been
replaced as well since many of those green voters
can’t afford to live here anymore. Everyone is
against rampant, unchecked development but not
everyone acknowledges that the repercussions of
limited development are usually unbridled real
estate prices.
a few. But Byron’s unmatched natural beauty, strong active
community and social life remain the stand-out choice for all
who can afford it or are prepared to make sacrifices to stay.
I have also heard lots of ideas and schemes to assist people with
this ongoing problem: affordable housing committees, developer
contributions, rent control, talk of stopping holiday letting to
bring back housing stock for locals. There has been a tsunami of
talk but very little ever comes of it since the forces in play are
probably too strong to tackle.
We have decided to put the environment, rural land and nature
above people and houses. The residents and voters of Byron
Shire have consistently chosen this preference and that’s great.
One of the side effects of this is that property prices will rise
quicker than in other areas. How to resolve negative aspects of
this resolution is still on the drawing board.
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33
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“ If there is a solution then it needs to be an extension of what is
already working. Is it possible to create more dwellings while still
maintaining our rural vistas and rolling green hills? “
I have heard it joked that if compliance officers
went all out we would probably lose up to a third
of our population. Landlords certainly want it kept
under the radar as their income is threatened and
tenants want to maintain any dwelling they can,
knowing that going back into the rental market is
too painful to even contemplate.
Under the radar, behind the scenes, if not exactly
illegal but certainly in a grey area, one option is
already in play and working in a fashion. The hills
of Byron Bay are alive with studios, workshops,
cowbales, storage units and sheds that have
been converted and customised to housing. The
question is are people being exploited in paying
high rents for substandard accommodation? Or
is this a neat way around the housing shortage
and are these landlords being both altruistic and
community-minded?
Probably more of the former but another problem
is this topic is never widely discussed. Council do
not want to know about it for obvious reasons.
34
If there is a solution then it needs to be an extension
of what is already working? Is it possible to create
more dwellings while still maintaining our rural
vistas and rolling green hills? Last year NSW state
planning allowed residential zones to include
granny flats on urban allotments. This infill type
development could be expanded to rural zonings.
Byron Shire Council have just adopted the new
LEP and are looking at approving detached dual
occupancy in rural zonings.
Another option is to expand accommodation
for rural workers to include environmental
restoration. This policy currently allows dwellings
only for farm workers within strict guidelines.
Both these options would encourage people on
acreages to build smaller secondary dwellings and
so creating more houses without the urban sprawl.
C’mon people let’s do it!
Range Rovers and Kombi vans.... able to park side by side
This is the only way that is currently working to
house people who would otherwise have to leave
the shire. Why not encourage more people to build
more affordable housing on their rural properties
and actively support financially challenged long-term
residents to stay. This is what is supposed to happen
in a diverse, multi-textured community. Range Rovers
and Kombi vans should be able to park side by side.
Michael Murray is a long-term Byron resident and
works as a property buyer’s agent.
Michael Murray © 2014
byronpropertysearch.com.au
“ Why not encourage more people to build more affordable housing on their rural properties... “
“
35
36
Hippie at heart
Brett Connable’s hippie past shares more in common with his career as a successful Byron Bay real estate agent than you think.
When Brett Connable cycled into Byron Bay in 1994, he thought it was
a temporary stop on a long spiritual journey.
While Brett certainly wears a different style today, his strong sense of self, coupled
with his background in permaculture, brings a unique perspective to his work.
Now a leading sales associate at Ray White Byron Bay, he chuckles as
he recalls the young man who pedalled into town that day.
“Permaculture to me looks a little like the inside of a watch with a network of tiny
cogs all working together,” he says. “Permaculture mimics nature and is essentially
a series of systems; an ecology of which humans are a part. At its core are the
sustainability principles of earth care, people care and self care.”
“I had two long braids, was wearing a bandana and a feather in my
hair, with an old didgeridoo hanging off the back of my bike,” he says.
“I remember the wind was blowing behind me, almost pushing me into
town.”
“Without my background in permaculture, I wouldn’t see real estate the way I do
and I wouldn’t be here today. It has all been part of my life-long process of discovery.
The breeze certainly had plans for Brett, who at the time went by the
spiritual name ‘Running Bear’. It not only led him into his beloved
hometown to be, but also to a chance meeting with his future wife.
“She was camping outside her auntie’s house on the beach above the
Pass,” he says. “We went for a long walk in the moonlight and that was
it. I fell in love twice that day. Once with Byron Bay, and then with her.”
Brett’s journey of self-discovery was far from over. He spent 18 months
cycling through Southeast Asia, India and Nepal before reuniting with
his Byron Bay sweetheart in New Zealand to open a retreat centre.
Byron Bay was soon to beckon once again, and the two returned to
Australian shores where Brett pursued his passion for permaculture.
Brett Connable - Sales Associate
“When my first son was conceived I had the realisation that I needed to
do something that would provide a more stable income for my family,”
he says. “Real estate offered that, along with the prospect of getting
involved with sustainable eco development.”
02 6685 6222 - 0408 155 931
[email protected]
rwbyronbay.com
“
byron on a bicycle in 1994
15 Fletcher St Byron Bay, 2481
37
Welcome back Toni Childs!
M u s i c i a n
i n
r e v i e w . . .
A beautiful noise: Toni Childs takes her mature
soulful voice to the world.
David Bowie was recording his ‘Station to Station’ album at
Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles in the mid-1970s when someone
told him about Toni Childs, a young 18-year-old singer who had
a voice like an 80-year-old black woman. Bowie just had to hear
this young woman, with her premium mature and soulful voice,
for himself. After Toni had sung for him, he said to her, “You are
the next David Bowie.”
Many people would remember Toni for the lyrics of her beautiful
song, released in 1991:
“I’ve got to go now,
I’ve got to say goodbye,
Don’t try to stop us now,
And please don’t you cry.”
“That song was big in Australia,” explains Toni. “A lot of people
were dealing with relationship and alcohol issues in the 1980s,
and there was many a show when someone from the audience
came backstage after the gig to share how that song helped them
out of a very bad situation. Essentially, the song is about the
addiction to pain in a dynamic where you just keep going back,
even though you know that you are in a very dangerous and
unloving relationship.”
38
39
“ Props for the stage of Toni’s Concert , It’s all a beautiful noise. A celebration and Honouring of the little pollinators of the planet
Toni wrote the song with friend and co­-writer
David Ricketts. “All the lyrics are mine, she says.
“The only song I did not write the words to was
‘Many Rivers to Cross’ by Jimmy Cliff.”
Funny, I remember that song well and thought
that it was hers because she absolutely makes it
her own and wrenches the passion right out of
the river! I must admit that I fell I love with Toni
in the 80s and, when I heard she had moved to
the Northern Rivers in 2012, I hoped one day we
would cross paths. It’s the voice, you see. There
is something cosmic, wrenching, and powerfully
evocative about Toni’s voice. I liken her style to
the way Jewel sings, or perhaps even our beloved
local Gyan.
40
These singers tell stories, but they also
communicate the deep well of emotions inside
the story, so that the words become kind of
irrelevant because the tonal qualities inside the
voice are purging the deeper story, the real story
behind the words. The true story! I cannot think
of many singers who have mastered this art.
And so Toni and I chatted more deeply about
this phenomenon, so I could understand exactly
what was happening here, with this voice, this
magical tool, that evoked so much in everyone
with the ability to listen.
“I just wanted to have my own voice, one that
is uniquely mine,” she says. “A voice is like a fax
machine. It relays all the experiences we have
lived, and reveals all that is yet to be lived.” When
Toni was 16 years old, it was actually a struggle
for her to even speak, let alone sing, as her throat
was very closed. “My voice sounded to me like
a horn!” she laughs. “So around this same time, I
just decided to go for music. I made a choice. I’m
a storyteller, actually. When I was 14, I wrote a
musical and two plays.”
One time when she was jamming at the
Huntington Beach Blues Festival, Toni, in her
coveralls, could have been mistaken for a hillbilly
chick, she says. “I so desperately wanted to get
up and jam with the band, but there were other
singers in the queue, and they kept bumping me
to the back of the line. Finally, when there was no
Suddenly I had a place to be. Be with my voice AND a band. I was only 15 years old, with a new-found
realisation that I had a power.”
But what happened to Toni after her phenomenal success and recognition during the 80s and 90s. Where
did she go? In 1997 Toni fell ill with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune disease, so she moved back to Hawaii
to heal and regroup, taking a break from the music industry for over a decade and growing her own
organic vegetables.
In 2003, Eve Ensler, writer and creator of ‘The Vagina Monologues’, created a documentary called ‘Until
the Violence Stops’, asked Toni to write the anthem for the production. So the Emmy award-winning song,
“
Everybody in the room came up to the front of the stage. I just went for it, improvising all the way. So the
band invited me back the following week.
My voice sounded to me like a horn!” she laughs. “So around
this same time, I just decide to go for music. I made a choice. I’m a
storyteller, actually. When I was 14, I wrote a musical and two plays...
one left, the band decided that they probably had better let me sing. They asked me what key I sang in. I
had heard another singer answer this question with ‘A’, so I said ‘A, and can you do a blues shuffle?’ I just
made up my own words and went for it.”
41
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42
Ph: 02 6685 6988
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‘Because You’re Beautiful’, was created, reigniting
and reminding Toni of her passion for music.
I asked Toni about her move to the Northern
Rivers, and what prompted her decision to relocate
from her beloved island. “In 2008, I was on tour
in Australia and, quite simply, I was drawn to the
region. I recognised kindred spirits here, similar to
those in places like Kauai, San Juan Island, and the
Salt Spring Islands. It’s the same community, just in
different spots around the world.
“One day I was travelling to Melbourne to have
some dental work done, and I sat next to a guy
called Mick on the plane. The dental work was an
ongoing process and I needed to fly to Melbourne
on a regular basis, so Mick and I began dating,
and eventually we married. Moving to LA, where
I was living at the time, would have been a big
shift for Mick but it was my heart that chose to
move to Australia. Nothing is lacking here. We are
international artists and collaborate with great
and talented people all over the world. We are
global citizens.”
Moving forward into the now, Toni is back like
never before. With Mick’s support (he just happens
to be an ace-hot guitarist), Toni has written a new
album called ‘Citizens of the Planet’ (tonichilds.
com). But this is not JUST an album, it’s an exciting
contemporary art experience. “The purpose of
‘Citizens of the Planet’ is to invite people to care
enough about our home, enough to participate in
a planetary trust so that we can make decisions
about the care of our environment. We cannot
rely on governmental bodies to ‘take care’. We
must be custodians, each and every being. It’s our
responsibility,” she says.
The project, which has been completely crowdfunded via social media, will tour the globe
from 2016 through to 2020. It costs just $1 to join
Citizens of the Planet and the donor decides
where the funds should be spent. The only thing
that gets spent is the actual interest, which means
this project will sustain itself well into the future
and beyond.
As Toni details the project, I discover the business
plan is actually brilliant. Not only does she
have ‘the voice’ but also she is an exceptional
businesswoman.
When asked about her tenacity and understanding
of the business world, Toni tells me that she is just
one of many artists today who are responding to
the “collective squeeze”, authentically desiring to
find solutions to our global problems. This creates
much expanded thinking outside the box, where
new ways of solving problems are revealed.
Another current project of Toni’s is an album
called ‘It’s All a Beautiful Noise’, a celebration and
honouring of all the little pollinators of the planet:
the birds, bees, mammals and reptiles. In fact,
every living creature that makes this planet whole.
The album features a 3-D installation of massive
paper animals on stage. The audience are invited
to be a part of the show by wearing masks or hats
of their favourite animals. Toni was desperately
searching for the right paper needed for the
installation, when one day, she and Mick were
driving in the country when she spotted a big
factory. She asked Mick to turn around so she
could explore. Inside, she found the building filled
with masses and masses of paper.
43
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44
My final question to Toni was to ask what she most
wanted to communicate to her fans right now?
“People know me primarily from 30 years ago as a
singer,” she says. “I would love now for people to notice
where I’m taking music. Art installations, interactive
audiences, fund-raising and conscious participation in
the movement to help restore the planet, are just the
beginnings of what I’m doing, not just as a musician,
but as an artist.”
Melanie Spears / In a conversation with Toni Childs
“ I would love now for people to notice where I’m taking music. Art installations...
She met the manager and told him of her project, and
he offered her as much paper as she needed at no
charge! It was just another of those cosmic moments
and loving gestures of support that keep Toni alive
and guided through her adventures. Toni will tour the
‘Beautiful Noise’ show in 2015.
45
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46
ceramics
sculpture
textile art
photography
created in byron bay
“I am truly inspired and in awe of the colours, nature
and patterns that surround us all – these inspirations
bring me endless creative possibilities.”
jules hunt
studio gallery
Visit today and see award winning ceramicist and photographer Jules Hunt creating her stunning art.
A treat for the eye, heart and soul her unique stylised forms have a strong focus on nature and colour.
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47
Mon-Fri 10-4 pm, Sat 10-2 pm
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48
the lighthouse / the environment / the water
ANGALO
Bangalow is one of those beautiful and unforgettable places, not only for its unusual name, which is
a derivative of the Aboriginal ‘bangalla’ meaning low hill or a type of palm tree, but for its quaint yet
tasteful melding of old and new.
Where else can one wander a little village with its country pub, old-style shops, heritage buildings,
houses with verandahs, and myriad welcoming shade trees, and then sip exotic coffees in stylish cafes
or nosh gourmet dinners in sophisticated eateries, browse galleries and boutiques to rival any anywhere
and still be hundreds of kilometres from any major city?
Only minutes from the coast, and one of the prettier of the precious pearls on this meandering string of
the North Coast’s precious beauty spots, Bangalow will instantly have you in her spell.
Famous for its local market day on the fourth Sunday of every month, featuring works and wares from
local artists, artisans, bakers, victuallers, therapists, farmers and friends, and just a short drive from Ballina, Lismore and Byron Bay, or the Gold Coast, it is the ideal destination for daytrippers in search of
adventure.
49
Unity/Healing/Peace...
Healer and author Zonti shares her wisdom
on her path to peace.
The more silence and stillness we can be from, the more direct
the prompting can be available to intuitively follow. Sometimes
these promptings will lead us towards a practitioner or counsellor,
and Byron shire is particularly rich in these folk. Often, each step
leads to the subsequent one in our quest to recover and live in
peace and ease as our best self.
My own wanderings, with a supreme desire to reclaim and live
as my best self, have been a few decades of a magical mystery
tour, with many potent realisations along the way. Often, when
my own intuition seems to be not sending me clear signals,
a serendipity with a person or nature-delight will show me the
next step. A natural honing of the five physical senses, and all the
subtle ones, naturally increase when our attention is integrated
and utilised in daily life.
We can also incorporate sacred ceremony as a joy and another
level of homage to that which is greater than ourselves, that
which sustains us.
I find that after 30 years of conscious practice to integrate inner
soul knowing as outer life action, circumstances are now revealed
to me as a constant stream. It is clear each day, and hour, where
I need to go, what I need to do, who I need to see and what I need
to say.
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The Bangalow Rug Shop
B
o
r
n
i
n
B
y
r o
n
B
a y
11 Byron Street, Bangalow
Open everyday 10 am–5 pm
orientalcarpets.com.au
02 6687 2424
As we are all fallible on this plane, this is open to a multitude of interpretations,
which if insisted upon as ‘my truth’, can simply constitute yet another notch in
the belt of battle. Imagine that if we were a planet of beings in human bodies,
all with a definitive view of our individual moment-to-moment ‘truths’, then
it could be a hotbed for potential mind and emotion misunderstanding.
Perhaps the less we are adamant and the more we are all accommodating
and allowing of each other’s apparently diverse realities, the easier we can
live in peace.
My personality certainly loves to experiment with ‘adamancy’. Delving into
many spiritual pathways has supplied a plethora of platitudes that nowadays
are part of ‘normal language’ for many people. Care needs to be taken with
how we choose to blithely bandy these around, expecting them to have
changed life responses.
51
6687 1144
the bangalow hotel
1 Byron Street,
Bangalow
bangalowdining.com
BANGALOW DINING ROOMS
and Bangalow Catering
52
Certainly, awareness of our ‘word as a creation’ can
be a powerful tool to pay attention to. For example, I
recently decided to undertake a fast from complaining,
having noticed a habit of constant complaints about life
and the world, and inner complaint in the form of selfcriticism, had almost overtaken my previously optimistic
demeanour. This practice immediately reduced the
volume of dialogue in thought and action each day, and
quietened my mind considerably!
We are also a planet of billions of ‘busy minds’, each
with our own constant stream of insistences. No wonder
our history has a stream of wars as its legacy. We are all
capable of contributing to our personal and planetary
peace simply by being mindful of what we think, say and
do. It’s probably not necessarily helpful to just be ‘positive,
positive’, however.
We can make a difference by realising our own contribution
to the aspects of life here that we don’t prefer. Opposing
anything will mostly only contribute to it. By streaming
our thoughts, feelings and actions towards what we see
as peaceful coexistence, and away from our incessant
finger-pointing and blaming of something or someone
else, might be a powerful step toward the planetary peace
most of us crave.
With the strong characters and beliefs we have all accrued
throughout eons, effective self-responsibility can hide
itself amid all kinds of justifications for the perpetuation
of our present global state being their fault.
There is no ‘they’. Tough as this can be for our egos to
accept, we all individually and collectively have ability to
live the life we desire. Much physical and mental illness
nowadays, seemingly increased, might make this apparent
simplicity a target of protest. To be in the circumstance
of a terminal illness or intense depression or distress is
seldom fixable by just ‘positive thinking’.
P: (02) 6687 1933
25 Bryron Street,
Bangalow NSW 2479
windhorsegallery.com
[email protected]
Artwork and Sculptures from local and internationally renowned
Australian Artists; Australian made Knitware; Beautiful Pearl
Jewellery; Stunning Jewellery from Mexico and Brazil; Locally
handmade Toys and Breadboards; Australian Handcrafted
Pewter; An amazing collection of scarves and much much more …
53
We all need to find our own sense of how and why, and
create, follow and make peace with our own pathways
in every aspect of our life’s circumstances. This is as
individual for each person as their fingerprint. Making
another wrong because their realisations and values
are not as ours can be counterproductive. Embracing
each other’s diverse preferences without judgement
might be a more rapid path to restored ease.
This means that differences in education, traditions,
history, perception, values and beliefs need to be
honoured and not emphasised.
Nature can be our greatest teacher and healer in this
plane. She usually acts as a calmant, even amid her
wilder expressions. We can each choose to individually
follow our own conviction star, while refraining from
needing to find another wrong, so we can be right.
54
At this juncture, as a planetary population we are at
a point that has been predicted by the prophets for
centuries. My sense is that we have just passed the
‘tipping point’ of consciousness. So, although media
sources report all manner of mayhems, there is a
strong, calm underlying ‘hundredth monkey effect’
on consciousness that now strongly and gently acts as
unity. Adopting and acting from this reality could be
productive, even as we might be yet to sense it from
within ourselves.
Unmasking our souls might be the key. Perhaps the
circumstances of our present life have brought a
harshness that has instinctively caused us to shield
“ We can gently let these layers fall as we feel more safe, nurtured and nourished
When I pay attention to this in microcosmic and
macrocosmic ways, I find that I always have strings of
miraculous moments.
don’t tell mama
Don’t Tell Mama is an eclectic
range of natural fibred
products, showcasing an
assortment of hemp, bamboo,
beech-wood, silk and merino
wool. Sourced both locally and
nationally, Don’t Tell Mama
boasts a range for everyone.
Complimenting the varied
clothing lines for men and
women, are a collection of
jewellery, leather goods, home
wares and natural body
cosmetics.
02 6687 2553 - 54 Byron St, Bangalow
55
ourselves. We can gently let these layers fall as we feel more safe, nurtured and nourished. How this
occurs is very individualised. Dropping our masks can be a major cause of happy relationships, as
can be to stop making demands for anything at all from another. We each have only to mind our
own business and be as kind as possible with ourselves, and each other, for our best selves to be in
the action driver’s seat of our daily existence.
Utilising the rich vein of practitioners of the many modalities Byron shire offers can facilitate much
of value. The old maxim of ‘follow your nose’ is a wise course, as this intuition can lead us through
our own maze. Making nothing wrong or right from within our own story and from our observations,
reflections and projections of others can be a mighty way to contribute to world peace, while
simultaneously improving our own personal daily experience.
Interacting with nature like a small child could shed layers of masks in an instant. Without the
burdens of these armours, we are then free to simply harmoniously exist.
56
zonti
quantum counselling
0412 498 353
[email protected]
free app (iphone & android)
zontizapp
w i t h
s e a s
W e
c o l l a b o r
l o c a l
a n d
a r t i s a n s . . .
a
t
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o v e
r
At Island Luxe, we travel the world for
inspirational pieces that offer an
experience of a nomadic existence,
recreating a feel of a luxurious yet
carefree ‘gypset’ lifestyle.
In store, we focus on giving each client
the experience of a lifestyle that
reflects our soul, a glimpse into a
world we cherish, where quality is
sought in every piece we offer. Each
detail in our store has been created to
stimulate your senses, from exotic
music to the scent of fresh coconut
and aged leather, and the textures of
the finest fabrics we have gathered for
you.
P: 02 6687 1605
62 Byron St, Bangalow
NSW 2479
[email protected]
P: 02 6680 9600
1&2, 11 Marvell Street
Byron Bay, NSW, 2481
[email protected]
islandluxe.com.au
Our locations avoid the usual high
traffic areas in favour of more
out-of-the-way
sites,
thus
not
compromising our concept and
creating a destination in itself and a
sense of journey for those select
individuals who search and go beyond
the commonplace.
Once inside the store, our clients find
our interior style is inspired by a deep
love of nature and humble but noble
objects, like a peasant’s bed from
Pakistan, an old leather oilpot from a
gypsy tribe in India, a restored kilim
from Turkey or a battered workbench.
We collaborate with local and
overseas artisans wherever possible to
produce exclusive one-off accessories
and furniture, making each piece
unique for every client. Our highly
skilled Island Luxe team knows that
true style transcends fashion and they
can assist clients to find their
individual expression.
We hope you enjoy sharing in our
Island Luxe vision...
57
Exquisite French Pastries,
wicked cakes, gourmet pies,
excellent coffee
02 6687 1209
12 Byron Street Bangalow
(opposite the pub)
Mon-Fri 6.15am-5.30pm
Sat 7am-4pm
Sun & public holidays
7.30am-3.30pm
58
Given the right ingredients the body has
the ability to regenerate and repair itself
Sue Daly / Naturopath
02 6687 1831 / 0427 872 874
34 Byron St, Bangalow, NSW, 2479
bangalownaturopath.com.au
59
Share the love
An interview with Melanie Spears about the power of gratitude and being with what is.
Living in financial fear along with the heartbreak of a
broken relationship, the pressures of life a little while ago
had destroyed Melanie Spears. Unable to work because
she was physically and emotionally exhausted, she had
every reason to surrender. But with a notepad, pen
and a glimpse of hope, one day she began the practice
of giving thanks. Soon realising the power of gratitude,
Melanie’s now internationally famous ‘Gratitude Diary’
(givingthanks.com) was born.
Growing up on a farm near Condobolin with her parents,
Melanie was always blessed with a sense of freedom.
The freedom to walk, the freedom to ride, the freedom
to drive anywhere over their 500 acres. “Freedom has
always been a primary value of mine. I had fun times
playing in the shearing sheds bouncing on big piles of
wool.” Now living just north of Byron Bay in New Brighton
with a direct view to the ocean, she takes pleasure in
whale watching right from her home. Melanie is still
blessed with the freedom she so yearns for, but it was not
always this way.
Facing bank foreclosure in 2007, Melanie and her
partner’s financial state became unmanageable. Longing
for a life of stability and normality had turned their
worlds into a spiral of loss. Their emotional state soon
took a toll on their relationship, and finally Melanie
decided to fight her unknown world of helplessness
and restrictions alone. As floods of anxiety filled early
morning wakings, Melanie would sit on her veranda
looking out onto her beautiful ocean view. She began
to write down what she was grateful for, just the simple
things in her life. Realising that her stress levels started
60
to soothe immediately, she says,“I began to develop faith
that everything was going to be all right, and so it was.”
As the practice of giving thanks became such an
important part of Melanie’s everyday ritual, she
combined it with her working diary. Just jotting down
what she was appreciative of gave Melanie a new lease
on life, and she soon learnt to be grateful for every
experience she encountered. She had learnt to no longer
be affected by the stresses of life; even more so, she was
grateful for them. ‘The Gratitude Diary’ was produced as
a direct result of her experiences, and Melanie gradually
became aware that there was a demand for this type of
daily therapy—much cheaper than seeing a therapist,
and probably far more effective. A combination of
an everyday journal and a space for giving thanks
to all you are grateful for, she explains: “It’s a tool for
transformation, self-reflection and awareness. Each day
there is a section to practice the blessing of giving thanks.
If you do this on a regular basis, you can literally go from
a lack perspective to an abundance perspective” and
from emotional despair to enjoyment and appreciation.
“Its not about denying unpleasant emotions created by
what is not working, but rather a full embrace of those
emotions, and a dialogue with them so that they may
show you what it is that you are truly desiring. Finding
the little specks of gold in a bucket of river sand.”
“Sometimes I notice people wasting so much energy in
avoiding or denying their emotions. It’s generally the
same people who are struggling with the same issues
10 years later. Basically, if you deny your unpleasant
emotions, you are denying yourself.”
Melanie decided to share ‘The Gratitude Diary and Daily Planner’ with
many. Having sold over 10,000 copies last year in Australia, she received
the most incredible response. “About 100 letters from users of ‘The
Gratitude Diary’ all express their heartfelt thanks in ways that often make
me cry. I stand surrendered to the awe of how such a simple act of being
grateful can transform a soul on such a profound level. In some cases, it
has saved lives!”
Melanie has also set up a playful and deeply nurturing rejuvenation retreat
for people to “simply explore what creating a life that you love might
look like.” As a group, people are able to experience real possibilities and
explore passions at a paradise-filled location in Bali. The group takes part
in a detox and help each other to be genuinely honest with themselves,
which helps to support a healthier and brighter vision. She also runs a
workshop called ‘Soul and Money’, which shows you how to align with
your passions in a profitable way.
“Very simply, what you focus on grows. So if you focus on what it is you
love, you create more love. It’s about finding the good or learning in what
may appear to be a difficult situation, and transforming that situation
from within.”
Melanie is also fulfilling a long-awaited passion of hers that was put on
hold due to her fears of“not being good enough” by recording an album
of songs that she has written. She now lives life her own way with the
freedom she knew so well as a child. Manoeuvring from 40 hours a week
of shift work to experiencing a creative life was a radical, empowering
change for Melanie. “I’m also renovating an old shack that I may one day
reside in, planting trees and watching them grow, building a new website
to support people’s wellbeing, planning workshops, reading interesting
books about great and enlightening things, and generally having fun.”
With plans to expand her enterprise, Melanie is currently looking for
people who want to launch their own ‘Gratitude Diary’ business in the UK
and the US.
“Why not share the love abroad? The diary is just another expression of
me being free to create a book that I like and that I think is pretty cool.”
love xx
givingthanks.com.au
61
Bangalow Guesthouse
The Bangalow Guesthouse is a stunning property
sitting amongst beautifully landscaped gardens
on the banks of picturesque Byron Creek. Situated
in the main street of Bangalow and just minutes
walk from a wonderful array of cafes, restaurants,
boutique shops and the iconic Bangalow Hotel, this
is the perfect Northern Rivers holiday spot.
www.bangalowguesthouse.com
Unique Estates
62
Free
call: 1300 911 720
www.uniqueestates.com.au
VELVETST
Cuts Colours Makeup Weddings
R
Feel free to drop in for advice, a quote or any
help with your hair including cuts and colours.
Naomi also specialises in hair up styling and
makeup for weddings. Look her up on
Naomimurray hair and makeup
6687 1967
30 Byron st, Bangalow ( post office building )
naomihairandmakeup.com
63
64
Gaia Retreat
EWRYBA
The small hamlet of Newrybar sits just off the Pacific Highway between Bangalow and Ballina. Famous
for its old bakery, which has been lovingly restored to a fully functioning store, the building retains the
quirk and charm of days gone by. There, you’ll find spelt, rye and other specialty grain loaves freshly
baked daily.
Next door, the fresh food deli features local organic produce, condiments, cheeses, pâtés, meats and
poultry, to name a few. In-house herb gardens supply the Harvest Cafe with the fresh leaves that infuse
and garnish their dishes. There is nothing more delightful than a stroll through these lovingly restored
buildings and gardens while discovering real foodie treats unique to the Northern Rivers.
Surrounded by macadamia and coffee plantations are a general store and antique shop as well as other
pioneering boutiques. The town is also the gateway to Olivia Newton-John’s famous Gaia retreat and
spa.
Just take the turnoff only a few kilometres south of Bangalow, on the western side of the Highway. It’s
easy to find and one of my favourite places in the region!
65
driftlab
Gaia Retreat
& Spa
Celebrates
10 Years
Perfectly poised high on sacred land in the Bangalow
hinterland, Northern NSW, Gaia Retreat & Spa boasts
majestic vistas over rolling hills and emerald green valleys.
Gaia has been recognised internationally as a leading multi
award-winning boutique pamper retreat and spa, focusing
on restoring wellness and calm. Individually tailored
programs, flexible stay dates, Signature Day Spa experiences
and freedom of choice are just some of the standalone
features available. The heart of Gaia is the renowned
Gaia Day Spa where nurturing, exceptional healers and
therapists deliver exquisite specialised treatments for both
men and women, treatments which are grounding and
profoundly restorative.
Breathing a mark of distinction in the region Gaia continues
to lead the way, creating a unique and authentic Australian
spa retreat experience with 2015 marking a special
anniversary. Gaia celebrates 10 successful years in the
spa and retreat world. Best friends Gregg Cave and Olivia
Newton-John along with fellow directors Ruth Kalnin and
Warwick Evans opened the property in 2005.
Constantly seeking to enhance the retreat and spa
experience, Gaia offers a varied range of boutique
retreat accommodation. The newly opened Komala
Villas are designed to spoil with elegant luxury in pure
privacy and seclusion, with magnificent views on the
66
40 jonson st, byron bay ph: 6680 9869
16 old pacific hwy, newrybar ph: 6687 0751 | www.driftlab.com.au
itÕ
s about heart ... itÕ
s about pampering ... itÕ
s about you
... come for the day or retreat for a while ...
Ultimate
Wellness Spa
Best Wellness Spa
Australasia &
South Pacific
With every 90 minute spa treatment you get complimentary use of spa facilities. Mention Northern Exposure Magazine and receive a
complimentary Gaia skin care product from our new Certified Organic Range - Ô
RetreatmentÕ
. All spa treatments include full use of our
tranquil gardens, outdoor hot tub spa, sauna and heated swimming pool. (conditions apply)
Gaia Day Spa Ph: 02 6687 1670 or 6687 1216 W: www.gaiaretreat.com.au
67
VILLAGE STAY & ART SPACE
NEWRYBAR
On 100 acres of lush farmland with magnificent sea
views over Lennox Head, this idyllic Queenslander is
the perfect getaway for those seeking a true rural
escape in luxurious comfort.
68
The Art House is an 100-year-old cottage in the heart of
the historic Newrybar Village. Overlooking lush farmland,
the cottage is perfect for families and small groups who
appreciate a country retreat, fine dining and being close
to all that Byron Bay and the hinterland has to offer.
FOR BOOKINGS AND INFORMATION
FOR BOOKINGS AND INFORMATION
Call Wendy on 0402 930 467
Call Wendy on 0402 930 467
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.byronplantation.com.au
www.the-arthouse.com.au
highest point of Gaia. Also new is Retreatment, the much
anticipated Certified Organic Skin Care range to complement
and enhance the signature spa experience. The brand range
encapsulates the healing nature of the land, truly reflecting
the essence and meaning of Gaia… the spirit of Mother Earth.
Over the years Gaia has received numerous accolades and
awards. Some of the latest awards include the World Travel
Awards received in 2013 and 2014 for ‘Australia’s Leading
Boutique Hotel’ and ‘Australia’s Leading Spa Resort’. This is
the most prestigious awards program in the travel industry
worldwide, regarded as the ‘Oscars of the travel industry’ by ‘The
Wall Street Journal’. In the same years Gaia also won the World
Luxury Spa Awards as ‘Best Luxury Destination Spa Australia’.
02 6687 1216 | [email protected]; gaiaretreat.com.au
69
NEWRYBA
70
BARDOWNS
Beautiful One Day – Perfect The Next...
Gracious charm abounds in this internationally stylish home. Newrybar
Downs provides 5 beautiful spacious bedrooms, 2 sitting rooms, 2 dining
rooms large entertaining kitchen and space for everyone to spread their
wings. Newrybar Downs is a fabulous property to relax in whilst enjoy the
park like grounds, swimming pool, outdoor entertaining areas, a game of
bowls, a dip in the pool or a scenic heli ride directly from the property over
stunning Cape of Byron. Whether staying for an intimate break, holidaying
with family and friends or enjoying that special corporate retreat Newrybar
Downs offers it all.
Whilst enjoying total privacy of Newrybar Downs you are only 1 km walking
distance to renowned Harvest Café and Deli, 3 kms drive to the charming,
elegant town of Bangalow with its beautiful shops
and restaurants. World best beaches beckon for the ocean dip, surf, and
paddle board or up lifting walk along one of Byron Bay surrounding beaches.
A dream setting for the perfect wedding, family gathering or corporate
retreat Newrybar Downs will cater for all requirements. Accomplished local
chefs, organic produce, artists, yoga masters, massage and much more can be
arranged for your stay discretely.
Newrybar Downs will leave you wanting more and plotting your return.
We look forward to welcoming you to 365 sunsets and life time of memories.
Visit newrybardowns.com for more details.
71
72
At the heart of the counterculture
ULLUMBIMB
Mullumbimby or ‘Mullum’, as its known by the inhabitants, is also referred to as the ‘biggest little town
in Australia’. The original occupants, the Bundjalung People called it ‘mulubinba’, hence the name
Mullumbimby, a derivative from the Bandjalung-Yugambeh dialect, after a fern found there.
This unique junction of the three arms of the Brunswick River became a cedar cutters’ staging camp in
the 1840s. They found it an excellent site because the tidal river could be easily navigated to that point
and gave access to all areas of the catchment area as well as providing the best location for bullock
teams to cross the river with their wagons loaded with timber. It’s still possible to see the shallows at low
tide where the bullocks crossed the Brunswick River.
Located just a short 10-minute drive from Byron Bay, at the foot of Mount Chincogan, it is now home to
an eclectic array of artists, photographers, writers and musicians who simply would not live anywhere
else as it still reflects the feel it achieved as heart of the counterculture movement in the early 70s.
Surrounded by lush farmland and happily reminiscent of the market days of years past, its counterculture
influence always present and exuding a colourful carnival atmosphere every day. Whether you stop
and shop or stay to play, it is a ‘must-see’ on any journey through the region.
73
Codes of the Mayan Calendar
O TIME
OLLS BY
74
“
Present moment speeds up towards what ends
“ Souls ignited by the fire of consciousness
So time rolls by, and 2012 is left in the dust as the present moment speeds up towards what ends? What is
it, this compression of time into short moments on a computer screen, interspersed with eating, drinking,
shopping and everything stuffed into an increasingly smaller unit of Time?
Are we reaching into Zero Point, where the whole old world becomes a comic characteristic of ridiculous
actions that deny the glorious truth of our beings as sovereign souls ignited by the fire of consciousness?
As we struggle to keep up with all that seems so important and yet is it? Or are we answering the call and
continuously letting go of placing the importance on the inane and answering only to what ignites our
spirit… Please tell me, ‘Yes!’, that we are learning to redefine and re-evaluate all that we once held dear, in
favour of Ease and Grace and the abidance in Self, note the big ‘S’!
Are we being hauled over the coals to wake up, as we are given the keys very unceremoniously to our own
deliverance?
A friend just had a motorbike accident, is in hospital with no bones broken, in wonder at what it took to
finally listen to that call to slow down and let go of the probing need to prove himself to the world, to
finally answer the inner call of listening to Self, allowing the witness to prompt him with the right action,
that must be done…
a
t e m p l e
f o r
y o u
hot spas + sauna + steam room +
plunge pool + massage + skin rituals
Byron’s premier garden spa, nestled in a bamboo grove
down a quiet lane in Mullumbimby.
The ideal place to de-stress at the start of your holiday.
Hot Spas, Wood Fired Sauna, Steam Room and Plunge
Pool in a secret tropical garden from $20!
We also offer awesome Massages and spectacular Skin
Treatments from Eminence Organics, plus all day
packages for those who want the full pampering.
The bathhouse is warming in winter and cooling in
summer and magical in the rain. Relax, unwind and
nurture yourself as you immerse yourself in Nature and
Ritual at the spa where the locals go.
A favourite destination for visitors and locals for 15
years.
02 6684 4811
thekivaspa.com
[email protected]
75
effective, holistic health care using organic herbal medicines
Dispensary and Clinic
Naturopathic, Homoeopathic
Ayurvedic Consultations and Massage
79 Stuart Street,
Mullumbimby
02 6684 3002
mullumherbals.com
Gallery Casamexico / Day of the Dead shop
A large selection of imported fabric designs of soft furnishings cushions & bags. Gallery
Casamexico specialises in affordable visual art: gloss vintage print panels & small framed
printed collage works of art. We support hand made ethnic Mexican crafts.
02 6684 1647 / 0403 734 791 / 75 Stuart St, Mullumbimby / [email protected]
Contact your friendly hardworking
Professionals Real Estate team
White Lotus Cleansing Retreats
Organic Detox Spa & Transformational
Healing Detox Retreats
At White Lotus Cleansing, we recognise that optimal wellness comes from learning to love and
respect the body, mind, and spirit, where health and well-being are a reflection of inner harmony.
+61 0427 857 148 / whitelotuscleansing.com.au
Brunswick
Heads
76
(02) 6685 1839
Ocean Shores
(02) 6680 4777
Mullumbimby
(02) 8884 2615
It helps to have codes to work by, in which to define
the unknowable, or at least recognise its existence
by allowing these tools to be the pointers along the
way, of whether we have it right or not…
So it is that 17 years later I am still following and
learning from these same 33 codes, as they reveal
the evolution of this consciousness that appears to
speeding up at such a fast rate. My daily practice
of witnessing and allowing my awareness to
evolve with the shift in consciousness, makes
me compassionate for those many populations
that are guided solely by a system that, at its
basis, is only interested in boxing experience into
This is what the Dreamspell (based on the Mayan
Calendars 260-day Count of Days/Light) is for
me… For around 17 years now I have followed
these codes, at first as a scientist entering in to test
to act in the perfect moment, not a moment too early, not a moment too late…“
a theory, to prove it wrong and obsolete, in order
to continue along the road of disproving. But very
quickly I recognised the serendipity, the match of
the codes with the personal experience, and rather
than making me lull into a false sense of finding
‘it’, my search became even more intensified as
my intelligence approached the serendipity of my
intelligence matching my experience, to a ‘T’!
“ Serene serendipity synchronistically occurring when we listen and are ready
Yes, folks, it is indeed the dawning of a New Time, and
a new way of relating to Time. Allowing time to be
followed from synchronic moment of serendipity
to serendipitous moment of synchronicity…
Serene serendipity synchronistically occurring
when we listen and are ready to act in the perfect
moment. Not a moment too early, not a moment
too late…
77
In order for survival, we must pull our energy back
from the edge of the external need to satisfy desire
that never ends. Perhaps it may be better to redirect
that desire to igniting the light within, dawning as a
Sun, co-creative with consciousness, allowing our rays
to light up the whole Earth, not just merely pawns with
their heads in the sand, operating from unconscious
and ancient patterns inherited from thousands of
years of power over games of survival.
May we jump out of the box, find some Metaphysical
codes and consciousness itself will offer a life that
reveals the inner workings of what is occurring on
our planet.
Whether those codes be numbers, glyphs, letters or
whatever alive and evolving codes are giving you
goosebumps… Three numbers in a row, or particular
numbers that occur again and again and again…
What could they mean? Ask the quest-i-ons and
consciousness is sure to answer, inspiring further the
quest for Godot!
For me, the codes of the Dreamspell have been reliably
giving me revelations and meaning over time. Spirit
unveils similar experiences every 20 days, tempered
by a 13-day cycle, revealing a 260-day cycle, replicating
itself, yet ever growing, so that every time a similar day
comes up, 260 days later, the nature of evolution is
revealed… And as I witness the 13-day cycles, each with
its own specific purpose, I experience the expansion
of that universal truth on our planet from a place of
evolving consciousness and am able to put word to
78
“ May we jump out of the box, find some metaphysical codes...
a continually limiting reality, one that seeks to prove
that it ‘knows’, when all around consciousness itself
is attempting to offer signs and synchronicities that
reveal that the ‘way out’ is indeed ‘in’. That no outer
authority is going to take you home.
it, clearly and succinctly, guiding others to see the dawning light
within each happenstance.
Just as a gardener understands their world by witnessing and
watching plants grow, so with the Dreamspell codes do I watch
and witness our conscious (and sometimes not so conscious)
evolution, where everything is playing out just as it does,
from perspectives that are ignited by the elegant design of an
underlying harmonic matrix.
If this inspires you to look into this set of codes that have been
followed for thousands of years in the Maya lands, you can go to
the mother site for this particular system of Mayan calendars at
lawoftime.org.
You can also check my blogsitetimewaves.org where three
years of daily codes have been documented through my firsthand experience of them. The last six months or so I have been
documenting more primarily the 13-day cycles as a whole, as the
acceleration in time demands a different approach. These 13day Wavespell transmissions are also interesting as a birds-eye
visioning into a particular purpose and how that evolves over 13
days, evolving naturally through to its manifestation and final
resting place on Day 13 of pure presence. This in turn leading into
the next purpose, each code a clue for the next, leading forward
this eonic dance of consciousness. Codes are the language
through which God talks to us.
I am in deep gratitude to the Maya of all time and dimension
for anchoring this deep and ancient wisdom… To Jose Arguelles
for his unerring passion in awakening more of the world to
these codes, for being dedicated to the search for meaning and
revelation in understanding of the greater and lesser cycles
of evolution, and for having the courage to let the world know
about it, amid ridicule and denial. Ah, but ain’t that the way of this
strange world, point the finger at the Moon, and they look at the
finger and pick it to bits, when it is just the messenger, and that
bright orb goes on beckoning unseen. Release Mayan Calendar
and 2012 folks and educate yourself with the codes, be OK with
Jose Arguelles aka Valum Votan
79
not knowing what they mean in the beginning. Just follow the days with eyes, ears and indeed all senses
open and then it is highly possible that we maybe are shown the path of Ease and Grace beyond the
confines of old paradigm thoughtforms that have held our world captive in realities of war and conflict,
in favour of peace, love and harmony.
Oh, well, those that are on the similar search looked at what was being pointed to, and are now flying!
Thank you, dear brother, from the bottom of my heart…
Blessings to all
Vasumi
xxxxx
Vasumi travels and ignites the fire of the heart
with her work with the Mayan Dreamspell. If you
would like to invite and organise a workshop for
her she is available for that. Although these days
she resides in either New Zealand or Bali, Australia is her crossing place and she is happy to travel
anywhere to this work that she is most passionate
about. She is also available for private personal
sessions. Birthdate needed.
80
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81
82
On the main street
YALGU
There’s something special about Tyalgum. Whether it’s the setting, surrounded by the Coastal Range
and Mount Warning, or the way the mist seems to rise from the Pumpinbil and Tyalgum Creeks in the
early mornings or the fact that Mount Warning is the core of the world’s largest extinct volcano, the
Tweed Volcano—Tyalgum speaks to the soul.
How else could a small town, with a tiny population of just 300 manage to support an annual classical
music festival featuring some of the finest Australian and international musicians in a hall that is said to
produce some of the finest acoustics in the world and held every September since 1991? And what could
possibly possess the population of a tiny rural town so far from anywhere to build and maintain a hall
that produces such incredible acoustics.
Perhaps the ensuing 23 million years since its last eruption have failed to completely subdue such a
massive spiritual energy pulse from the very heart of Mother Earth. Stranger, more immutable things
have come to pass, surely. And then there’s the other heritage buildings that have been so lovingly
restored and maintained to house businesses with quirky names like the famous Flutterbies Cafe or The
Shop Next Door or Tyalgum Garage located in the old Norco Factory, not to mention or the incredible
Tyalgum Hall.
And, yes, this is the village I stumbled into for breakfast after surviving that wild squall all those years
ago and sometimes wonder still if it’d all been just a dream.
Doubt my recollections at your own risk but at least come and have a wander around and see if you
too don’t come away a little bit changed. My children and grandchildren still call butterflies ‘flutterbies’
because of it.
Go on—you deserve it.
83
the heart of the caldera....
of life brought me here, to
How the mysterious turns
WELCOME
HANGE TO
LL THAT
84
I moved to Tyalgum some 15 years ago, having spent the previous decade working and
traveling between Sydney, Chicago, London and Dublin. What a welcome change to all that!
Years earlier, when I was still a uni student in Brisbane, I used to do the trek to Byron Bay quite
regularly, as my ‘getaway’. Each time I made the drive alongside the majestic, sparkling Tweed
River, I’d look out to my right at this stunning blue mountain outline and lush green canefields
in the valley below, and I’d say to myself: “One day I’m going to live there.” And funnily enough,
the mysterious turns of life brought me here, to the heart of the caldera.
Over the last eight years or so, my village has blossomed into a vibrant little destination for
daytrippers from up and down the coast. What was once a sleepy little village now boasts
its own café with fabulous organic, barista coffee, a coffee micro-roaster, local illustrator, a
number of art galleries featuring works from talented local artists and photographers, an eco
store, fashion and gift stores, bookshop, silversmith studio and furniture shop, Friday night
pizza and live music and, now, monthly artisan markets. It’s really lovely to be able to have a
proper maker’s market; the day adds vibrancy to an already colourful village, and brings with it
a sense of community, as elders teach children how to weave, young local musicians sing amid
an array of gourmet treats and handmade treasures, all by local artisans and craftspeople.
And everything is just so gorgeous! The main street is lined with a collection of quaint
Federation buildings, from the pub on the corner [which happens to be one of the last existing
country pubs and has been operating since 1926] right through to the now-famous Tyalgum
Literary Institute Hall, a beautiful building circa 1908, from local cedar felled in the area. The
hall boasts stunning acoustics and has been host to the famous Tyalgum Music Festival for
over 20 years, as well as seasonal music and dance spectaculars presented by Hearts Aflame
Productions. I’ll never forget one recent show
where the guest performer, the unbelievably
talented and gorgeous Tim Draxl, opened the show
with the words “Last night: Sydney Opera House,
tonight: Tyalgum Village Hall”. And he had the time
of his life, as did we!
Each building in the main street has many a story to
tell, and often we get to hear delightful anecdotes
from visitors and locals, that their grandma was a
seamstress in what is now Paddington of Tyalgum,
or that Osiris Jewellery was the poolroom,
among other things. Flutterbies Cottage Café was
originally the town’s bakery, with the butcher next
door in the Little Shop Next Door.
In the early 80s, the bakery was converted to
a pottery studio, the potter using the old baker’s
ovens as his kiln. And, by the way, if you visit the
café you’ll find that the amenities are now in what
was once the kiln / oven, making for a very unique
bathroom decor! I’ve heard many a visitor turn to
their friends and say, “You simply HAVE to check
out the bathroom!”
The General Store, another fabulous heritage
building, is also our local Post Office, so popping
down to check the mail or send off parcels is
a daily delight.
to Heaven! The air is thick with the heavy scent
of jasmine and orange blossom for many, many
months, and you find yourself breathing ever so
deeply to draw in the rich scent.
Flutterbies [or ‘Flutters’ as regulars call it] is the
best little café you could hope for in a village.
Locals pop down on horseback for a cuppa, and
the northerners have been known to drop in
by the occasional helicopter! Often, we get the
wonderful vintage car groups out for a Sunday
drive. They line up their much-loved beauties
down the main street for us locals to enjoy, while
they tuck into a hearty country lunch.
For a small country town, there is so much to
enjoy here. Walking to the local weir is a treat,
you can sit and listen to the crescendo of the
waterfall among the ducks, cows, turtles and even
the odd platypus! You can catch a round or two
of tennis, go have a luxurious facial or massage
at the Wellbeing Centre, get a tarot reading, or
simply sit back in the sun on the front porch of
the café and enjoy the uninterrupted rural views.
At various times of the year you can visit local
organic farm Summit Organics and enjoy guided
tours of the Garden of Light.
The best days are when the local coffee ‘dealer’
is roasting his beans and the intoxicating scent
wafts through the air and tantalises one’s desire to
pop down for a fresh brew. He stocks some of the
world’s most exclusive beans, including the elusive
Jamaica Blue.
What I love most about Tyalgum is watching
the visitors roll in, all buzzed up and loud from
their city lives. Then, as they settle for a cup of
tea and some wonderful home-baked scones,
you can see the hustle and bustle fall away, as
they melt into the deep peace and tranquillity
of the landscape. There’s something magic about
Tyalgum, and people can feel it.
Speaking of blissful aromas, if you visit Tyalgum in
the spring you will think you have died and gone
Kirra Springs is the resident silversmith at
Osiris Jewellery
85
Flutterbies
Cottage Cafe
Come and enjoy the finest country hospitality at Flutterbies
Cottage Cafe.
With its warm, friendly service and wholesome meals
reminiscent of Grandma’s baking, you are sure to feel right at
home. We are open seven days for breakfast and lunch, and are
fully licensed so you can enjoy a glass of French Champagne or
wine with your meal. Our food is fresh and homemade, and our
organic coffee is roasted right here on the premises!
We also specialise in an elegant High Tea service, held in our
exquisitely decorated tearoom, which can be hired for your
special occasion. Our signature dessert, the Flutterbies Cake, is
simply divine!
Open: 8:30am - 5pm (Tues 10am-3pm)
02 6679 3221 / 23 Coolman St, Tyalgum
flutterbies.com.au
The Little Shop
Next Door
Charming boutique gift shop brimming with all the finest wares
from around the world.
French provincial furnishings and homewares, soaps and
candles / Fairy Shop, Lavender Shop and Teddy Bears / Exclusive
Organic skin care range / Open 7 days right next to Flutterbies
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Paddington of
Tyalgum
Tyalgum is
my Tuscany
You’ll be surprised at this little boutique and what it has to offer!
The perfect place for lovers of handmade art and craft!
Tyalgum’s colourful artisan gallery is housed in the 100-year-old
original General Store which is the perfect location for its wares.
Handmade pottery, glassware, soaps, woodwork , stunning local
photography and paintings.
Contemporary range of mens and ladies wear / Gifts including
fine leather-bound journals, men’s accessories / Jewellery /
games, stationery / Vintage clothing / And of course…Paddington
Bear!
Open: 10am – 5pm
02 6679 2075 / 10 Coolman St, Tyalgum
Open: 10am–4pm
0458 571 373 / 29a Coolman St Tyalgum
[email protected]
Osiris Jewellery
studio + gallery
The Orpheum
Bookshop
Come and visit Tyalgum’s own resident silversmith Kirra Springs
as she creates artisan jewellery right here on the premises! All
items created in the studio are handmade from eco-friendly
material and are one-of-a-kind pieces. Workshops available.
Commissions welcome!
Local Tyalgum musician and book aficionado Hoel Durand has
established a culture shop with a selection of lovingly curated
books, vinyl LPs and DVDs. The store offers quality literature
and hosts a quarterly play reading as well as creative writing
workshops and classes. Visit Thursday to Sunday to find that
special book or just sit and admire the eclectic decor! Either
way … it’s a book lovers’ paradise!
Open: Wed-Sun 10am-4pm
0499 747 473 / 10 1/4 Coolman St, Tyalgum
osirisjewellery.com
Open: Thurs - Sun 10am - 4pm
0408 314 607 / 10 Coolman Street, Tyalgum
[email protected]
87
Garden of Light Tours +
Organic Skin Care Products
The Garden of Light is a beautiful property in the heart of Tyalgum that has been lovingly created over the past 15 years,
drawing inspiration from many established gardens throughout Europe as well as the Butchart Gardens in Canada. The
Garden of Light is open to the public for organised tours during the seasons of Spring and Autumn, with the bookings
taken through Flutterbies Cottage Cafe.
The Garden is a forever changing canvas, with new spaces and areas being created all the time, so people have been
returning to see what has been happening at The Garden. This jewel at the foot of Mount Warning has inspired a
collection of books, paintings, organic skincare mother and baby range and other wonderful products. These encapsulate
the essence of this enchanting place, with each hand-drawn illustration featured on the packaging reflecting the beauty
of the gardens and the animals that live on the property. This whole enterprise of the Garden of Light has been created
as a cottage industry to help support a local home- schooling cooperative.
Bookings through Flutterbies Cottage Cafe / 02 6679 3221 / gardenoflight.com.au
Flutterbucks Boutique
Coffee Roaster and Pizzeria
Passionate about coffee? Looking for the perfect cup? Love
organic? Well, come to Flutterbucks! Voted best coffee in the
Tweed, “Double or Nothing” is worth the drive… you won’t be
disappointed! Tucked away in what was the old shed is this
hole-in-the-wall style barista servery and coffee roastery, that
transforms itself into a pizzeria each Friday night, offering live
music with talented artists playing both originals and covers.
Definitely the place to be!
02 6679 2014 / 02 6679 3221
flutterbucks.com.au | [email protected]
88
Earth Heartbeat
Conscious Lifestyle
Eco Shop
Our aim is to educate and communicate options for a healthy,
sustainable lifestyle by creating, sourcing and providing
Certified Organic, Fair Trade and local products such as: Organic
bedding, bath towels, yoga mats, superfoods, supplements,
cleaning products, skincare, essential oils, meditation cushions,
books, esoteric energies and more. Discover our sweet, inviting
shop through the peaceful garden walkway once you have
entered Flutterbies Cottage Café. You can also shop online (see
below.)
02 66 79 2121 / [email protected]
earthheartbeatshop.com.au
Celestial Dew of
Tyalgum
One of Tyalgum’s most interesting buildings, this distinctive and
charming guesthouse will delight enthusiasts of the Golden
Age of Railways with its railway-themed fixtures and elegantlyappointed European furnishings.
You’ll be assured a comfortable, relaxing stay in the country
with all the conveniences of a café right next door. Curl up with
a great book on the generous verandah, or relax in the in-house
sauna as you unwind and restore your senses in this peaceful,
country village.
0474 512 528 / 21 Coolman St, Tyalgum
[email protected]
celestialdewoftyalgum.com
Tyalgum
Wellbeing Centre
Need to relax and restore? A visit to the Wellbeing Centre could
be just what you need!
It houses a collection of talented and experienced practitioners
from a wide range of modalities, including acupressure,
chiropractic, structural integration, reflexology, shiatsu massage,
photonic treatment, and transformational sessions.
Included in this building is a beauty therapist who specialises in
hot stone massage and organic skincare facials. Sessions are by
appointment.
0458 537 950 / 21 Coolman St, Tyalgum
89
90
Simple pleasures: www.juleshunt.com photography
RUNSWICKHEAD
The quiet and sleepy village of Brunswick Heads is 10 minutes north of Byron Bay. Originally inhabited
by the Bundjalung nation until Captain Rous first charted the Brunswick River in 1828, which led to it
being opened up to the cedar cutters that followed some 20 years later and accounted for it becoming
a thriving port and robust commercial centre in the 1880s. The town, however, would slip into decline
when the railroad was built in Mullumbimby. The gorgeous little village, far from dead, would transform
this apparent downturn into a mecca for those who seek the road less travelled in search of the quiet
life, caring not for the economic and logistical considerations.
A convenient 30 minutes from both Coolangatta and Ballina-Byron Gateway airports, this quiet little
fishing village isn’t very far from everywhere and caters for so many of life’s simpler pleasures like great,
uncrowded beaches, cute nosheries that cater to all tastes and budgets, as well as easy ocean access for
fishing in the river itself or outside, whale watching or kayaking adventures. And for those who need a
special recharge, there is always the nearby Crystal Castle.
91
Kristina's Tasty Kitchen
We offer a large variety of raw, organic, dairy, allergy and gluten free
food, pies, cakes and salads etc. All vegetarian and vegan.
Catering for functions, retreats and gatherings.
Cooking classes available on request.
Kris Campbell 0429 456 299
Mina Mina
fine
art
and
giftware
A colourful boutique gallery, which
specialises in Aboriginal Fine Arts
and Crafts, complemented by
sophisticated pieces from local
artisans, unusual home wares and
quirky gifts.
Cnr Park & Mullumbimbi Streets,
Brunswick Heads NSW 2483
02 6685 0229
www.minaminagallery.com
92
Northern Exposure editor Melanie Spears speaks with Aidan Ricketts, a
coordinator for and one of many people at the coal seam gas protest at
Bentley, a few kilometres from Lismore.
ON SOCIAL
MOVEMENT
Most people tend to think in terms of structural
organisations as a pyramid model, in that
those with more power govern over those
with apparently less power. That’s not how
a social movement works, says Aidan Ricketts, a
spokesperson for the CSG-Free Northern Rivers
campaign. “Imagine a network as a bunch of dots
on a page, then start drawing lines between those
dots and a pattern emerges. So it’s a network,
rather than one egalitarian leader.”
This system “permanently works imperfectly”,
says Aidan, but it begins to explain how brilliant
people can work well together. It’s also a natural
system where respect and trust are created based
on what people are contributing to the mission at
hand, like the Steiner method. Natural selection
capitalises on people’s strengths. Aidan’s term for
this is “activocracy”.
With a pyramid structure, a single idea can rule or
govern over a situation. However in an activocracy,
ideas are spawned every day, Aidan explains. That
means the creative process is always in real-time,
actions are governed by feeling and desire, but are
more in response to what is happening, and less on
a policy or procedure.
93
Melanie: Northern Exposure comes out once a year and, while
it’s designed for the tourist market, it also holds in mind the
underbelly of what is actually happening here in the Northern
Rivers. We expose the underbelly.
Aidan: This isn’t the underbelly, this is the mainstream.
M (laughing): Yep, you’re right. This is the mainstream. The real
Northern Rivers. This is what’s real right now. So what’s your role
or title here?
A: We don’t tend to have roles or positions, but yeah,
“coordinator” is usually what we are called. However, there are
a lot of coordinators. We are a very distributed network and
it’s not always easy for people to understand. Most of us work
in “organisations” and tend to think in terms of a pyramid
structure. But that’s not really how a social movement works.
A social movement is better thought of in terms of a network—
those dots on a page with interconnecting lines between them.
Between those dots is how information is shared. Then, if you
start to imagine some of those dots blinking on and off, which
might indicate someone who holds information but may not
necessarily be here today.
Within the network are sub-networks. Some of these people
those will be involved in media, physical blockading or police
liaison. So there are internal networks and then those link over
to other parts, so that we are always communicating. That’s
not to suggest that this system works perfectly, however it
permanently works imperfectly, which is what we have all come
94
to accept. But it at least begins to explain how social movements
actually work. We have really brilliant people working in very
different areas, and eventually a respect develops around the
people who are doing their job and doing it well.
M: Kind of a natural selection where people gravitate towards
where their talents lie and have an opportunity to express
those talents, whether that be playing music or putting up the
telegraph poles?
A: That’s what I call “activocracy”.
M: I like it. And, of course, you get to divert the traditional
manipulations of power that are so common in a pyramid or
organisational kind of structure.
A: That’s right. And the trouble with pyramid structures is
that single ideas start to predominate. Social change is a very
experimental process. Whereas single ideas are often dependent
on certain outcomes. And that outcome just may not occur. So
what you are actually doing in a complex social movement is
engaging in multiple experiments. But I can take you down a
rabbithole here, into deep theory and structure, if you’re not
careful (laughing).
02 6685 1283
1/12 The terrace
Brunswick Heads 2483
brunswicksurf.com.au
Latest surf fashion / apparel
M: OK, so have you done this before?
A: Yes, I was heavily involved in the North East Forest Alliance’s
campaign during the 1990s and also wrote ‘The Activists’
Handbook’. It’s been my main area of study and writing.
[Aidan and I are standing beside a two-metre concrete well that
has been dug into the ground. I’m curious.]
M: This particular well is making quite a statement. Is this the
first of its kind during these CSG stand-offs?
A: No, there are a few other wells in. The social movement really
kicked in strongly in early 2012. In late 2012 there was a protest
near Grafton, and then in early 2013 there was another one
Open for Breakfast & Lunch
from 7am, 7days and dinner
from 5pm Thur to Sat
02 6685 0265
3 Park St, Brunswick Heads,
NSW 2483
parkstpastabar.com.au
95
“
Now, we know on reliable figures that above 85 per cent of the resident population
is against this industry. That’s the hard data. “
at Doubtful Creek, west of Kyogle. Then the company stopped for a while. Metgasco is in a very difficult
situation at the moment because it only has reserves in the Northern Rivers and it’s facing a community that
is absolutely opposed to it.
Now, we know on reliable figures that above 85 per cent of the resident population is against this industry.
That’s the hard data. There was actually a poll done in Lismore that came out at 87 per cent against. There
has been university research done in the Richmond Valley, which is supposed to be the heartland of this
company’s operations, that showed 65 per cent opposition and only 18 per cent support.
Metgasco’s problem is that their cash reserves are dwindling and they have nothing but the Northern Rivers
to show for it. You have a company that won’t back down and a community that won’t back down either.
They have their backs against the wall, trying to save themselves. Our view in that it is just one more
speculative exploration company and these companies go to the wall all the time. Society should not suffer
because of that. A society suffers when you destroy an entire community’s economy and lifestyle with an
invasive industry.
M: I heard that a lot of exploration companies attempting CSG mining here in Australia are from China.
Is that true?
A: In general, about 85 per cent of the mining industry is foreign-owned.
M: So, has our government has sold the rights for other countries to mine here?
A: Yes, it goes back to the (original) law where the Crown owns all the minerals under the ground. A farmer, by
law, actually does not own what lies beneath his land. And that’s fine, the government can make those claims,
but it does not give them the right to toxify our watertable or put human health at risk.
M: So the mining companies must be paying BIG money to our government for the right to mine.
A: No, not very much actually. Just $10,000 to $15,000 will get you a mining exploration lease.
M: That’s nothing. So what are Australians and the government actually getting out of this. What are the
financial benefits to the country?
96
A: Well, supposedly royalties but that really doesn’t even stack up compared to what’s at risk: our farming-based culture. You only have to fast-forward 20 years
to realise that, by then, fossil fuels will not be an economic proposition because of climate change. Food security will be the greatest challenge ever known.
M: And water.
A: Yes, water and food will be the big industries of the future, and that’s already starting to happen. Food is getting more and more expensive globally. Agriculture
has been in a slump for years but it will come back as an absolutely important industry. And a place as fertile and productive as the Northern Rivers shouldn’t
be turned into an industrial gasfield.
M: Absolutely! So this article is most likely going to be read by people living in cities, who are perhaps busy and therefore out of touch with the CSG issue. What
would you say to them to help educate them. What do they most need to know?
A: For a start, there is no gas shortage. There is plenty of gas in the large conventional gasfields, such as in Western Australia, Bass Strait and the Cooper Basin,
where you get a lot of gas from a single site. So although it has its impacts, these are relatively confined in area. The CSG is so problematic because it is invasive
over vast areas. It’s like pincushioning the landscape and pulling little bits of gas out everywhere. It is not for our domestic needs. It is entirely for an export rush,
to sell it overseas and get money for these exploration companies. It’s simply not something we need and will do massive long-term damage. It’s got an estimated
life of about 30 years as an industry, but the legacy that it will leave in terms of our ecosystem and our agriculture is devastating.
For more information, visit aidanricketts.com
The Big Fish
we have things you don’t even know you need
4 the terrace, BRUNSWICK HEADS
0401 570 007
furniture,
collectables
& stuff
( new - recycled - vintage )
97
Legal Support: EDO steps up
When communities like Bentley are faced with proposals like Metgasco’s
planned coal seam gas (CSG) and unconventional gas exploration
activities in the Northern Rivers, the need for independent and expert
legal support quickly becomes apparent.
The potential adverse social, economic and environmental impacts of
CSG developments are now well understood thanks, in large part, to the
tireless work of conservation groups and special-interest organisations
who have informed themselves and the broader community about the
potential risks.
Communities now rightly view proposals for such developments with
a large degree of caution, and even trepidation. Some communities
have even gone so far as to declare themselves CSG-free. However, an
important part of any campaign to oppose CSG developments is to
understand the legal rights and obligations of both the gas company and
the community.
Unfortunately, the law regulating CSG exploration is both technical and
complex. Not many communities are in a position to pay commercial
fees for legal advice and, even if they were, many law firms would be
unable to provide such advice because they act for (or want to act for)
the gas companies and must avoid conflicts of interest.
This is where Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) NSW steps in.
With over 25 years’ experience in environmental law, EDO NSW has
a proven track record in achieving positive environmental outcomes
for the community.
With broad expertise in environmental law and policy, EDO NSW helps
the community to respond to environmental problems by providing
legal and scientific advice, community legal education and proposals for
better laws.
Over the past few years, EDO NSW has focused on demystifying the
law as it applies to CSG developments and empowering communities to
use the law to the fullest extent possible to protect their interests and
98
the environment. We have produced a plain English publication called
‘Mining and the Law: A guide for the community’ and several online fact
sheets on CSG and the development assessment process. We have also
conducted dozens of targeted legal education workshops throughout
NSW to help communities respond to specific projects.
This support has helped place communities on the front foot when
it comes to dealing with CSG companies and the Government.
Simultaneously, EDO NSW has engaged extensively in various law-reform
processes, advocating for better laws that strike a fairer balance between
the interests of the community and the interests of gas companies.
Where general information is not sufficient, individuals and community
groups can approach EDO NSW for free initial legal advice about
specific problems or questions of law. We have assisted many clients to
understand and exercise their legal rights through our advice service.
Where appropriate, EDO NSW has also acted for community groups in
litigation to challenge approvals for CSG developments and clarify the
law as it applies to CSG activities, the most notable being the challenge
to the Gloucester Gas Project in 2011.
Through these legal services, EDO NSW helps to not only provide access
to justice for the community by making the courts accessible, but levels
the playing field by ensuring the community can compete in court
with well-resourced government agencies and corporations. As a nongovernment and not-for-profit legal centre, our services are affordable
and provided without fear or favour.
With regards to the Bentley and broader Northern Rivers community,
EDO NSW has provided ongoing advice over many years on the legality
of Metgasco’s CSG and unconventional gas exploration activities.
We also assisted the organisers of the Bentley blockade in their
Development Application for a protestor camp. Our support for the
Northern Rivers community in this matter is ongoing and responsive to
community need.
For more information, visit edo.org.au
99
My personal story and
the evolution of
Peace By
Piece
Peace by Piece was established in 1997 to mark a new beginning. After a fast-paced career in film
and television, I fell sick for years with chronic fatigue. As I learned about energy and regained
my strength, Peace by Piece became my way to start producing my own ideas. First came
‘Surfing Made Easy’ in 1998, a 70-minute instructional film on how to surf because as a young
girl I wanted to surf but was given all the wrong information and didn’t get any pleasure from
it. The film was released by Roadshow and set a benchmark for the surf school industry.
100
Handmade
Footwear and
Leather Goods
Brunswick Heads Shop and Bangalow Design Studio / Peace by Piece / peacebypiece.com.au
101
In 2000, I left Australia to meet a friend in
Nepal and within three years I had created a
sandal-making industry in Kathmandu and the
surrounding villages. I was truly inspired by the
energy and commitment to God and nature by the
simple people of Nepal.
go on. Also, to be clear and constantly vigilant
about my personal agenda.
My products reflected this in the use of prayers,
mantras and all-natural materials. It also became
very important to me to control the energy used to
produce Peace by Piece products.
My marriage couldn’t survive the pressure of the
‘rock star’ and in 2009 with two beautiful kids
and help from friends and family Peace by Piece
was born again, this time with a more mature
and refined idea of how to create my dream.
I was appalled at the working conditions so, with
other Westerners, we set about reforming what we
could and setting up new workshops that provided
work, training and support for the women and
their families.
I didn’t realise it at the time, but I was a part of the
beginning of the Fair Trade Movement.
It has become my personal goal to continue to
make things using the purest energy as possible.
This means looking at the consciousness behind
the act of manufacturing as well as to be in the
‘light’ without fear, jealousy, ego, and the list could
In 2003, I returned from Nepal to Australia to
have babies and Peace by Piece took a back seat
to my partner’s skyrocketing music career.
With an intention of creating energetically pure
products in Australia, using Australian materials
where possible and refining where we could, I
have garnered the cream of local leathersmiths,
shoemakers, jewellers, painters, poets and artists
who work together crafting covetable bespoke
shoes, bags, briefcases, hats, belts, wallets,
sandals, and stunning hand-forged jewellery that
last a lifetime.
I value age more than youth, quality more than
trends. The older and better quality something is,
the more character it develops as it ages.
“I value age more than youth, quality
more than trends...
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You can attach memories to things that last and I want to make beautiful
things that are in our lives and carry the energy and memories with them
as they age. Every year you have your yummy jumper, those amazing boots,
you look at your bag with love and touch its smoothness and livingness, your
summer sandals are moulded to your feet, your wallet gets deeper in colour
as the oils from your skin keep it supple. I want these things in my life and
have had through my parents and grandparents. But I can’t get these things
anymore because they are too hard and expensive to make.
I have noticed that like-minded people find Peace by Piece. I don’t just mean
customers but also artists and designers with the same philosophy.
Peace by Piece is my commitment to making these things so that people who
love energy, value integrity and longevity of product can also have these
things, made to suit their needs or bought from a range of classic designs that
I have settled on after 13 years of experimenting and sampling.
I talk to many people in the shop at Brunswick Heads and in my workshop
in Bangalow. This deepens my understanding of what I am trying to do and
develops my personal philosophy.
When we connect, we integrate ideas and skills into the business so it grows
into areas that I can’t possibly expand into personally. For this continued
collaboration I have established a workshop where we manufacture product
but also thrive from all working in the same environment and sharing our
skills and ideas.
Amanda Coutts
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104
The waves / the beach / the life
INGSCLIF
Kingscliff is a secret. And, just quietly, it’s probably the most underrated beach town in Australia. Barely
out of the shadows of the Gold Coast, this little beach town offers so much more for so much less than
anywhere else in the country and yet it remains virtually unknown.
I had the pleasure, one Friday afternoon several years ago, of interviewing Phyllis O’Donnell, the 1964
Women’s World Surfing Champion and long-time resident of Kingscliff. When asked, “Why, Kingscliff?”
prior to my turning on the tape-recorder, she replied aghast, “Why not, Mike? It has a world-class righthand, sand-bottomed point surf right there, and the high tide produces another great wave on the reef
outside. And even though I don’t surf much any more, it’s nice to know that it’s always there if I choose
to.” She went on to say how nice it was to live in a place where she could drive into the main street and
park right in front of where she wanted to go—when she wanted to be there.
Interview completed, the southeasterly sea breeze was just beginning to freshen as we finished our
coffees. As I was pocketing my tape-recorder and notepad and rose, she slipped her arm into the crook
of mine and walked me down the street. As we walked, she happily pointed out the many features
that you could easily be forgiven for not knowing as we strolled past young mothers, waist-deep in the
crystal clear water of Cudgen Creek, floating their happy, laughing babies. “Hopefully, those babies will
never know any different,” she began earnestly. When pressed, she went on to explain she thought that
there are too many people who go through life working their tails off to come to places like this on
holiday not realising that this is what their everyday lives should be about.
My gaze already on the waves still riffling down the point in spite of the side-shore breeze made her
smile. “That’s not the half of it. The kitesurfers are rigging up and they’ll burn up and down the point
until the sun gets low and the wind fades. And that’s when the beach fishermen will show up with
buckets and rods and pull a nice feed of whiting, flathead or bream and, if they’re lucky, a big jewy for
sport when the sun goes down.”
105
Looking back across the street, she pointed out some very nice cafes, class-act
gourmet restaurants, adding “very good and very reasonably priced,” fish and chips
shops as well as her favourite dress shop, even suggesting a gift shop where I might
pick up that something special for my wife. “I’ve been a lot of places, done a lot of
things and seen a lot of things and everything I’ve ever wanted is right here. This
place just makes me happy!”
After we’d said our goodbyes, she climbed in her little hatchback and drove off to
another appointment, leaving me to wander around before heading back into the
hubbub of the Gold Coast, the office and the keyboard.
Glancing up the street to the caravan park on the beachfront and then across the
street, with its tidy shopping precinct and holiday accommodation, I’m suddenly
struck by the total lack of high-rises, begging the question, Why? And then I
remember the mothers playing with their children in Cudgen Creek and something
about their innocent laughter made me smile. That smile still fresh, my heart leaps
as hoards of squealing, boisterous kids with surfboards, body boards and anything
else that will float charged across the street onto the beach and into the surf.
School’s out! I think to myself, as more kids arrive on bikes and skateboards.
On road back to the car, Phyllis’s, ‘Everything I’ve ever wanted is right here. This
place just makes me happy!’ echoes in my head. And as I leave this tidy, peaceful
little town with its gorgeous beaches, both still and surf, close proximity to the big
smoke of Brisbane if need be, great fishing and surf both here and at Fingal as well
as Cabarita, total lack of high-rise and a safe haven for kids to play and grow up in
and yet still a secret, I recall Phyllis’s emphatic, “WHY NOT?” And mutter a “Dammit!
Why not?” of my own.
106
KINGSCLIFF
UNIQUE MEN’S FASHION & ACCESSORIES
Stocking locally made products as well as
(02) 6674 8006
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90a Marine Parade, Kingscliff NSW 2487
fashion
and
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the
atmosphere created is a ‘retro/old school’ vibe.
instagram@cavekingscliff
While there, be sure to check out some of
[email protected]
Bridgette’s own pieces on display, including her
https://www.facebook.com/CaveKingscliff
dad’s Malibu from the early ‘60s.
Jimmy Stuart, Von Weirdos, Silent Theory, St Goliath, Ben Sherman, Comrade,
Status Anxiety, Reef, Deus, Golden Breed, Fontaine, Chisel Denim, Moonrocks,
Leather Accessories and more...
Breathe
02 6674 5915
breatheswimwear.com.au
Cakes By The Moon, where
amazing creations happen.
Weddings / Birthdays / Anniversaries
Themed / Kids / Cup cake towers
02 6674 2338
shop 4, 32 Marine Parade,
Kingscliff 2487
www.cakesbythemoon.com.au
107
[email protected]
108
Local photographer Jules Hunt. Available as prints www.juleshunt.com
URWILLUMBA
Within the McDonnell ranges and the World Heritage-listed Wollumbin National Park, you’ll discover
a clandestine world that will reveal itself to you—if you ask. Walk the various hiking trails, silently take
it all in, one breath at a time. Dream into the campfire or fireplace when you base yourself at one of
the camping grounds or take shelter in Murwillumbah for a night or two in one of the tasteful B&Bs,
cottages, or bush retreats. Take your own journey through time by following your intuition and tune
in to Mother Nature’s soothing voice. Transport your mind’s eye all the way back into pre-colonial
past, transcend to the present, then fast-forward to imagine the future for generations to come. If it’s
your sole intention to undertake the nine kilometre round-trip to the summit of Mt Warning, please
show your respect for the traditional people of this land. At the very least, please take the time to
acknowledge country, and always tell someone where you’re going.
109
110
There’s more to Murwillumbah
than a Mountain
A lot of thought has gone into writing a piece about Murwillumbah, especially since
Northern Exposure requested a feature on Mt Warning. After weeks of conjecture,
I stopped thinking and allowed my intuition to guide me. I let my spirit “feel”, rather
than just “seeing” with my eyes.
“ I look past the façade of white Australia’s historical remnants
I look past the façade of white Australia’s historical
remnants and art-deco style architecture of the
town. So, too, the shaping of the floodplains, the
clearing of the land for sugar-cane and dairy
pasture, and the manipulation of the waterways.
Instead, my imagination retrogrades to a time
before the tall ships and the colonialists’ charter
of the Great Southern Land. I travel back in time
to the very same day the giant sails were first
glimpsed by the elders from atop sacred places
like Wollumbin. The mountain’s second name, Mt
Warning, shared among a tribe of foreign seafaring
people that day, yet very significant to both, for
different reasons.
To the white man, Mt Warning represented
a geographical landmark for wary sailors
manoeuvring too close to the shore, with shipwreck
a certainty for foolhardy souls with hungry eyes
for virgin lands of plenty. Perhaps the man who
named Mt Warning had come ashore, despite what
the history books say, and seen for himself what
lay a short trek from the coast into the hinterland?
Perhaps Cook named the mountain in a bid to
keep other prospective explorers away? Who
really knows? After all, history is always written
by the winners, then sanctioned by the rulers of
the day. Perhaps Cook was protecting a proverbial
Garden of Eden until the colony had been claimed
for King and country? Anyway, it’s just a thought…
My daydream of Cook making landfall and
venturing by oar and foot into the Tweed Valley
clouds over as the 360-degree vista often does on
Wollumbin’s majestic peak. The name Bundjalung
people give the sacred volcanic plug translates
to “cloud catcher”, and the mountain plays an
important part in their Dreaming. She marks the
territory in more ways than one, lording over the
township of Murwillumbah and the Tweed Valley
like an ever-watchful, benevolent mother who
gave birth to the forest and fertile soil below.
111
“ Foothills weep the trickles, springs and streams “ Walk the various hiking trails
Her slopes and foothills weep the trickles, springs and streams that feed the magnificent Tweed River.
If you take the time to do some exploring of your own, you’ll discover pristine native forestry, bejewelled
with unique natural formations carved through the body of the earth, as water follows its path of least
resistance to the sea.
Within the McDonnell ranges and the World Heritage-listed Wollumbin National Park, you’ll discover a
clandestine world that will reveal itself to you—if you ask. Walk the various hiking trails, silently take it
all in, one breath at a time. Dream into the campfire or fireplace when you base yourself at one of the
camping grounds or take shelter in Murwillumbah for a night or two in one of the tasteful B&Bs, cottages,
or bush retreats. Take your own journey through time by following your intuition and tune in to Mother
Nature’s soothing voice. Transport your mind’s eye all the way back into pre-colonial past, transcend to
the present, then fast-forward to imagine the future for generations to come. If it’s your sole intention to
undertake the nine kilometre round-trip to the summit of Mt Warning, please show your respect for the
traditional people of this land. At the very least, please take the time to acknowledge country, and always
tell someone where you’re going.
112
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113
Take heed of your “gut feeling” and don’t continue if you have any doubt in your
heart. It’s a moderate climb, and at around 400 metres from the summit you’ll reach
a signpost.
The sign asks you to be content with where you are and to refrain from conquering
the mountain out of respect for Bundjalung dreaming and law, but it doesn’t forbid
you from doing so, either. Own and embrace your decision to ascend or descend, and
don’t let pride get in the way, or a photo opportunity be your primary reason for going
to the top. There’s no shame of admiring the mountain from a distance as you peel back the
layers around Murwillumbah. Don’t take the district on face value, but look past the
veil and uncover a still sacred part of Northern New South Wales and stay a while.
You may well be pleasantly surprised and glad you booked that room, pitched the
tent, or took that hike, and remember—you don’t always have to follow the path right
to the very end, just go as far as you need to go, till you see what you’re meant to see.
Author: Damon Bereziat.
1/2 PAGE AD
114
Evergreen and otherworldly, (Yook-eye) exists on a beautiful bend of the creek where the meandering
Tweed is still all but a stream. A small country settlement, a true village by definition, Uki has all one could
ever need if wishing to live a kind of tree-changers’ dream. With a pub, a bakehouse, plus one café times
two, at Uki you’ll find a swag of interesting things to do, too.
With world-class bass fishing, bush walking, and bird watching at Clarrie Hall dam, nearby— one might
even decide to live here before they die. If I had only a day to devote to a stay— I’d say: grab a hot mug of
the finest Byron Bay, skip along the left hand side of the street, stop, about face, now stroll down the right.
Gather picnic supplies from any or all of the unreal stores and keep in mind you could end-up anywhere
by night, so be prepared…
Before heading out in any direction on your Uki mini-adventure take a snap-shot posing beside
‘Sweetnam’s Humpy’, and while still adorning the ear-to-ear grin politely approach one of the friendly
locals asking to direct you to one of the many marvellous water-holes or picture-book panoramas whereby one might privately picnic cradled in Mother Nature’s soothing caress. And, then my dear friends - I
wish you the very best.
“
Uki
There’s no shame of admiring the mountain from a distance as
you peel back the layers around Murwillumbah. Don’t take the
district on face value, look past the veil and uncover a still sacred
part of Northern New South Wales and stay a while.
“ Admiring the mountain from a distance
115
MARKETS
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1st Friday
4th Saturday
Kingscliff Lantern Markets
Kingscliff Markets / Uki Produce Markets /
Bangalow Farmers Markets
1st Saturday
Brunswick Heads Market / Uki Produce Markets /
Bangalow Farmers Market
1st Sunday
Pottsville Beach Market / Byron Bay Market /
Tweed Heads PCYC
2nd Friday
Tweed Twilight Markets
2nd Saturday
Kingscliff Markets / Uki Produce Markets /
Bangalow Farmers Markets
2nd Sunday
Chillingham Village Market / Coolangatta Markets/
The Channon / Tweed Heads PCYC
3rd Saturday
4th Sunday
Bangalow Markets / Murwillumbah Markets /
Tweed Heads PCYC / Nimbin Markets /
Kingscliff Markets / Coolangatta Markets
( 5-week month only )
5th Saturday
Uki Produce Markets / Bangalow Farmers Markets
5th Sunday
Tweed Heads PCYC / Nimbin Markets
Last Saturday
Tyalgum Village Markets
Every Wednesday
Murwillumbah Farmers Markets at
Murwillumbah showground (7-11 am)
Mullumbimby Markets / Uki Produce Markets /
Bangalow Farmers Markets
Every Tuesday
3rd Sunday
Every Thursday
Pottsville Beach Markets / Uki Buttery Bazaar /
Tweed Heads PCYC
Byron Bay Farmers Markets behind hospital oval
4th Friday
Mullumbimby Farmers Markets at the
showground
Tweed Twilight Markets
New Brighton Farmers Markets at soccer oval
Every Friday
117
1. Catherine Lane Ceramics
4. John Stewart Ceramics
Catherine Lane’s tranquil garden studio is an
inviting oasis in the northern part of Byron Shire.
Catherine’s established practice is professional
and intimate, eclectically drawing from a range
of ceramic traditions as diverse as elegant eastern
aesthetics to contemporary, soft florals.
John Stewart specialises in the design of eloquent
wall and table vases. These slip-cast ceramic forms
incorporate the use of glass test tubes fitted with
colourful anodised aluminum sleeves. Some works
feature decals sourced from his photographic
portfolio while others explore textures and patinas
that echo his previous sculptural work. Each vase is
sold in individually designed and printed handmade
boxes. Studio sales are welcome and are available
most days by appointment, phone or email.
Open by appointment:
25 Kallaroo Circuit, North Ocean Shores
0403 527 545 / catherinelaneceramics.com
2. Pinky & Maurice
Pinky & Maurice design and create fine ceramics
from their lush, garden studio in South Golden
Beach. In a time defined by expansion and lightning
download speeds, they are unashamedly small and
work with materials that refuse to be hurried up.
Every piece is hand-formed using a unique blend
of porcelain that’s made in the studio and tested in
fire. Their exquisite work infuses everyday moments
with beauty and inspiration.
Open by appointment:
23 Gloria Street, South Golden Beach
0420 986 570 / pinkyandmaurice.com
3. Wheel of Life Studios
Lucy Vanstone is well known for her practical yet
elegant range of porcelain, stoneware, ceramic art
and jewellery. The Wheel of Life pottery is a mustsee working studio and gallery housed in an old
church hall in beautiful Brunswick Heads. Open
10am-4pm Tuesday to Saturday and at Bangalow
Market on the 4th Sunday of the month.
21 Fingal Street, Brunswick Heads
0458 668 419 / lucyvanstone.com
118
02 6629 1327 / johnstewartceramics.com
FB- John Stewart Ceramics
5. Zani McEnnally
Zani McEnnally graduated with a Bachelor Visual
Arts from Southern Cross University in 2009 and
today she creates delicate porcelain tableware
formed from nature. Each piece is uniquely
decorated with a range of images, from insects
including butterflies, to fruit and vegetables. Zani’s
work is represented in local and regional galleries in
the Northern Rivers. Workshops are available upon
request.
Open by appointment:
14 Coolamon Ave, Mullumbimby
0417 867 801 / zani.com.au
POTTER
6. Moonrise Studios
to the Gold Coast &
Picasso Ceramics
Moonrise Studios is a new retail art gallery where
you can discover a beautiful array of work by local
artists and creatives. It’s also home to Blossom
Young’s ceramic studio where she combines a love
of lyrical illustration and the joys of working with
clay and the many form and surface possibilities it
affords. She likes to explore a wide variety of ideas
and techniques including figurative sculpture,
wheel-thrown functional ware, slip casting, sgraffito
illustration, and tissue transfers.
North Ocean Shores
South Golden Beach
South Golden Shop
3
Brunswick Heads
5
6
Crystal Castle
Goonengerry
Myocum
8
7
moonrisestudios.com.au
Coorabell
Federal
7. Ilanga Studio
Ewingsdale
Possum Creek
Byron Bay
Bangalow
e
or
Clunes
sm
i
L
d
to
a
o
R
ow
l
ga
Bexhill
an
4
Nashua
Binna
Burra
Booyong
B
Eltham Valley Pantry
Fernleigh
Newrybar
Pacific
Highway
Open by appointment:
2
Mullumbimby
105 Stuart Street, Mullumbimby, NSW 2482
Ilanga Studio is operated by local potter Diana
Harvey and is located in the forested hinterland
of Byron Bay, just outside the village of Federal.
Diana trained in Ceramics at East Sydney Technical
College and later took a degree in Visual Arts. She
creates functional tableware in a range of glazes
from vibrant blue greens and subtle Tenmokus and
Celadons. Her latest work includes incised tea lights
and press moulded plates.
1
Billinudgel
624 Federal Drive, Federal
02 6688 4395 / 0413 980 109 / FB - Diana Harvey
Tintenbar
to Ballina
ERING AROUND
119
8. Suvira McDonald ceramic artist & sculptor
Call 6684 9194 to visit studio and gallery / suviramcdonald.com
Heather recently had the utmost pleasure of shooting-the-breeze with a
lovely local gentleman who just happens to be an exceptionally talented
artist on the side. Read along as Heather and her subject talk candidly
about Suvira’s early years as an artist, his arrival in the Shire, ‘crossroads’,
fate, following the heart, motivation, passion, and luck. After living up to
familial expectations by studying business, marketing, and management,
Suvira decided to depart on a radical diversion in true spirit-of-the-times
fashion, circa ’71. Suvira’s trip landed him in Nimbin as one of the pioneers
of the Aquarius Festival, staying on for an education of a different kind.
After four years immersed in the glory of the Northern New South Wales
wilderness, Suvira returned to Sydney with new eyes and ideas to build
on some earlier laid foundations in theatre, dance, and choreography.
One thing led to another—but perhaps not quite as first planned…
Heather: Suvira, where did you study dance?
Dance in Sydney was a far cry from what it is today, let me tell you. Basically,
I attended as many classes as possible all across the city, until one day I
was invited to join a company. What helped me, over the other dancers
was my self-management and business skills, plus I had a lot of luck. Mark
Farrow, of the Australian Opera, took me under his wing and was very
helpful. I was so wet-behind-the-ears artistically, yet extremely determined
to take part in the Comeddia dell’Arte workshop Mark was running,
and after the second session he invited me to join the opera company.
It was wonderful. We worked together for several years, helping with
his clown shows, carrying his suitcase and learning lots. Besides the
performing, my natural resourcefulness and visual sense kickedin as I saw an opportunity to design and craft, so I started making
masks and props to support my dance and choreographic bent.
Mark inspired the first living statue in Sydney, ’74 or ’75. I played an
authentic Grecian statue, painted white with a lyre. The Lord Mayor
spoke to me when I was standing in Martin Place during the Sydney
Festival but I wouldn’t speak to him, I kept in character. I was taken away
120
by the police for standing in the garden at the
Botanical Gardens. It was great! It’s all on film
somewhere. There are so many stories about it.
Apparently, a cataclysmic twist of fate extinguished
Suvira’s dancing dreams, but that didn’t deter this
determined disciple of the arts. Languishing in the
pursuit of a new passion, Suvira took-up ceramics,
embarking on a love affair with clay. At TAFE
and university his teachers recognised a devoted
type of talent, far exceeding that of the hobbyist,
encouraging Suvira to strive for excellence.
As a teacher now I see that with my workshops. You
see people who you feel if they devoted themselves
could make a vocation out of it. Any art form requires
a lot of devotion. I think it takes at least five years
to make an artist in any form, whether it’s dance,
or painting, or ceramics. You need to work at it for
at least five years of dedicated, focused work. And,
probably more, to get any level of achievement. Of
course the earlier you start the better, especially
with visual and foundation stuff like drawing.
Otherwise there is so much stuff to cut through
to get that kind of crystalline, essential ability.
Heather: What lies within the heart of Suvira?
I have a creative heart and I also have an idealistic
heart. Those things together kind of form my
trajectory in life. And it hasn’t always been in a
business-like way. The ideas come when you are
having fun, but if you’re going to make anything
out of those ideas, that’s when the discipline,
dedication, and hard work come in. It’s important
to be able to play in your art, that means to play
around with your ideas. Structural parameters are
also important, so you stay relevant. Sometimes I
feel I can go anywhere but it’s not all relevant. Work
needs to have cultural, social relevance. Otherwise
you’re just doing it for yourself. Art needs to have
some kind of audience, whether it’s a visual
performance audience; musicians, and all artists.
Heather: Your motivation?
I’m compulsive. I don’t think I’m the only one.
I think most artists are compulsive. When I
wake up in the morning I’m itching to get into
the studio. I know that I have to do a whole
lot of other things, but all I really want to do
is get down here. Someone recently asked
where was my favourite place to hang out in
Byron, and I said, ‘In my studio.’ My surrounds
are saturated in nature’s spellbinding peace.
Heather: What are you passionate about?
Something I have been passionate about for
some time, is to have a public presence for my
art. The appalling lack of public art in Byron
Bay is something I have been passionate about
for many years now. We needed a cultural
plan and a public art policy. Fortunately, it is
changing now, with council becoming gradually
more receptive to murals and sculpture.
Heather: It was a shame that the Sculptor by
the Sea was cancelled here.
The Sculpture by the Sea was a fantastic
opportunity to raise the standard by
bringing
international
artists
up
here.
Heather: What have you on display in the Shire
at this time?
The Frank Mills Seat, in the Brunswick Park. The
Chamber of Commerce wanted to recognise a
Suvira in his studio. Portrait: Jules Ober
121
well-known historian of the Byron and Mullumbimby area,
so they commissioned the seat. The Mullumbimby sculpture
walk is a big project. We have approval for an initial sculpture
gateway behind the Post Office along the river cycle-path.
It’s a project that’s taken years in the making. The sculpture
walk will give another presence to that area. I want to have
a big symposium and invite other sculptors to design for
that site, to respond to the site. There are a lot of cultural
institutions that can be recognised in sculpture. Landcare
have done so much work along the river in Mullumbimby
and I think their efforts can be recognised in sculpture.
All this year I have been busy with the Frank Mills project,
which was heavy work. We made a huge platform for
the seat from 20 railway sleepers. Then there was the
Community College courtyard, also very heavy work. So
after all this hard heavy outdoor work I was very relieved
to come back to my studio and do much more intimate,
personal, quiet work. More intimate with the material—softer.
You have come on a day when the last firing is finished for
an exhibition for the Tweed Gallery. These pieces are inspired
from my study of an Asian artform. Very special amazing rocks
from the landscape are selected to make ornately carved
wooden bases for them. The scholars, the philosophers and the
calligraphers would take them for their studies as a bit of nature
to study. I have also made little wooden bases for my sculpture.
The yellow mountains in China have special spiritual significance,
and so they take pieces from these mountains and put them
in their gardens—a smaller scale for indoors. This style of art is
called ‘Suiseki’ in Japan, ‘Sukeon’ in Korea, ‘Gongshi’ in China.
Heather: Is this a time when you are producing a lot more
than ever? You do seem to be producing a lot of work!
I think I have always produced a lot of work. I don’t really
think I could be any other way. I suppose I could stop—see
what that’s like. I don’t have kids. I have a very supportive
partner who has been great about me focusing on my work,
through thick and thin times, which is an enormous benefit.
Heather: How do you hold your own balance in daily life?
I don’t know if I am balanced. I do walk a bit and go to
the gym and try to have a bit of a social life, I watch a bit of
TV. I know now when I am stressed, and I avoid that now.
I have been blessed with a healthy body, and I can go
pretty hard. I guess being a dancer for years means I have
a strong heart and fit body. I can get away with quite a bit.
Heather: If you had some wisdom for an up and coming young
artist as a mentor, what would that be?
Just keep doing it. Do it every day. If you want to make it your
life you must be engaged with your work in an earnest way.
Not that you might be inspired all the time. If you are drawing
you might feel inspired about the piece, but you have still got
to deal with all the fine work and detail and rendering. I come
down here and I think I have to wash the floor and clean
the buckets, pack the kiln. I have someone to help me now,
because I know if I do that all the time, I can’t get my ideas
out. I can come in here not feeling very inspired but after a
while of kicking things around, then I start to loosen up and I
can get on the wheel or get out some clay. It’s about doing it!
Suvira shares sentiments of genuine contentment within
himself these days and where Suvira’s at sure sounds and feels
like a beautiful place, and not just where he lives and works. His
wholehearted contribution to the Northern Rivers community,
combined with a far-sighted commitment to creating engaging
art for all, is both commendable and a blessing. Suvira’s
current and future collaborations certainly give all who live
in the Shire something aesthetically beautiful to appreciate,
critique or contemplate, and something wonderful to look
forward to for visitors. Look for Suvira’s creations at exhibitions
such as ‘Table Manners’ in Ballina and Mermaid Beach, and
keep your eyes out for a new edition to the Byron Bay high
school landscape for a sandstone sculpture second to none.
See you soon...
northern-exposure.com.au