Byron Bay Blog

Sunday 10th of September 2006 at Rocky Creek Dam Picture of Rocky Creek Dam

Entry is Free - Parking $5 per car

Free Bus service provided Click here for Bus Timetable.

Event Program Click here for a full event description and your Big Scrub Program

What’s Big Scrub Rainforest Day about?

Big Scrub Rainforest Day, now in its eighth year and will be held at Rocky Creek Dam inland from Byron Bay on Sunday the 10th of September. The celebration starts at 7am with bird watching walks and continues until 4 pm with presentations, workshops, guided walks and performances.

This year following the official opening will be the welcome to county by the Widjabal Elders. You can then learn the latest techniques in weed control, seed collection, plant propagation and rainforest regeneration techniques. You can also learn about gardening with local native plants, growing cabinet timbers and interesting pursuits like eco-motoring with bio diesel.

Big Scrub Rainforest Day has inspired and educated thousands of landholders and volunteers to tackle weeds, plant trees and get passionate about rainforests since 1999. Through its innovative, fun program, the event engages the whole community - not just those converted to rainforest restoration and landcare.

Started by Rainforest Rescue and the Big Scrub Rainforest Landcare Group, Big Scrub Rainforest Day has grown to become the largest annual landcare education event in Australia. People travel from all over southeast Queensland, northern New South Wales and beyond to join the festivities and discover practical ways they can help the environment.

The educational focus of the day is complemented by fun activities for all the family. Play eco games with the children, try puppet making and enjoy the theatre performance. And there?s also yoga in the rainforest, mountain bike rainforest tours and market and food stalls contribute to a festival atmosphere.

A Free Bus service will run to and from the event and seats can be booked by calling Jim?s Alternative Tours on 02 6685 7720 if coming from Byron Bay or call EnviTE on 02 6621 9588 if coming from Lismore.

Visit : www.rainforestrescue.org.au

rick :: Aug.28.2006 :: Activity, Australia, Byron Bay, Byron Bay News, Environment :: No Comments »

Sept 1, 2, & 3, Bangalow Showgrounds

The organisers of the 3rd annual Fatherhood Festival invite you to come celebrate fatherhood, the key to community.  In stories, music, film, art, games, forums, workshops and more, this year’s Fatherhood Festival promises a multi-dimensional, exciting, informative and emotional exploration of modern fatherhood.

“It’s a gathering for fathers, families, extended families and friends to share their unique stories.  Modern fathering is complex, ever-changing, it’s terrifying, it’s gratifying, and most of us had little or no instruction or models to guide us.  The Fatherhood Festival has proved to genuinely assist fathers in their role, and therefore our community, and beyond,” says founder Colin George.  The proceeds of this year’s festival goes towards the innovative Expectant Fathers and New Dads Mentoring Programme, a regional initiative that will actually train up new dads in parenting skills.

There are dozens of activities and events throughout the weekend for all ages.  Please visit the web site:
www.fatherhoodfestival.com for the full rundown.

Saturday highlights include the 3pm Future of Families Panel with relationship writer and speaker Bettina Arndt, Terry Melvin of Mensline Australia, publisher Kali Wendorf of ByronChild, and indigenous social worker Greg Telford. The Art Competition awards are at 6:45, followed by the Fatherhood Short Film Festival.

Sunday is a huge Family Fun day with mostly free activities beginning at the showgrounds at 8am.  There’s The Rainforest Rescue’s Plant a Tree for the Fatherhood Forest, The Uncle Project’s Big Brekkie, Dad’s Boot Camp, Make-A-Toolbox for Dad, Mums versus Dads Low-ball, Fire Truck and Motorcycle display, Clown, Juggling and African drumming workshops, Hot Air Balloon Rides, and so much more.

As part of The Fatherhood Festival’s commitment to nurturing new talent, MusicOz will showcase young musos throughout the day.  Hot up and coming artists like Joel Salom, Cheynne Murphy, Scarlett Affection, Deava, Carl Hemmings, Marty Breen, Mark Heazlett, Kevin Shannahan and Spaghetti Circus will keep us thoroughly entertained on free stages.

The site will be filled with market stalls, information from community groups and social services, great food and refreshments.  Visitors will receive a FATHERHOOD FESTIVAL PASSPORT upon arrival.  Get these stamped at various activities, and get in the draw to win fabulous prizes, announced throughout the day.

The festival concludes with the irresistible strains of new local dad PETE MURRAY, unplugged at 4pm, supported by Greg Sheehan, Kurtis, Soulman, the Mild Zinnias, and Dhinawan Baker as emcee.

For bookings: www.fatherhoodfestival.com, all Southern Cross Credit Unions, Barebones Artspace & Urban Cafe in Bangalow.  Phone: 02 66 884 071

rick :: Aug.28.2006 :: Byron Bay News, Community, Entertainment :: No Comments »

I had the opportunity to interview a few girls who have just recently picked up surfing. I thought it would be a great chance to let any other girls (or guys ) what it is all about:

Sarah “Sezza” Saunders, Amy “Dunnie” Dalgleish and Emma “Patsy” Stephens

ME: How long have you been surfing for?

Sezza: 4 months

Dunnie: 3 years

Patsy: 10 years

ME: So girls what is it that got you into surfing?

Sezza: I just came to Byron and it was the thing to do! I love the ocean and I love excercising…

Dunnie: My boyfriend (now husband) was surfing everyday, all the time, so I thought if you can’t beat them, join them

Patsy: Im from Victoria, so I’ve always been around blokes who surf, but there weren’t too many girls surfing down there, probably because it was a bit cold. When I came up to Byron I saw heaps of girls surfing (and the water was nice and warm!) so I thought I’d give it a go

ME: Where is your favourite place to surf?

Sezza: The Pass! It can get crowded, but if you find a little spot with no one around you can get some really fun rides!

Dunnie: The Pass! The waves are nice and uniform and easy to navigate…

Patsy: Wategoes @ sunset in the middle of summer is my favourite place in the world

ME: What type of Boards do you ride?

Sezza: 9′1 Bear Longboard

Dunnie: 9′3 Sea Longboard ! “The Green Machine”

Patsy: 9′1 McTavish and a 5′6 Fish by Dain Thomas!

ME: What do you find is the main difference between the way girls surf and the way guys surf?

Sezza: Guys seem to get a little more “agro” in the water… sometimes it seems like they’re not even having fun! Whenever I go out with the girls we just have a laugh… I have seen a few agro girls but generally they seem a lot more cruisy

Dunnie: I think that men can see surfing as a competitive sport. They have sports heroes like Occy and Slater. Girls don’t really follow the pros as much. Even though Kelly Slater is a total hottie!

Patsy: Girls seem to have a nice rythmn when surfing… good on a long board! Guys are a lot more powerful… not that some girls I’ve seen haven’t been able to rip in the big surf!

ResinMonkey.com :: Aug.27.2006 :: Surfing :: No Comments »

So I am new to this Blogging business, but not new to the internet. I spend much of my time on it surfing for info about well… surfing.

It all started about 6 years ago when I stopped here by chance for “3 months”.

One look at the ocean in Byron and I was hooked. I remember it like it was yesterday… I had a 6′2 shortboard… I thought, how hard can it be… after landing head first in the sand, I realized maybe a little harder than it looked.

Within days I spent my last 300 bucks on a bigger board… I had 50 bucks to my name, no Job and a Combi that overheated from the camp site to the beach. It was perfect, even if the surf wasn’t good.. I couldnt go back for at least 3 hours until she cooled down. I was working at one special Hare Krishna restaurant, who luckily fed me too… mmm I’ve never eaten so much Subji (Vege Stew)…

For three months I walked from town to wategoes everyday with my massive board… I got so Buff I even managed to score a girlfriend.. whom I married… But I will save that story for my next “Blog”.

For now I will share with you a little bit of what I saw, that made me stay:

ResinMonkey.com :: Aug.23.2006 :: Surfing :: No Comments »

Schoolies Week(s) are the last 2 weeks in November and the first week in December. Byron Bay is shaping up to be a popular destination again this year with Schoolies 2006 accommodation having been heavily booked since the end of last year.

If you’re a ’skoolie’ and haven’t decided yet where you want to go – there is still some accommodation left in Byron for 2006… try byronbay.com’s 2006 Schoolies Accommodation Guide.

Each year it seems our future schoolies are becoming more organised - with booking inquiries for Schoolies 2007 already well underway.

Although byronbay.com’s full list for Schoolies for 2007 is still a little ways off, Byron Style Accommodation has recently launched its new Byron Bay Schoolies website offering a helpful booking service for a wide range of schoolies accommodation.

rick :: Aug.23.2006 :: Byron Bay News, Culture :: No Comments »

The tenth annual Byron Bay Writers Festival has been the only one - in my memory anyway - when it’s rained, but the unusual cold, wet and windy conditions could do nothing to quench the spirit of the audience or the speakers.  Perhaps the rain-gods were saying something about the imminent departure of Jill Eddington, festival director for the past seven years.

Set in the grassy grounds of the Byron Bay Beach Resort, the festival occupies three days - plus extraneous workshops, sessions and events over the preceding week - and feasts not only the brains but the senses of humour of all who attend.  It’s by far my favourite festival of the region, because these are events not repeated, conversations unscripted and panels uniquely-composed. 

Yes, the participants are writers and they’re here in part to tell us about their published works, but the thoughts, recollections and philosophies they share with their interlocutors and us, the avid audience, are personal and largely ad lib.  Ably lubricated by the talented David Leser, Mick O’Regan and Margaret Simons - to name just a few - the repartee is electric.  Where else could you hear a federal politician (Carmen Lawrence)talk frankly of her career, or the risqué reminiscences of a film-maker (Margaret Fink), or even the pontifications of a bearded aristocrat (Mungo MacCallum)?

Some participants, such as the incomparable Irina Baronova, who danced with the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, stand alone.  Listening to her extraordinary story, delivered with such beautiful grace, we were transported through the 20th century, meeting along the way some of its most talented people.  Irina received a standing ovation. 

Others come in teams.  The Chaser guys were irreverent and satirical as always, complemented by none other than Max Gillies, who launched their new book, 50 Golden Years of the Chaser, with an attack on its pretensions. I was lucky enough to have a seat in the second row, earnestly making eye contact whenever possible, and envying Mick O’Regan, who asked us to feel for him being on stage between Max Gillies and The Chasers.  Mick more than kept up with the bantering, and the audience, needless to say, fell about every few minutes.  Much less satisfactory was the Stand Up! Stand Up! show at the Community Centre on Saturday night where the Chasers, worn out by their frequent eye contact with me earlier in the day, were too tired to do much other than show us video clips of their tv show.

The bent of the 2006 festival is Asia, with expatriates Christopher Kremmer (Inhaling the Mahatma)  and Claire Scobie (Last Seen in Lhasa) jockeying with Asian writers and journalists Deepika Shetty, Nury Vittachi and Dewi Lestari Simangunsong (Supernova series).  However it still amazes me how many participants live and work in and around Byron Bay: Sarah Armstrong, Mick O’Regan, Di Morrissey, David Leser, Alan Close, Irina Baronova, Robert Drewe, Candida Baker and Mandy Nolan are all well-loved locals.

For three days I made my way through glass-jawed journalists, public intellectuals and mickey-taking comedians, emerging with a new skin of appreciation for the creativity of others.  As usual my main complaint was that I was unable to see and hear more than one session at a time.  Sufficient to say that I am already looking forward to next year’s festival.  Raining or not, I am sure it will be the usual stimulating and edifying event, even without Jill’s directorship.

KM

Katharine :: Aug.08.2006 :: Byron Bay News, Culture, Entertainment :: No Comments »

A popular flagship in Byron’s community is our Community Radio Station : Bay FM.

Each year they raise funds from subscribers with their Radiothon. It’s on this year from 11 August through to 8 September, opening at the Beach Hotel at 7pm on 10 August.

To learn more visit: www.bayfm.org

rick :: Aug.08.2006 :: Byron Bay News, Community, Entertainment :: No Comments »