Byron Bay

Lismore council is eager to see a light rail service established between Casino and Byron Bay and says it will look at how it can help in the preparation of a business plan. A plan is being pitched by members of the Tweed Railway Society and they have identified the Casino to Lismore leg of the line as the first priority. Lismore Mayor Merv King says it is a good idea.
Summarized from an article by: ABC
Sourced from: ABC North Coast.
Link: http://www.abc.net.au/northcoast/news/

BYRON Bay – the tourist town with the reputation for a grinch-like approach to fun – is now banning jet skis. The council-backed ban has angered elite big-wave surfers, who say it is just another example of a “greenie” agenda to deter tourists. The rules, which will come into force on May 1, ban the leisure use of personal watercraft (PWC), including jet skis, in Cape Byron Marine Park.
The 22,000ha park extends from Brunswick Heads in the north to Lennox Head in the south. Permits will only be issued for safety purposes, such as life-saving and training. “Byron Bay is a strange place. People around here are supposed to be tolerant and they are anything but that,” Lennox Head [...]

A map of a sattelite image from googles.
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Rachel and I have called ourselves the Subway Bhaktis for this album of uplifting, inspiring songs and chants – produced by our good friend and master musician/producer Kamal Engels.
The music originated from our time living in New York City, the inspiration of yoga, and through our return to Australia….hence the Subway Bhaktis!
The chants on Sita Ram are in a mix of English and Sanskrit, with modern grooves and beats in a variety of styles, and featuring fantastic performances by top local and international musicians.
In a week or so you will be able to hear samples and order the CD at www.inspirational-music.net
If you live in Byron Bay please come to the CD launch on June 2nd, featuring live performance [...]

IT was a tale of two Bobs at Byron Bay’s East Coast Blues and Roots festival yesterday. Boomtown Rats star Bob Geldof and reggae icon Bob Marley’s son Damian were the talk of the crowds at the annual festival. Geldof arrived in the NSW coastal town on Friday and spent the night grooving backstage to the Blind Boys of Alabama, before headlining last night’s event in front of 16,000 fans.
But it was Damian “Jr Gong” Marley who stole the show with his reggae hip-hop. “We are absolutely honoured to have Damian and Bob here. They represent the spirit of what this festival is about – they are the heart and soul,” Blues Fest co-director and partner [...]

Flash floods hit Byron Bay
The State Emergency Service (SES) says there has been some flooding in Byron Bay in northern New South Wales. A spokesman for the SES says the area had 127 millimetres of rainfall overnight, causing minor flash flooding. He says there have not been many calls for help but SES crews are out sandbagging in some areas. He says about 20,000 campers, who are visiting for the annual Blues Festival, are finding it a bit uncomfortable.

Peter Noble’s 10 most magical Blues Fest moments:
1. BEN HARPER — the voice of his generation: Ben really peaked in 2000. He successfully diverted a whole lot of young people back to listening to blues and roots music.
2. The birth of the festival: This magical moment happened in 1990 at the Byron Bay Arts Factory. It’s special looking back to know that we started a trend.
3. Going outdoors: 1993 was the year the festival went outside. There’s nothing like the feeling of an outdoors event.
4. Rain and more rain: It poured for about 30 days before the 1994 festival. We bought walk-boards to put between the tents and gave people free tickets to help us place [...]

SURFER Peter Moore ditched his board to catch on camera others riding massive waves at Lennox Head yesterday. “It was too big for me,” said Mr Moore, of Byron Bay. A low pressure over the Tasman Sea sent waves of up to 4.5 metres crashing onto North Coast beaches; and in Sydney, up to 7 metres high. From Lennox Headland, Mr Moore snapped amazing shots of surfers catching large waves between Boulder Beach and Lennox Point just before 9am yesterday. “Jet skis were towing them half way to Boulder Beach and then they’d sling shot them into the waves,” he said. “They were very good surfers. Unfortunately, I couldn’t identify them, but they’d have to be professional surfers.” [...]

THE longest-running music event in Australia, the East Coast Blues and Roots Festival, is set to move. The festival is to uproot itself from Byron Bay and relocate to a site closer to Brisbane. Director Peter Noble said the festival, in its 17th year, had simply outgrown its base at Red Devil Park, near Byron Bay High School. About 75,000 music fans are expected at this year’s five-day event, which kicks off on Thursday. While Mr Noble refused to reveal the exact location of the new site, he said: “It’s 20 minutes out of Byron and near the highway, which will put us 20 minutes closer to Coolangatta airport.”
He also seemed to have said:
“We have an artists’ [...]

New sponsors for writers fest: The Byron Bay Writers Festival, which this year will celebrate its 10th birthday, was officially launched last Wednesday night with a party to welcome and thank sponsors. Festival director Jill Eddington welcomed new sponsor Country Energy and thanked Southern Cross University for its increased support in becoming a festival marquee sponsor. “Now nationally recognised, the 2006 program will be more exciting than ever,” she said.
Writers already confirmed for the festival include Janette Turner Hospital, Frank Moorhouse, Nick Earls, Gideon Haigh, Cassandra Pybus and Patrice Newell. The ever-popular kids program will feature Mem Fox and Andy Griffiths and an expanded series of feature events will be announced with the program release in June. [...]