Byron Bay articles of interest.

Dave Tyrrell and Dave Price, both of Byron Bay, Neil McCarthy of Suffolk Park and Adrian Woodhouse of Byron Bay are not too pleased about the introduction of new fees for parking at Broken Head beach. ANYONE parking at Broken Head beach will now have to pay $2 per hour under fees brought in by the National Parks and Wildlife Service yesterday. Tourists and locals alike must now pay the fee or fork out $22 for a yearly ticket. The move has outraged some local residents, including Dave Tyrrell, of Byron Bay, who regularly surfs at Broken Head. “We just don’t feel like there should be another fee for parking at a beach at Byron,” he said. Mr Tyrrell said [...]

(From left) engineering works manager Paul Busmanis, Ballina civil services group manager John Truman, Ballina councillor Susan Meehan and Ballina Mayor Phillip Silver (front) at the re-opening of the Coast Rd between Lennox Head and Ballina. Coast Rd’s ‘root-canal’ complete NORTH Coast commuters will breathe a sigh of relief today as the Coast Rd at Lennox Head re-opens almost a month ahead of schedule. The road, which was damaged in a landslide in January, was closed for urgent repairs in October to allow the road foundation to be excavated and rebuilt. The closure of the Coast Rd limited access to one of Australia’s most popular surf beaches and frustrated regular commuters between Lennox Head and Ballina. Local business owners also [...]

Just after 8am on Sunday, Geoff Bensley was swimming 100 to 150 metres offshore between the Pass and the surf club – something he does several times a week – when a two-metre white passed close by. KAYAKERS enjoying watching whales and dolphins play at Byron Bay got more than their money’s worth last Sunday when a four-metre great white shark surfaced near them and bared its teeth. The sightseers were reportedly “very excited” at being the subject of the creature’s curiosity, though naturally relieved it didn’t take any greater interest in them. The incident occurred near the “Bombie”, a collection of rocks in the water off the cape, near Little Wategos. The Cape Byron Kayaks guides told the party [...]

The first dedicated Byron Bay Surf Festival – ‘Surf Culture Now’ with major events taking place over 3 days in and around our beautiful Byron community. Form Fri 21st until Sun 23rd October people from all around the world will have the opportunity to be part of a non-competitive celebration of our diverse and unique surf culture in all its form and glory. This community festival where most events are ‘free’ (just like surfing is) is held in different venues & locations all around town; the Community Centre, Railway Park, Retrospect Galleries, YAC, Top Shop, Woodies Surf Shack, Stone & Wood Brewery, Pass Cafe, and last but not least beautiful Wategos Beach. Pure stoke overview - Byron Surf Festival: •                Music: Andrew Kidman, Dan Hannaford, Haldanes [...]

A THREE-day surfing festival planned for Byron Bay from October 21-23 will be a celebration of surf culture. Organisers Vanessa Thompson and James McMillan said the new festival would focus on surf culture which would include surf art, music, film and surfing events at Wategos Beach. There would also be workshops, surf expression sessions, a celebrity surf event, children’s art competition and more. “We really wanted to showcase everything to do with surfing and what better place to do it than Byron Bay,” Vanessa said. “The festival is a celebration of surf and everything that goes along with that. “There will be no competitive surfing events, rather surfers can express themselves in the surf.” The festival will be held at [...]

Byron Bay man Prem Puri may have been hit by a shark while surfing at Tallow Beach last week. The local musician and small businessman was knocked suddenly from his board while riding a wave in open water about 100 metres south of the lighthouse about 1pm last Thursday. He is pictured here with the remains of his surfboard. BYRON Bay man Prem Puri doesn’t want to know if he was hit by a shark while surfing at Tallow Beach last week. The local musician and small businessman was knocked suddenly from his board while riding a wave in open water about 100 metres south of the lighthouse about 1pm last Thursday. He surfaced soon after with a searing pain [...]

SURFING photographer Patrick Gorbunovs took this photograph of a large shark among a group of surfers around the headland from the Pass at Cosy Corner on Tallow Beach, Byron Bay on Thursday. “It was busy, about 40 guys out surfing, and I went chasing a pod of dolphins,” he said. “On my way back in a surfer goes ‘look out, there’s a shark’,” he said. “I said ‘where?’, and he said ‘coming straight for you’. “With no goggles I couldn’t see well, so I stuck my camera down and snapped off a couple of pictures.” He was more than a little surprised when he saw the resulting photograph. A second shark was snapped by long boarder and photographer Ben Bennink [...]

THE Byron Bay Writers Festival is in jeopardy because of controversial plans by the State Government to cut funding to regional writers’ centres. Arts NSW has announced that funds of $55,000 per year to the Northern Rivers Writers Centre is under review and may cease. Festival director Jeni Caffin said Northern Rivers Writers Centre members were alarmed by the news, which would not only affect programs run by the centre, but could result in the 2009 Byron Bay Writers Festival being savagely scaled back. “It means fewer writers, substantially fewer writers and higher costs to audience members,” Ms Caffin said. The festival, which has grown to become one of the highlights of the Northern Rivers cultural calendar, will this year [...]

Please be careful surfing in byron and broken head. A NEWRYBAR surfer died after being dragged unconscious from the surf at Broken Head late yesterday. It is believed two off-duty lifeguards who were also surfing at the time, brought the 42-year-old man to shore and began performing CPR on him. However, despite their efforts, and the efforts of NSW ambulance paramedics who arrived by road from Byron Bay and Ballina and by air with the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter, the man never regained consciousness. Â

Byron Bay 24 -25 May 2008 Photography Workshop Artomology – Digital Capture of Small Life     ‘Artomologist’ Jane Davenport will be conducting a 2 day workshop of visual exploration for the essentially curious as part of this year’s FEHVA visual arts festival in Byron. Join international award-winning artist Jane Davenport on a journey to discover the little life. You will head into the wilds of Byron Shire’s own wetlands in search of the elusive, with the world’s leading Artomologist as tour guide. Jane will encourage you to get ‘down and dirty’ in search of interesting subjects. ‘Dealing with subject matter that is afraid of you, lends a whole new meaning to the word patience!’ says Jane. Jane [...]

Media Release  Jan 24th 2008 Whale conservation groups call for Boycott of Japanese Products, Demonstration at Brisbane Sony, Mitsubishi and JAL 25th Jan 11am Fed up with the Japanese government insisting it must continue to kill whales, members from whale conservation groups in Australia and around the world are now are calling for consumers to boycott Japanese products and services. Dean Jefferys, Filmmaker, whale activist and founder of Byron Whale Action Group, along with Howie Cooke from “Surfers for Cetaceans” and other concerned individuals from Byron Bay and Brisbane, will deliver 786 anti whaling signatures Jefferys has collected to the Japanese consulate in Brisbane, 17th Floor, Comalco Place, 12 Creek St, Brisbane, along with a letter demanding Japan stop [...]

The full list of new artists on this third announcement is: Ray Davies, Bunny Wailer and the Solomonic Reggaestra, The Cat Empire, John Hiatt, Patty Griffin, The Cruel Sea, Jason Mraz, Ozomatli, Michelle Shocked, Weddings Parties Anything, Lost Dogs – Kasey Chambers’ alter ego band, The Beautiful Girls, True Live, Damien Dempsey, Mamadou Diabate, The McClymonts, Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen, Boyes, Brill & DellGrosso, Jeff Lang, Jake Shimabukuro, VENONO, Last Town Chorus and The Angry Tradesmen. They’ll be joining the fantastic artists revealed in earlier announcements which included: John Fogerty, Buddy Guy, Sinead O’Connor, Keith Urban, The Black Crowes, John Butler Trio, Wilco, Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra, Mavis Staples, KT Tunstall, London Community [...]

Scientists fear flooding could affect dolphin population. Marine scientists are concerned how the dolphin population on the New South Wales north coast will cope with the impact of the floods. They are concerned that the dirty water and contaminated fish will impact on the dolphins and their calving season. Dr Liz Hawkins, a scientist with the Southern Cross University Whale Research Centre, says the region has one of the biggest populations of bottlenose dolphins. “The population out there at the moment is one of the largest recorded to date,” she said. “We’ve got a very big population out there, but we have a lot of dolphins moving in and out, so they’re not here all year round. “My estimates indicate [...]

PETER STOLZ says Suffolk Park residents are crying out for a solution to a very serious problem, with kids as young as 12 getting drunk and terrorising the community. It comes after two men were hospitalised at the weekend after being attacked with a broken bottle by a group of youths. The men, aged 22 and 18, were allegedly walking past the corner of Brandon and Wareham streets when they were attacked by a group of up to 10 teenage boys. The 22-year-old was hit over the head with a broken bottle and the 18-year-old sustained hits to the ribs and arms. COME ON SUFFOLK PARK PARENTS – We live here for the lifestyle. Why do you let your kids [...]

The new byron beach cafe is open. We went for lunch on the opening day – yum, I had the wonderful pumkin salad. The view is spectacular, and you can walk on to the beach as soon as you finish your lunch. Byron Bay, we love it! Byron bay beach cafe – thanks!! The byron beach cafe is open every day for brakfast from 7.30 – why would you go any where else in byron bay? It has takeaway, we always get coffee and drink it on the beach. Summer dinners are hot, and its available for weddings and functions… mmm, i would get married there, I wonder who to..

Kathryn Jones CD Launch Mullumbimby Folk Club Hello everyone, our final folk club for the year is almost upon us, marking the end of our third year. Taking us out in style this month is the beautiful Kathryn Jones. Some of you may remember Kathryn as being one of our chalkboard performers over the past couple of years, and we are very excited to be presenting her as the feature act this month. She has just finished recording her debut EP, so I can’t wait, its going to be a very special night…. At an early age Kathryn discovered her passion for music and by the tender age of 14 formed her first rock band “The Degreez”. At 17 she [...]

Soul’d is a twelve piece soul/rhythm & blues band, based in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales at Byron Bay. The band plays venues as far north as The Gold Coast & Brisbane and as far south as Coffs Harbour. Soul’d performs the classics from the Legendary Soul, Motown, Rock, Funk, R & B Artists heard on the Atlantic, Stax, Motown and Savoy Labels of the late 50s,60s,70s, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Sam & Dave, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles,, Temptations, Martha Reeves & Vandellas, Stevie Wonder, The Contours, Junior Walker and the All-Stars, The Four Tops, Booker T. & The MGs, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, Otis Redding, The Mar-Keys, Sam Cooke, Jakie Wilson,Earth Wind [...]

Controversial Irish singer Sinead O’Connor and country superstar Keith Urban will headline the East Coast Blues and Roots Music Festival at Byron Bay next year. The Black Crowes, Buddy Guy, Wilco, Ron Sexsmith, and Don McLean are also slated to play the annual outdoor music festival, while local acts include John Butler Trio, Eskimo Joe, Gotye, Clare Bowditch, and Angus and Julia Stone.The East Coast Blues and Roots Music Festival, which is in its 19th year, runs over the Easter long weekend from March 20 to 24. Lets hope she brings Sly and Robbie as the back up band!!!

ha ha.. They want to ban people from smoking on the beach? Or do they want to ban people from dropping buts on the beach? What about coffee cups or fish and chip boxes? First it was sleeping on the beach, now smoking on the beach, then maybe we cant kiss or stroke our lovers on the beach???? How are you going to police it – why dont you put your energy into something a little more useful, like working out why the council wont put money into the youth activity center? Why is the council ignoring the fact that the streeties and parkies all live there now? Its a squat. Why do the kids still get in to some [...]