Issue 5 - December Issue

Photo - Jade Hopeley

Issue 5 - December 2014

Editor Josephine Flynn Layout James O’Malley Cover Image Jade Hopley

EDITORS LETTER It seems like we say the same thing every year “Where has this year gone?”

But quite honestly, WHERE has 2014 gone? We seem to fill our lives to the point of breaking and put so much pressure on ourselves to be on top of everything, that we often get to November, notice the Christmas decorations coming out and think “Oh my god…wasn’t it just New Years?”

This year I have been practising mindful meditation as I am constantly thinking about what I have to do “next”, creating lists in my head of what needs to be done in the next hour, by the

end of today, tomorrow, end of week and end of month. I always knew this was somtthing I needed to work on, but it wasn’t until I moved in with my partner this year that he said he could notice when I was “phasing out.” I was getting so into my own head and worrying about what I still needed to do, that I was missing out on moments we were spending together.

This was further brought home when I had my first Bowen Therapy treatment with Ash Perrow (see Bowen article in this issue.) When Ash was working on my head chakra, he could feel the thoughts flying through

my mind – like a TV set that was constantly changing channels. It was after this that I decided it was time for me to stop worrying and start being. I am now seeing the end of 2014 with a clearer head, enjoying moments with those closest to me and finding myself not worrying about the things I cannot change and it is a refreshing way to see out the year.

2014 has been a wonderful year for us here at HL, with this our fifth (and we may even say finest) issue rounding it off. We have connected with inspirational musicians, artists, individuals, businesses and

environmentalists – some that we have been following and dreaming of working with for years! We have met many of our beautiful followers and readers and have had the privilege of travelling around the country to promote wonderful festivals and network with like-minded souls. We thank our lucky stars each and every day for being able to do this and we thoroughly look forward to continuing into 2015 and practising being in the moment. Live each day as if it is your last and we wish you all a very safe, happy, loving and green Christmas.

Love Josephine x

006 POTTS ART

010

020 island vibe

026 mullum fest

three worlds

016

dubmarine does burketown

steps to a 030 12sustainable christmas

036 nahko

042 oka

stories 054 surf

therapy 064 bowen

048 picnic ideas

art

Words & Photos Jade Hopley It’s a scorching HOT November morning in Mullumbimby, a small town around 20 minutes inland from Byron Bay. We are here for a day of Art, Music and Culture for the Mullumbimby Music Festival. But first a quick stop in to meet one incredibly talented man. To say I am a little excited to meet this artist and get to spend some time in his studio is an understatement. Inspired by the POP Art, and Psychedelic movement of the 60’s, at the age of 12 Potts picked up his pen and the rest is history! Starting his professional graphic design career for Rip Curl, if you grew up wearing this iconic surf brand, we can guarantee you have worn one of Potts designs. He now works from his home studio which he shares with his equally talented artist wife Anne Leon, Potts still creates some of the most unique Surf art and designs out there. Read on to hear more about our morning with one of Australia’s best…

How long have you been creating Art? I remember starting to draw around 1967. I was 12 years old & became inspired by the Pop Art & Psychedelic graphics and posters.

I thought the St. Peppers Lonely Hearts LP

cover was the most amazing image I had ever seen.

What inspired you to study graphic design?

The inspiration to study graphic design came from all the popular art of the time.

I drew like & copied artists like, Martin Sharp, Michael English, Milton Glaser & Peter Max. How did you get into Rip Curl and what was it like designing for one of the world’s biggest surf brands?

I was designing & printing my own Tshirts with a friend in 1982 when I got a phone call from someone who knew someone at Rip Curl.

They told me that they were looking for an artist who understood T-shirt design as well as surfing. Up until then Rip Curl had only made wetsuits, clothing was a whole new area for them. I meet with their production team, did

some designs which they liked and off we went. We would design the summer range in winter and the winter range in summer, due to the printing at that stage being done in America. There was no grand plan, if they liked my designs they would buy it. Some how I ended up freelancing for them for the next 10 years.

You have worked and exhibited all over Australia and the World. What is your proudest achievement to date?

I don’t think there is a ‘proudest achievement’, there are more likely a few. Looking back I would say working for Rip Curl was a high point, as was my first solo show, which was in Sydney. I really had no idea how to go about showing and promoting an event like this. Then to sell 80% of the work within the first 2 days, even the Gallery was pleasantly surprised as they had taken a big punt on this ‘unknown’ from Byron Bay. Also being invited to work with the German glass company Ritzenhoff in 1999.

They use designers from all over the world and the standard of work is very high. So being the only Australian designer is a major achievement. Also topping my year with my Fine Arts diploma stands out.

We first spotted your work at Café Dbah

Gallery last year and fell in love! Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind the Surf-X-Scape collection?

The Surf-X-Scape works were inspired by a road trip down along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. I had not been back there in over 15 years. This is the area I learned to surf & spent every weekend surfing and its lifestyle swallowed me up. It is also the home of Rip Curl where I had spent many a creative hour. While on this trip I was reading Andy Warhol’s biography, mix that with memories of my lost youth & you have a lot of inspiration to draw on.

For the first few years I painted and printed onto canvas, but it was a bit too ‘clean’ for what I wanted. So I started experimenting with driftwood & salvaged timbers. After a few hits & misses it started to work. I love the unpredictability of salvaged timber & paint together.

You’re originally from Melbourne, what inspired the sea change to the northern rivers and how has the change in lifestyle influenced your work?

My sea change came about with the disillusionment of running a small design studio which had grown to a size where I was forever dealing with clients and delegating

the design work to my staff. The drawing board & myself had separated leaving me artistically frustrated. At around this time I became very ill and was placed in hospital for 2 weeks, then another month of total rest. It was during this time that I decided to move north to warmer water with my wife & one year old son to find a new life with a slower pace. So we sold the business and headed north with plans to live somewhere in Queensland. We stopped in Mullumbimby to visit friends and just fell in love with the Northern Rivers. We kept travelling north for a few more months, but nothing compared, so we returned to the area and have never left.

You also became quite well known for the “Phutts” in the 90’s. How did you come up with these characters and what is the message you were sending to the viewer with the “Phuttsville” Collection?

The Phutt characters started as doodles and sketches while on our 3 month road trip into the far north and somehow evolved into paintings & illustrations. It’s a look into the human condition. They are venerable and skeptical living on a fragile planet, where everything is not quite what it seems.

Looking at this work now there was a strong

Mambo/ Reg Mombassa influence I think. In 2000 I started a Fine Arts Diploma and this style fell away as I explored other mediums & styles.

Do you have any local exhibitions coming up?

The first couple of months in 2015 I will be painting a mural on the side of a recycled water tank in Lennox Heads for the Ballina shire Council and I have been talking with D-bar about another show in the first half of 2015, but no dates are set yet. I will also be in a summer group show at the Manyung Gallery in Victoria, and Barebones in Bangalow, NSW. For more information on Potts beautiful work, or to find out where you can see his work showing, please visit his website below:

W - www.pottstudio.blogspot.com.au

business

THREEWORLDS Words – Josephine Flynn / Pictures – Jade Hopley If you’re local to the Gold Coast/Byron area or visit our beautiful shores regularly, chances are you’ve come in contact with the wonderful souls at Threeworlds. Their energy, passion, good vibes and super wide smiles have been gracing the Gold Coast and surrounds since 2001, spreading love and joy everywhere they go. We were so fortunate to hang out with Matt and Jason for an afternoon recently and find out where they draw their inspiration, how they created the magic of Threeworlds and just how they get away with having fun all day every day.

Three Worlds began in the living room of your old share house. Can you tell us a little bit more about how that happened and your reaction to its success?

We were renting this two storey, 4 bedroom house on the Gold Coast Hwy in Palm Beach.

The landlord said we could do whatever we liked to the place because in his words ‘it gives me the creeps’ plus he planned to demolish the place anyway. It was a funky old house and the rent was really cheap, so we ran amuck, painting the place, knocking walls out and basically having a blast!

It was a rare opportunity and we definitely made the most of it!!

Jason and I had both been trading independently at markets, small festivals and running workshops.

Jason’s specialty was making

African Drums and mine was making fire equipment. One day we merged our market stalls and so Threeworlds was born ­music, movement, and meditation. It happened very naturally and the two worlds just complimented each other so perfectly.

The meditation aspect is at the heart of it all, it’s how Jason and I originally met, that common interest that we share and what sets our intention and vision behind what we do.

People kept on asking us if we had a shop so we decided to transform our living room into a showroom. One year after opening the doors (well back then the doors were opened only after the customers rang the doorbell, and then only if Jason and I weren’t out the front surfing) our business had grown to occupy not just the lounge room but now the entire

top floor. The bedrooms had been turned into an office, a workshop, a stock room, a UV glow room, a meditation space, a jam space and an extension of the growing shop. Jason, our housemates (Jodie and Andrea) and I ended up living downstairs and in the backyard, which was now home to three caravans and a Tipi.

The shop had become a home of sorts for customers/ friends of the business.

Threeworlds was fast becoming a community centre of sorts. There were jam nights, parties, workshops and lots of people coming to help in the drum making and fire toys workshop.

The house was painted from wall to wall with murals and other abstract art. It was really fun and exciting times.

Why do you think this area of Australia is a good environment for a business like Three Worlds?

People on the Gold Coast are awesome, they’re super active and open to trying new things and having new experiences. It’s all about the lifestyle here and that’s what we are all about too, taking it to the next level. Whether it be through drumming with your friends around a campfire, playing ukulele at a party or slack lining in the park. Everything we do and share aims to uplift your mind in some way and bring you back to that connection with yourself, your friends, family and nature. Moving to Burleigh was one of the best things we’ve done, there’s an awesome community feel and the council is starting to really get behind some of the local events, like Burleigh Beat, which is the local

Sunday night drumming and fire twirling jam that’s been running for about 15 years.

We’re really lucky to have all these beautiful parks, beaches and sunny days to play and enjoy in.

At the end of the day everyone wants to be happy and that’s what we’re really selling.

It’s not the hula hoop or the guitar that puts a smile on your face, but the experience that it creates. You really can’t think about your problems while you’re drumming or juggling otherwise you’ll lose the beat and rhythm.

It’s not just distracting your mind but it’s freeing you up and making you feel lighter and if you change your thoughts you affect how you feel. We’re in the control seat of how we feel and can be the masters of our mind.

What is your overarching vision for the business and what would you love your customers to get out of their interaction with you?

Our vision has always been to spread happiness, inspire people to be the best version of themselves and create a community that supports that lifestyle. Like a ripple that flows out, spreading positive vibes into the world.

When someone walks into the shop it’s a

full hands on experience, you can play with everything. We want you to touch and play the instruments and circus toys. If you want to play drums, learn some fire twirling tricks or a few chords on the slide guitar, juggle or anything, that’s what we want you to do.

That’s inspiring to you and that’s inspiring for us.

The business is far more than just a store front now with so many incredible services, (our favourite being the Bongo Bus which seems to have taken on a life of its own.) We understand you’ve travelled with this quite extensively, can you tell us a little bit more about where you’ve been, what you do and the message you send?

There’s a lot more to Threeworlds than meets the eye. Apart from our retail store we have an online store, we manufacture many of our own products including African Drums and Fire Twirling Gear, we wholesale to other shops, run music and circus skill workshops and we also offer fire dance and drumming shows.

The Bongo Bus was one of Matt’s creations.

He loves people, travelling, drumming, firetwirling and pretty much having fun and sharing it with as many people as he possibly can. So he got his bus license, bought an 18

seater Coaster Bus and sprayed it bright orange (in Threeworlds tradition). That bus has been on a lot of adventures. From music festivals all the way up the East Coast to Cairns, WOMAD Music Festival in Adelaide, Woodford Folk Festival, Island Vibes and heaps of local events. Every few weeks we run drumming jams on the bus, where we’ll pack the bus out and cruise up to Broadbeach and Surfers Paradise. The reactions are classic ‘cause people on the street will usually hear us coming before they see us. It turns a lot of heads and gets a lot of toes tapping but it’s the best when people start dancing in the street. The main message behind it is to have fun and be light, never take life too serious.

We’re all still kids deep down.

Can anyone come in and learn an instrument/skill at your workshops or do you need to have some kind of an idea before you walk in?

Our workshops are for absolutely anyone and everyone. We have weekly classes for beginners in African Drumming, Ukulele, Didgeridoo and Meditation. There’s a more advanced class in African Drumming for the super keen drummers. All our classes are held weeknightly and usually run for 1 to 1.5 hours. We’re really blessed to have some

amazing facilitators, including Ago, a Master Drummer from West Africa.

Outside of our normal lesson times you can pop into the store anytime for a free, spontaneous lesson or jam with Suki, Luke or Chris in our shop.

Every Thursday and Sunday between 4pm ­6pm Suki and Matt run a Juggle Jam in Justins Park, right beside the beach at Burleigh Heads. It’s free and is part of the Gold Coast Active & Healthy Program. We bring hula hoops, diabolos, practice poi, staffs, devilsticks, juggling balls, spinning plates, slacklines and more for a full on play­ fest in the park.

We’ve seen the Three Worlds shop at festivals and the Bongo Bus around at special events quite a lot. Do you get a good reaction from people when they see you doing what you do?

Yeah the reaction is always super positive, even more so at festivals and events because people are there to have a good time and let their hair down. This year will be our 14th year at Woodford Folk Festival, that’s pretty crazy. Our market stall has hosted some really huge, always spontaneous drumming/ music jams where our whole marquee will be full of people jumping up and down, shaking

maracas, rocking on, beating on drums and dancing to live rhythms made by the crowd of festival goers. It’s really magic to be a part of and a lot of people say to us it’s been their festival highlight.

Whenever we’re out at these different places we want to give an experience and to add to the festival atmosphere.

It‘s way more fun to become a part of it, engage in it and be inspired to learn and create the music yourself, rather than just watching your favourite band and artist playing music. That’s when it really comes to life.

You can also supply performers for special events i.e fire twirlers, drumming circles etc. Do you get a lot of interest in these services from the general public?

Our Fire and African Drumming shows are pretty niche, so we find ourselves at some wild places. Most

recently we drummed at the V8 Supercars in Surfers, a work Christmas party, a life coach boot camp and an opening of a franchise fast food store. We get asked to do all sorts of things and we’ve even drummed for a few brides as they’ve walk down the aisle. Parties are our favourite because we get to bring extra drums and firesticks and get guests involved.

That’s when the fun really begins, everyone encourages each other and has a good laugh at their friends.

With festival season just beginning, are you guys busy over the Christmas and New Year period?

Yeah it’s a really busy time for us. The shop is going off, that’s probably because there’s so many great Christmas gifts (shameless plug). And we’re getting ready for Woodford Festival which we’ll be heading up to on Boxing Day. Where can our readers find out more about what you do or come and see you in action?

Come visit our store at 20 James St Burleigh Heads we’re open 7 days a week. You can check out our workshops times and our online store.

W - www.threeworlds.com.au A – 20 James St. Burleigh Heads

culture

DUBMARINE DOES BURKETOWN Words – Mikael Strand (Dubmarine Trombonist) / Pictures – Jeremie Nagabbo (Dubmarine Guitairist) In late September, Dubmarine had the unique privilege of travelling to Burketown to perform at the Morning Glory Festival.

As part of the festival we also had the opportunity to meet and run some workshops with kids from the local primary school over ten days.

Burketown is a small town located on the Gulf of Carpentaria, in north-west Queensland. We needed two planes to get there as well as stops along the way at Normanton and Mornington Island. The band quickly got a sense of the magic of this country and its people. We were made to feel extremely welcome and the community spirit was evident in the incredible hospitality we received.

Over the 10 days, we worked with the kids on writing some new lyrics to the Dubmarine song None the Wiser, which reflected the natural flora and fauna of Burketown. The kids also had the opportunity to learn some drumming skills on makeshift African drums (lovingly put together by African drumming legend Elliot Orr).

Needless to say, the

festival was an incredible community gathering and the kids performed to an enthusiastic crowd. On our last day the local council cooked up a huge feast for the town, which included Dugong and Sea Turtle, caught using traditional Indigenous methods. It was a fitting last day for the band as we farewelled this incredible part of our country.

We were also blessed to bear witness to the Morning Glory clouds on our last morning. These clouds move over the area in large banks of unbroken cloud, and it is a truly magnificent sight to behold. This area is the only place in Australia to experience these types of cloud formations.

Dubmarine will never forget our adventures in Burketown.

A massive thanks must go to all the members of the local council

for welcoming us to your community, as well as to Arts Queensland. And a special thanks to the people of Burketown, who allowed us to share our passion for music-making with your children. It was truly an unforgettable experience for all of us and we can’t wait to come back!

culture

Words and Pictures - Jade Hopley Last year we headed over to North Stradbroke Island to bring you the Island Vibe experience via video (view on our website www.holisticlivingtv.com This year we invited our readers to enter a competition to win season passes to the festival, the only catch is they had to experience as much as they could and tell us all about it because let’s face it, we can’t just keep the Island Vibe experience all to ourselves. Plus, what better way to review this amazing festival than through the eyes and ears of someone new to the experience.

Sally is our competition winner and mother of one extremely gorgeous two year old Annabelle. Our competition judges chose Sally’s response because she wanted to show our readers what it’s like to experience this family friendly festival from the perspective of an actual family.

Is this your first time at Island Vibe?

Yes, first time.

How did you hear about it?

Holistic Living. I saw the video from last year and entered the competition from the magazine.

What were your favorite acts, workshops, and/or activities?

Oh the Kids Space, my daughter loved it there.

Did the sustainable way the festival was run, make you think about the environmental impact of other festivals?

Yes indeed! There was minimal waste and I feel they thought about the least impact on the land right down to their choice of toilets!

Do you normally go to festivals, if so what other festivals have you been to?

Yes I do. I’ve been to Big Day Out, Soundwave and Raga muffin How does Island Vibe compare? Will you come back?

Yes I would definitely return for another Island Vibe adventure! Such a great location, especially compared to where most festivals are held.

Sharon is my mum. She also tagged along to Kuranda Roots festival. She loved Kuranda roots (also organized by the rad dudes at RudeKat), so much that she booked her accommodation and tickets for Island Vibe the week we got back from Cairns. Shazza brings us a festival experience from a different generation, because just because your not 25 anymore, doesn’t mean you can’t party with the cool kids!

Is this your first time at Island Vibe?

Yes this is my first Island Vibe How did you hear about it?

I heard about it through the awesome Holistic Living TV and HL magazine crew.

What were your favorite acts, workshops, and/or activities?

Wow so many great acts workshops and/ or activities. Fav acts, Chocolate Strings, Archie Roach and Bullhorn. Didn’t do any workshops but liked the Island vibe t-shirt

printing activity and brought my t-shirt from here so I could pick the design myself.

Did the sustainable way the festival was run, make you think about the environmental impact of other festivals?

I was so impressed with the sustainable practices of the IV Festival. I took pictures and sent them to people I know on the GC who work very hard to get the word out to protect our environment and to use sustainability practices.

Do you normally go to festivals, if so what other festivals have you been to?

Last festival I went to was the Kuranda Roots festival. They’re hard to separate as they’re both pretty awesome.

How does Island Vibe compare? Will you come back?

I felt the atmosphere, more stalls, location and activities at Island Vibe were the best. I also loved location of IV festival will definitely go again.

Jade is a seasoned festival attendee, but this was her first Island Vibe experience. She is a musician, artist and hippy at heart and was here to help run some activities in the kids space.

Is this your first time at Island Vibe?

Yes it was my first time to the festival.

How did you hear about it?

I heard by word of mouth and it was advertised around the community. Also a lot of fellow friends were going.

What were your favorite acts, workshops, and/or activities?

My favourite acts would have had to have been OKA and Hugo and Treats. They did a great job of bringing the crowd together and connecting collectively. Also the earth freq stage had some funky fun beats going, I had an awesome time there too. I was helping out at an art space with a friend, so I enjoyed having the kids come in, creating and bringing such a beautiful spontaneous energy.

Did the sustainable way the festival was run, make you think about the environmental impact of other festivals?

I was very impressed with the compost loo system, it was innovative and it didn’t stink

or anything! I was really happy to see the effort put into keeping the environment clean, considering Stradbroke has been protected quite well, apart from the residential development. I didn’t think about it then, but now I think about other festivals and how waste management isn’t a priority as much as it was at Island vibe. Definitely can say that they were proactive on the eco-friendly front!

Do you normally go to festivals, if so what other festivals have you been to?

Yes I love going to festivals! I go to bush doofs such as Manifest, Eart freq and usually Woodford and Blues Fest every year.

How does Island Vibe compare? Will you come back?

Island vibe is much more family friendly which I really loved, seeing children everywhere added a lovely energy. And I noticed there are no substances and drinking like other festivals can involve. The vibe is very mellow and gentle, and the people were really nice and approachable. Also the surf is right there which is really unique and it’s on an island, time slows down. It will be up there with my favorites.

culture

November 20-23 2014.

Pictures - Jade Hopley We are very fortunate here at HL to be able to attend some of the most popular and exciting festivals in Australia. We had heard so many wonderful things about the Mullum Music Festival that this year we just had to be there. Held in the hinterland town of Mullumbimby, just 15 minutes north of Byron Bay, this usually quiet town gets transformed overnight to a buzzing arts metropolis with 12 venues hosting over 120 shows and workshops over 4 days.

Launching in 2008, the festival grew out of a realisation from locals that they had the capacity and resources to promote art, music and culture within the town using the beautiful facilities they already had

available. Considering the first opening night back in 2008 nearly didn’t happen due to severe storms, Mullum Music Festival has exploded over the last eight years, drawing international names this year such as Hurray for the Riff Raff, Nahko (from Nahko and Medicine for the People), Andy Brown, Bongeziwe Mabandla and C R Avery. Aussies lining up this year’s festival were just as impressive and came from all over. From locals Bullhorn, Dubmarine, Kooii, Bobby Alu, and Claire Cottone from CC the Cat to interstate artists like Declan Kelly and the Rising Sun, Kim Churchill, Husky, Bustamento and Jordan Rakei. The impressive and diverse line up suited all age levels and had an eclectic mix of roots, reggae, world, R&B, soul, rock and funk.

As the festival is spread out over the community, the local businesses benefit from the influx of festival goers and get to enjoy the festival atmosphere. Free events are held over the four days and walking from venue to venue there is a real sense of fun, community, collaboration, relaxation and enjoyment.

Due to the fact the venues are already existing and capable of holding crowds, the environmental impact is extremely low.

Festival goers either walk, ride or catch the eye catching “magic bus� from venue to venue (dressing up advised but not compulsory.)

To offset any carbon footprint the festival may create, they have initiated a tree planting program with the Byron’s Bush Regeneration team and Brunswick Valley Landcare, which has planted more than 1000 trees in the Mullum area to date.

The promotion and nurturing of the local youth and their passion is evident in every aspect of the Festival. Young local artists are encouraged to apply to perform and many are given slots throughout the festival to showcase their work. A mentoring program is also set up between professional artists such as Declan Kelly and the local kids to help them hone their skills and learn from professionals in

their chosen field.

Mullum music festival is a place where you will run into old friends, dance to your favourites and discover some new ones. Whether it be a soulful solo act on a keyboard such as Jordan Reiki or the Bollywood infusion of eleven piece Bombay Royale, this festival is hitting all the right notes and we drove away exhausted, inspired, grateful and smiling.

Thanks Mullum!

W - www.mullummusicfestival.com

CHRISTMAS SPECIAL $170 0404359878

INCLUDES 2 hour shoot 5x Hi res digital images

1x 8x10 Print

Facebook.com/JadeoNaturalLightPhotography

jadehopley.wordpress.com

WEDDINGS | FASHION | FAMILY | PORTFOLIO | SURF | TRAVEL | MUSIC

environment

Words – Josephine Flynn Christmas is the most enjoyable and exciting time of the year. Unfortunately, it can also be a time where we create excessive amounts of waste and put extra pressure on our environment but this does not have to be the case! Read our tips below to create a fun filled and sustainable Christmas.

1 – Create homemade cards and gifts.

Homemade cards and gifts is one of the easiest (and money saving) ways to help reduce waste. Instead of buying lots of cheap little gifts from the two dollar store (all imported from China), take time either by yourself or with friends or the kids to make a gift filled with love.

2 – Buy services instead of goods.

Buy buying a service from a local business (e.g. massage, bowen therapy treatment, guitar lessons) you’re not only helping the environment, you’re supporting local businesses.

Buying gifts online from a website means shipping costs, packaging and delivery costs, which are all detrimental to the health of the planet. Reduce the size of the gift (gift certificate) and by buying local, you’ve created a nearly zero impact gift and supported a local in the process – win win!

3 – Support a charity and give a gift that gives back.

This is one of our favourites here at HL and we’ll give a lot of these this Christmas. We LOVE giving gifts that give back. Our favourite is a gift from Oxfam. They send a card

to your recipient telling them what gift you have bought in their name for someone in the World in need. We love giving chickens, kids pencil packs, a goat, even fresh water to people who need it the most. PLUS no gift that’s going to go out of fashion or run out of batteries that will get thrown out. This is the perfect gift for absolutely anyone and most importantly, those in need benefit from it too!

4 – Start a tradition.

This Christmas start a tradition with your family that gets everyone thinking about how lucky we are. Take a bush walk, create a birds Christmas tree in your back yard with peanut butter, pine cones, tinsel, anything that the birds love to play with and watch them enjoying Christmas too, plant a tree, take one hour to head to your local beach/ park/river and clean up, anything that gets your working as a group or family to get outdoors and enjoy the wonderful world we live in.

5 – Gift give back.

Prior to Christmas, get the kids to go through their toys and pick toys they want to give to those in need while explaining how others aren’t as fortunate as they are. Take the toys down to the local Op Shop with the kiddies

and let them give them to the staff – it gives them a sense of helping and giving – which is what Christmas is all about.

6 – Recycled wrapping paper.

My Mum always told me to save my wrapping paper and I’ve kept doing that through my adult life – this has created a myriad of mish mashed coverings and a world of possibilities! You can always reuse wrapping paper! Get inventive by sticking pieces together, using greenery from the backyard as your decoration and then keep your wrapping paper from this year! Alternatively, use pieces of fabric as wrapping paper and give a unique twist to your gift giving.

7 – Reusable dinnerware.

It’s so easy at this hectic time to rely on plastic plates and cutlery. STOP before you pick up that $2 bag of plastic forks, about the

environmental impact that would have if we ALL bought just one of those packets… and being plastic, they’re around FOREVER! Instead, use the plates you have, if you need more, go to the local op shop and create a unique and vintage look at your Christmas table this year with plates from tables past.

Alternatively, borrow from friends! It’ll be a talking point at the dinner table and you’ll look like you’re totally “on trend” with your vintage inspired table.

8 – Eco-friendly Xmas Tree This has been a great debate for some time… which Christmas tree is the most sustainable?

Some say the good old real Christmas tree, as long as it has come from a specific Christmas tree farm and not from the forest. Although, others question the sprays used to keep the trees alive. Some people opt for the fake Christmas tree, however, once these are used a few times they become rather ratty and end up in landfill. We at HL like to use what we already have or something we’re going to keep. E.g. decorating a tree in your yard or a plant in your home to look like a Christmas tree. Alternatively, but a plant that looks like a Christmas tree and watch it grow over the years while giving joy to your family at Christmas time. Money saved each

year on buying one and an environmentally friendly option for the planet! Yay! 9 – Environmentally friendly decorations.

Now we all know Christmas trees look the best of a night time with the lights on! This year, make sure you use LED lights or energy efficient lights to keep both the cost of running the lights down and if they’re LED, they’ll last you much longer…saving money and keeping them out of landfill.

For the decorations, instead of buying a big cheap box of plastic ornaments that will break and die before next year, choose to make decorations at home (an awesome activity with the kids) or buy local and support a local business. My parents buy one new Christmas ornament each year from a local shop or from somewhere they’ve been

during the year. Their tree is always full of memories from years past and each piece tells a story.

10 – Shop Local for your dinner table.

Visit your local fruit and veg shop, butcher, baker or organic markets to create your Christmas feasts. Large grocery stores ship in their produce and is stored in freezer trucks up to months before it’s in your fridge. Cut the cost down and get your plates as fresh as from the paddock as possible. More nutrients for you and your family, support local and cut down transport costs for produce.

11 – Compost.

After serving the masses, ensure any food scraps go into the compost and not into the bin. At least 40% of house waste comes from food wastage and that’s gorgeous nutrients that can

be going into your plants!

Organic material that ends up in landfill is eventually compacted and covered, which reduces the amount of oxygen it receives. These materials then release methane, a flammable greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide! Create a compost or worm farm, make your garden beautiful and protect the ozone layer all at the same time.

12 - Clean Green.

Once the guests have left and the Christmas pudding has settled, make sure you clean up using all natural cleaning products that you can make yourself using products from your kitchen cupboard. No toxins, so not harmful to the family and no negative impact on the environment. Use products such as white vinegar or lemon juice (inhibits the

growth of bacteria), baking soda (natural scouring agent, deodoriser and cleanser), Olive oil to polish furniture and hydrogen peroxide to help remove stains. Essential oils mixed in to any of these will give a pleasant smell and depending on the oil, will give added benefits to the task.

Inspiration, Music

Picture care of Nahko Australian management Heapsaflash

{Nahko Words - Jade Hopley A few years back we had the pleasure of covering an event in Byron Bay for a community organization called Positive Change for Marine Life. As we interviewed the Director of the organization, Karl Goodsell for Holistic Living TV, we hear a distant drumming and chanting, slowing making its way closer and closer. I run off up the street to be greeted by this amazing crew, lead by one of the most beautiful beings I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. Overwhelmed by the magic of moment, I quickly forget my mission; suddenly I’m snapped back to reality and continue to run towards the group. In the heat of the moment, my professional composure is lost, and I yell, “You are beautiful but you need to shut up!” Instantly I regret my words, but before I could recoil, the man with the drum grabs me and hugs me… I eventually introduce myself, officially, and explain what the deal is. We all have a laugh as we walk

towards the venue together.

Fast forward to November 2014 and here I am writing an interview for that very man. In the years following that first encounter I have found a deep love for the music and the message of Nahko and Medicine for the Peopl. There is so much I want to ask, but alas I have a word count… so ill leave it here and let you discover the magic of the man they call Nahko Bear.

We hear you have a very interesting background. We would love to hear your story, and how you came to be a musician.

Everyone’s story is unique.

Mine just happens to be translatable through music and storytelling...or maybe I’ve just been gifted to share it as such. There are so many twists and turns and ups and downs in this story that reflect the rawness of the

human condition and experience. There’s something in there that everyone can relate to. I started playing piano at age 6, kept up with it through teenage years, taught myself guitar at 14, started writing little songs during that time. All very angsty teen love songs, ya know? It wasn’t until I moved to Hawaii in my early twenties that I really started digging deep into self-discovery and a spiritual path.

You always seem to be on the road, what is your favorite gig to date?

Bluesfest this past year was pretty full power. That’s a hard one. I find so much depth in every performance. A different beauty is found in each transmission. Playing in the Black Hills of South Dakota alongside my brother Xavier Rudd this past fall was also very powerful.

Where is home? And how often do you get to head back there?

I go back and forth between Hawaii and Los Angeles. I’m not in either of those places much, but when I am I soak it up and ground in as much as possible.

Your music is very socially & environmentally conscious.

Do you get much feedback from your fans on how they have been inspired/touched by your words?

A lot of the feedback comes from the heart. I’ve heard a lot of “I’ve turned my life around” stories which is really beautiful to hear so much because that means we’re doing the right thing.

We recently interviewed Australian musician Akova who is doing a ‘Time To stand’ campaign, asking his fans to post photos and videos of the sign which will be featured in his

upcoming video clip. It is a very similar concept to your ‘I believe in the good things coming’ campaign. Can you tell us more about it?

Oh, yeah I saw that. That’s so awesome. The “I believe” campaign is really simple. And it’s turning into a really cool interactive sharing stage for our tribe. It’s a picture message, essentially. It’s a way to show the tribe what we’re working on and where work needs to be done still. It’s a hopeful visual collage of the world we want to live in. And, of course, it came from the song ‘Black As Night’ that is all about moving on to the next phase of time and washing away the old paradigm.

How did you come together with your band Medicine For The People?

I met everyone at different times and very different locations. And what is so beautiful I think too is that we all have been friends for some time now and we get to travel and share healing and ceremony with our tribe.

It’s pretty special.

You seem to be in Australia more and more each year; what is it that draws you to our beautiful part of the world?

I have a deep connection to the red land. The story of the indigenous people of America and the Aboriginal people of Australia

Picture care of Jade Hopley

are very similar and my work with native communities here in the states is easily translatable in the red country. Also, our music has caught like a wildfire over there and the people and land seem to be calling us back all the time. I’m in love.

What’s next for you and the band?

We’re on a little break finally so we’re soaking up some island sun here in Hawaii. Then off for the four weeks of ‘Water Is Life’ tour in Australia.

How can our readers find out when and where you will be playing? www.nahko.com Lastly, what independent music, are you digging at the moment that our readers should be checking out?

Trevor Hall, Ed Sheeran, Dustin Thomas, First Aid Kit, The Tallest Man On Earth, Tribe Called Red, The Earth Guardians, Frank Waln.

W – www.nahko.com FB – www.facebook.com/ nahkoandmedicineforthepeople

Picture care of Jade Hopley

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music

Words - Jade Hopley Pictures - Care of OKA Walking through Island Vibe 2014 on Sunday afternoon with my counterparts, all of us on a high after just seeing Archie Roach perform, reminiscing about the past two and a half days, I suddenly see Stu from OKA in the distance. Without a word I run off to catch him. He stops and gives me a big hug, and we have a chat about his band OKA, our shared love and respect for Island Vibe Festival, culture, family and collaborations.

He introduces me to Marcus Berg, whose vocals blew the crowds minds the previous evening; then we bid each other goodbye and promise to catch up on the dance floor later…

How did OKA start and how long have you been together now?

OKA started in 2001 as a street busking jam connection that continued into a jam in my parents lounge room.

Our first album ‘elements’ was born 3 days later and we started on this crazy journey that still continues today.

At your recent Island Vibe gig, you spoke about a strong connection to country and culture. Can you please tell our readers about this connection?

You hear a lot of black fellas talk of their connection to ‘country’, this is their connection to the spirit of the land/mother earth. Indigenous communities, culture and customs have evolved from this direct

connection to country. It’s a connection that connects us all as Australians, we just need to learn to listen and relate to country again. By respecting & connecting to country we connect to each other through respect, which builds a stronger community built around looking after earth and each other and not existing in a world of greed.

You also mentioned that your Yidaki (didgeridoo) has been passed down through generations, what is the story behind that?

The Yidaki literally translates to: the sound of mother earth. It’s used in ceremony to connect to the spirit of country. It is an instrument that is passed from generation to generation as part of keeping that connection to country, keeping culture alive.

On your new album Free spirit and at recent gigs we have had the pleasure of hearing the incredible vocal styling of Marcus Berg. How did this collaboration come about?

Marcus Berg aka MARKANDEYA is an amazing roots vocalist from Sweden that we met a few years ago in Bali. We were performing at the Bali Spirit Festival and he was in the audience listening. By chance we connected the

next day walking through the streets of Ubud where he gave me some of his music.

Instantly we connected and started collaborating on some new tracks that ended up on the latest album ‘Free Spirit’.

What was the inspiration behind the Mt Wollumbin (Mt Warning) camp outs?

The site is very sacred to the local Indigenous community, however sadly a lot of people I talk to have no idea about its history. Is this something you talk to the revelers about when you’re there?

The whole idea of the OKA Camp Out was to reconnect to the spirit of the land.

OKA music is all about, Culture, Connection, Family, Community, Dance, Relaxing and living life in the positive.

So the Camp Out is a way for us to celebrate all those things in a two day event.

We wanted to give people the opportunity to dance to an extended OKA sound track, to share a night connected as a community and even experiencing YOGA in a new way with an OKA flavour. The true focus however, was to create an environment for people to learn and experience Indigenous culture in a new way and by absorbing the spirituality of the sacred country. Hopefully people gain a stronger connection to country, Indigenous culture and community.

Are you the main songwriter or is it a team effort?

Although I’m the main musical and creative director in OKA the sound is a colour created by all the musicians involved. It really is the OKA collective, each player brings a certain flavour and energy to the sound.

Who are your main inspirations when it comes to songwriting?

My inspirations when songwriting are my family, my culture, my travels, the communities we connect with along the way, but most importantly the connection to earth/country & culture.

We hear you’re also a pretty mean artist! Is this something you have always done?

Yeah art has always balanced my life along with music, I’ve always done it from a little

kid to now. It’s a big part of my life for sure and a nice connection I share with my little daughter who is exploring her own culture, identity & self expression through both art and music.

What’s next for OKA and where can our readers keep up to date?

We are deep in the creation of a new album, recording new music and preparing a 2015/2016 tour that will see us back in Europe, UK, Nth America, Asia and in new territories for us like south America, India, Nepal and South Africa.

A big part of the tour will be sharing our music in remote communities both here in OZ and over in Canada which is very exciting. That will definitely keep us busy, so wish us luck… the OKA journey continues…

Lastly what Aussie artists are you digging at the moment?

Well there are some amazing aussie artists at the moment and some of my fave reggae - roots groups are coming out of brizzy based studio - ‘Tanuki Lounge’ like Kingfisha and Bobby Alu. Check out the big sounds of Bullhorn and the crazy sound of my favourite ‘up n coming’ blackfella guitarist - Chris Tamwoy.

W – www.okamusic.com FB – www.facebook.com/okamusic

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nutrition

PICNIC IDEAS Words and Pictures - Kelly Fielding There is something I really love about eating outdoors. A big rug on the grass, a spread of healthy colorful food, plates balanced on knees, the smell of summer in the air, good friends and beautiful nature- it doesn’t get much better really.

I love eating with my fingers, letting time roll by without any need to know the hour, allowing laughter and conversation to flow over the passing of plates and pouring of drinks.

My idea of picnic food isn’t really sandwiches, chips and soda.

Instead, these simple raw vegan picnic recipes are vibrant and nourishing, full of the flavors of Summer and the colors of all seasons combined!

I like to make simple food that allows the robust flavors of seasonal produce to shine- there is nothing quite like the taste of summer strawberries or biting into fresh ripe cherry tomatoes.

So visit your local Farmers market, grab your favorite picnic rug and head into the wildness to laze about and enjoy the taste of summer goodness.

The following recipes serve two to four people.

W - www.bellaandbhakti.com

Clean Green N or i R o l ls with avo ca d o s p r o u ts and tahin i This was my staple travel food for a while, sometimes minus the fresh sunflower sprouts! I found that if I traveled with nori sheets and macadamia butter or tahini and some good quality salt, I could usually pick up an avocado or some fresh greens somewhere, and this was just heaven.

4 raw nori sheets 4 tablespoons of tahini 2 cups of fresh sunflower sprouts 2 avocados a dozen sun dried tomatoes Himalayan salt

Lay the nori sheets flat and fill each one with one tablespoon of macadamia butter, ½ a cup of fresh sprouts, ½ of an avocado, a few sliced sun dried tomatoes and a pinch of salt.

Roll the nori up and eat fresh with your hands!

You can choose to add any fillings you like, but I find this particular combination so simple and so tasty. Sometimes I will add a spread of miso paste instead of the salt.

Chocolate, Beetroot a n d Orange Cake with Raspberry Cashew Cream Frosting This was a cake created in part by one of my all time favorite kitchen partners.

How much fun we used to have creating new recipes and going on foodie adventures! This is a light chocolate cake, lightened by the addition of orange zest and coconut flour. It is a brilliant red color when sliced and always delights dinner guests!

2 ½ cups of brazil nuts ½ cup of coconut nectar 1 ½ cups of coconut flour 1 cup of soft or soaked dates 2 beetroots grated 1 orange- zest only 1 cup of cacao powder

Process brazil nuts until they form a fine powder. Add all of the other ingredients and process until smooth and the mixture combines easily. You may need to do this in batches if your food processor is small.

Press the mixture into a spring form cake tin and refrigerate while you make the icing.

Icing 1 cup of soaked and strained cashews (try to soak your cashew for 2-4 hours) 1 tablespoon of coconut nectar ¼ teaspoon of vanilla essence 2 tablespoons of coconut oil ½ cup of fresh raspberries 1-2 tablespoons of almond milk

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. You may need to add a little extra almond milk so that it blends easily.

Spread the icing over the cake and decorate with coconut and pistachios.

Raw Zucchini Hummus I think it is almost impossible to have a picnic without hummus- they were just made to be together. This hummus uses zucchini in place of the usual chickpeas. You can still make a raw hummus with chickpeas, you just need to soak and sprout them for a few days before making. This one though is simple, fast and really delicious!

2 large zucchinis peeled and chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons of tahini 1 ½ teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons cumin 2 cloves of garlic Paprika and sesame seeds to garnish

Blend all of the ingredients in a high speed blender or in a food processor until smooth and creamy. I find grating the zucchini first enables it to blend really easily.

Taste and season to your liking.

Serve on top of salad or as a dip sprinkled with paprika and sesame seeds.

ASIAN SUMMER SLAW ½ a large green or purple cabbage finely sliced 2 carrots grated 1 spring onion finely sliced 1 red capsicum finely diced 1 cucumber finely diced 2 teaspoons of sesame seeds 1 tablespoon of raisons Dressing Ÿ cup dried apricots soaked + 2 tablespoons soak water 1/4 cup of tahini 2 tablespoons of tamari 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger 2 tablespoons of lemon juice 1 tablespoons of raw untoasted sesame oil

Blend dressing ingredients until smooth, using enough of the apricot soak water to create a smooth consistency.

Mix the dressing through the coleslaw until well combined, massaging well with your hands.

Sprinkle with fresh mint and sesame seeds

Quinoa Tabbouleh wit h m int a n d s u n d r i e d o l i v es Tabbouleh is a bit of a staple picnic salad! Fresh and full of flavor with mint, lime and parsley, this is a delicious salad on its own or with a dollop of zucchini hummus (see recipe below!) Here the wheat is substituted with quinoa for a light, gluten free alternative 1 ½ cups of cooked quinoa 1 large Cucumber diced 1 red bell pepper diced ¼ cup of sun ripened black olives 1 handful of mint leaves, finely chopped 1 handful of coriander leaves, finely chopped 1 cup of parsley finely chopped 1 handful of pea shoots or sunflower sprouts ½ a punnet of cherry tomatoes halved 1 lime juiced 1 tablespoon of olive oil Freshly cracked Himalayan salt and black pepper

Chop the cauliflower into large chunks then add them to the food processor. Pulse until the texture is a rice-like consistency.

Place in a bowl and add the cucumber, capsicum, coriander, parsley and mint.

Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the vegetable mix and top with cherry tomatoes, pea shoots and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

surf

‘Tis the season to be jolly and we cannot believe how fast it has come around this year.

Thinking about Christmas brings back memories of summer holidays. Growing up in western Sydney, I was not lucky enough to grow up next to the ocean.

Being a surfer meant that my summer holidays as a teenager were spent with my friends catching public transport, taking up to 3 or more hours to get to the surf. This all went down pre internet, pre surf cam and no magic seaweed to check before we left. We just grabbed our boards and jumped on those trains with the faith that Huey would come through…

On the days we arrived after our epic journey and the surf was flat, we made the most of it. Soaking up the rays, eating chiko rolls, drinking chocolate milk, reading

our favorite surf mags and fantasizing about the age old surfer’s right to passageThe Surf Trip. We would read tales from other surfers heading north to surf the famous Kirra Beach (which I now view from my lounge room window), or better still jumping on a plane to Indo, or Tonga, or Hawaii.

All this reminiscing and also planning of my own surf trip got us thinking, what if we asked some of our fellow surfer buddies about some adventure they have had whilst on the search for the perfect wave…

Read on to hear Shannon’s treacherous journey to get to a deserted wave somewhere in Indonesia, Joel’s tales of meeting the all too famous Bali Monkeys and Colbey’s (aka Rubber ducky) memories from this year’s Bluesfest.

Nick COLBY While Easter time for surfing is focused around the Bells contest, in Byron Bay it marks the annual Blues & Roots Festival with this year boasting its 25th happening. It’s a pilgrimage undertaken by all sorts of folk – the diehard older couples who have also been together as long as the festival. They cruise around with armchairs and laminated line-up guides happily watching everything from the edge of the tent.

Then there’s the families out and about, the teens who have just legged it over the fence, the hippies, the trippies, the skegs, the bogans from Queensland, the Sydney-siders, the

Melbourne-ites and all the international travellers who happen to be floating around Byron the same time as the festival. Then there are people like me. I grew up in Byron and now living in Sydney (a.k.a The Squid) it always seems fitting to go home this time of year and get amongst the action and my word, what a bunch of fucking action that went down.

I jumped in my mate’s car on Wednesday, also a born and bred Byronian and as I write this it’s been exactly a week of amazement, hilarity, challenges, confrontations, dancing and bewilderment since we left Sydney. The journey up alone was a worthy experience for a long weekend. We surfed a pumping 4-5 foot beachie with 20 idiots surfing in the corner getting amongst the close outs leaving the far

more peaky bank down the beach left un-ridden and solely for our enjoyment.

In Sydney, if someone even paddles for a wave down the beach you’d see sheep come flocking to the peak from everywhere as if it were Jesus himself. The first session was already worth escaping the smog. You see, my mate and I spend a whole lot of time wondering why the fuck we left Byron in the first place and coming home just re-enforces the question to ring even louder in our heads.

That night we rolled into Angourie quite late and heckled Rod Dahlberg’s daughter for a spare couch to crash on but she knew better then to let two hedgy dudes who’d been sitting in a car for 8 hours into the house. So we jumped in a bush with our board bags sporting all things warm.

But it wasn’t enough as the autumn chill was freezing under a very bright and full moon. You could watch lines roll through the point and build over the hours of paranoid tossing and turning on our board bags. We woke up totally cooked from a long day prior with no sleep and got a few out the point but not having the best session, we opted to cut it early and then continued north. Arriving into the shire my brother and another local lord who had flown home from Karratha in West Oz took us to the best banks and we had another challenging surf. All this and Blues hadn’t even started. Before I knew it the cans of beer were on ice at the back of a friends house and the drunken foolery began. Although that first beer tasted like pure heaven it wasn’t easy to keep up to speed with the rest of the crew on the first day. It’s not easy either coming home to a small town where everyone knows what your up to and everyone wants to make a joke of your “hipster” or “squirrel” antics moving to the big smoke. Working at a surf mag, playing in a band and studying are all excellent ammo to give it to a once long time local and one exhausted human from the drive up. Plus all you want to do is get into the festival spirit and all your Mum wants you to do is hang

out with her and yarn the same gossip you heard the last time you were up. But that’s just how it is, you give and get given.

There’s nothing quite like a great music festival. Everyone is high on life, talented humans are blessing you with organized sounds you swear are from outer space, there’s amazing food available everywhere, there’s beautiful women all around letting their hair down and you’re usually surrounded by your good friends kicking up dust dancing your heart out or standing in awe at a performance. Now drink a shitload of beer and add other enhancements to that concoction and your in for something very, very special. And that’s how every night was for 5 days – a hypnotic dance off filled with laughter and weirdness and cooked brains that later washed on into town with everyone getting split up and somehow getting back to Byron in the wee hours of the morning in one piece. One thing is for sure is that most surfers know how to have a great time day or night. But the best thing about being a surfer during this madness is that if the surfs good your up regardless of your state, and that’s how I got the new nickname “rubber ducky.”

Saturday morning I came too and was in a car on my way to surf quite solid Lennox

down the beach. My mate got an absolute ripper of a right in front of me. A 6 foot beast that barrelled for 6 seconds before he stroked in and got completely slotted for a further 50 meters. Being far from sober to say the least watching this moment was incredible and made me want to out do him. Huey disagreed with a commanding no in the form of an 8-ft whitewash chucked straight on my head. I should of went in then as Huey was definitely telling me to wash on up the beach and stick to dancing this weekend but I couldn’t walk away from the sight of empty 6 footers barreling down the bank. I then proceeded to seriously struggle to get back out the back for half an hour. Eventually my stubbornness got me back out and after all this I took off on one gem but it ran off and sucked me over the falls. The next three waves smoked me and my leg-rope came off.

I started to panic but luckily my board was floating a mere 20-metres away. I turned and started swimming as fast as I could thinking I could get there based on my hazy judgment between the next wave coming and my board bobbing in the whitewash. The frothy wave was rearing up fast at my back but I was only just a few strokes away from my saviour so I thought I was in the clear. I latched onto

my board and tried with all my strength to cling on. The board ripped out from my exhausted arms. I started freaking out. This wasn’t the most hairy situation I’ve had in the water but I was completely zapped of all of my energy. I looked around with pure panic to see something that was of a mirage – a rubber ducky boat with two lifesavers patrolling the gutter closer towards the beach. I yelled out and somehow they heard and were there in a heartbeat to drag my sorry arse to the beach. I told them about my night previous and they suggested I get some rest. I also stupidly told my mate about where I had been the last hour upon arriving to him cruising in the car park eating a pie and he had no sympathy whatsoever, with a simply reply to my tale saying “You’re fucking

washed up.”

And yeah to my defence of course I am washed up, it’s Easter weekend, half the town of Byron is severely hung over every morning over this 5 day experience, bar a fair few locals who head for the hills every time Blues Fest rolls around. It was the dumbest thing I’ve done pushing myself to exhaustion on that Saturday morning. But after being barrelled all weekend and ending up on stage with the closing act Watussi on one of the smaller stages on the last day of the festival dancing around with a makeshift shaker made from a drink bottle full of the dirt I was dancing on all weekend with thousands cheering me on well, I knew I’d had enjoyed the weekend for all it’s worth.

- Colbey

Joel Hurrey Surfing and adventure has always been my life. I feel if you take life too seriously then you’re not “in the moment” and that moment will be lost.

With 17 years of surfing under my belt and some stunning locations stored in my mind, life can only be good.

As a television surf commentator / wildlife expert I am very blessed to be able to travel the world and do what I love, surf and work. Wherever my travel bag goes, so does my board bag and after traveling for so many years I feel I haven’t even scratched the surface.

A surfing life is a life with dedication and passion.

Growing up in Melb (I’m sure it’s both) as a young gromy in a non-surfing family, with no license and the closest beach 300 miles away, I had to beg for my Dad to take me surfing. Lucky for him the Victorian winters kept me in the car next to the heater more than in the water. Ice cream headaches, frozen fingers and toes and no hot showers for miles around showed me I was born to be a surfer.

With age came strength, advanced surfing and of course my license, a great recipe for any young surfer.

Free to travel the open road and find endless waves with no one on them, it sure did sound like something I wanted to be apart of.

Just like any sport as you progress so does your drive to become better, hence the move the one of the best surfing spots in the

world, The Gold Coast. I have travelled to Hawaii, Indonesia and still agree with the surfing world that when the Goldy is on, it’s by far one of the best waves in the world.

After just returning from an epic stint in Indonesia I learnt two things, 7-11ft is my limit and monkey’s can fly (attached picture) It’s great to be home.....

If adventure is in your blood and you just happen to love surfing as well, be sure to tune in to watch Joel on Mysurf.tv, Sunday 4pm on One HD to follow some seriously good surfing at some seriously good locations. Joel can also be caught on his wildlife and surfing segment on The Daily Edition on Ch 7.

Shannon Davidson With no sign of any Westerner, she passed cautiously through the rotted wooden boat catching glimpses of dark faces peering through the shanty cabins intrigued by her blonde hair and tan skin. Given the spontaneity of the six month journey she quickly realised that her basic Indonesian would not serve her in this situation. There was a task she had been putting off for as long as she could bear but she was now desperately needing to locate some form of a toilet. The rear of the boat was dark and unexplored, a kerosene lamp clattered noisily against the wall, hung by a tattered rope giving just enough light to locate the only door she hadn’t attempted to enter, a door barely hanging upright on its hinges.

An Indonesian man sat nearby, cigarette poised between his lips, his dark eyes staring her down, she passed with little

care as she was at the point of bursting. Sea sickness hadn’t bothered her until the sight of the apparent toilet, perhaps it was lucky to not be so well lit as she closed the rusty door, barely managing to fit in the small area, the rock of the sea causing her to slip and slide on the mouldy floor, the stench almost unbearable. She noticed a small coke bottle and plastic pipe letting water pass through the drilled hole in the wooden deck, barely keeping up to its intended task but assuring her she must have been in the right place.

She returned to her sleeping area, stomach now churning, once again finding her spot nestled between dozens of Indonesians on the floor. Chickens noisily contained in woven cages, cockroaches scrambling past avoiding the heavy footprint of restless children. Her iPod became her saviour, relieving the anxiety and reality of how far she had stepped out of her comfort zone, the lyrics of her favourite songs meaning more than ever before, each beat matching the beat of her heavy heart as she eventually drifted to sleep only to be woken by the violent sway of the boat in the treacherous swells. She lay quietly observing the movement of life around her. She began to cultivate thoughts of the human condition, the basic need for

survival and safety, food and water, love and equality.

Later she would discover a boat travelling that night on the very same route had capsized in the rough seas killing seven locals. She had risked it all for the prospect of perfect waves.

She was two hours away from her destination, now travelling by a small dugout canoe navigating bays lined in palm trees and mesmerising crystal blue waters. It had taken almost three days of travel.

The sight was absolutely spellbinding.

A surfer standing tall in a perfectly groomed overhead barrel breaking along a pristine reef. An immense grin crept over her weary face and shivers lit up her spine, her previously held doubts of the journey vanished and she had finally reached the ultimate surfer’s dreamland.

well-being

BOWEN THERAPY Words – Ash Perrow / Pictures - Jade Hopley Bowen Therapy is a gentle, holistic method of bodywork encouraging healing and pain relief. It was originally developed by Australian Tom Bowen. In 1975, several years before his death, a public inquiry (government of Victoria, Australia) reported that Bowen treated an estimated 13,000 patients per year with an 80 per cent success rate in symptoms that were associated with a wide range of conditions.

Bowen believed that the cause or source of many musculoskeletal, neurological, neuromuscular and other health problems could be found in the soft tissue or fascia. Fascia is a structure of connective tissue that surrounds muscles, blood vessels, and nerves, binding some structures together, whilst facilitating others to slide smoothly over each other.

Releasing the fascia tissue reduces pain and stimulates the body to heal in targeted areas. Fascia has become the subject of increasing research and recent studies have shown it to be the largest sensory organ in the body. It is rich in a range of receptors that impact upon the body’s neuro-muscular physiology.

Being a holistic modality Bowen Therapy treats the whole body. This means that

Bowen treatments can not only reduce pain and encourage healing but also impact upon stress and energy levels, toxicology in the body, immunity, circulation and lymphatic drainage. Treatments involve a series of gentle moves or procedures on targeted areas of the body. Clients report muscle relaxation, tingling, hot or cold sensations and an improvement in their general sense of wellbeing. The non-invasive nature of Bowen Therapy means that it is suitable for newborns, infants, toddlers, children, adults and the elderly.

Bowen Therapy now has more than 26,000 practitioners working in over 40 countries around the world. One such practitioner is Ash Perrow on the Gold Coast. We dropped by to ask Ash a few questions about this emerging therapy.

How did you get into Natural Therapies?

My partner Kylie Lowe has a social enterprise called Joining Hands (see August Issue 3 for a full article). A percentage of profits from Joining Hands goes towards giving homeless and vulnerable young people health and wellbeing services including Bowen Therapy.

I was playing in a band called ‘The Lamplights’ and found that I had spare time during the

week. I wanted to help out and so started learning some Bowen Therapy modules.

I knew Bowen Therapy worked as I had treatments to recover from a minor back injury and was amazed at the results. Once I started studying I found that I loved Bowen and the results with clients were beyond expectation.

How is Bowen Therapy different from other natural therapies like acupuncture or massage?

Bowen is based on sets of gentle moves across muscles and joints.

These moves stimulate the fascia which is a layer of tissue just below the skin. Messages are then sent through the fascia to the brain which in turn stimulates the Central Nervous System to exact a bodily response. This can be in the form of relaxing muscles, healing joints or

healing organs. I often say that Bowen works on similar energy lines to acupuncture. It’s different from massage in that there’s not a continual touch between practitioner and client. The Bowen moves are specifically targeted to certain points on the body and a wait time where the practitioner doesn’t touch the client is crucial to eliciting a body response. If I put my hands on the client while their body is processing the information and response the body may get distracted and the results may be reduced.

Having said that you do have more of a ‘hands on’ approach than classical Bowen Therapists. Is that true?

You could certainly say that. My practice is always evolving. At this point I use Bowen Therapy to initiate healing, relaxation and balance in the body and then I use more specific energy work to heal the spirit. The energy work includes Reiki and I’ve recently been exploring something called Quantum Touch which has been very interesting.

People often come to see me about physical ailments but then we discover underlying causes, such as grief or feeling stagnant, and we work towards a deeper more sustainable healing through connection to the heart, their thoughts and purpose in life.

This

in turn gives them the opportunity to go forward and create deeper, life long healing.

Changing their lives and acting in ways more in line with their ‘path’ and who they are as unique beings on this planet means that their bodies and spirits are happier.

So a sore neck is not necessarily just a sore neck?

I believe that we create many of our own illnesses and bodily pains. If someone is stressed their neck often

gets tight or if they are trying to meet expectations not congruent to their path the upper back may get tight between the scapulae.

Every thought we have is communicated to every cell in our bodies. If we’re in joy our body feels that and responds accordingly.

If someone’s worried about money or depressed they may get a sore lower back.

It’s a form of communication from the body, kind of like a wake up call. ‘These thoughts

and actions are harming you and you need to make a change’. I love that the body communicates in this way. I love seeing clients shift their pain and replace this with joy.

True healing takes courage and dedication on behalf of the client and it can take significant lifestyle changes and developing a greater self awareness - the outcome being greater freedom and happiness which is a core purpose for all of us.

Ash Perrow can be contacted on the below details: W - www.GoldCoastBowenTherapy.com.au E - info@GoldCoastBowenTherapy.com.au FB - www.facebook.com/ GoldCoastBowenTherapy

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