August 2012 Heartbeat

Heartbeat Bangalow’s

free l august 2012 No.161 l Celebrating the Life and Times of the local Community

Garden glories Winter is the time to be out in the garden, getting it in perfect shape for spring. See our centre spread for great tips.

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Heartbeat powered by volunteers Are you a budding or experienced writer resident

in 2479? We’d love for you to join our team!

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There wasn’t enough room to run this photo with Kim Wildman’s story on Birdsville on page14, but it was too good not to let you see it.

This is the month many Bangalonians have been waiting for. Not just the Writers Festival but the Music Festival and, (da da!) Cabaret da Desh. There’s even more entertainment in store at the Bowlo with a comedy night and a concert featuring a very special local. And at the refurbished Newrybar Hall we can stomp and twirl the night away at the bush dance. That should

be enough to keep us all busy.

This issue covers such diverse topics as food, gardening, journalism, the environment, a local take on the 2011 census and much more. Read all about it.

Heartbeat welcomes new journalists to our team: Helen Johnston, Andrea Sturgeon, Paul Hudson and Don Brown.

Di Martin for the Heartbeat team

it’s on again!

For the

Cabaret da Desh

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Honexpressed Editors by Dianne adultIncorporated residents of the PO “2479” postal opinions Ruth Kirby Email: editors@heartbeat.net.au Design: Niels Arup narup@bigpond.net.au Web pages: Wilkinson individual contributors are not necessarily shared by the Editors and other Email: editors@heartbeat.net.au Editorial team: Judy Martin; Baker, Don Brown, Marika Rob Campbell Ruth Kirby, Hon Accounts: Sec/Public Officer Helen Wilson. Membership is open to all adult residents of the ‘2479’ postal district.

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BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT

BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT

local figures

2479 snapshot Tony Hart casts his statistical eyes over the early results of the 2011 census. This is the first of a series on the census results as they become available. He will look at 2479, at Bangalow and at changes over the past decade.

The census is held every five years. It is the only time detailed statistics are available throughout the country about the population in small areas such as postcodes. This is vital data for planning and delivering human services, facilities and infrastructure.

What does this quinquennial microscope tell us about 2479 in 2011 and how we have changed over the last five and ten years? And perhaps more interestingly how do we compare with the rest of the Shire and with the State as a whole?

How many?

Our population on census night (that is, those who usually live in 2479 regardless of where they were in Australia at the time) was 4,538 people, of whom only 236 were elsewhere in Australia on the night. Our gender is almost balanced, there being only 30 more women than men. Our population is 15 % of the Byron Shire, 0.07% of New South Wales and a 0.02% microcosm of Australia.

How old?

Children under five years old make up 6.6% of the population and 17% are between five and 16 years old, percentages that almost mirror the state’s. But our proportion of seniors over 65 years old (12%) is lower than the state figure of 14.7%. Yet our median age, surprisingly, is 43 years compared with the state’s 38 years. (Median age is the age at which half the population is younger and

half is older.) The reason for this higher 2479 median age is our significant deficiency of 20-35 year olds. In 2479 it is 10% compared with 20% in NSW.

Relationships This is the first census to count separately self-described ‘marriages’; 22% of all 2479 couples are not formally married compared with 14% in NSW as a whole. Of our over 15 year olds 47% are formally married, 15% either separated or divorced (a bit higher than NSW) and 4.8% widowed.

Our origins Our postcode is somewhat less cosmopolitan than NSW as a whole, which has 31% of its people born overseas. Only

20% of 2479 residents are born outside Australia and 91 per cent are Australian citizens.

Of those born overseas the majority were born in the UK (279), and New Zealand (110).

Our homes We live in 1,669 living units of which 96 % are separate houses. This lack of local alternatives to separate houses contrasts with the much lower statewide proportion of separate houses – 70%. 22% of private dwellings are occupied by only one person (24% in NSW) and over 70% of private dwellings have 3 or 4 bedrooms – a lot of vacant bedrooms each night.

Over a third of private dwellings are owned outright and another third have mortgages. Of the 467 rented homes only ten are NSW Housing Department.

Our lives Over a third stated no religion (much higher than for NSW - only 18%), 19% are Catholic and 16% are Anglican.

85% of homes have internet connection of which 92% are broadband. Dial up has almost disappeared.

Median income ($521 per week for individuals) is 8% less than for the whole state; but household income ($1,028) is 20% less. However, local housing costs of around $1500 per month, about a third lower than for the whole state, might go some way to offsetting lower local incomes.

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local food Chef Francisco Smoje

pop-up dinners Through a series of ‘pop-up’ BYO dinners, Argentinian chef Francisco Smoje aims to “expose his food to others”, while providing a social and informal dining experience.

On the evening of 15 July, Coorabell Hall was the venue for the first of a trio of events. I was curious to learn more after first meeting with Francisco in his home, so I went along with my partner and a friend of ours to enjoy dinner.

The menu was designed to be a surprise with the five courses set out happily by Francisco’s partner Emma. The plates were served in the centre of the long tables for us to serve ourselves and share.

First came a spicy and warming broth of fish, fennel and chilli. It was particularly welcoming given the cool evening. We delighted in drinking it straight from the cup sized bowl. Then arrived a selection of antipasto, including homemade ricotta and house baked bread. Francisco’s postcards, printed to promote the event, include a recipe for his own warm marinated olives.

Following were two hot courses, ‘soft pillows’ of hand rolled gnocchi with crisp sage, and braised osso bucco with silverbeet. The osso bucco was cooked until gloriously sweet and sticky.

Dessert was an old favourite, pannacotta (cooked cream) flavoured with cardamom and vanilla, drizzled with orange caramel.

Over dinner it was a pleasure to chat

The Coorabell cognescenti chow down

Paul Hudson reports on new, homely dining options in our region.

with our neighbours and the whole thing inspired a close community feel. “These dinners are a great idea. Food options are limited in the area. It gives people variety and a chance for interaction,” commented one of the people sharing our table. “I’ve run into old friends here whom I didn’t even know were coming tonight.”

“I chose Coorabell Hall because it is a cute space with a functional kitchen. I am planning to do the next series of my dinners in Bangalow,” says Francisco. That’s good news for us! The Coorabell event was booked out. The majority of the guests were locals. When Francisco hosted similar styled dinners in Sydney he had many repeat and regular customers and hopes for the same response here. “I aim to cater for the locals.”

Francisco knows first-hand how many chefs work long pre-determined hours, including at nights and on weekends. “As a chef this is usually the reality. But for me, I prefer to design my own style, and design my own lifestyle.” He allows himself more time to do the things he wants to do. This style of dinners allows him to “express myself, without a huge investment, and more flexibility.” He is still a chef, and so his job is always to cook and to entertain. “A musician must play live”.

He wants to keep learning culinary crafts which many chefs neglect. The first day I

met Francisco in his home in Myocum, he greeted me with floury hands as he was kneading bread on the benchtop. “Paul, try this cheese I made.” I was also treated to Francisco’s homemade pancetta, bresaola, pate and even quince jam. His back patio is adorned with a massive paella pan for get togethers with friends.

Skill sharing is another thing Francisco embraces. He spent some time with his local butcher learning how they arrange cuts, while sharing some specialty cuts from his native Argentina. He has also done skill exchanges with local dairy farmers and cheese makers. For his dinners Francisco sources the majority of his ingredients from local producers, many of whom he now knows well.

The first dinner had a very Italian feel to it. I asked Francisco if he plans to draw on his Argentinean roots. “Maybe I will make an asado (a famous Argentinean beef barbecue over a wood fire) in a future dinner.” He has many Argentinean specialties to choose from but stresses that each night will be a surprise. “I enjoy the concept of people coming to you.”

Two more dinners are scheduled for Coorabell Hall on 5 and 26 August. Contact Francisco on email Francisco.food@gmail. com , phone 0416 057 705, or visit his page at www.facebook.com/FranciscosTable. And keep an eye out for other upcoming events.

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BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT

local talent

The birth of Cabaret da Desh Twelve years ago Ruth Ryan was attending a meeting of the newly formed committee for the A&I Hall, looking for ways to raise funds for renovation. “Why don’t we put on a cabaret?” she asked. “Sounds good, you organise it.” So she did.

Bangalow’s nickname back in the sixties was ‘the Desh’, short for Bangladesh (Bangalow – Bangladesh. You know how these things make sense at the time). Cabaret Desh didn’t sound quite right so, following on the coat tails of ‘da Ali G Show’ da was stuck in front of Desh and it all felt right.

Little groups around town are currently in the middle of rehearsals for this year’s da Desh on Saturday, 25 August. There have been many memorable acts and many, many surprise performances by locals that one would never, in a million years, expect to see up on stage, having a ball.

When the curtains opened on the very first da Desh, there was Ray Draper with his dog Coco in the middle of the stage, looking for something on the floor. The curtains

swung shut very quickly, then slowly reopened to the planned opening act. Right from the very beginning da Desh has been a little bit like a badly behaved child.

When asked, “name your most memorable moment”, many people immediately recall Bevan, from the Summerland Credit Union, brilliantly strutting the stage dressed as Dr Frankenfurter.

The first time Paul Green sang; Max Bolte and Shirley Boyle performing as Agnetha and Freda from ABBA; the cluster of Dame Edna Everages, with Sir Les, entering the hall to take their seats in the audience – there are lots of moments.

Pip from the bottle shop had been asked quite a few times to perform but it wasn’t until her best friend Jude asked her that she finally said yes. Her first performance was dancing on a chair to the song ‘Mein

Herr’, in a group with six other people, most of whom she barely knew beforehand. “I hadn’t been on stage since I was at school.

I was really surprised at how much I loved doing it and what I could actually do! Our group became good friends, we came off-stage so excited we just wanted to get out there again. I loved it!”

Greg Nash surprised everyone a few years back when he appeared dressed as a nun with Vinnie Bleakley, Mark Kenneally and Mike Dowd in an act called ‘Nuns of Insanity’, dancing to 36 songs in six and a half minutes. “You can’t take yourself too seriously. We rehearsed for ten weeks, but we had a lot of fun.” Greg will return to the stage this year as one of the Masters of Ceremonies – in a suit.

This year’s theme is ‘Carnivale’. For further information, drop in or call Ruth or Karen at Barebones 6687 1393. Karen Ryan

escape to bangalow ‘Escape to Bangalow’ is the 2479 community Facebook page that is administered by a number of Bangalow Chamber of Commerce members. This site provides up to date info on what’s on in the area, what is cancelled, special events, general news and articles of interest.

It is not a site for business owners to

post information about their businesses or special offers. It is a site targeted to ‘friends’ of Bangalow and the 2479 area to promote tourism, events, festivals and support the initiatives of the Bangalow Chamber, The Bangalow Lions Club, Heritage House, the local cafes, pubs, retail outlets, places to stay and the many events and festivals.

With 620+ friends, and growing, the ‘Escape to Bangalow’ Facebook page is rapidly becoming an important part of the Chamber’s marketing efforts. If you are not yet a friend of ‘Escape to Bangalow’, and you are a Facebook user, please ‘like’ us and stay up to date on what is happening in the beautiful 2479 area. Greg Crump

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community noticeboard Bangalow Garden Club 30 members of the Garden Club had a most enjoyable visit to the property of Vicki and Gary Mann where a gallery of Asian Fine Arts is attractively set into a lovely terraced garden. At the monthly meeting on 1 August time will be given to a Problem Sharing Forum where ideas and expertise for solutions will be shared. The Saturday Social Visit on 4 August is to the garden of Diana Harden, a landscape designer, at 74 The Ridgeway, Cumbalum 2478.

Helen Johnston

Bowlo Website Launch 10, 9, 8...

Our website, bangalowbowlo. com.au, is about to be launched so you should be able to jump online for a look at the new design. The site will serve up an array of information about the club. Each page has a comments section, so please feel free to offer your thoughts and suggestions about the club’s progress and the website content in general. Remember, this is your club and we value your feedback!

Events coming up include: Saturday, 4 August. AFL Home Game followed by a Jim Dowling gig at 7pm Thursday, 9 August. The Arty Farty Party: 7pm special guest TBA Saturday, 18 August. Mandy Nolan and Friends Orphanage

Fundraising 7.30 pm Sunday, 19 August. We have none other than Pete Murray gracing our stage. $120 tickets will be up for grabs online so stay tuned for this fabulous fundraising event put on by the Northern Rivers Community Foundation.

On top of all of this, we now also have: the Uke Club orchestra teaching/playing ukulele at the club each Wed 6.30 pm a musicians night with Lenny Bastiaans each Thursday (except 2nd Thurs of month) Salsa Dance classes every Friday evening from 6pm followed by a social dance for those coupled or single and keen to mingle!

What can I say? It’s all happening down at the bowlo! Hope to see you all here soon! Mel 6687 2741 Mel Manar

Traditional bush dance at Newrybar hall Playing Possum, a bush band from Uki, will provide three hours of traditional Australian and Celtic music for your dancing and listening pleasure on Saturday, 4 August at 7pm.

Lack of knowledge of the steps is no problem as each dance will be demonstrated before it occurs. All proceeds go to the improvement of the hall.

Tickets $25 each, confirmed on payment. Call 6687 8443 or newrybarhall@gmail.com.

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Ian Duncan

Bangalow Networking group Bangalow Networking for men and women will host Drinks After Hours at ‘Down Town’ on 8 August at 5.30 pm. The Bangalow Networking Breakfast for men and women will be held on 23 August at 8am at ‘Up Town’. Bookings essential. Rosemarie Toynbee

BCCC August fundraiser The annual Imagination Art Exhibition returns to showcase the wonderful, creative artwork of the children of the Bangalow Community Children’s Centre.

There will be an adults-only opening on Friday, 10 August from 7pm at the A&I Hall. Tickets are just $10 and available from BCCC (6687 1965) with all profits going back to the centre.

Included will be cheese, wine and yummy nibbles along with entertainment and trivia. All members of the community are welcome to come along to see what our future artists have created. For those who can’t come to the opening, the Imagination Exhibition will be open on Friday, 10 August from 9am – 3pm and also on Saturday, 11 August from 9am – 12.30 pm. Entry is by gold coin donation with all proceeds going back to the Bangalow

Community Children’s Centre.

Featuring artwork from every single child from the centre, from ages one to five, we invite you to come to the Imagination Exhibition and feel the warm embrace of our children’s creativity.

Viv Fantin

Tai Chi for Health Community Health Education Groups (CHEGS) is offering a new beginners class in Bangalow, starting mid-August subject to numbers. The class will be held at the Catholic Hall on Mondays from 10.30 – 11.30 am. The cost per school term is $50. To register your interest please phone 6687 2592. Di Martin

Daffodil Day Cancer Council NSW is calling on communities across the Far North Coast region to contribute to a brighter, cancerfree future by volunteering, donating or selling merchandise.

Bangalow’s day will be on Friday 24 August. Over 350 volunteers are needed for Daffodil Day events in the region, and some will be needed for Byron St in Bangalow.

Every donation and daffodil sold counts. The community’s contribution will help Cancer Council reach its 2012 national fundraising target of $9.2 million towards cancer research, education and support.

For more information about

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BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT

volunteering on Daffodil Day contact Kellie Pinkerton, Cancer Council NSW - Far North Coast, Ph: 02 6627 0303 or kelliep@nswcc.org. au or visit the website www. daffodilday.com.au

Save the Heart of the Village We are a heartbeat away from saving the village church in Federal. The campaign has been a huge success and we are now on the homeward stretch to raise the last $10,000 to cover our stamp duty and legal fees.

We have a wonderful event coming up 25 August which will hopefully see us signing off the purchase of the church. It is the Jamn Concert featuring the amazing talents of Kate Copper, Bossy Big heat, Rebecca Ireland and the Romaniacs. Not to be missed. So keep your ear to the ground when the advertising comes around and put this date in your diary.

A big thank you goes to those hundreds of people who have supported our campaign.

Without you we would never have achieved this outcome.

The Northern Rivers people can make things happen and can make a difference. Cheers and thank you. Rhonda Ansiewicz

Red Cross Bakers of the world unite. We will be holding our now-annual,

Australia-wide Cake Bake on Monday, 27 August. Last year was such a grand success, with many mouth-watering cake confections, which we all got to enjoy tasting after the judging.

Best of all possible worlds!

Dot Gill

CWA news

Come and join us every Wednesday to meet others and take up or continue some craft project. Regular twice monthly craft nights from 6 8pm every second and fourth Monday. Check us out on facebook. www.facebook.com/ BangalowCWA Hilary Wise

Music lessons Vocals, theory, preparation guitar/ piano/ bass, over 20 years experience. Centre of Bangalow.

Phone Gabrielle 6687 1876.

Bangalow Book Club Bangalow Book Club meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 1.30 pm atthe Bangalow Espresso Pizza Bar. For information ring Daphne after 5pm on 6687 2872.

Ruth Ryan

Newrybar Cinema Newrybar Hall in partnership with Travelling Flicks present a Dinner Movie Night 6.30 pm Saturday, 1 September 2012. Come with your friends and enjoy a delightful dinner

on our new verandah and see the French comedy Le Havre by Aki Kaurismaki.

“It embraces you, and you want to hug back” – Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies. For dinner choose from the menu at time of ticket purchase and it’s byo. Tickets $30/head, confirmed on payment call 6687 8443, or newrybarhall@ gmail.com. Ticket payments can be made direct to Newrybar Community Hall BSB 032591 Acc 236213 Further information on scheduled movies at Newrybar and elsewhere can be obtained at www.travellingflicks.com.

Noel Jeffries

Choral Festival Bangalow will resound with beautiful voices when the now annual In Harmony Choral Festival takes place here on the weekend of 8 and 9 September.

Around 15 choirs, including Bangalow-based Choir Baby, will take part with workshops and performances open to the general public. Special guests The Australian Voices will be performing on the 8th, and the event will conclude with a concert featuring a massed choir and special guests. Ruth Kirby

BCCC October fundraiser BCCC is calling on Bangalow’s glamorous sophisticates, wild bohemians, can-can dancers

and courtesans, burlesque performers and circus freaks, to save the date for a Party at the Moulin Rouge, the annual major fundraiser for the centre. This year’s party takes us from the 80s of last year’s Electric Bangalow to the red windmill of the Moulin Rouge. On Saturday, 13 October the A&I HALL will host an eclectic crowd in their elegant gowns, top hats and tails, gypsy skirts, pettiskirts, pantaloons and corsets, feathers, sequins, fishnets and exotic outfits. Expect awesome entertainment, great prizes and more. All monies raised will go directly back to the Bangalow Community Children’s Centre so channel your inner bohemian and book your babysitters for the night.

Watch this space for ticketing and performer details.

Viv Fantin

Sample Food Festival Sample Food Festival will be held on Saturday, 6 October 2012 from 8am to 8pm at Bangalow Showground and will feature Matt Skinner, Ben O’Donoghue, Simon Thomsen, Belinda Jeffery, Sarah Swan, Karl Kanetani, Monique Gutteres-Harrison, Steve Snow and over one hundred of the region’s finest food producers and restaurants.

Caroline Desmond

North Coast Bookkeeping Services For all your Bookkeeping requirements including BAS, QuickBooks or MYOB ph: 6687 2604 Ian Holden fax: 6687 2893 7 Rosewood Ave, Bangalow book001@bigpond.net.au Member of Australian Bookkeepers Network

AUGUST AUGUST 2012 2012

77

ways with words Mick O’Reagan, left, with Bob McTavish

Inside Story: Bob McTavish The Bangalow Historical Society presented on 15 July another highly successful event with the Inside Story Sunday lunch at the museum and tearoom. Local journalist Mick O’Regan interviewed legendary surfing icon Bob McTavish in front of a full verandah comprised of everyone from old surfing dudes and dudesses to women whose experience on a board has mostly been confined to the ironing, and waxing is something else altogether.

Bob proved to be a fascinating storyteller under the professional conversational style of Mick’s interview. We learnt about

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the changing nature of surfing in Australia and how that moulded Bob’s personal development. His religious convictions and faith are also obviously as important to him as finding an uninhabited bank of big waves in an increasingly crowded surf.

A DVD recording of the interview is available at the Museum. If you missed it why not enjoy a cuppa and piece of cake and watch it on the big screen anytime it is open Wednesday to Friday.

The Inside Story events are one of a number of initiatives contributing to the success of the Tearoom which provides

low cost, home-style meals and cakes for the community in beautiful surrounds.

The Tearoom has been able to provide a significant amount of money to the museum over the last 12 months to assist it to hold and maintain exhibitions.

Another Inside Story will be held in coming weeks with details to be advertised soon.

Meanwhile, the Tearoom volunteers are busy putting what they learnt from Bob into practice and are reshaping their ironing boards, ready for the long hot summer.

Terry Bleakley

BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT

ways with words

focus on journalism Friends of the ABC Northern Rivers Focus on Journalism On Saturday, 30 June 2012 at the Bangalow A&I Hall the Friends of the ABC Northern Rivers hosted the event Focus on Journalism.

Local identity, Gold Walkley award winner and current Four Corners host Kerry O’Brien was the keynote speaker at the well-attended event.

Presentations were also made to four finalists of the Friends of the ABC Northern Rivers Junior TV Journalist competition.

Kerry provided reflective insight on both the positives and negatives of the rapid technological advance in media over his 47-year career in journalism. He concluded that the milestones of his time through journalism “coincided with the most concentrated, most dramatic period of change in history. The advent of the technological revolution has forced massive change upon us all and those of us who have been around for a number of decades know the rapidity of that change is just growing exponentially.”

Since he began as a cadet journalist in the then small Channel Nine newsroom in Brisbane, he said news technology had evolved from film to videotape field cameras, to satellites and now the digital age. He pointed out that before the satellite age, Australian viewers had to wait two or three days for film footage of the big international news events like the Kennedy assassination or the big battles of the Vietnam War. He compared that with his time as a correspondent in America in the early 1980s, when he covered the Grenada Invasion by US troops, and watched the first pictures from Grenada leaving the satellite uplink point on the nearby island of Barbados, cross America and the

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Pacific Ocean by four satellite hops and go live into Australian homes less than a second later. A decade later, he said, CNN correspondent Peter Arnett was reporting live from behind enemy lines from a rooftop in Baghdad as Coalition bombs were dropped in the first Gulf War.

“I know that we’ve become used to this technology now but l still marvel at it, l have to say,” Kerry said.

He talked about the value of working on a country newspaper early in his career, moving to the Queensland Times in Ipswich from Channel 9, to get as much variety of experience as possible. For instance, he covered country shows where “you had to type out the name of every dog that was entered, their owner and their breeding and every budgerigar and finch.” He recalled “sitting in a little galvanized iron shed” and typing up reports “on one of those battered old portable typewriters in 100 degrees Fahrenheit”. He said: “if you got a name wrong you were called into the editor’s office on Monday morning to explain yourself.“ “I learnt a lot of valuable lessons covering country councils. Let me tell you that the dynamics of politics in a shire council are no

different really to the dynamics of politics in Washington. So what I learnt there, I could apply to politics anywhere. You also learn a great deal about human nature - good and bad,” O’Brien said.

From humble beginnings he went on to achieve a varied and esteemed media career as a political and foreign correspondent, a press secretary to former Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam, interviewer and compere on news and current affairs TV shows such as the ABCs Lateline and 7:30 Report.

Kerry lamented the decline in resources for news coverage across all media, including the recently announced cuts at both Fairfax and News Ltd newspaper groups.

“The average age of journalists in newsrooms around Australia (and l include ABC newsrooms) is substantially lower than it used to be. That is because senior journalists with the years of experience to draw on are invariably more expensive.”

He said there were now fewer mentors for the younger, less experienced journalists to draw on for advice.

Kerry said that although the technological revolution has provided the means for more immediate and dramatic news coverage it did not always deliver more depth or quality. He expressed concern that too much journalism today was built around the cult of celebrity, and that with diminished resources, journalism was now much more susceptible to manipulation by politicians and the public relations industry.

Following Kerry’s address the audience at Bangalow’s A&I Hall had the opportunity to ask him questions. Excerpts from the four finalists of the Friends of the ABC Northern Rivers Junior TV Journalist competition were then shown and Kerry presented their prizes.

Andrea Sturgeon

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our environment

reflections on the season Living a rural life teaches us many things.

Among these is to notice what nature is telling us about changes in the weather and the seasons. We all know that deciduous trees drop leaves in the winter. Most Australian trees are evergreen which means that they constantly drop leaves but our Australian cedar (Toona ciliata aka T australis) is one of the very few Australian timber trees which are deciduous. It must have stuck out like a sore finger in its heyday – bare in the winter and its new growth is bright red. Perhaps the fact that it also grows through parts of Asia where there are a number of deciduous trees means that it actually originated to our north.

The activity of ants tells a story all of its own and macadamia growers know that

when the trees flush rain is coming. But the best harbinger of rain is the ibis. That ubiquitous large, long beaked bird with the stately tread is familiar to all in this area. The one which is mostly white with a black head and a black tail is the Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca) and the ibis which is mostly blackish with an irisdescent bluey/green sheen is the straw necked ibis (Threskiornis spinicollis). Both range over the greater part of Australia though these two varieties are concentrated down the east coast. They are often together and when they are on the wing, often in quite large flocks, then bad weather will arrive within a day or so. It almost seems that as the rain approaches they move inland even if it is only a few kilometres from open fields

near Ballina Fair to the hills of the adjacent rural area. They seem unfazed by humans as anyone who has eaten at the café at the Mt Coot-tha gardens in Brisbane will testify.

In the Fernleigh area we have seen a great many ibis this year; they love the piles of macadamia husk and congregate in large numbers. But this year has been exceptionally wet, since 1 January we have registered over 1,500 mls of rain – more than five feet – but then 2479 is in what was known as the Big Scrub, subtropical rainforest until the valuable hardwoods were logged in the late 19th century. Remove the trees and the rain goes away; replant trees, as has happened in the last couple of decades, rain comes back. Simple really.

Helen Wilson

Should Nashua close its gates?

With coal seam gas (CSG) already negatively affecting several communities in the Northern Rivers, Nashua Landcare Group (NLG) is concerned about the potential impact on its land and the health of its community if CSG mining comes to Nashua.

CSG mining has been described as the biggest environmental threat to our country. Gas company planning processes and projected well numbers are being kept secret, however we do know most of the extracted gas will be exported.

Additionally, most residents don’t know that mining companies already have

petroleum exploration licenses that cover all of Nashua and most of the Northern Rivers region.

The NLG is inviting Nashua residents to attend a public meeting to hear about CSG mining and its potential effects on the Northern Rivers and to vote on whether you want Nashua to join the growing list of Northern Rivers CSG-free communities.

The meeting will be held on Sunday, 26 August at Pearces Creek Hall, Pearces Creek Hall Rd from 3-5 pm. Guest speaker will be Annie Kia, initiator and regional coordinator of CSG Free Northern Rivers.

As well, there will be a documentary shown on coal gas mining in the Northern Rivers.

If there is a CSG-free Nashua consensus at the meeting, Nashua Landcare will join with local residents to survey all households in Nashua. If we achieve a majority, Nashua will be declared CSGfree.

If you are interested in helping out, have experience in Coal Seam Gas or are unable to attend the meeting but would like more information email csgfreenashua@gmail.com or phone Sandra Handley 6629 1141. Sue Haynes

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in the garden

orchids, the sexy flowers We think orchids are beautiful but are they sexy? Yes, the very name ‘orchid’ comes from the Greek orkhis, meaning testicles, since plants of the Orchis genus in Greece have a root system with two rounded tubers, resembling testicles.

Orchids have evolved into many different forms to fool pollinators into visiting their flowers, aiding successful sexual reproduction. For example an orchid from Israel, known as the ‘Bee orchid’, looks and smells like a female bee and so tricks male long-horned bees into pollinating them.

So started an interesting talk on orchids, their diversity and culture, by Penny Fox, President of the Byron District Orchid Society, at the Bangalow Garden Club in July. Penny claimed not to be an expert but since there are about 35,000 native orchid species and 300,000 registered hybrids produced both by natural cross and artificial pollination, who could know them all? Fossil records show that orchids date from the time of the dinosaurs and are probably the most diverse flowering

korean gardens

Chinese and Japanese are not the only Asian garden styles worth considering for our area

plant family in the world for colour, size, shape, habitat and perfume. Their history is fascinating. The Japanese and Chinese have been cultivating orchids for thousands of years. Travellers such as Sir Joseph Banks sent specimens back to England from their voyages. When they became fashionable in the 19th century in England only the rich could afford to pay collectors to go to far off countries such as South America, Borneo and Nepal to find new orchid species. It is said the sixth Duke of Devonshire in England employed ten men to maintain the boilers for the hothouses for his orchid collection. Now tissue culture techniques can create hundreds of plants from just one specimen, making orchids accessible to all.

Penny had many tips for successful growing and propagation of orchids in our climate. Orchids prefer to be crowded in the pot so don’t put in too big a pot. Don’t over water, especially in winter – usually once a week is sufficient and many thrive on neglect. Epiphytic types such as The Korean garden has been evolving for over 2,000 years. It is based on a strong shamanic tradition with rocks being considered more powerful than any other elements of nature. A Korean garden is natural, simple, and has a flow that encompasses nature, people and buildings. It is often asymmetric and should contain rocks as a recurring theme.

To design a Korean style garden it is important to remember that the garden is a small scale version of nature. Look at your surrounding landscape, take the elements that exist and scale them down. For example, a winding path through a forest that leads to a clearing may scale down in your garden to a narrow path winding through shrubbery.

Likewise a rocky climb up a hillside in

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Penny Fox

nature can become stone steps winding up the side of a bank to a private place from which you contemplate the whole or part of the garden.

If this seems too grand for your block, remember that it is a scaled down version and that practically any size garden can accommodate the Korean style of garden design. For a small block, the house is the place from which you can see and appreciate the whole garden. From there you can take a small path that takes you around the whole garden. The cubby house can be the garden retreat that the children will use as their secluded place.

Plants are the backbone of the Korean garden, both deciduous and evergreen. Korean plants such as deciduous magnolias, maples, birches,

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Dendrobiums do well in trees where they are shaded in summer but get some sun in winter (Frangipani are good). The growing medium should suit the orchid type.

Small orchids need a light, free draining mix such as bark chips and perlite, larger plants such as Cattleyas need coarser medium (and maybe large gravel to hold the plant securely). If you are considering using coco husk fibre, seek professional advice first.

Propagation methods depends on the type. Many, such as Cymbidiums, Cattleyas and Dendrobiums, can be propagated by simple division of the clump. Monopodial (‘one-footed’) types such as Vandas can be propagated by cutting off the top section and potting it up. Some, such as Dendrobiums, reproduce by means of keikis, plantlets that grow from nodes.

When they reach sufficient size, cut off two nodes below the keiki and plant up.

If you are interested in growing orchids contact the Byron District Orchid Society which meets in Ewingsdale monthly or ring Penny on 6680 1600.

Judy Baker white forsythia, camellias, azaleas, and buxus are commonly used. Some of the plants from that part of the world can be used in our area, such as Korean box, nandinas, azaleas and camellias.

Others can be substituted. Betula nigra, sometime referred to as subtropical birch, can replace the Korean birch, Betula davurica. Australian native plants can also be used as a substitute to create a Korean garden. Plants such as Baeckea ‘La Petite’, a small rounded soft shrub, can be used to border a bend in the path or soften a straight line; Lomandra ‘Tanika’ planted next to a man-made dry creek bed creates the illusion of a running stream; Randia fitzalani planted near a tea house is a great small tree that is of proportionate scale in a small

Ruellia macrantha Ruellia (a member of the Acanthaceae family) is a tall perennial which can grow up to 2m high. It is a native of South America, mostly Brazil so it flowers well in a subtropical or warm temperate climate.

The trumpet shaped flowers grow on tall stems and are a rose-cyclamen colour with pale veined throats. Their flowering period lasts for quite a long time through winter and into spring providing a lovely show at a time when the garden may be lacking some bright colour.

After flowering the plants need to be cut back as they become untidy. They can be propagated from cuttings in late spring.

Lyn Plummer

garden. Grasses like dwarf mondo grass or Zoysia as a mass planting with rocks rising out of it can have the feel of a mountain rising out of a grassy plain.

Herbs, vegetable and fruit trees were also used in traditional Korean gardens, not only for practical reasons, but also to remind people of their dependence on nature. If you are on a bigger block you could incorporate your vegetable patch and orchard into the larger design of a Korean style garden.

Attracting wildlife is important to the Korean garden as it is the sign of a truly successful design, a celebration of nature.

The addition of a pond with fish can complete the contemplative feel of the garden or alternatively you could integrate your swimming pool into the design. Not

only were living animals encouraged, but also stone animals or other animalistic features were incorporated into the garden. A rock that resembles a turtle would be a highly valued asset.

Creating a Korean style garden is like taking a piece of a tamed natural landscape and transplanting it into your backyard. It must have all the elements of nature; the water, the wind, the vegetative and most importantly the mineral. The successful Korean garden is a shrine to nature in its complexity, an active and reflective reminder that we need it around us and that the same forces of nature are at work inside us as well. It is a three dimensional expression of a philosophical connection with nature.

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change of scenery

Birdsville races. Photo by Rowan Bestmann

a bangalow bird in birdsville Former Bangalow resident, travel writer Kim Wildman, tells her tale of relocation from chic restaurants to red dirt They say in a desert you can hear things that you’ve never heard before – the gentle whistle of the wind as it shifts grains of sand; the quiet scratching of an insect; the sound of your heartbeat. The same too can be said of the small Australian outback town of Birdsville. Since relocating here from Bangalow at the beginning of the year to take up the role of Events Coordinator for the Diamantina Shire Council, I’ve often felt like I could hear a pin drop as I’ve walked down the town’s main street.

Located 1,700 km drive west of Brisbane on the edge of the Simpson Desert in outback Queensland’s Diamantina Shire, Birdsville is about as far from Bangalow as you can get. There are no pretty dress shops, no chic restaurants, no swaying Bangalow palms, no verdant green valleys and no stunning sea views here – just a pub, a road house, an airstrip and red dirt for as far as the eye can see.

First settled in the late 1870s, the tiny town, originally known as Diamantina Crossing before later being renamed Birdsville as a nod to the abundant birdlife in the area, started out life as a lonely Customs point for drovers and Afghan camel traders moving up and down the Birdsville Track.

Although the people of Birdsville might live in isolation, the residents here are not the type to sit around and do nothing. Back

Touting a population of zero, this virtual ghost town 200km east of Birdsville comes to life for this unique family-orientated outback race meet.

For my part, I’ll be escorting four cricket players from the QR Bulls Masters – Gavin Fitness, Graeme Hick, Ken Healy and Scott Prestwidge – to the Betoota Races (it’s a tough job but someone has to do it). They will be handing out trophies, judging fashion on the fields and promoting a Twenty20 cricket match that I’m organising for them to play in Birdsville the next day (perhaps I should read up on cricket?).

The Carnival then rounds off with the Bedourie Races from 7-8 September in the Kim Wildman. Photo by Don Rowlands historic town of Bedourie 190km to the the annual event is the biggest horse race north. Held in conjunction with a Friday night in Australia outside the Melbourne Cup rodeo and the Bedourie Ute and Travellers’ and attracts punters from all around the Muster it’s much more a local celebration. world. While for most of the year Birdsville Though, this year the Council is organising a and its 120 strong population languishes in special charter flight to ferry racegoers from quiet anonymity, come race time it bursts Brisbane to Bedourie (via the Birdsville Pub at the seams as more than 6,000 racegoers for a beer of course) for the weekend.

So while I still relish the quiet of Birdsville, descend on the town.

If I wasn’t already daunted by the prospect I know the silence and solitude will soon be of helping organise one of Australia’s biggest muffled by the pounding of hooves and the sporting events, the annual race meet has cheers of happy punters.

If you happen to make it to out this way for in recent times morphed into a three stage carnival known collectively as the Simpson any of the races, make sure you look me up.

Desert Racing Carnival. It kicks off with And if you bring a copy of Heartbeat, I’ll even the Betoota Races on Saturday 25 August. shout you a beer at the Birdsville Pub! in 1882, two years before the Birdsville Hotel was built, a group of horse enthusiasts got together and organised the first race meet.

Some 130 years later the Birdsville Races is more than just a horse race; it’s an institution.

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health and wellbeing

feeling the winter blues?

1. Do you have a tendency to be negative, irritable, impatient, edgy or angry?

2. Do you worry a lot, get anxious, nervous or panicky about things?

3. Do you ever have repetitive obsessive, angry or useless thoughts that you just can’t turn off?

4. Are you obsessive, perfectionist or a work addict?

5. Do you lack confidence or have low self esteem?

5. Are you worse on dark, cloudy, rainy or wintery days?

6. Do you get PMS or menopausal moodiness?

7. Do you operate better at night, or find it hard to sleep even when you want to?

8. Do you have a sweet tooth particularly in the late afternoon or evening?.

9. Do you experience muscle pain?

If you have answered yes to more than half of these questions it is likely you could be low on the mood enhancing neurotransmitter, serotonin.

Serotonin is made from the amino acid tryptophan, one of the building blocks of protein.

The most important food source of tryptophan is animal protein, dairy products and eggs. If you are vegetarian it can be

easy to become depleted in tryptophan unless you are consuming high amounts of certain nuts, seeds, pumpkin and bananas.

Soda, caffeine, diet sweetened drinks and foods, and high grain products like breads, pasta and pastries compete against serotonin. Essential in the manufacture of serotonin are good dietary fats , essential vitamins particularly D and B6, minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc.

Being nutrient deficient in vitamins and

minerals can be a crucial impediment in the biochemical conversion of tryptophan to serotonin: tryptophan 5HTP forms serotonin.

Chronic exposure to stress also quickly saps the brain of serotonin and lack of exercise prevents the uptake of serotonin into the brain.

Serotonin is one of the few body chemicals

that is stimulated by light. Bright daylight for about 30 mins in the morning decreases your daytime levels of the hibernation and sleep promoting chemical melatonin but it will raise your night time levels helping you to sleep well. Exercise and oxygen also increase serotonin levels. Whilst muscles are pumping during exercise they divert other amino acids but tryptophan finds a free gap into the brain during the diversion through the blood-brain barrier and quickly converts to serotonin.

Practitioners usually prescribe 5HTP rather than tryptophan because supply and dosaging are easier.

Some people experience immediate results with this supplement. It is best to start with 500mg 1-2 times daily. As a herbalist I believe the best natural serotonin booster is St Johns’ Wort. This has been treated more and more cautiously over the years because of its ability to interact with certain medications but in a situation where there is serotonin depletion it is excellent. If St Johns’ Wort can’t be taken, the supplement SAM-e (manufactured in the brain from methionine) or melatonin (a natural chemical made from sunshine) can be alternatives to boost the low seasonal ‘blues’ picture.

Sue Daly

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BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT

health and wellbeing

staying balanced Your ability to balance is both precious and fundamental to every move you make as a human. Did you know that it naturally deteriorates from about the age of 40? Falls are a major contributor to injury and death in older people, but even if you are still young, it pays to keep your balance healthy before any signs or symptoms develop. Poor balance can adversely affect a person’s confidence, mobility and independence, so if you want to live a healthy, fit and active life into your older years, make sure that you maintain and improve your ability to balance.

To keep your balance in tip-top shape, it is certainly a case of ‘use it or lose it’. Our tendency to lead sedentary lifestyles is our enemy in so many ways; cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and obesity. And not moving enough will also contribute to deterioration in the ability to balance due to loss of muscle strength, decreased flexibility, slower reactions and poor postural habits.

The ability to balance well depends on a healthy, well-functioning vestibular system, healthy vision, good proprioception (your

awareness of the body’s movement and spatial orientation), muscle strength, good righting reactions and co-ordination, core strength, flexibility in your joints and good posture. With ageing and a lack of exercise, each of these elements tends to

decline, sometimes quite rapidly.

The good news is that you can do a lot to improve and fine-tune your balance skills. It is important to understand that you need to train your balance in both static and dynamic ways. Not many older people fall over when standing on one leg

in a controlled environment – falls typically occur when people are on the move.

So it follows that when you are training you need to include dynamic as well as static balance exercises. Your fitness trainer, physiotherapist or exercise physiologist can prescribe exercises that will be appropriate to your ability and goals.With the correct training, you will improve and maintain your balance by increasing your strength, your mobility and flexibility, core strength, posture and neuromuscular response.

Research clearly shows that improvements can be made at any age, so it’s never too late to start.

Remember too that regular exercise, particularly strength training, will benefit your mind and body in so many other ways – maintaining bone density, helping to control cholesterol and blood pressure, aiding in the prevention and management of Type 2 diabetes, keeping your heart healthy - the list goes on.

So do yourself a favour and get moving!

Winter weather is no excuse – remember, it’s not raining inside the gym!

Paula Todd

Laser Tattoo Removal and Skin Treatments Dr Anne Malatt, who has been practising as an eye surgeon in Bangalow for more than10 years, is now also offering laser tattoo removal using a leading industry laser, the HOYA ConBio Medlite C6 Anne says “I have worked with such lasers in my eye practice for over 20 years and see the tattoo removal service as a natural extension of my work, especially when I discovered that if the laser light hits your eye, it can explode your eyeball!

Eye protection is my top priority.”

About the laser treatment Energy from the laser breaks down the pigment in the tattoo. The pigment is then taken up by the lymphatics and cleared by the body, a process which takes several weeks. The tattoo fades gradually over this time, and more each repeat laser treatment. The laser energy is felt as a shock wave and as heat, like a little hot electric shock. This is kept to a minimum by blowing super-cooled air onto the skin. The treatment is quick and there is little or no pain afterwards.

After-effects The skin can look and feel sunburnt for a few days after the laser and needs to

AUGUST 2012

be treated with care, but the end result is great. The laser itself does not cause scarring or reactions. People who had an allergic reaction at the time of the tattoo or an infection afterwards may

experience these again as the tattoo is removed. If there was scarring from the tattoo, the laser may not remove it completely, but it will improve it.

Cost?

Five to 15 treatments, spaced at least 4 weeks apart are needed, depending on the size and complexity of the tattoo, ie at least six months for even the smallest tattoo.

Each treatment costs $250 and only a certain area can be treated each time.

It is a considerable investment of time and money, so a decision needs careful thought, a process I’m happy to assist.

Can everyone be treated?

Some tattoos are difficult, even impossible to remove. The difficulty increases the darker the skin, the more dense and complex the tattoo, when the tattoo has been tattooed over, and certain colours are hard to remove, especially white, pink and yellow.

This Laser System can also treat brown spots on the skin, due to freckles, sun damage or age, and acne scars and fine wrinkles.

17

going places

new horizons

Helen Johnston talks to David Jackson and his partner Tory Bauer, who moved from Sydney to Bangalow in 2008.

This is the first of an occasional series focussing on new arrivals in the area.

After living in a one bedroom flat in Bondi David and Tory rejoice in the space and freedom of a larger home and they enjoy the more casual lifestyle in this artistic community. Tory says friends they have met here are more inclined to create their own home grown fun, picnics to the beach, walks to the lighthouse, buying second hand, recycling and sharing their belongings and produce.

David is a surfer from way back, is interested in music and writing and can indulge in all these things while managing the Retro Shop in Bangalow. As he has always loved recycled objects, he purchased the business in 2010 and it houses an amazing assortment of vintage collectables.

He specialises in musical instruments, old guitars, radios, records and pictures of live music artists among many other well made and valuable pieces. He divides his time between sourcing stock for the shop, restoring some of his finds and retailing. His customers divide evenly between locals and visitors and sometimes stylists who are looking for props for shows. David loves the supportive spirit between fellow vintage

business owners in Bangalow who happily recommend each other if they don’t have what the customer is looking for.

Tory has a background in fashion styling

in print and television and became the assistant to the co-producer of Splendour in the Grass in 2009. Tory says “small office large festival” aptly describes this event as there are only six full time staff with some extra contractors used closer to the performance weekend. This year the 17,500

available tickets sold out in 43 minutes. Her day is filled with a myriad of tasks to enable this extraordinarily popular festival to run smoothly.

Tory was one of the two movers and shakers behind the Sew and Tell exhibition held in the A&I Hall in May. The theme of the show was ‘handmade and hand me down’ and 30 stall holders from the Northern Rivers area displayed and sold their wares.

Heritage House volunteers did the catering and the Retro Shop provided a barber ‘Jack the Snipper’ who plied a steady trade. It was a most successful day for Bangalow as it attracted 2,000 visitors with the added bonus of increasing the turnover in the shops and cafes open in the town. Another Sew and Tell is planned for later in the year with several added attractions.

David and Tory received an extra special present on Christmas Eve 2008 when Marlow their son was born. To add to the other advantages of living in Bangalow they really appreciate having three loving grandparents residing in the area. They contribute to Marlow’s wellbeing and help out in the extra busy periods in their lives.

2479 band signed Local Bangalow and Byron Shire-bred, In Heart’s Wake, have just signed a worldwide deal with Melbourne based record label UNFD (We Are Unified).

In Heart’s Wake has crisscrossed the continent for gigs on many occasions, from Perth to Brisbane, since the band’s formation when the boys were 16 and still at high school. Six years later the band is gearing up for the release of their first full length album, which was recorded with Josh Schroeder in the US earlier this year, at Random Awesome Studios in Bay City, Michigan.

Aside from being featured on ABC’s Triple J Radio show Short Fast Loud, bands of their genre still receive little recognition in the mainstream media.

Beyond their mainly young fans, In Heart’s Wake’s achievements to date are not

18

well known in the community. However, Jake Taylor (vocals), Ben Nairne (guitar), Eaven Dall (guitar), Kyle Erich (bass) and

Caleb Burton (drums), have proved again that the Northern Rivers is a nursery for creative and talented artists.

Keep an eye out for the band’s debut album, Divination, which will be released in stores Australia wide by UNFD on 31

August and can be pre-ordered online throughout the month. The album will be packaged with a bonus DVD (directed and produced by the band), which includes the ‘Studio Diaries’ and ‘The Making Of’ their latest music video single ‘Traveller’, which was shot in Bangalow and is now available for viewing on YouTube. Additionally, the album includes surprise guest vocal contributions from four very successful members of established Australian and American bands.

In Heart’s Wake has a large and loyal fan base throughout the Byron Shire and across the Northern Rivers, and is building a reputation in every State as one of the best live acts in the alternate rock scene. For more information, check out the In Heart’s Wake’s Facebook site or UNFD’s Facebook or web site.

Ian Dall

BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT

health watch

Spreading the message about cancer – one man’s journey “What’s that spot on your ankle?” That question, which my partner asked me in April 2006, had dramatic consequences.

Within a week I was admitted to hospital for the surgical removal of a malignant melanoma and was in shock and denial throughout the weeks of my convalescence.

Six years on and I’ve made lifestyle changes which have helped my recovery. Through diet, exercise and emotional stress relief I have managed my illness and I retain a positive attitude to life. Melanoma can spread rapidly or lie idle for a long period.

Fortunately, mine remained in one leg and within the lymphatic system. There was no sign of the small nodules beneath the skin that could indicate that the disease had spread through the blood stream.

I wanted to do something to help others with the disease and thought that speaking to people about melanoma in a public forum was an effective way to spread the message. That’s when I planned a bike ride from Cairns to Byron Bay, stopping for awareness-raising talks to local service clubs on the way. My friend, Neil McKenzie, introduced me to the members of the Bangalow Lions Club and my first address to them went down well. The club continues to support my ride and they financed the purchase of my bike trailer.

After travelling to Cairns and purchasing various items of gear, I set off on the ride on June 25. I thought I was reasonably fit, but I found pulling a 30Kg load into a 25 knot head wind was no joke. My early rate of progress of 18-20kph fell back to 15kph.

Many difficulties occurred as I tried to set up venues for my talks. I was disappointed when my phone calls to various clubs revealed that clubs in Cairns often required

AUGUST AUGUST 2012

2012

a month’s notice. However, through contact with a senior member in Cardwell I arranged an opportunity to speak. Although I pushed hard, wind and rain got the better of me and I missed the deadline. I did, however, make a valuable contact with a senior club member during a chat over coffee.

An e-mail to Childers Lions set up a firm date for a talk but the deadline meant a 250k ride in two days through pouring rain and headwinds. This proved unattainable.

Soaked and exhausted, I stopped in Miriam Vale, where my partner’s phone call led to contact with friends, Bernie and Jill. They picked me up and opened their house and hearts to me. I was most grateful and by the next morning they had me back on the road.

I travelled by bus to Childers and was met

by Grahame Riley, the incoming President of the local Lions. I addressed their members for 20 minutes and I felt that I raised awareness, judging by the great discussion which followed. The club then provided a huge meal. Grahame and his wife, Hetti, were wonderful hosts. They informed me of the good work done by the club restoring caravans and giving assistance in the wake of cyclone Yasi. Their efforts, over a period of nine months, led to their winning the Lions of the Year award.

This trip is really opening my eyes to what Lions Clubs are all about. Meeting the Rileys and seeing into the ‘Lion’s Den’ has inspired me to take out membership of Lions International.

Whilst travelling in these last few weeks I have not found any more fresh outbreaks on my leg, even though I have been physically exerting myself for long periods each day. I would dearly love this to remain so till I reach my destination.

Savaad Churcher-Wells

At Bangalow School Every Saturday morning 9.30am -11.30am

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what I’ve been reading

Tell The Wolves I’m Home

by Carol Rifka Brunt The book that I want to tell you about this month is Tell the Wolves I’m Home. It’s a coming of age story told by 14 year old June who lives in New York with her 16 year old sister Greta and her accountant parents who, for the period over which the story is told, are heavily engaged in the tax season workload and, therefore, unavoidably neglectful.

June’s uncle, Finn, has just died from an aids-related illness and we are taken back through the weeks leading up to his death. The monthly visits to Finn’s Brooklyn apartment, where the two sisters pose for what will be his final painting, are becoming a drag for Greta but June wants them to go on forever because she knows that when they are over Finn will be dead.

June and Finn have an especially close relationship and there are many memories of visits to galleries, zoos and eateries.

There are a couple of events after the funeral which set June’s life on a slowly-unwinding journey of discovery. The first is the delivery of a special teapot from Finn’s boyfriend, Toby, accompanied by a note asking for the opportunity to meet and a strong recommendation that she not mention the meeting to her parents.

June knows that her mother hates Toby but she has never met him and is drawn to find out more about the man her uncle loved.

The second event is the publication of the girls’ portrait and the article indicating that, because it is the last of Finn’s work, it may be very valuable.

Whilst June is meeting covertly with Toby, Greta’s behaviour is spiralling out of control and June is struggling to understand why Greta now hates her and she longs for a return to the days when they had a close and loving relationship.

This is an intelligently written, tender story about grief, the complexities of relationships, the naivety, selfabsorption and compassion of teenagers and the secrets kept in the interest of protecting the young.

I found it a very satisfactory read.

Carolyn Adams

useful information and contact numbers AA Tues 5.30 Richard 0466 885 820 Angling Club Outing 2nd Sat Ray 6687 1139 Aussie Rules Bill 6687 1485 Aussie Rules Junior Greg 6687 1231 Bangalow Community Alliance (BCA) Terry 6687 2525 Bangalow Markets monthly 4th Sun Jeff 6687 1911 Bridge Fri 12pm Brian 6687 2427 Cancer support 1st Wed 1-4pm Chris 6687 0004 Childcare Centre 7.45am-6pm Kerry 6687 1552 Cricket Club Anthony 0429 306 529 Co-dependents Anonymous Sat 4pm Gye 0421 583 321 CWA 2nd Wed Claire 6687 0557 Garden Club 1st Wed Hazel 6687 8409 George the Snake Man George 0407 965 092 Groundforce Georgia 6629 1189 Historical Society/Museum/Tea Room Wendy 6687 2183 Land/RiverCare 1st Sat working bee Liz 6687 1309 Lawn Bowls, Men Wed & Sat 1pm Ian 6687 2604 Lawn Bowls,Women Tues 9am Dot 6687 1246 Lions Club 2nd/4th Tues 7pm Roger 6687 0543 Mufti Bowls 3rd Sat 9am Lynne 6687 1823 Netball Club train 4.15 Thurs Rachel 6687 0402 Op Shop 10-3pm Sat 10-12 6687 2228 Parks Committee 3rd Tues 7.30pm Jan 6684 7214 Playgroup Tues 10am Cyndi 6687 0640 Police Peta 6687 1404 Pony Club Kim 6687 8007 20

Pool Trust 3rd Wed Peta 6688 4236 Poultry Club Hec 6687 1322 Progress Association Ian 6687 1494 Quilters 2nd,4th Thurs Leonie 6687 1453 Red Cross monthly - 1st Fri Dot 6687 1246 Rugby Union Richard 0415 773064 S355 C’mtee Heritage House Dawn 6687 2442 Scouts Tues 6.30pm Alison 6628 1024 Show Society Karen 6687 1033 Soccer Club 2nd Mon 6pm Nick 6687 1607 Social Golf every 2nd Sun Brian 6684 7444 Sports Association 2nd Wed bi-monthly Brian 6687 1024 Sporting Field bookings Nick 6687 1607 St Vincent de Paul Thurs 10-11am/Catholic Hall Tennis Court Hire 6687 1803 Writers Group 1st Thurs Ruth 6686 3008 VENUES A&I Hall Station St Susie 0428925472 Anglican Hall Ashton St Philip 6687 1046 Bangalow Showgrd Moller Pavilion Karina 6687 1035 Sports/Bowling Club Byron St Scott 6687 2741 Catholic Hall Deacon St Jane 6685 6260 Coorabell Hall Coolamon Scenic Simon 6684 2888 Newrybar Hall Newrybar Village Ian 6687 8443 RSL Hall Station St Charlotte 6687 2828 Scout Hall Showgrounds Jenny 6687 2047 Heritage House Deacon St Dawn 6687 2183 BANGALOW’S HEARTBEAT

the arts

Air, Angels and Aeroplanes Come fly with me! Alexandra Drysdale invites us to join her on a flight into the imagination. How do artists convey the intangible immaterial essence of air? If they are landscape painters they may describe specific types of weather like Constable’s clouds, Turner’s whirlwind and Whistler’s London fog. Abstract artists such as Mark Tobey, Agnes Martin and Bridget Riley paint airy atmospheres that are inspired by observing nature.

Alexandra examines art from all periods, from an artist’s point of view. She analyses a painting’s structure, meaning and its relationship to the history of art.

She particularly emphases the symbolic language of the imagination. Birds in flight can become angels ascending to heaven.

Looking up to the sky William Blake saw angels and Goya saw witches. The Venetian artist Tiepolo is the great master of the aerial imagination. He knew exactly what it would look like to see gods and goddesses cavorting on Mount Olympus.

“Air is related to the mental plane, to the

intellect and the communication of ideas,” Alexandra says. Mondrian developed a visual language to express a beautiful idea.

He wanted no reference to the material world – purity of thought was his goal. Ben Nicholson’s ‘White Reliefs’ have a similar purity, but he claimed his abstraction was always related to nature and materiality rather than philosophical ideas.

The pursuit of perfection in art can be uplifting. Let this lecture take you flying into the imagination.

Monday, 20 August, A&I Hall, Bangalow, at 6.30 pm (doors open at 6; the hall is heated). All welcome: $25 includes supper a glass of wine and a very social evening.

Enquiries: Carole Gamble, 6684 4996 or cazzabul@bigpond.net.au.

Judy Baker

music festival almost here With everything ready to go this year’s Bangalow Music Festival (BMF) from 1719 August promises to be exceptional.

The line up of performers includes the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra First Concertmaster Ilya Konovalov returning for his third festival, playing the all time audience favourite - the Bruch Violin Concerto and other solo gems.

Star vocalist Katie Noonan makes her BMF debut in what promises to be a breathtaking performance and following her triumph at last year’s Festival, Lisa Gasteen returns for two stunning concerts.

There’s also the fantastic Southern X Soloists, Lyndon Watts and the Streeton Trio all of which means you will be treated to an international level musical standard right here on your own doorstep.

The Composer in Focus at this year’s Festival is the amazing Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin who is

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one of our country’s leading composers and has created works in nearly every genre. In 2011 Kats-Chernin was appointed Composer-in-Residence with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Her first symphony, Symphonia Eluvium for organ, choir and orchestra commemorating the devastating Queensland floods of January 2011, was premiered that year by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra conducted by Asher Fisch at the Brisbane Festival.

The Festival brings up to 3,000 people to Bangalow in one weekend which means there will be a fantastic energy in town over these few days. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of it. Festival programs are available through local stores in Bangalow.

Where to buy tickets? Subscription to the Festival’s nine concerts from Friday to Sunday is available through

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Barebones ArtSpace or online at www. southernxsoloists.com. Tickets to individual concerts throughout the festival are also available from Barebones at $50 each.

But don’t forget the Community Concert, either on Thursday, 16 August at 7pm at the A&I Hall. This year will see performances by the newly-formed Aria Viva duo (Lecia Robertson/Margaret Curtis), the gorgeous Scarlett Affection, the delightful Spirit Song choir directed

by Warren Whitney, the ever popular Hot North Wind (five wind instruments) and a performance of a double Oboe Concerto by a member of the Southern X Soloists and local oboist Helen Spurgeon. Tickets are available through Barebones ($25) or online ($27) at www.communityengine. com.au. Search for Bangalow Music Festival Community Concert and follow the prompts. See you throughout the Festival!

Margaret Curtis

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taking it to the streets

Palm Tree Crescent Bangalow Palm Tree Crescent in Bangalow is aptly named. Every garden in the street contains palm trees of all shapes and sizes. The top end of the crescent is approached from Raftons Road. Here the crescent is wide and has a spacious feel. Front gardens are expansive, punctuated with palms and splashes of colour from plants such as Kniphofia ‘Red Hot Poker’.

At first the crescent slightly declines and winds to the right. After the left intersection of Rosewood Avenue the crescent levels out and bends around to the left. It then takes on a more private cozy feel with the houses at the bottom of the crescent less visible behind the dense tropical foliage. There are mostly brick houses within the crescent and also some more rustic houses made of wood and of stone.

The occasional basketball ring and child’s bike spotted suggests Palm Tree Crescent is family friendly.

Andrea Sturgeon

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year of the farmer Photos by Judy Baker

show business The 114th annual Bangalow Show is just over three months away – not long! This year, as part of the national celebrations, the 2012 Show theme will also be ‘Year of the Farmer’. To help celebrate our farmers the Show will be featuring many new attractions and competitions to enter, and some of these may need a bit of extra time to think about before November.

A unique Sculptural Exhibition was held for the first time at our Show last year and the inclusion of three dimensional artworks proved very popular. Sculpture will make a return but this time it will be a competition open to everyone to enter. As the ‘Southern Cross’ windmill is an iconic image across the Australian landscape, the challenge will be to design and construct a windmill that is both a fun and functional piece of sculpture, from recycled materials. The windmill could be your view of life on the land, climate

change, country music, country cooking, farm animals, or simply be a beautiful piece of kinetic art. The finished entries will be exhibited on the showgrounds during the Show in November, so start creating!

There will be further details regarding entry regulations in next month’s Heartbeat.

Another special attraction will be a ‘Show of Shows’ photographic and slideshow exhibition in both the Pavilion (A&I Hall) and the Moller Pavilion, covering 116 years of Shows in Bangalow. We are also interested in any images of life on the farms in the area over the years. If you have any photographs or slides of your family, past or present, at the Show, or on the farm, please give Mick Nairne a call (6687 2271) and he will scan them so they can be included in this historical collection.

As previously mentioned, in the Pavilion the Show Theme section for 2012 will be

titled ‘Year of the Farmer’ and the classes will include the following: Make a Rain Gauge from recycled materials that is both fun and functional Make a Stitched Postcard, either to or about our Australian farmers DVD – Depicting a day in the life of a farmer or follow the journey of their produce, from paddock to consumer (no more than three minutes). Make it both fun and informative My Green Frock – Design and make a garment out of anything found or grown on the farm.

If writing is of more interest to you, start thinking about the ‘Written Word’ section. The challenge in the Short Story competition is to begin the story with “The Bangalow Show was just days away when the farmer discovered...”

This is just a little of what will be Bangalow Show 2012.

Karen Ryan

H O L I D AY I n A G R A C I O U S A pA Rt m e n t I n n O B L e pA L A z z O n O tA R n I C C H I in a stone sicilian village high in the m a d o n i e m o u n ta i n s

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august diary

town talk

It’s not only the Post Office clock that has undergone a facelift – check out the Fire Brigade’s garden gnome! You’ll have to search for him.

Karena Wynn-Moylan

Sports Field seats Four solid timber seats have been installed around the sporting fields, thanks to Brian Shultz who co-ordinated the donations and arranged for council to install them. The Bangalow Anglican Op Shop, Byron Bay Bridge Club, Bangalow Garden Club, and Bangalow Lions club

Byron Writers Festival begins; Red Cross AGM

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Newrybar bush dance; Garden club social visit; Jim Dowling at Bowlo

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Bangalow Networking drinks

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Arty Farty Party at Bowlo

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BCCC fundraiser

(in memory of Clarence ‘Joe’ Kennedy) each donated a seat.

Judy Baker

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Locals’ Night Bangalow Music Festival (BMF)

Byron Bay Bridge Club Winter Pairs Championships

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BMF begins

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Mandy Nolan at Bowlo

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Pete Murray at Bowlo

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Bangalow Networking breakfast

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Cancer Council Daffodil Day

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T2E community meeting

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Cabaret da Desh; Federal’s Jamn concert

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Nashua public meeting on CSG; Bangalow market

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Red Cross Cake Bake

The Byron Bay Bridge Club recently held the Winter Pairs Championships. A total of 22 pairs played over the two-week

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Dennis and Penny Prior (left) receive their trophy from the 2011 Champions, Brian Sundstrom and Fay Bogg.

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competition and the aggregate winners were Bangalow couple, Penny and Dennis Prior. “We were very excited and surprised to win,” Penny said. “There were some very experienced players competing and we’ve only been playing together regularly for about eight years.”

For enquiries about playing bridge (at the Bangalow Bowlo on Fridays) contact Steve Stewart on 6688 4585.

Judy Baker

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