SAVE IT FOR A RAINY DAY

WRITTEN BY: ALISON BONE

We all love our long summer beach days, but sub-tropical living means it’s smart to have a back-up plan tucked up our sleeve for a ‘rainy day’. From art classes and jewellery workshops to brewery visits and bathhouses - plus lots of fun ideas for the kids - here’s ten things to do when the weather turns sour.

One Sixteenth

Head to the Brewery

Beer tastes good in any weather, especially when it’s brewery fresh, so make the most of a rainy day and visit Common People Brewery in picturesque Bangalow. Learn all the ins and outs of beer production from the friendly staff as you take a table set amidst the working production brewery and sip a brew straight from the source. Gin more your thing? How about a distilling class at Lord Byron Distillery where you will use hand-selected botanicals to blend your own gin. Using local, fresh produce you’ll come away with a history lesson on this amazing region too.

commonpeoplebrewing.com.au lordbyrondistillery.com.au

Discover Local History

Speaking of history, a small but intriguing museum, Minjungbal Aboriginal Cultural Centre sits on the edge of the Ukerebagh Nature Reserve in Tweed Heads South and is run by the local Aboriginal community. Brimming with artefacts and photographs, the centre gives a fascinating insight into life on the Tweed Coast for its original inhabitants and includes a small arts and crafts shop. Or pop over to the Tweed Regional Museum in Murwillumbah for a look at the area’s rich and unique history. With tours, exhibitions, and hands-on workshops there’s always something interesting going on.

minjungbalmuseum.com.au museum.tweed.nsw.gov.au

Join a Jewellery Workshop

How about crafting your own unique piece of jewellery? Talented jewellery designer and silversmith, Amy O’Shea of One Sixteenth Designs, specialises in stunning handmade recycled silver and gold jewels, and shares her skills in fun workshops from her well-equipped studio in Cabarita. There’s something for everyone, from stacker rings to silver bangles. Book in a Ladies Night Earring Workshop or enrol the kids in one of Amy’s fabulous holiday workshops – whatever you choose, one class just won’t be enough.

onesixteenth.com.au

Flutterbies

Learn Circus Arts

Ever dreamt of flying on a trapeze? Byron Bay – with its great tradition of circus arts – is just the place to try, with Circus Arts offering casual classes catering to all ages and levels. The little ones can enjoy a Kindergarten Circus class or frolic in the indoor circus playground, bigger kids and teenagers can learn Ninja Parkour, Flying Trapeze and Acro & Gymnastics. While adult classes also include Circus Fit, Aerials, Handstands and Acrobatics.

circusarts.com.au

Visit M|Arts Precinct

You don’t need sunshine to shop, so if you’re in Murwillumbah make the most of the main street’s covered walkways and quirky cafés and make sure to check out the funky M|Arts precinct – a collective of creative businesses, from artists to jewellers housed in repurposed shipping containers. There’s a café and bar to linger at, and lots of interesting pop-up events, installations, and workshops to get the creative juices flowing.

m-arts.com.au

Treat yourself to High Tea

There are few rituals as comforting as a traditional High Tea with all the trimmings, so take a scenic drive through the Tweed hinterland to historic Tyalgum and discover the olde world charm and delicious home baking of Flutterbies. High Tea here is served in the vintage tea rooms, starting with a Sparkling Rose Bliss Champagne Cocktail with rose flavoured fairy floss, rose syrup and petals (pre booking is essential).

Tyalgum | flutterbies.com.au

Art and Wine Session

Embrace your creative spirit with an afternoon/evening of art, wine, and music in the heart of Byron Bay. Grab your friends, your favourite bottle of wine, and settle in for a painting session with some fabulous themes and a lot of fun guaranteed. And if the kids are getting toey, there are classes for them too, so drop them off and enjoy a peaceful coffee break nearby. If you’re closer to Tweed, you’ll find a similar range of Paint & Sip classes tucked away in Banora Point at the gorgeous Little White Studio. Think Portraits and Botanicals to Byron Surf Life – there are classes to take everyone’s fancy.

artandwinecobyronbay.com.au | littlewhitestudio.com.au

Circus Arts

Pamper Yourself

Float away the rainy-day blues and usher in a state of deep relaxation when you immerse yourself in a magnesium-rich, stateof-the-art flotation tank in the serene surrounds of Kalm Springs, Casuarina. Prefer a massage? Book yourself into Haven Spa and Bathhouse in Tweed Heads where you will find a comprehensive range of treatments and deluxe packages that include sauna, spa, Vichy shower, body scrub and organic facial.

kalmsprings.com.au | havenspa.com.au

Catch a Movie

Catch a blockbuster or an Australian art-house flick at The Palace Cinema in Byron Bay, where the curated drinks menu includes local craft beers. Or enjoy an atmospheric Art Deco theatre experience at the recently refurbished Regent Cinema Murwillumbah. Expect traditional tiered seating, a world-food café, licenced bar, and great selection of films.

palacecinemas.com.au | the-regent.com.au

Go Roller Skating

An oldie but a goodie, roller skating is guaranteed to keep the kids amused on those non-beach days. After being closed due to flood damage, Rollerworld Lismore is opening its doors again just in time for the school holidays. And with Christmas around the corner, they also have a gorgeous range of skates to buy. Tenpin bowling is another all-weather option for family fun. Head to Ballina Tenpin Bowl where you will also find Mini Putt Putt, arcade games and great coffee!

rollerworld.com.au | ballinatenpinbowl.com.au

Keep upto date with the weather for the Northern Rivers

bom.gov.au/nsw/forecasts/northernrivers

UNTRASHING THE PLANET

ONE PLASTIC BOTTLE AT A TIME

Every year 1 billion plastic bottles are bought, used once, and thrown away across Australia. Shockingly, research finds that 89% of these bottles end up in landfill or worse, the ocean – that’s one truck of garbage every single minute into our oceans. This is where Mike Smith comes in – a top bloke with the audacious aim of eliminating single use plastics from our households. Mike founded Zero Co in 2019 after coming up with an idea to make planet-friendly personal care and home-cleaning products that get conveniently refilled after use. Based locally, this Northern Rivers company with a global conscience, is on a mission to ‘UNTRASH THE PLANET’ one plastic container at a time. Making the products user friendly and trendy at the same time has opened the market for Zero Co to boldly take some ground on the War on Waste Movement. How does it work? Inside your first order from Zero Co, you’ll find a set of forever bottles made from ocean, beach and landfill waste and a set of refill pouches made from recycled plastic. It works by a four-step process: you order, they deliver, you return using the reply-paid satchel and they refill. Saving the planet has never been more convenient! Zero Co also make it super simple for the consumer with a user-friendly website, plenty of refill options and a deliver straight-to-your-door service. A new product range is updated regularly on the website and include added environmental extras like stainless steel pegs and recycled fibre dish clothes. And, if you get stuck, a ridiculously friendly team are always on hand to chat to. Besides being single-use plastic free, all products are made in Australia using plantbased formulas with no harmful chemicals, and are vegan, cruelty-free, and grey water safe. And now that Zero Co is available in Byron Bay Woolworths, as well as various IGAs and a growing list of boutique retailers across the Northern Rivers, it really is that easy to give single-use plastic the flick and to be part of the solution. Want to do more? There are a host of ways to get involved with Zero Co, through Work Waste Challenges, Sustainable Schools programs and even Untrashed Eco Tours. Check out the website for more details. We have to start somewhere… what better time than now! Zero Co’s products are now in the local isles of Woolworths, IGA’s and other boutique retailers. zeroco.com.au

Give single-use plastic the flick.

Zero Co Combo Boxes now available in Byron Bay Woolworths, selected IGA’s and indie retailers.

zeroco.com.au