am free
Our long hot summer ...
Our Paradiso is Fresh flavours, melted dreams, tiny houses, radical sustainability, ayurveda in daily life, days spent in nature
Look Touch and Feel
Issue No. 02 February/March 2018 Heated through, summer showers, steamy days, slow and easy
So many muses The Mad Farmers Liberation Front, Reg Mombassa, Hawaii, The Arts Factory, Rad ladies doing rad things
Special finds at The Royal Hawaiian, located right on Waikiki Beach, Oahu, Hawaii Floral and Kukui seed leis draped over you on arrival – classic Hawaiian experience ticked off your bucket list.
Colour coordination is taken to the next level: pink beach umbrellas, pink signature pancakes, pink witches hats.
Imagine yourself in a Somerset Maugham novel, exploring the Pacific, while you enjoy the soft breeze coming off the turquoise blue ocean as you relax in antique wooden rocking chairs lined up on original marble flooring under sweeping archways.
The Pink Palace is instagram ready! Look anywhere and find photographic inspiration: #plantsonpink #onlyattheroyal #waikikidreams
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Postcard from Paradiso
WELCOME
ISSUE NO. 02 ~ FEB–MAR 2018
THIS IS PARADISO
Hawaii Take me to:
Waikiki Beach 3
Photography– Lila Theodoros @ohbabushka
+ WELCOME
W E LC O M E TO C O U N T RY Jingi Wahlu Widtha Bunjulung Jugun Ngali na mala jungun Ngali garima mala jungun Wana janjma mala gunu gala jugun Ngali wana janja mala jugun Ngali na mala jungun Welcome to Country Bunjulung Country We belong to this country We look after this country Don’t do wrong around here this country We don’t harm this country here We belong to this country
WE ARE HERE
Hello– Issue No. 02: Our long hot summer ... / Feb–Mar 2018
HELLO
Welcome. The love letter to our home town continues. The second verse brings tales of radicals, renegades and revolutionaries and of ways we can take responsibility for ourselves and our planet. To all of you who told us your stories - who took the time to talk, play and create. We thank you. Team Paradiso ;) xx
– BUNDJALUNG LANGUAG E WELCOME FROM THE RAINBOW REG ION
Paradiso is so very proudly brought to you by: Beck Marshall, Managing Editor Lila Theodoros, Production Manager/ Design Aarna Hudson, Relationship Manager/ Copy Editor Natalie Wagner, Relationship Manager Matt and Marty, Team Distribution Chris Theodoros, Accountant (businessmatters.com.au) Our Mums, Proof Readers
A LOVE LETTER TO AN ARAKWAL ELDER – We would very much love to collaborate with you on our ‘Welcome to Country’ for Issue No. 03. Please email beck@thisisparadiso.com.au
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
Thank you to our wonderful contributors– Rachel Surgeoner, Elodie Rodde, Lizzie Bodenham, Martin Pain, Holly Graham, Paul McNiel, Keven Oxford, Jasmin Daly, Shien Chee and Meredith Cusack. From the bottom of our hearts– thank you to our incredibly supportive families – we love you! xx
Printed by Fast Proof Press, Nerang Qld. Published by This is Paradiso Trust. © Paradiso Trust 2018, all rights reserved. Disclaimer No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without the permission of the publisher. The views expressed in Paradiso are those of the retrospective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the publisher. Contributions and submissions are welcome but no responsibility is taken. Information and credits are correct when going to print but may change afterwards. Paradiso is published six times a year and we are sorry for any mistakes :) thisisparadiso.com.au @paradiso_magazine_
THIS IS PARADISO
Enjoy reading–
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–08
Super fresh –08 I live in a tiny house –16 Go with your love to the fields –22 A curious emanation –24 Arty as anything: Reg Mombassa –44 Take me to: Hawaii –50 Very rad ladies doing very rad things –60 –50
–44
Food + Drink
08 Feature: Super fresh 10 Me, my shop and I: Moonshine Coffee Roasters 12 I have a Roadside Food Stall: Eureka Hall Stall 14 Seasonal Eats: Summer daze, melted dreams
Home + Design
16 Where I live: I live in a tiny house 20 Me, my shop and I: Pampa 22 Follow the season: The Mad Farmers Liberation Front & Brær
Wellbeing
24 A curious emanation 26 Practice and all is coming: Hatha Yoga 28 Listen: Spiritual communities 30 Your horoscope 5
Fashion + Beauty
32 Feature: A connection with the divine – Ayurveda in daily life
Arts + Events 42 44 48
Arts Guide Current Muse: Reg Mombassa Bi-monthly book club: The Painted Veil – W. Somerset Maugham
Travel
50 Feature: The Royal Hawaiian, Hawaii 52 Ten things I love about: Murwillumbah 53 Weekend itinerary
Community
54 Do you remember? The Arts Factory 58 Good people: Clean Coast Collective 60 Activists: Very rad ladies doing very rad things
Cover Styling by Beck Marshall @_the_new_story Photography by Lila Theodoros @ohbabushka
HELLO
+ WELCOME
THE WARMEST OF WARM UPS
The Good News is—
February/March Top 5 to look out for: 01– The Byron Bay Surf Festival This three day event is a fusion of Surf Culture Now, featuring events including surf sessions, surf art, shaping, design, music, film, yoga, environment, markets, fashion and food from 22–25 February. byronbaysurffestival.com.au
Prodjuice Good news! Our mates at Prodjuice are now calling Byron Bay their second home. That means all the cold pressed raspberry, lime and watermelon juice our hearts desire. These guys know their juice. The ethos is simple. Prodjuice believe in bringing you a high quality product, good for you and good for our earth. Their pulp is turned into the most incredible compost, which then supports the growth of new veggies for our community to enjoy. Sold in glass bottles, as glass is an infinitely reusable material and much better for your health, Prodjuice are strong advocates for #noplasticplease. Check out @paradiso_magazine_ for your chance to win a Prodjuice pack. prodjuice.com.au
02– The Byron Spirit Festival This year the festival moves to its new location in Byron Bay and offers three days of yoga, music, dance and healing. Paradiso readers can enjoy a 10% discount by using the code PARADISO. The festival in on 20–22 April. spiritfestival.com.au
Byron General Store
It’s a happy day when you hear your long time local, the iconic ‘Macs Friendly Store’ is staying in local hands. Owners of The Byron General Store, Ben Gordon and Phil Taylor, have created a laid back space that retains that good old small town community feel. Serving great locally sourced food, good coffee, their super friendly staff make everyone feel welcome. Ben, like many kids growing up in the Shire, spent his afternoons buying 2 cents lollies at Macs on the way home from school. There are no lollies on the menu now, but there are some bloody good vegan waffles, smoothie bowls loaded with goodness and killer burgers. Chill on the verandah and smile at familiar faces – ah feels like the good old days. @byron_general_store
Win! Win!! Win!!! Share your Paradiso to win Giveways don’t get more luxurious than this skincare pack from Byron Bay Skin Care. Including everything you need to wash and scrub away dull skin and get your summer glow on! To win follow both @byronbayskincare and @paradiso_magazine_ on instagram and simply share a photo of your ‘Paradiso’ using the hashtag #thisisparadiso. The best photo – as voted by Team Paradiso will win! Thank you for supporting independent media and thank you Byron Bay Skin Care! byronbayskincare.com.au
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
03– Eat at the Poinciana Wonder duo Adam and Lara from Punch and Daisy have found their way to the lovely grounds of The Poinciana. Serving up their eponymous fresh fare and open seven days and nights. poincianamullum.com 04– Visit the Hotel Brunswick With a brand new menu and makeover, the Hotel Brunswick is the perfect place to make the most of those balmy river nights. hotelbrunswick.com.au 05– Drop into a dance class That’s My Jam in Byron Bay offers the most fabulous, chick and sassy hip hop dance classes on the block. thatsmyjamdance.com.au
Overheard: while waiting in line at the Mullumbimby IGA, an ‘awakened man’ dressed in Nikes, no shirt, sporting a top bun, describing a party he attended at a remote lookout:
“It was a really great party. I could really settle my intentions. I’ve just been meditating everyday. And I feel really, really blessed.”
velvetcanyon.com
@velvetcanyon
FOOD
+ DRINK
LET’S EAT WITH THE SEASONS
Super fresh Summer might as well be the season of the entrée – a time to celebrate share plates, BBQ, and refreshing salads. We continue our love affair with our local markets. This issue Paradiso visits the Byron Farmers Market in search of bright, vibrant fruits and vegetables for summer share plates that bring a table to life. Here’s what we came up with.
Words– Rachel Surgeoner @Yes_Joy
Photography– Lila Theodoros @ohbabushka Byron Farmers markets are on every Thursday morning 8-11am, Butler Street Reserve.
Watermelon, feta, mint and pomegranate molasses
Purple cabbage and yellow capsicum with miso
Grilled peach with haloumi and fresh herbs
Makes 4 +
Serves 4 +
Makes 6 +
This salad has all of the crunch, married with the umami richness of
This dish screams 80s dinner party, but has so much
miso for a well-rounded and perfect side to any summer meal. Try it
scope. Take a peach or nectarine, grill it, and dress
with a side of grilled fish, meat or tofu.
it up! Having a pan that griddles makes for those
Ingredients A firm feta cheese (we can’t get
oh-so-impressive grill marks – also easily achieved
enough of the Lillian Feta from
Ingredients
Nimbin Valley Dairy)
½ cup canola or coconut oil
½ watermelon
4 tablespoons of buckwheat kernels
Ingredients
Bunch of mint
Salt
3 peaches, de-seeded and halved
Pomegranate molasses
Juice of 1 lemon
Canola oil or coconut oil
Toothpicks are handy to help
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Seasonal herbs (we picked up some lovely bunches
assemble, though can be done on
2 tablespoons of white miso (we got ours from Byron Bay Miso)
of basil, mint and coriander from The Gourmet Salad
a large platter without
3 tablespoons tahini
Hut)
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 block of haloumi (from Cheeses Loves You)
Method
½ head purple cabbage, cored and cut into 1 cm slithers
Vinaigrette: Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, salt,
Cut your watermelon into the
1 yellow capsicum*, quartered, deseeded
olive oil – a couple of tablespoons of each
desired chunk or slice, rind
1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
removed. Wash and dry mint. Cut
2 tablespoons of edible seaweed such as wakame
Method
feta into desired size and shape.
*capsicum is interchangeable for another vibrant vegetable or fruit such
Pick, wash and dry herbs. Heat pan or BBQ. Coat
Then set to work assembling your
as radishes or mango.
with oil and grill peaches to achieve grill marks
masterpiece. Feta, watermelon,
(approx. 3-4 minutes each side). Remove from pan
and then mint. And a small drizzle
Method
to cool. Now repeat the process with your haloumi.
of pomegranate molasses right
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat until it
For the vinaigrette, add a tablespoon or so of each
before serving – be careful not
shimmers. Add the buckwheat and cook until the kernels are just brown
ingredient and whisk with a fork. Dress just before
to add too much molasses as it’s
– keep a close eye on them! Scoop with the slotted spoon and drain on
serving. Arrange herbs and top with peaches and
alarmingly tart!
plate lined with paper towel, let cool and season with a pinch of salt.
haloumi, dress with vinaigrette and serve asap!
TIP: if you want local
In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice, vinegar, miso, tahini and soy. If
TIP: Add some toasted walnuts or macadamia nuts
watermelons, arrive at the
it’s too thick, add a dash or two of water. Take a large bowl and toss
on top! We also added some ‘Brazilian kiss peppers’
markets early!
the cabbage with the dressing until nicely coated. Taste and season
(a little hard to come by, but if you can find them
with more lemon juice and/or salt if needed. Arrange the cabbage on a
they add an awesome zing).
serving platter then place the capsicum on top, then sprinkle over the
To complete this experience, see our website for an incredible Margarita recipe!
fried buckwheat, sesame seeds and seaweed.
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on the BBQ, of course!
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
SUPER FRESH
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FOOD
+ DRINK
ME, MY SHOP AND I
World-class coffee hidden in the hinterland of Byron.
Moonshine coffee roasters Owner Richard Kelly 3 Albert Street Federal moonshinecoffee.com.au
Moonshine’s humble origins began in the hills of Byron as a small family run coffee roaster – tell us a little about how the business has grown since? Moonshine has always grown at a fairly slow but steady rate. We are not aggressive marketers and are happy to wait our turn if it means we get to work with like-minded people. In saying that, the last 12–18 months have been a pretty special period for Moonshine. Why coffee? I’ve always been drawn towards coffee and have been in and around hospitality most of my life. After disappearing abroad for many years, I returned to Australia and landed a job on a coffee plantation in Federal. In the beginning it was an office and admin role but overtime I began to gravitate more towards the farming aspect of the business – growing, harvesting and processing local coffee. Your concept Roastery & Espresso, the ‘House of Shine’, is located in Federal – what drew you to village life? My wife was born and raised in the hills of Byron, so village life is in her blood. Myself,
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
I was born in Papua New Guinea and spent a lot of my early childhood living a pretty idyllic and adventurous life on the coast. Eventually my family moved to Brisbane and although I enjoyed growing up there I never saw myself living in the city. So, when it was time to move Moonshine from the coffee farm, relocating to an industrial estate was never really an option. I was just so accustomed to the pace and space of Federal that I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. We would love to know more about your in-store mural and the collaboration with Brisbane artist, Em from Frank & Mimi? Frank and Mimi are incredible. When we took the lease on Fred’s old workshop in Federal there was a big blank wall just screaming out for a mural. The mural works across two walls and is quite abstract. It explores the ancient myth of Kaldi the Abyssinian herder who, along with his goats, is credited for the discovery of coffee. It’s a big talking point when people first visit the space. Can you tell us about your commitment to supporting local?
Unlike most people in the industry I’ve come at roasting from a farmer’s perspective. So as a business, supporting local farmers is imperative. We love using Norco milk because of its long history with the area and the fact that it’s a co-operative, owned and run by farmers. We always have locally grown coffee for sale, although it’s becoming harder to source these days. What do you love about working in your community? Working in Federal is quite unique. It’s a very proactive village and there’s such an eclectic range of people living here. We often find ourselves trading coffee with customers for things like natural deodorant, pottery, flowers, plumbing or organic produce! Current inspirations? I get a lot of inspiration for Moonshine from my industry peers. From a personal perspective, I get my inspiration from being a husband and a father. If I am a better person I will become a better dad. I want our children to enjoy the simple, wholesome things in life and to grow up proud of the family business.
Have you tried the local lager? Green Coast Lager...
KE ITH – C O FFE E AN D B O OZ E –
The way it should be
I N STAG RAM @keith_murwillumbah 132 Murwillumbah Street, Murwillumbah
A vibrant precinct for artists and art lovers is under development in Murwillumbah.
Join us for one of our wide range of workshops and exhibitions or visit our studio artists on Mondays between 9-3.
Follow us so you don't miss what's coming soon.
Cnr Proudfoot Lane & Brisbane St, Murwillumbah
T 0455 320 920 info@m-arts.com.au m-arts.com.au
@m_arts_precinct /m.arts.precinct
PA RA D I S O RE A D ERS W I LL RE C EI V E 1 0 % O F F AU T U M N A RT WO R KS H O P S. J U S T EN T ER T H E CO D E “ PA RA D I S O ” AT C H E C K O U T.
FOOD
+ DRINK
THE PRODUCERS
I have a roadside food stall— We are ... Eureka Hall Stall Find us ... Eureka Hall, Federal Drive, Eureka
We delve into the hidden gems of roadside stalls and get to know the producers.
Our little stall is ... The Eureka Hall Stall was set up by some committee members with the idea of purchasing local honey, re-dispensing and selling it on. The happy idea was all profits would go to the ongoing running of our community hall (which is owned by the community not the council). This has been a very successful project. The stall was set up in 2013 and has grown into so much more than just honey! What we sell ... We sell honey from local apiaries, locally grown seasonal fruit, fresh flowers, plants, small
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We love that our stall and our wonderful community enables us to raise money for the hall and showcase the hall as the community hub.
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
amount of eggs and lots of bananas! A day in the life of running a road side stall ... The stall survives by the dedication of two of our community members who attend to the stall daily. We collect produce from our growers in the community from the hinterland hamlets of Federal, Clunes, Bangalow and Bexhill. Things we love about running our stall ... We love that the stall and the support of our wonderful community enables us to raise money for the hall and showcase the hall as the community hub.
The Eureka Hall of today stands as a proud symbol of community spirit and strength. A community that continues to provide support for many a good cause and most of all, for one another. The struggles ... Keeping the produce up and securing our honesty box – stealing is always a real shame. Our thoughts on supporting local farmers ... The growers support us as they donate whatever they have for the stall to enable us to raise funds for the hall. So in a way we are all supporting each other.
S U N D AY S U S TA I N A B L E BAKE RY
INTRODUCES:
Sunday’s Everyday Summer Menu All Day from 6:30am FROM THE MENU:
QU ICK G RAB LU NCH DEALS:
Spelt Pumpkin Bagel toasted with cream cheese, mixed roasted seeds drizzled with brown rice syrup $12
Choose a beef and farm veg sausage roll, pork and fennel roll or spinach roll w side salad $10
Sunday Bakery big breakfast local free-range eggs (fried or scrambled), bacon, avocado, baked tomato, fried halloumi and a side of homemade smoked brown sauce. Choose any of our sourdoughs or gluten free toast. $24
Free range Frittata, seasonal veges $8.9 – best to add any salad of the day +$4.9
Avo, feta smash with roasted seeds seasoned with sea salt, pepper & olive oil on daily baked sour dough, spelt or gluten free toast $13.9 (V
Hot Box House made beef and farm veg sausage roll, pork and fennel, spinach feta roll, quiche, slow-cooked steak and mushroom pies.
Bacon and Egg Roll served on our mini ciabatta, local free-range eggs with homemade smoked brown sauce or classic tomato sauce, its large. $10. Add: Fresh spinach +$1, tomato +$2, Avo +$3, double bacon +$3 Stormy Day Sour Dough your choice of light rye, 7 seed multi grain or unbleached white sour dough served with generous lashings of melted local honey, thyme & cinnamon infused butter $9 Sugar Free Banana Bread simply toasted with a slab of butter $5.5 Vegan Yin toast pink peace love and vegetables sauerkraut with smashed avo, roasted seeds, drizzled with virgin olive oil. Choose any of our specialty breads as they are vegan regardless but we reckon Spelt or GF is best. This is the owners usual lunch, highly recommended. $14.9 Chia Cup coconut, raspberry & burnt fig with cinnamon spiced granola & seasonal fruit $9.8 sugar free, dairy free.
Salads of the day $10.90 large size $13.9
Sandwiches Daily baked $9.8 • Triple smoked ham, sweet pickle relish and salad • Salami with house made basil pesto, spinach & tomato • Responsibly caught tuna with house made mayo & salad • Double Brie, homemade caramelized onion jam & salad (V) • Reuben Sandwich on Light Rye Sourdough: pastrami, Swiss cheese, mustard & peace love and vegetables sauerkraut.
WE AR E ALSO COFFE E S PECIALI STS: All combinations of coffee we offer, all our milks are organic, including almond, coconut and soy. Byron Moonshine Coffee is our local roaster of choice. We always have two blends on offer, one for the hardcore espresso or long black drinker and another blend one for the person that enjoys milk. Stay sustainable – bring a keep cup and we will take 50c off the price.
ON THE COLD SIDE Byron beverage company Cold drip iced coffee on tap, nitrogen infused $5 Sunday homemade Iced lemon mint tea sweetened with local Manuka honey (sugar free) $5 Iced Coffee $6 (from our local Coffee roaster – Moonshine coffee) Iced Chocolate $6 add ice cream 50c Iced Ayurvedic living chai latte (refined sugar free) $6 Iced Latte $4.5 (from our local Coffee roaster – Moonshine coffee) Many Kombucha options are available in our dinks fridge.
We are at: 95 Jonson Street Byron Bay – (opposite Woolworths) T 02 6685 6183 Open Everyday 6am–5:30pm
@sundaysustainablebakery
FOOD
+ DRINK
SEASONAL EATS
STYLING–
Beck Marshall
Summer daze,
melted dreams 14
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
PHOTOG RAPHY–
Lila Theodoros
SUMMER DAZE, MELTED DREAMS
This summer we practised hydration. Childhood memories of long hot summers flooded back. Our ice blocks melted, Brunswick River cooled our cores and we all thought a little about life in Tasmania (we know you did too). The sun poured down, hotter and hotter and we waited for rain. We sung to our gardens
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to hang in there and we searched for the most satisfying ways to hydrate. We stumbled upon Madame Dry elixirs, – give us a beverage of positively charged Rose Quartz any day. Our vibrations were raised and clarity was found. A new summer path was forged – a mixture of strawberries, cream and botanical cocktails!
Strawberry & Cream Ice Block by FLYIN FOX @flyinfoxiceblox. On the opposite page Lightly Sparkled Rose Water by MADAME DRY @madamedry.
HOME
+ DESIG N
WHERE THE HEART IS — IS WHERE I LIVE
She lives on love street
We rolled out to the lazy hills, hidden in the hinterland, to find a tiny dwelling of happiness and were inspired by thoughtful design, living off grid and the humbleness of this young family of creatives.
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
Words– Beck Marshall Muse– Amy Moffatt @theroamingcreative weroamcreative.com
SHE LIVES ON LOVE STREET
WO R DS TO I N S P I R E– 01 . S U STA I N A B L E 02 . H U M B L E 03 . M I N I M A L 04 . T I N Y 05. S E L F - S U F F I C I E N T 0 6. N AT U R E
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What made you decide to go down the tiny house path? Five years ago, I had some money saved and was really keen to have somewhere to call my own, but the thought of a mortgage (a life debt sentence!) scared the beejeezuz out of me. I saw a really interesting graph once which showed the average use of the interior space of a normal-sized home. Basically, 90% of people only use 10% of their interior space, mainly the kitchen, the sofa, and the bed. It seems like such a waste of money (and time) to have somewhere you basically don’t use because you’re at work all the time having to pay it off! Then one day I came across the tiny house movement (which was booming in USA at the time, but almost unheard of here in Australia). It was like a lightbulb went off in my head. I became obsessed. It ticked all of my boxes — a small, simple place to call my own, that we could build as creatively as we liked, with no mortgage, and the freedom to move it if we decided to spread our gypsy wings again. Did you build your home for social movement reasons (i.e environmental, sustainability) or simply because space was an issue? We built it because we wanted a home without a huge debt. Our main motivation was financial freedom I guess. But then so many other factors made sense too.
We were only just starting to learn about environmental issues back then and the idea of self-sufficiency hugely appealed to us. We are only just really starting to get into the self-sufficient way of living – the veggie patch is a work in progress – but we love learning and hope one day to hardly buy anything from shops, even making our own flour and making our own wine, only buying essentials from the shops. One day… How many square feet do you live in and how many people live in your home? Square feet I don’t know, but it’s 7m long x 2.5m wide, with 2 loft/mezzanine areas where we sleep. So I think the total floor area, including mezzanines, is something like 25 square metres. We did build a big covered deck out the front last year, which is the same size as the house, so we kind of doubled our living space. It also gives us a different space where we don’t have to worry about making noise so much when our little one is asleep inside. There are two adults, our 2.5 year old Luna, a growing bump (due in May) and two cats. We also have three rescue chickens from a battery farm (but they don’t live inside, although I think they would like to!). Is your home on wheels (transportable)? Yes, it’s on wheels. The fact that it’s on wheels means you don’t have to comply with any building or council regulations. We got a custom made trailer built,
HOME
+ DESIG N
it’s dual axel with electric brakes. It hasn’t ever really used it’s wheels that much yet though! It’s probably only done about 200km in total. Do you live off grid or do you have electricity? We are fully off-grid – rainwater collection, solar panels for our electricity, grey water natural filtrations system and a composting toilet. I love that we completely look after ourselves and have almost no impact on the environment. We have an electricity mains back-up system where if we had to, we could hook up to the mains grid. Here we have no access to the mains anyway. For now, we’re pretty happy knowing that compared to the average Australian household, we have almost no negative impact on our beautiful world. What are some of the advantages of living in a tiny home? I love the financial freedom the most. Our rent for the land where we park costs about 20% of the average rent price around here, plus we own the house itself, so we have very little outgoings each week. On top of that, the fact that we can’t own much stuff, means that we don’t ever really buy new things – clothes, furniture, gadgets we don’t need. Anything we do need, we try to make it ourselves instead. It’s really satisfying. Especially as we are both creative people. It’s an awesome creative outlet for us both. Due to where we are parked, another huge advantage is the peace and quiet and close connection to nature. We are very much part of nature here, and our toddler has an amazing connection with the animals and plants. She spots birds and insects and new plants and flowers that we haven’t even noticed, she’s so observant. She has a huge respect for the natural world already, it’s so inspiring.
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
WHERE THE HEART IS — IS WHERE I LIVE
And the disadvantages if any? Well I think it’s an advantage, but some people wouldn’t like the lack of storage space. So we are forced to be minimalists. I mean, I’m a minimalist anyway – I really don’t like ‘stuff’. We just don’t have the space. When you live in a tiny house, space is absolutely vital and so anything we don’t use, no matter how big or small, has to go. I personally see that as a huge advantage but I know I’m probably in the minority. With our shire’s growing issue of unaffordable housing what advice would you give to those toying with the idea of going tiny? I think this way of life is such an obvious solution to so many of the problems in modern society. It’s the perfect solution to the shortage of affordable housing, and finding land around here is so easy. My advice would be to not be scared, yes the lifestyle takes some getting used to, but the ‘sacrifices’ are well worth it. I would also recommend that you consider building it yourself. My partner and I had absolutely zero building experience – the only thing my partner had every build was a wooden planter box and it felt apart a week later! We thought outside the box, got the help of my partner’s best mate who is a carpenter, designed it ourselves after looking at thousands of tiny house blogs and the help of an amazing architect friend in WA. We built it ourselves after watching thousands of hours of YouTube videos. It’s totally doable, and there is something so satisfying about literally building your own home with your own bare hands. You just have to be willing to think in a different way to how most of us have been ‘taught’ to think, about what’s achievable/normal/safe in this society.
For now, we’re pretty happy knowing that compared to the average Australian household, we have almost no negative impact on our beautiful world.
MARTIN PAIN – AYURVEDIC PRACTITIONER OFFERING AYURVEDIC CONSULTATIONS AND TREATMENTS AVAILABLE AT THE MUDITA INSTITUTE 55 STUART ST, MULLUMBIMBY
PHONE: 0413 865 368
@lightayurveda
EMAIL: martin@lightayurveda.com.au
lightayurveda.com.au
HOME
+ DESIG N
ME, MY SHOP AND I
Celebrating Argentinian artisan traditions in a beautiful Byron Bay Concept Store.
Pampa Co Founders Victoria Aguirre and Carl Wilson Unit 1/12 Centennial Circuit Byron Bay pampa.com.au
Photography courtesy Lisa Sorgini
Can you tell us the concept behind Pampa and how it all began? At Pampa we explore art, we preserve heritage, we empower culture. We feel the need to rediscover threatened cultures and revive lost traditions. We support skilled artisans in remote Argentina and beyond to produce homewares and accessories that are woven works of art. Pampa was born out of my homesickness – out of that nostalgic sadness and desperation to connect back with my home and the desire to join our cultures (Argentinean and Australian). You work directly with skilled artisans in remote and rural Argentina. We’d love to know more about the process and your mantra behind your fair trade values. At Pampa, we work hard everyday to protect the cycle of trading fairly and sustainable work practices. Basically we believe that the more ongoing work we can provide for the communities, the more we are contributing to their growth and the building of wholly sustainable communities and cultures. Behind all our products is a long and complex process that is steeped in tradition and untouched by modern technology. The techniques used
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to make our rugs are part of the fabric of Argentinian heritage. Along the way, what have you learnt from working with these communities and their traditions? We learnt many lessons, but the main one would be that time is not the same for everyone. The communities we work with have their own time. They live in very remote regions where time usually isn’t held with the same importance as in modern society. They live for the now, truly and genuinely much more than many of us. The other lesson that we’ve learnt is the real process of honest handmade goods. As photographers, South America offers you incredible visual poetry. Describe your love affair with this country. As I mentioned earlier, I’m from Argentina and Carl is Australian and our intention is to trace a map between our two countries and cultures. We love the simple old ways of remote Argentina and love to explore the diversity in landscape from deserts to snowy mountains. You recently opened your first Concept Store in the Arts & Industrial Estate in Byron Bay. What beauty will we discover inside?
Earthy woven goods and beautiful art. We love our concept store – it is big and has such a nice clean light, like a white canvas that is always full of rugs, cushions, throws, ponchos, fine art photography prints and a small collection of objects such as ritual incense, baskets, bags, books and more. How would you describe each of your individual styles and how do you combine that within your store’s aesthetic? Our individual style is very connected with what we sell as we are quite simple and organic in the way we dress or decorate our own home – which is filled with natural colours and totems from our travels. Do you have any daily rituals or practices? Ocean swims, walks with our dog Poncho, palo santo incense cleanses, good music and red wine! Where are you currently finding your inspiration? Our inspiration can come from many things, but mainly nature and its palette. What made you smile today? Riding horses at my family’s farm here in Argentina.
HOME
+ DESIG N
FOLLOW THE SEASON
WORDS–
Beck Marshall
Meet Tai and Brookelin. Two genuine young farmers striving for radical sustainability. We feel proud to interview this couple who are wholeheartedly working towards a better tomorrow.
Go with your love to the fields … Co Founders– Tai O’Connor Brookelin Peterson @themadfarmersliberationfront
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
Trade as a form of currency is also something that really interests us.
OK. I'm super keen to chat radical sustainability! Let’s first talk sustainability through farming – can you tell us what drew you to this movement? I guess it was a response to all the grievances we had with the world. Growing our own food and living off the grid was our way to take back control. For us it was the most immediate form of direct action to participate in while at the same time benefiting and involving our community. And The Mad Farmers Liberation Front – we would love to know more? The Mad Farmers was a project we started in 2015. We had just moved onto a vacant block and were super passionate about growing food and being able to supply people in our community with affordable, seasonal produce grown close by with a direct relationship with the grower. The name came from a Wendell Berry poem, Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front, which pretty
much sums up our farming philosophy. We had also both finished reading Maps To The Other Side by Sascha Altman DuBrul, who founded the Icarus Project which is a support network and education project that focuses on de-stigmatising and redefining language used around mental health. He describes having a mental illness as having a mad gift, using mad in a positive context, whereas Berry uses it as an expression of anger. We liked and understood the feeling of both. The name kind of started as personal joke and then stuck. Can you explain to our readers a little about what you guys do – your ethics and on being a young farmer? With The Mad Farmers Liberation Front we operated as a small scale CSA (community supported agriculture) encompassing a mixture of natural farming and permaculture practices. Recently we have moved to a new property where we have the potential to stay on for a long time. At the
GO WITH YOUR LOVE TO THE FIELDS
moment we are still planning and building soil for our future Mad Farmer gardens. Leaving a farm and starting again is an equally heartbreaking and exciting experience. We plan on putting into practice and expanding upon everything we learnt the first time around. For us, growing food isn't about business as much as it is about our passions and beliefs. We try to live frugally and continuously move further in the direction of becoming more and more self-reliant. It’s a slow, involved and sometimes difficult process. We slip up, make mistakes, buy things we know we shouldn't, but we think it’s important for anyone trying to make this shift to be forgiving along the way. The important thing is to take responsibility and to keep showing up. It’s a never ending journey and there is always something new to learn. Should more farmers be asking what does this earth require from us if we want to continue to live in it? Farmers and non farmers alike! This is where as growers and consumers we really have the opportunity to influence the direction industries take. There is a political, ecological and economical urgency to move away from corporate, unethical large scale agricultural systems. The concept of radical sustainability is that no aspect of the system is unsustainable which means it’s not just the environment but social and economic structures too. Your thoughts on small scale farming being essential to healthy stimulated local economies and communities? It’s crucial. It’s the only way we can have truly sustainable economies and communities. It allows us to build food resilience and move away from processes associated with food production that rely on fossil fuels such as heavy food miles and the energy and costs involved in the creation and disposal of packaging. There are more and more transition towns in existence around the world that have localised economy and food systems which are really inspiring models for what we could create here in the Northern Rivers. Trade as a form of currency is also something that really interests us and that we encourage in our community. We have a neighbour who we exchange labour for bananas, turmeric and guavas. We often take fruit from friend’s trees and return it in the form of jam! What do you love most about what you do? Being awake at harvest, watching the light fill the sky, listening to the birdsong – there is something so surreal and beautiful about being in the garden at that time. It’s a very humbling and honourable thing to grow food for people and watch them eat it. It’s especially nice to watch someone eat something new for the first time. Plans for the future, for you and your land? Establishing systems that we can rely on in 20 years time. So, planting lots of fruit, nut and timber varieties. Thoughtfully planning how to use and interact with the spaces, using permaculture principles such as observe and interact, and small and slow solutions. We live in a very unique pocket of the world which once made up the big scrub. There is an onus on land owners to repair and restore the land, to leave it in a better state than how we found it. A lot of the work that we do out here will involve regenerative planting and preserving the existing biodiversity. I recently read “small farmers and people who understand good land use may turn out to be the most essential people in our culture, but it’s hard to find any period in history where they have been valued”. Do you agree? Wholeheartedly. We would say small farmers are undervalued both socially and financially. Living in a society where time equals money it’s hard to move out of the headspace of calculating the financial worth of everything. The time it takes to plant a seed, raise it, harvest it, you are never going to get what feels like a fair financial return for that labour. You have to forget about the concept of an hourly wage! You learn to value your time in new and different ways. That what you’re doing is a community service and you should feel good about that. That you get to spend your time outdoors. That you get to constantly be interacting with the land. On a social level, all we can say is meet your farmer, know their name, look them in the eyes and thank them! What do you love most about learning to live in harmony with the natural rhythms of the land? Coming from colonist ancestors, for us, it feels like a way to bridge that disconnect. We get to create our own connections and rituals with the land which we think is something our culture is largely devoid of. It makes us feel attached to this area that we come from and gives us a sense of purpose. The change of pace from season to season is something we revel in, as well as the simple pleasures of eating seasonally. The taste of the first fruit of the season and all the memories that come with that experience. Getting to a point of saying ‘ok I'm over eating broccoli’ and then welcoming it back with open arms when it returns the following year. 23
Summer in season by Brær
Summer in the tropical paradise we call home brings many amazing locally-grown flowers and, if you’re lucky enough to drive past at just the right time, roadside stalls overflowing with the most amazing giant-sized dahlias. Everything grows bigger and greener here during Summer because of the abundance of rain and sunshine. Tropical heliconias, gingers and Jurassicsized leaves can be easily found and are grown by local producers. Our tip – tropical flowers and foliage are perfect for high summer heat as they are long-lasting, low-maintenance as well as having an intoxicating, juicy aesthetic that we think fits the romance of hot nights and days off. At Brær, this time of year means we get to play with speckled pink Caladium leaves and arrange them with carnivorous plants, anthuriums and bromeliad flowers. Big puffy clouds of hydrangea as big as your head are also in season – they love a good mist from a spray bottle and also dry nicely hung upside down. The roses are in full swing at local farms and in the southern states. This season we are also working with dried flora to create everlasting arrangements and bunches. We encourage you to give it a go yourself and experiment with things from the garden, hung upside down until their stems stiffen. @b.r.a.e.r braerstudio.com
WELLBEING
+ CRYSTALS
SWEET SCENTS
STYLING–
Beck Marshall
PHOTOG RAPHY–
Lila Theodoros
A curious
emanation 24
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
Himalayan Quartz For– psychic vision, enhancing our memories, stimulating the third eye, clearing, cleansing and healing. Chakra– All.
A CURIOUS EMANATION
Amethyst For– divine connection, purifying, protecting, balancing, meditation and calming. Chakra– Third Eye.
A visual response to an object, to beauty, a scent, a vibrating source.
Rose Quartz For– unconditional love, self love, kindness, calming, feeling of peace, releasing impurities, strengthening and balancing the physical heart and circulatory system. Chakra– Heart.
Green Calcite For– emotional balance, heart connection, mental balance, stimulating immune system, releasing stress and resentment. Chakra– Heart.
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Soul Life 11/90 Jonson St, Byron Bay @soulife_byron Coven Shoppe Shop 1/ 105 Stuart St Mullumbimby @covenshoppe Newrybar Merchants 19 Old Pacific Highway Newrybar @newrybarmerchants
Clockwise from top left– Amethyst from SOUL LIFE BYRON BAY & soap by THESEEKE at NEWRYBAR MERCHANTS. Rose Quartz from SHANNON FRICKE at NEWRYBAR MERCHANTS. Green Calcite from SOUL LIFE BYRON BAY and fragrance Ayurveda Apothecary by YOKE at NEWRYBAR MERCHANTS. On opposite page Himalayan Quartz from SOUL LIFE BYRON BAY and fragrance by LIBERTINE from the COVEN SHOPPE.
WELLBEING
+ MOVEMENT
Practice and all is coming Hot days call for slowing down, listening to your body and moving gently. In this Hatha sequence, we cool down to beat the summer heat.
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YOGA IN PICTURES
STYLING–
Beck Marshall
PHOTOG RAPHY–
Lila Theodoros
PRACTICE AND ALL IS COMING
2. 1. Yogini– Elodie Rodde @elodierodde misselodee@gmail.com Leggings and crop by Girlfriend Collective @girlfriendcollective
7.
Hatha Yoga Backbends 1. Bridge (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) 2. Camel (Ustrasana) Benefits of backbends: Increases mobility in spine, improves posture, boosts mood, relieves stress and opens heart and mind.
6.
5.
Twists 3. Revolved wide angle pose (Parivrtta Upavistha Konasana) 4. Half lord of the fishes pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana) 5. Wide-legged standing forward fold with a twist (Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana) Benefits of twists: Improves digestion, reduces back pain and eliminates nervous tension. Forward folds 6. Wide-legged standing forward fold (Prasarita Padottanasana) 7. Wide-angle seated forward bend (Upavistha Konasana) Benefits of forward folds: Calms the brain, stimulates the liver, kidneys, ovaries and uterus, improves digestion and soothes headaches. Enjoy a gentle headstand and end with a 10 minute savasana.
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3.
4.
WELLBEING
+ KNOWLEDG E
LISTEN
Spiritual Communities: Hare Krishna & Osho Lets talk spiritual communities. This issue we are very thankful to chat to Ajita dasa (Director of New Govardhana) and Mutribo, friend of Osho. We learn about these two different spiritual paths and what life is like within each community.
Visit the Hare Krishna Farm (every sunday) for Sunday Feast 525 Tyalgum Road Eungella krishnafarm.net
Watch the Wild Wild Country, released on Netflix March 16, for some interesting insights on Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and the Ranch. 28
Who is your spiritual teacher/guru? Ajita: Devotees of Krishna have two types of spiritual teachers. The first is the initiating guru. He is the one who officially initiates the disciple and gives him a name and instructions after the disciple is ready to honor the vows necessary for spiritual progress. The other is called an instructing guru. He or they (can be many) are in the same line of teaching and may instruct and guide disciples of other initiating gurus. They may or may not be officially gurus but are sufficiently realised to instruct and guide. Mutribo: Well, I have had a few of them. Currently I have none. There has been basically two who had a direct help in my life. The first one was Osho and the last one was Ramesh Balsekar. What led you to your spiritual path? Ajita: Asking questions about life after death, reincarnation, karma, the purpose of life and after reading the Bhagavad Gita, which answered all those questions and more, my spiritual path began. Mutribo: Basically, what happened was I was in my mid 20s and an ex-girlfriend of mine returned from California with a book and she said I think you might like this and the book was Tantric Spirituality by Osho. At that point I was involved in the therapeutic world and was training to be a therapist in London. I really didn’t know anything about enlightenment or spirituality, so I read this book. I thought Jesus was a one off. When I was at private school, I was 10 or 11, I remember in Divinity Class trying to figure out why people wanted to crucify Jesus and now 2 billion people think he the best thing since sliced bread. I kind of made a promise to myself that if I’d been there I would have recognised him and not gone against him. Somehow when I read the book by Osho, I realised a modern-day equivalent of Jesus was alive and I wanted to know more. The teachings of your faith? Ajita: Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead (God). We are His servants and we have a perfect relationship with Him. This relationship needs to be revived. The process of Krishna Consciousness is the means and the end aiming at re-establishing this long lost relationship. Mutribo: Osho was trying to create what he termed the new man and the new man was going to be a combination of rich on the outside and rich on the inside. Osho’s essential message was the individual is where it is at.
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
We would love to know more about living within an ashram/community, the daily life – the benefits and the struggles. Ajita: Living in an ashram is meant for those who are serious about understanding the difference between the body and the soul, who God is and our connection with Krishna (God). It offers facilities to make rapid progress in yoga (to reconnect with Krishna). The ashram or community is broader than the immediate boundary of the Hare Krishna farm. It also includes all those practioners in the surrounding areas who practice mostly from their home and also visit the temple regularly. The connection is established by service and personal development through spiritual practices such as chanting Hare Krishna on beads, in kirtan and regularly studying the Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam. The daily life is rise around 4am, shower and attend the temple program until 8:30am, after which everyone is engaged in various activities suitable to their capacity and inclination. The benefits are various: good association, community living, greater service opportunities, sharing realisations with other like-minded people, being part of a greater body of people wanting to present Krishna to others. Just as someone who wants to make money may want to reside near the stock market, similarly one who desires to make spiritual progress wants to reside near or in an ashram. The struggles are dealing with people who don’t understand the above and try to live a cushy life at the expense of those who sacrifice for a greater cause. And sometimes cultural differences which can be reconcilied by understanding we are not the body but a spirit soul who is a servant of Krishna. Struggles may arise if one has difficulties applying this concept in dealing with others. Mutribo: Basically, this particular commune, and I use that word specifically to try and convey the difference between a community – which can be a lot of people from different situations – and a commune, where essentially everyone is there for the same reason. If you spoke to different Sannyasins you would find a zillion individual stories. Essentially the purpose of being there, I can’t say this was absolutely true for everyone. The reason I was there was to try and figure this thing out called enlightenment. Initial Poona (Poona 1), which went from 1974 to 1981, anyone could show up at the Ashram gate. When you arrived you needed some way to pay for your food and get a place to live. But slowly if you started working you would be given a food pass
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITIES
The ashram or community is broader than the immediate boundary of the Hare Krishna farm. – Ajita dasa I was there was to try and figure this thing out called enlightenment. – Mutribo
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so your food would be provided and then again after a certain amount of time you would then be given accommodation. Poona 2 (the Ranch) which went until 1985 was totally different because of the politics and legality of and visas etc. I was among the first group of Sannyasins who arrived there even before Osho got there. But it progressively got more difficult to enter the Ranch and they set up programs where people could come and work for three months and then leave. But I was a resident. How long have you been disciplined to your beliefs? Ajita: 35 years. Mutribo: I followed Osho from 1978 until 1992. Have you ever questioned your religion or beliefs? Ajita: There are different levels of self-realisation. At the beginning, one questions a lot, but the process of Krishna consciousness is so powerful that quickly all doubts and misgivings gradually disappear for those who are eager to hear about and serve Krishna. And within a few years one becomes steady due to actual realisation of the philosophy. Mutribo: No, never. The only questioning that happened for me was towards the end of the Ranch. The people running it had become quite paranoid. Looking at it as much as I can from their point of view I can understand why. They were facing tremendous pressure, but a lot of it was from their own making. The Ranch is still the single largest bugging operation in America. We kept a lot of humour about it, but all of us knew that it was becoming paranoid. This is the way I see it. What Osho was trying to do was to radically change humanity, so essentially what he was dealing with was a minimum of 2,000 years of conditioning. You can’t really take any prisoners with that kind of project. It is like if you really want to give it your best shot, you have to go for it and essentially that was the thing that Osho opened up. Now were there casualties? Absolutely, but if you ask me personally how I feel about my participation in it, it was the greatest gift of my life without any question and the reason for that essentially in the commune I got to live a huge range of human experiences over a very short period of time. Has following your religious path led you to find your true identity? Ajita: Any civilized human being will inquire about the nature of the self, God and their relationship. Dogs and
cats don’t have a system for such inquiry. That inquiry is called religion or a way to re-connect (yoga) with the Supreme. So any religious system which satisfies those inquiries is a proper religion and will reveal one’s true identity. Mutribo: I know some people manage to get there without a teacher – as I say I had two but I also had others who had a lot more influence throughs books and stuff in my case. It was invaluable. Jesus that was it for me. I didn’t know anything about Sufis or Zen Buddhism or anything until Osho opened up. He said I am basically reviving all these traditions and bringing them back into the 20th century and you take your pick of whatever resonates with you. Does your religion follow a story of creation? Ajita: Srimad Bhagavatam describes the story of creation in great detail. There are 10 subject matters in the Srimad Bhagavatam and one of them deals with creation. Mutribo: Osho would have subscribed to the latest scientific theories like the Big Bang, vis-a vis creation but he didn’t speak much about it. How does your spiritual path help you live your life in the modern world? Ajita: Real help is to save the drowning man, not just his coat or shirt. Similarly, Krishna Consciousness is food for the soul which is drowning in an ocean of sorrows due to ignorance of its actual position, falsely thinking “I am the body”. Based on this misconception the modern or ancient world creates unnecessary activities, desires with its concomitants results placing the conditioned soul in great distress. Any help, other than information about one’s self, the soul, God and their relationship, is fruitless due to its temporary nature. Real help is about the permanent, that is the soul. So yes it is of great help. Mutribo: It doesn’t really have anything to do with a modern or an ancient world – it is about being at peace with yourself. So whatever is around you once that state is there.
WELLBEING
+ DIRECTION
HOROSCOPES – THE STARS HAVE A PLAN
WISDOM–
Lizzie Bodenham @livingbalancedesigns For an extended insight into your horoscope, visit thisisparadiso.com.au/stars
This is the dawning
Aries. Mar 20/21–Apr 19/20 The February Lunar Eclipse may have brought developments around a romantic relationship, a child, or a creative project and the need for balancing creative fulfilment, leisure time and friends. Feeling uplifted and having fun not only nurtures the physical heart, but broadcasts a frequency that benefits the greater whole. The February Solar Eclipse on the other hand is a super charged New Moon – good for intentions and group connections. Taurus. Apr 19/20–May 20/21 The Lunar Eclipse at the start of the month may have activated matters that are home or family-related. It may even help now to look back to what was set into motion with the eclipses last year. The February Solar Eclipse on the other hand spotlights making your mark and advancement in the wider world, so formulate aims which foster a sense of purpose, vitality or confidence. Gemini. May 20/21–Jun 21 Throughout this forecast period you may find the desire to study or explore gets stronger. The Lunar Eclipse at the beginning of February may have cast a light on feelings around where you are, here and now, and where you’d rather be. The February New Moon Solar Eclipse expands your freedom to explore, awareness of others’ viewpoints or opportunities for satisfying your mind’s need for stimulation. Cancer. Jun 21/22–Jul 22/23 Being a Moon ruled sign, Cancer is naturally attuned to the rhythms of lunar cycles, so mapping these rhythms may prove useful. Lunar and Solar Eclipses are amplified Full Moons and New Moons and can usher in changes over the coming six months or more. February carries on themes from last year around financial and emotional “comfort zones” which no longer serve your emerging self, possibly involving feelings around security and value.
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
Leo. Jul 22/23–Aug 22/23 The Lunar Eclipse in your sign at the onset of the month may have brought to light polarised feelings and the challenge of staying in your heart while retaining a certain degree of impersonal detachment. Situations involving individual appreciation or attention to friendships may have brought home the need to not be overly focused. The Solar Eclipse in mid-February however could be helpful for planting seeds around individual purpose, new connections or cooperative efforts. Virgo. Aug 22/23–Sep 22/23 The Lunar Eclipse at the beginning of February may have shed light on the need for some solitude or to keep a balance on nurturing your inner core. Relaxation techniques go a long way to enrich your mental or emotional outlook. The February New Moon Solar Eclipse is the perfect time for long-term implementation of new approaches and new rituals with your planetary ruler Mercury involved. Libra. Sep 22/23–Oct 23/24 The February Lunar Eclipse may have temporarily given rise to strong feelings around social life, friendships, or those worldly goals that have been put on the back burner. The New Moon Solar Eclipse in middle of February is the perfect time for Libra to use the magnetic power of their ruler, Venus, to attract future blessings around pleasure, children, creative fulfilment or social life. Scorpio. Oct 23–Nov 21/22 The Lunar Eclipse at the beginning of February may have underscored issues around work/home balance, vocational prospects or public profile vs the place where you live, family or emotional foundations. Your home or family life may need a boost of some sort. Jupiter’s expansive support is in a supportive dynamic with planetary ruler Pluto – it’s a potent time to release old stuff and emotions.
Sagittarius. Nov 22/23–Dec 21/22 The Lunar Eclipse at the beginning of February may have triggered awareness around travel near or far and around concerns involving intellect, study, or legal matters. The Solar Eclipse in Aquarius on the other hand animates your communications zone, so there could be developments around the way you get your message across, listen or share insight, spend time with siblings or within your community. Capricorn. Dec 21/22–Jan 19/20 February’s Lunar Eclipse may have spurred revelations in the department of financial obligations, secrets and intimate ties or bonds shared with others. Important choices or setting long-term plans into motion may be part of the mid February Solar Eclipse which activates the zone of money, possessions and talents. This potent energy may inspire inventiveness around managing funds, the conservation of resources or the desire to build worthwhile structures for the future. Aquarius. Jan 19/20–Feb 18/19 February’s Lunar Eclipse stimulates the relationship axis of your solar chart helping turn a corner or bring closure to certain significant relationships. The need to release any disharmony or balance personal needs with cooperation and listening to other viewpoints are essential to navigate this potentially fiery energy. The February Solar Eclipse in your sign has potential for new insights in the areas of personal appearance, your outlook and self-improvement. Pisces. Feb 18/19–Mar 20/21 The February Lunar Eclipse lit up the health, work and healing axis in your solar chart so the daily aspects of making a living, health habits and duties may have motivated the necessity for organisation. The mid-February Solar Eclipse reinforces the equal necessity to review, replenish and allow cues from your subconscious or intuitive self.
To explore your birth chart or current cycles and transits, contact Lizzie at lizziebastrofengshuiinsight@gmail.com
As the year gets underway, the month of February heralds the start of the Year of the yang Earth Dog (which begins every year at the start of the Chinese Solar calendar on Feb 4th/5th) and the first eclipse season of 2018 – a Full Moon Lunar Eclipse in Leo ushering in February and a New Moon Solar Eclipse in Aquarius on February 16th. These eclipses mark the halfway point of the series on the Leo-Aquarius axis that began on February 10, 2017 and continue themes of the last two years which are recalibrating key areas of life. Whether these synchronise with important life events depends largely on how they line up with with your unique natal birth chart. Regardless of personal Astrology however, the Solar Eclipse in Aquarius is a potent time for thinking objectively about freedom to express the unique self and focusing on future progress or inventive solutions. If you’re old enough to remember, every set of eclipses also relate back to ones 18–19 years ago, so the last cycle which included the same Leo/Aquarius combination was from August 1998 to July 2000.
Paradiso is free.
You just have to find it. 3 ways to find Paradiso No. 01– Have spiritual epiphany and realise that “Paradis(o) is not a place. It is a state of consciousness.” BOOM! Mind. Blown. Thank you Sri Chinmoy.
No. 02– Visit thisisparadiso.com.au/locations to view the list of amazing places that stock us. The list grows daily so keep checking. Better yet, let your favourite place (Australia wide) know about us and that your enjoyment levels at their place of business would increase ten fold if they stocked us. Done!
No. 03– Subscribe! Don’t miss out on the next issue because someone got greedy and took all of our mags five minutes before you arrived at your local cafe on your special Paradiso-PLUS-coffee pick up trip. Buy a subscription – thisisparadiso.com.au/subscribe – and we will send you a fresh bi-monthly mag, hot off the press. No more having to deal with that oh so passive aggressive magazine hog who reckons she is just picking up copies for her housemates.
FASHION
+ BEAUTY
THE GOOD LIFE
Ayurveda is the 5000 year old science of living and its wisdom is just as relevant today. The practice is unique in that it asks us to take responsibility for ourselves – in regard to the way we take in the world around us, what we choose to eat and how we interact with our environment. Ayurveda is a complete philosophy and often referred to as the sister science of yoga. Martin Pain from Light Ayurveda takes us through this ancient science.
Words– Martin Pain @lightayurveda Stylist– Beck Marshall @_the_new_story Photographer– Holly Graham @siystudio Muse– Nina Chandler
A connection with the divine
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
A CONNECTION WITH THE DIVINE
Ayurveda describes that we are each an individual expression of the divine or Prakruti. We are the door through which the divine looks at herself. This means that no one dosha is more desirable than another and also why it is not desirable to want to be predominantly vata, pitta or kapha dosha. This is why no two people are treated the same in Ayurveda. Ayurveda has a strong focus on balancing digestion, making it strong, steady and reliable. The two main digestions to focus on are our physical and our mental digestion (digestion of thoughts and emotions). When these two digestions are in balance, the body and mind will function correctly and in harmony with ourselves, our prakruti and the environment around us. Our immune strength will be strong, we will have energy and vitality, our skin will glow and we will have capacity for achieving what is important to us.
Dosha characteristics Vata Light, thin build Performs activities quickly Irregular hunger and digestion Insomnia or light interrupted sleep Excitability, changing moods Enthusiasm, creative with great imagination Quick to grasp and quick to forget Does not easily retain prana, throws it in all directions Tendency to worry, anxiety, fears Tires easily, tendency to overeat Tendency towards constipation Mental and physical energy erratic The basic temperament of the vata type is changeable and unpredictable When in balance vata types are compassionate, loving and beautiful.
Pitta Medium build Medium strength Strong digestion; good, sharp hunger Tendency towards anger, irritability under stress Fair, ruddy skin Intolerance to sun or hot weather Moderate at holding onto prana Good, impressive voice Regular mental energy Good regular meal habits Blonde, light brown or red hair The basic temperament of the pitta type is uptight. When in balance pitta types are compassionate, loving and beautiful.
Kapha Solid, powerful build, great physical strength Steady energy, slow and graceful action Slow to anger, relaxed personality Skin will be cool, oily, pale and thick Slow grasping power Good at preserving prana Good sleep Tendency to obesity Slow digestion Affectionate, tolerant and forgiving Tendency to be possessive The basic temperament of the kapha type is relaxed. When in balance kapha types are compassionate, loving and beautiful.
Ayurveda describes that we are each an individual expression of the divine or Prakruti. We are the door through which the divine looks at herself.
How to know when you are out of balance? When out of balance we will be creating toxins or ama in the body. This ama is experienced as follows: (Could be one or many) Difficulty getting out of bed in the morning Fatigue Heaviness Indigestion Stagnation of energy flow Lack of taste Poor appetite Sexual debility Mental confusion
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Common Causes of imbalance Overeating Eating processed foods Eating before the previous meal has been digested Eating too fast or on the run Eating without full attention on the food Leftover food Extremely dry or cold food Incompatible food combinations Inappropriate fasting Excessive water intake Smoking, alcohol, drugs Suppression of natural urges Rainy weather Summer Emotional factors such as worry, anxiety, fear, nervousness, grief, sadness, anger, stress
Signs we are in balance Courage Glowing complexion Strength (physical and mental) Clarity of thought Ability to fight injustice Enthusiasm Vitality Body temperature regulation Doshas in balance Correct elimination of wastes
FASHION
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+ BEAUTY
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
THE GOOD LIFE
A CONNECTION WITH THE DIVINE
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Swinwear from HER LINE. On the opposite page same.
FASHION
+ BEAUTY
THE GOOD LIFE
Body scrub recipes
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
Vata 1 tbsp besan flour with fresh full fat cow’s yogurt. Make into a paste and use as a light scrub in the shower following self massage.
Pitta 1 tbsp besan flour with fresh full fat cow’s milk. Make into a paste and use as a light scrub in the shower following self massage.
Kapha 1 tbsp besan flour with mustard seed oil. Make into a paste and use as a moderate scrub in the shower following self massage.
A CONNECTION WITH THE DIVINE
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Robe from SUMMER & STORM WOMEN. On opposite page Ikebana vase and flowers from BRÆR.
FASHION
+ BEAUTY
THE GOOD LIFE
Daily routines (Dinacharya) The daily routine is unique to Ayurveda and is one of the most powerful tools of healing. Often people will comment after starting the daily routines that they take up too much time. Ayurveda would respond by saying that is the point. It’s a positive thing to take some time (not long really, 15–20 minutes each morning) as time spent with ourselves is not wasted time – our attention is here and now, healing ourselves. This itself has an amazing affect on our wellbeing and only further enhances with these ancient daily practices.
Brush teeth and scrape tongue within three minutes of waking. This will remove ama deposited on the tongue as part of the metabolic processes during the night. Three minutes is important when consciousness returns to the body after waking the doshas start to move. This is called dosha gati. If the ama is not removed then it starts to become reabsorbed.
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Morning drink (ginger, lemon and honey)– Place ½ tsp fresh grated ginger in a glass and fill with boiling water. Allow to steep for 5–10 minutes. Once it is warm enough to drink comfortably add ½ tsp of fresh lemon juice and ½ tsp of raw honey and stir. Drink warm. This should be consumed on an empty stomach. This drink helps to clean and clear the gut ready for the first meal of the day.
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
Nasya (nasal drops)– Lay down somewhere comfortable and place two drops of warm, coldpressed black sesame oil in each nostril. Then massage a few times around the eyes to help the oil penetrate. This assists in hormonal regulation, pacifies vata and helps lift your mood.
A daily routine is absolutely necessary to bring radical change in body, mind and consciousness. – Dr Vasant Lad
Abhyanga (self massage)– 2–3 times per week apply warm coldpressed black sesame oil to the whole body. Stroke toward the heart and circular around the joints. Start from the feet and work upward toward the face and head. Improves skin quality, softness, muscle flexibility, immunity by stimulating lymphatic flow and pacifies all three dosha’s. It also relaxes and nourishes the nervous system and helps with sleep. Best performed before a warm shower. The shower helps the oil penetrate further.
Walking on the dew grass in the morning– This should be done early in the morning for 10 minutes bare foot. This stimulates the points on the soles of the feet that help to balance the nervous system and vata. The cool grass also helps to cool the blood, great in summer helps cool and clear the eyes and stabilise blood pressure.
A CONNECTION WITH THE DIVINE
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Natural cotton towel from MAYDE.
FASHION
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+ BEAUTY
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
THE GOOD LIFE
A CONNECTION WITH THE DIVINE
STO C K I STS her-line.com braerstudio.com mayde.com.au summerandstorm.com T H A N K YO U siystudio.com
Martin Pain Ayurvedic Practioner Light Ayurveda Available at The Mudita Institute 55 Stuart St Mullumbimby If you are interested in finding out more about Ayurveda, visit www.lightayurveda.com.au
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Swinwear from HER LINE. Hat stylist’s own.
ARTS
+ CULTURE
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY THE BYRON SCHOOL OF ART
Arts guide—
Amber Wallis— Part time Paintings
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Artist Amber Wallis discusses the lightness and darkness of parenting that permeates both the process, and narrative of her works.
I am now a mother and have had to renegotiate time to create a productive and consolidated art practice. Works once extensively ruminated over in the flesh are now pondered while I parent. In thinking about my child’s future, my thoughts stray to my past. These memories, both cherished and banished, have found their way into my mind and painting. My changed way of working has created a fragmented approach with long thought processes and minimal practical time. The works reflect this fragmentation with various vignettes. My paintings while still directed by the process of painting have nevertheless crept into the terrain of the domestic. Framing, architectural forms and interiors peak out of colour fields and landscapes. Interior spaces are woven throughout the works. Some paintings are begun by referencing my father’s 1970’s ‘Woodstock Handmade Houses’ book, my childhood skewed in the dark side of that hippy utopian vision. These books are the only tangible things that I have of my father’s. Other works are begun by referencing my own domestic space; bananas harvested from the yard, views from my studio. Sex continues to be explored in my work; pornography and the empty interiors of X-rated stills are also used as starting points. Yet the works become veiled, rooms turn into landscapes and the process of painting is allowed to erase these beginnings enabling new narratives to occur. I am interested in veiling to construct a psychological space that is strangely familiar rather than simply mysterious. I stretch representational elements into the abstract, allowing shape, form, composition and colour to take over to create a psychological landscape. My work rests in this territory of the uncanny, teetering on an edge between the known and the unknowable. Describe your form of artistic expression: At the moment, my form of artistic expression seems
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
to come most easily through painting. I have accepted that for this moment and space I find myself in life, this is how these deep need to create wants to be expressed. I am starting to get back into my photography practice and intend on collaborating with my painting practice. Where do you find your inspiration? Everyday life. The discovery of “liminal space” completely changed how I see, receive and experience every day life. The space between two spaces. I am drawn to our vast internal worlds which are reflected in our external lives. Colour, shape, shadow, form and the varying emotions of life embed themselves into my memory and eventually through different processes these evolve and begin to take on a life of their own. Name three people that inspire you: Agnes Martin, Pema Chondron and the poet, John O’Donohue. Can you tell us more about how motherhood has changed you both as an artist and a woman? Practically as an artist my time is incredibly compromised and limited but under the surface is now a simmering of almost meditative thought. It’s like this deep thinking that is occurring in the mundaneness of parenting. I allow it just to be there and come and go and when I get to the studio I have normally worked through some stuff in my head and I’m really ready to allow that deep thinking to then impact what happens on the canvas. It has also encouraged a truthfulness, strength and vulnerability to my inner workings as a woman and artist. I am wanting my practice to have stronger conceptual foundations, I feel things have to ‘count’ a little more. It has given me the courage to reflect on some of my early experiences as a child as I am able to in a way see the vulnerably of my early life by having a daughter and having an awareness of the vulnerabilities she might face as a girl and woman. amberwallis.com
ARTS GUIDE
Get inspired— February and March is a great time to … BSA Project Space Exhibition openings 16–28 February: WAVE by Peter Burgess, Emma Coulter, Brent Hallard, Suzie Idiens and Kyle Jenkins 2–14 March: On the Table and Other Works by Gudrun Klix, and Landscape and Memory by Jess Poulsen 16–28 March: abraxasaxarba by Michael Donnelly and Cultural Cringe by Jacob Boylan and Adam Oste 30 March–11 April: Relic by Terri Brooks and Michael Cusack and Collective Memory by Oksana Waterfall Book yourself in for some afternoon art Afternoon art club for schoolaged students: Afternoon Art Club invites aspiring young artists to the BSA studios for creative sessions with art materials and techniques under the guidance of artist and qualified art teacher, Jacqueline Smith.
Dance– Marissa Treichel Artistic Director, The Cassettes This issue we asked Marissa Treichel from “The Cassettes’ to describe her form of artistic expression: I’ve been the Artistic Director of The Cassettes for the last four years. There are two aspects: Flashmob Dance Company, and our 80s Dance Classes. Creating The Cassettes was medicine for my soul, because it allowed me to combine all of my creative loves: writing, choreography, music, art, fashion, and my absolute favourite – inventing beautiful creative experiences for our students. Where do you find your inspiration? Like all creatives, there’s external and internal inspiration, and they feed each other. I love to observe and absorb as well. There’s a statue of Mary outside
Trinity Catholic College that I can’t help but look at every time I exit Lismore. The gesture she’s making has found it’s way into (our beginner class), the Mix Tapes’ current dance piece, “Jump”, by Van Halen. I’m big on movement metaphors. I also watched a lot of TV as a kid and teenager in the 80s and 90s, and it’s amazing how vivid the comical/pop inspiration is still, from those adverts and shows. @thecassettesdance
Support Art in the Pub A Byron School of Art initiative in collaboration with c.a.s.e. inc. (Contemporary Art Space and Education). One Monday night a month, a visiting artist or art professional joins us at the The Court House Hotel in Mullumbimby to talk about their practice. These are free events open to the public. Check the BSA website for more. BSA Short Courses Program Dale Rhodes: Introduction to painting (IP1802) Dates: 8 Mondays, 10am to 2:30pm, 12 February–9 April Zom Osborne and Michelle Dawson: Life drawing (ld1801) Dates: 8 Tuesday evenings 6pm–8:30pm, 20 February–10 April 2018 Visual arts introduction course (VAI1801) Dates: 12 Fridays 10am–3pm, 2 March–8 June For further details on all workshops, events and openings visit byronschoolofart.com
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CURRENT MUSE
Art and music, music and art. Reg (real name Chris) is a man who’s life would appear to be a very creative and fun journey. You may know him from those catchy songs on the airwaves with his band Mental as Anything. You may know him from his fine art paintings exhibited in galleries around the world. Or you may know him from a t-shirt you own with one of his incredible Mambo designs on it. Fortunately for me we are old mates from work and every few months we phone each other up and crap on about music and art and occasionally other stuff. I personally find it very enjoyable and always inspirational. So when Paradiso asks me to do exactly that I say, “not a problem I’ll call him today”.
Words– Paul Mc Neil @paulmcneilart Images– Reg Mombassa
Arty as anything A few words of wisdom with Reg Mombassa
Paul: I reckon if you asked an average Australian to name one artist, I think they would probably name you before Ken Done or Sydney Nolan. Does that make you the most famous? Reg: Ha, I don’t know. I mean, I would like to be our most famous artist. It’s really nice that people recognise your work or like your work – not everyone, but some people. I’ve always appreciated that, because it’s very easy for artists to slip between the cracks. I know a lot of artists and musicians, more talented and hardworking than me – who haven’t had those breaks. So, a lot of it really is a lot to do with luck or being around the right place at the right time. Do you think the fine art world takes you seriously? I think in the past, some of those people – they’d see me as a tee-shirt guy or a minor celebrity that was trading on that kind of stuff to get some traction, but I think they’re a bit more tolerant these days. Do you care what they think? No, I’m not going to alter what I do. I mean, you hopefully don’t care about any of that stuff but it’s nice if people acknowledge you. You’re obviously a very high achiever. Was there something you tried and failed hopelessly? Oh, surfing. 44
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
[laughing] You’re no good at surfing? No, not really. When I was sixteen, I lived in Auckland and I knew some surfers and I had a long, nine-foot six board – and did a bit of surfing and hung around with those guys, but I wasn’t very particularly good, and I couldn’t swim very well either, so that kind of made it unattractive. I’m not very hardy, so having to get in that freezing water and stuff didn’t really appeal to me. So, I just realised that I wasn’t going to get anywhere with that, so I sold my board and bought an amplifier. Good idea. Music became your life. Yeah, pretty much. Oh, music and art, you know? It’s always been a combination of those two things. Music and Art – do you ever feel your career was somewhat accidental or lucky? Oh, yeah, to some extent, when you create, people appreciating what you do encourages you, and it does propel you along. Some artists say, “Oh, no, I would just do it whether people liked it or not. I would just sit in my room and do it forever and not care if anyone ever saw it.” I find that hard to understand or believe. Have you ever had a regular job? Yeah, I have, actually. I worked on and off part-time and full-time from the age of fifteen to mid-twenties. I started off doing work
like builder’s labouring because my father was a carpenter, so I got a bit of work with him or his mates when I was young. Then worked for other people as a builder’s labourer and a house painter (not that hard). Once I worked for a while, as a ditch digger, and I was a cleaner and a kennel man. Worked for the RSPCA for about a year as an ambulance driver, so that was a weird sort of job. Pretty hard work. Yeah, well, having those kinds of jobs make you realise that you don’t really want to do that for the rest of your life. I know you’ve got a deep knowledge of fine art, but what were some of the influences that fuelled your passion and style over the years? Well, when I was a kid, I didn’t have much knowledge of fine art. My mother is Northern English working class and dad was from the rural Irish peasantry, so, we didn’t have a lot of fine-art pictures on the walls or art books lying around the house. I wasn’t really aware of those influences, but I loved comics. I loved graphics and story books and ads in the paper. That’s what I was aware of until I got to high school where I was doing art. I started getting art books out of the library and I started copying pictures out of them, so I really loved all the impressionist work actually. Partly because
REG MOMBASSA
it was easier than trying to copy renaissance paintings. I didn’t have much success at that, but you could actually get a bit of a reasonable facsimile copying Monet’s pictures and Van Gogh’s and Cezanne’s. And so, those still remain my favourite artists in a way. You never shy away from a gag. Were comedians influential ? Oh, yeah. Definitely, as a kid we had the Tellygoons on TV. They were sort of like a cheap animated version of the Goon Show from England, and I loved that. And as I got older, books like the Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien, the Irish writer – that was a big influence on me. A sort of absurdist – weird, comedy kind of writing. Famous books like Catch 22 and The Good Soldiers – all that kind of stuff I really liked. So, yeah, it did have an 45
influence. Also, the great British shows like Monty Python and also later The Mighty Boosh and League of Gentlemen. Was your work considered absurd and were you comfortable with it? As a teenager, I sort of did some weird work. As I got older and was at art school, I was influenced by people like Francis Bacon and underground cartoonists like Robert Crumb. So, all that absurd art as well as the more landscape sort of thing. I guess, in a way, it was really working for Mambo that I started doing a lot of that work and I really found more of a way into my art that I was exhibiting in galleries That was a very productive time for you. Did it push your ideas and creativity further? Oh, definitely. Yes, definitely. That
is what I mean about lucky breaks or just interesting opportunities presenting them to you. It’s good to take them if you can because doing that work for Mambo and also having that pressure to churn out a fair bit of art, it was very productive. It was very valuable, I think, in terms of leading you down a path that you may not have followed just sitting in your studio, doing your normal stuff to exhibit at a gallery. Yeah, looking over your work, it’s so full of great ideas. Would you consider yourself an ideas person? To some extent. I mean, I still quite enjoy the relative boringness of sitting down for days, doing a finely finished landscape. I sort of had a reasonable method of coming up with ideas at Mambo – like something you’d seen on the news or magazines pictures of various things like dogs or earth moving equipment or a real estate magazine, plus books on tribal, Mexican or 3D art. These could inspire an idea of putting some stuff together to come up with some ridiculous circular visual pun or whatever. Conversely your landscapes have an emptiness and certain pathos about them … Yeah, I guess so. In a lot of ways, many things about human life are kind of really appalling and tragic and violent and ridiculous. It kind of comes from that, I guess. I have really happy memories of growing around the suburbs of semi-rural areas around Auckland and people say often my pictures of those houses look a bit gloomy or disturbing or whatever. There’s all those elements in suburban life too, of people having crap lives and fractured lives and people drinking too much and getting sick and that. I guess the big tragedy about being a human is that, at some stage, you or your friends and relatives are going to get sick and die, and everyone’s got to deal with that so there’s always that kind of at the back of your mind in a way. I think W. H. Auden once said that “death is like being at a picnic, with the sound of distant thunder” – it’s kind of always there. Religion features a lot of your work, but how does it figure in your life? I’ve always been kind of interested
ARTS
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CURRENT MUSE
And by being kind, I’m saying be kind to other people, be kind to the animals, be kind to nature. So, that’s pretty simple. That’s why I called it ‘Simplicisticism’.
in religion. I mean, obviously I grew up in a Christian culture. My father is actually an Irish Catholic, but he hated the church. Once he left Ireland, he never set foot in a church again. But my mother was an Anglican, she founded Anglican Sunday School and bible class, and I kind of believed it until I was about thirteen and then it just kind of melted away. But it’s part of the culture and I knew all the stories and I read bible comics and stuff like that. I just find because I’m interested in history and it’s such a blood-soaked affair too. Religion seems to have a lot of responsibility for all these kinds of weird and unpleasant things. Obviously religious people of churches are various types and there’s something very positive about it, and its great people feel good about it and have some sort of sense of community and ritual and all that kind of stuff. But one of the worst things, I’ve always thought, about Christianity – particularly Catholic Christianity – was the fact that it made people incredibly guilty about enjoying sex. They couldn’t enjoy it. It was so prescribed and that, to some extent, was the fault of St Augustine, the fourth century Roman Christian philosopher. It was him that worked up all that stuff about women being filthy and sex being disgusting. So, that’s one of the things that religion should be very ashamed of. Do you try to break down religion and humanise it, or ridicule it? Oh, probably a mixture. It’s just good subject matter and, in a way, I do a lot of the Australian Jesus stuff. I mean, that just happened by mistake really, because it was one of those things where there was a show about this guy calling himself the Australian Jesus and I thought that was funny, and just started doing stuff. I personally like the idea of hundreds of people owning a piece of art on a tee-shirt. I really like the idea that normal people can appreciate art or have art. A lot of people won’t go to dealer galleries because they’re a bit intimated by it, and the high-art concept baffles a lot of people. I still like so-called high-art and I like exhibiting in galleries. I think there’s something really good about that, but I also like the idea that you can do posters and tee-shirts and relatively inexpensive prints that anyone can get. I think that’s a really good thing. When you think about it, most people are sort of artists or pop-artists to some extent
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
because everyone presents themselves in a certain way and people decorate their homes and their gardens and their cars. So, everyone’s an artist in a way. Everyone is creative somehow ... Everyone is creative, yeah, and that’s a good thing. Did you feel like Mambo was a pop art movement and did you see any similarities with the music industry? Oh, yes, totally. They sort of intertwined really, didn’t they? Because of Mambo having a record company and a record shop (Phantom Records) and employing musicians and doing posters and record covers, and the artists doing that stuff. I mean, pop-art and pop music has always been very closely related, just because of all the great artwork that goes into the album covers and posters and tour posters and the clothes that musicians wear – it’s always been very closely related. I guess at first, with Mambo, it was just another graphic art job, but it soon became obvious that it was developing a life of its own as a sort of defacto art movement. You were also creating record covers and tour posters. Was that a kick to be doing the sort of art you’d admired as a music fan? Definitely. I think being in bands and knowing people in bands is probably what started me doing specifically graphic art, really. When I was at high school and first at art school, I just wanted to be a painter, really. I wasn’t considering being a graphic artist but, when you start doing it, you think, “Oh, this is good fun.” Also, you can earn a bit of money on the side doing it and obviously it helped me getting a job at Mambo because they had seen a record cover I’d done. Your art and graphic design skills advanced incredibly over the years. Self taught? Oh, it’s pretty self-taught. I still sort of regret that I never learned to be a better layout artist or use computers better – just being more adventurous that way. I don’t use a lot of different lettering styles. But you do learn as you go along and just seeing all the great work that the other Mambo artists were doing, and having that earlier liking of comics and then underground comics – all that stuff influences you as well. Yes, very inspiring. Moving to music, your band – Mental as Anything – started out as a small group of friends playing in pubs.
Did you ever think about the future and the possibility of being successful? No, not really. At the time, it was really you just wanted to play, really. The idea of playing a few of your favourite covers at art student’s parties was the initial emphasis. Then, as people obviously liked it and it built up ahead of steam, we thought, “Oh, we may as well probably start writing a couple of our own songs,” which we did and that was good fun. A couple of them were going over okay and then someone asked us to record. So, again, it was a bit like Mambo, really. It had a life of its own and it was kind of unplanned and relatively chaotic, which I like. Mental as Anything did become successful here in Australia, for years and years and then internationally as well. Presumably that’s what you were aiming for, but did it seem real and did you think you actually ever ‘got there’? No, I don’t think we ever did feel we ever got there. I mean, you’re always thinking you want more people to listen to what you do, and you want to keep doing good stuff. Again, we had periods where we were doing pretty well, and we had successful albums. We only really had, I think, one hit overseas but that was enough to tour in Europe and America and that was interesting and fun. In some ways, I could almost see that suddenly becoming really big in America could be incredibly dangerous too, as well, for various reasons. You have a very creative guitar style. Do you approach it as an artist? Yeah, I guess so. I mean, generally, just about every guitarist I see, I think, “Oh, they can play better than me. They know more chords. They know more, and they can play slicker and faster stuff.” I mean, I’m sixty-six now and I only just feel more confident about jamming. Would you consider your life as “alternative”? Oh, yeah, I would, actually. Yeah, definitely. Even as an adolescent and a teenager, I felt like I wasn’t really part of the mainstream. At that time in New Zealand, the main interests for most people were sport and street fighting and mountain climbing, and I had no interest in any of those things. So, you immersed yourself in an artistic world. What have you taught your kids, in
REG MOMBASSA
regard to fulfilling a creative life? Well, I don’t think I’ve really formally taught them anything. I guess, it’s just an example, really. They see you doing it. They all do creative things. My son has a day job, but he still does graphics all the time – computer graphics. He writes songs – Aussie style hip-hop – and both my daughter’s played instruments and did art at high school and stuff. And now my daughter, Lucy, is a professional artist. And my other daughter is a comedian, so I guess she was influenced by all that stuff as well. In a way, I think having a creative job is not always an easy thing. It can be a really hard way to make a living and it can be really disappointing and frustrating too. Any advice for the world, Reg? [laughing] Any advice for the world? Well, the last show I did, I called it ‘Simplicisticism’. A small essay in the catalogue said, “I’m launching a global political party - religious movement – called Simplicisticism.” And the idea of that is, obviously, is to be more simplistic – to be something of a simple turnip – take your foot off the accelerator, don’t try too hard, be kind to people. A religion needs – what do you call them? Commandments. Originally, I thought, “You have two. “Don’t bully, Be kind.” And then I thought, “Well, you don’t need the ‘don’t bully’ part because, if you’re being kind, the implication is you’re not bullying.” By being kind, I’m saying be kind to other people, be kind to the animals, be kind to nature. So, that’s pretty simple. That’s why I called it ‘Simplicisticism’. So, that’s my advice for the world. I’m still promoting that global religious political party. Thanks Reg, good advice.
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regmombassa.com facebook/RegMombassa @regmombassaofficial
ARTS
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BI-MONTHLY BOOK CLUB
The Book—
NEXT BOOK CLUB–
Just Kids by Patti Smith
Email us if you are interested in reviewing this book for Issue 03: beck@thisisparadiso.com.au
From the decadence of 1920s Hong Kong, to cholera plagued mainland China, The Painted Veil explores betrayal, love, bravery, relationships and redemption.
The Painted Veil – W. Somerset Maugham
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EXPERIENCE–
EXPERIENCE–
EXPERIENCE–
Second Hand
Borrowed
Movie ;)
Tania from Crystal Creek
Natalie from Tyagarah
Lila from Mullumbimby
Tell us the plot in one sentence ... Love, betrayal, death, growth and forgiveness in English Colonial China in the 1920s. Who was your hero? Walter Fane because he was basically a good man but very much in love with the wrong woman. A humanitarian trying to do good works under very trying conditions. Favourite part of the story? The storyline as it moved to mainland China. Somerset Maughan’s writing is so powerful that you can clearly picture the atmosphere of the time, the geography and the people. What did you love/not love about your experience? I loved getting to know the different characters introduced into the storyline, especially the Customs Official Waddington and his Chinese wife and the French Nuns. What did you learn? So much has changed since the 1920s but also so much remains the same. Who should read this story? I would recommend Somerset Maugham to everyone. A really entertaining and clever writer. Did you finish? Yes, I have read it a few times.
Tell us the plot in one sentence ... Woman has affair, husband finds out and takes wife away to the centre of a killer cholera epidemic in China as punishment. Who was your hero? There was no hero for me, it wasn’t that kind of story which I found refreshing. Favourite part of the story? I like that the writer created honest characters who were imperfect people, dealing with their own misgivings and learning to overcome major struggle within themselves. What did you love/not love about your experience? I borrowed this book off a friend and my salt lamp leaked on the cover ruining it ... I did not love having to tell them I’d wrecked their book! What did you learn? You never know where life will take you but there is always incredible value in where the journey leads you. Who should read this story? People who don’t need a fairy tail ending. Did you finish? Yes!
Tell us the plot in one sentence ... A spoilt woman cheats on her trusting husband, get taken to middle of nowhere China, realises husband is amazing and falls in love. Who was your hero? Walter Fane, the poor cheated on husband. His character goes through such an incredible transformation that we see his bravery, selflessness and strength. Favourite part of the story? When Walter saves Kitty from a riot – his transformation from weak to hero is complete. What did you love/not love about your experience? I loved the incredible cinematography of rural China captured in the film. I have read the story too (so I didn’t completely cheat on book club) and was amazed with the huge differences in the plot between the book and the movie. Hollywood tweaked the story – I kind of liked it though. What did you learn? Learning a little about China’s history (through film story telling) was amazing. Who should read this story/watch this film? Anyone who loves a heart wrenching emotional rollercoaster of a story. Did you finish? Of course!
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
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Seeking
A creative
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Work Work is transforming from a casual co-working space to a dedicated creative collective, offering permanent shared office space. Positions in the collective are open through application.
collective is forming in Mullumbimby.
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To apply to join the new collective or ask any questions, send us an email– wereally@loveworkwork.com.au
Current members of the Collective– Oh Babushka @ohbabushka
The new story @_the_new_story
Paradiso @paradiso_magazine_
Velvet Canyon @velvetcanyon
loveworkwork.com.au
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Light Ayurveda @lightayurveda
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@loveworkwork
TRAVEL
+ ADVENTURE
I WANT TO GO TO THERE
Inspired by visions of turquoise water, swaying coconut palms, lush rainforests dripping with flowers, ukulele fuelled dance parties and cocktail dreams served poolside, this summer our Art Director, Lila Theodoros booked a last minute flight and took her family to Hawaii.
Words and photography– Lila Theodoros @ohbabushka Muse– The Royal Hawaiian @royal_hawaiian royal-hawaiian.com
The Royal Hawaiian –Waikiki, Hawaii
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
I was brought up on a healthy dose of classic movies so my popular culture references for our Hawaii experience were thickly laced with visions of Big Kahunas hanging ten at Waikiki Beach, hibiscus flowers lining the tropical green roads, and, of course, being ceremoniously draped with lush floral leis as soon as we stepped off the plane in Honolulu – Aloha. So, I had very high and specific expectations for our Hawaii getaway. My Hawaii fantasy proved to be a little off … at first. We arrived in Honolulu International Airport on the island of Oahu, mid-morning after an overnight Hawaiian Airlines flight from Brisbane (thankfully avoiding any extended stopovers and making travelling with my four year old son as easy as possible). After being disappointed at receiving no leis on the tarmac on arrival, we jumped into a cab and headed straight over to famous Waikiki – a beach-front neighbourhood of Honolulu located on the south shore of the island. Once a retreat for Hawaiian royalty in the 1800s, Waikiki is now a dense and buzzing centre for luxury resort hotels, tourist traps and more high end retail brands than you can pour your recently converted US Dollars into. Enjoy this if you wish, but to truly capture some of that Pacific Paradise dream, move down to the beach. And that’s what we did. Waikiki Beach – despite the hype, the crowds, the cost – absolutely lives up to its 51
reputation. It is incredible. Framed by ancient Diamond Head, the bluest tropical ocean water shimmers in the bay while hundreds float on longboards, standup paddles boards, tubes and inflatable unicorns. Thousands lie in the bright yellow sunshine, their coconut oil drenched bodies crisping to a holiday acceptable redorange glow. And in amongst all of this lies The Royal Hawaiian. Behind the intensity of Waikiki, the desperation of travellers yearning for that perfect pacific paradise holiday experience by throwing money at anything that might secure that dream, lies an oasis – a pink building protectively cocooned between a lush green coconut grove, a beach-front lined with pink umbrellas and the sparkling, turquoise blue pacific ocean. The Royal Hawaiian, one of Waikiki’s original luxury hotels, opened in 1927 as a six-story, 400-room structure, fashioned in a Spanish-Moorish style. The Pink Palace of the Pacific is a retreat from the chaos of modern Waikiki – we enter through the sweeping pink archways, are greeted by staff and covered in floral and Kukui seed leis. Dream come true. Big life goals tick! We stay in the historic building – the original hotel that still features giant rooms, oversized walk in wardrobes and high ceilings. We embrace the style of travel from days gone by. We move slowly through old coconut
groves and long open air hallways, enjoying the beautiful details hidden in plain sight – the way the archways frame the palm leaves found thick in the lush and alive surrounding tropical gardens, the symmetry and soothing simplicity of the building design, the softness of the colour palette, pink perfectly contrasting with nature’s greens. The experience is an incredible mix of old world, sophisticated Pacific Paradise travel and 1920’s American decadence. I imagine past visitors wearing white linen, strolling through the tropical garden, cooling themselves with lace fans, enjoying classic cocktails while rocking in chairs lined up on the grand covered verandahs. We venture out occasionally into the rush rush of Waikiki, being good parents and explore places like the zoo, the aquarium. But even my son is more inclined to just relax in what he is now calling “his palace”. So we stay, we relax and we marvel at the famous hotel that sits on the famous Waikiki Beach. And sure, there are more beautiful beaches and much less crowded towns found all over the Hawaiian islands. But Waikiki Beach and places like The Royal Hawaiian have been flaming our imaginations for more than a century. It really is cocktails at sunset, vibrant leis dripping with flowers, the Aloha spirit, surfing with Big Kahunas – the carefree tropical dream. Mahalo.
TRAVEL
+ EXPLORE
TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT
10 things I love about ...
We explore Murwillumbah and discover the ten things we love about this vibrant Northern Rivers country town.
Mur-bah {-willum-} 2484 01 Hike to the top of a giant hill on foot-burning concrete for the sole reward of jumping on the giant waterslide at the MURWILLIMBAH POOL. 02 Order a classic chocolate milkshake from THE AUSTRAL CAFE AND BAKERY and receive the extras left over still in the metal mixing cup. 03 Make the hard decision between a delicious house-made sweet treat paired with one of the best coffees in the area or just go for it and order a ploughmans board and drinky drink at KEITH (pictured). 04 Get a proper culture fix at the TWEED REGIONAL GALLERY & MARGARET OLLEY ART CENTRE – peak inside Margaret Olley's house, soak in regularly changing exhibitions and take in beautiful Tweed River views over coffee and scones. 05 Whether you enjoy a round of golf or not, the MURWILLUMBAH GOLF COURSE offers one of the most beautiful natural vistas in the area – hire a cart, sink a few putts and take a deep breath while enjoying the views to Mount Wollumbin. 06 Enjoy local epicurean delights at the Wednesday morning FARMERS MARKET. 07 M-ARTS PRECINCT Delight in this emerging arts hub that celebrates and supports local artisans, whose studios are open to the public every Monday. 08 Catch an arthouse film or Hollywood blockbuster at the beautiful, art deco rich REGENT CINEMA. 09 On a Sunday, make the short drive to THE HARE KRISHNA FARM and sing your heart out at the kirtan session, followed by the most delicious vegetarian food at the Sunday Feast – all free and spiritually inspiring. 10 Travel back in time to the glory days of summer holidays at the souvenir filled Wish You Were Here exhibition at the TWEED REGIONAL MUSEUM.
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
YOUR WEEKEND ITINERARY
GUIDE–
Beck Marshall PHOTOG RAPHY–
Lila Theodoros
A show to see Here in our region, nature really knows how to put on a show! We’ve come up with a few day trip ideas for picnicking, platypuses, waterholes and markets. Our tip – be kind when you’re there. Pick up, pack up and be thankful.
Uki Uki is all kinds of special and one of the most beautiful villages in the world. Both markets (artisan and farmers) offer unique and exotic goods. Don’t miss Friday night tapas at Mavis’s Kitchen.
Nimbin Nimbin is known the world over as Australia’s most famous hippy destination and alternative lifestyle capital. Look a little deeper than the endless tour buses and you will find a community thriving with businesses like the Rainbow Power Company and fascinating places like Djanbung Permaculture Gardens.
Natures Arch
Mebbin
Located in the Springbrook National Park, visit the picturesque Natural Bridge formation – once formed by the force of the waterfall over the erosive basalt cave. Wander through the ancient Gondwana rainforest to the Natural Bridge rock arch. Enjoy its interesting array of wildlife and remember we are the visitors so clean up behind yourselves!
Outside of Murwillumbah and towards Kyogle, Mebbin National Park is a World Heritage park, great for bushwalking, picnicking, bike or horse riding and camping.
Repentance Creek Whatever way you approach it, Repentance Creek is a real show to see. A beautiful hamlet steeped in history and surrounded by some of our most interesting hidden communities.
Broken Head Tea Tree lakes The copper coloured lake is permanently discoloured by ti-tree tannins from the trees that surround the lake. The ti-tree infused water is said to have therapeutic and rejuvenating properties and is a sacred and traditional site for the local indigenous Bundjalung women. Remember this has healed our sisters for 100’s of years so respect her. 53
Mount Jerusalem National Park Head north towards Uki and you will stumble upon an untouched array of waterfalls, walking trails, protected wildlife and incredible views of the ranges. Be prepared to get lost – it’s all part of the adventure. Be kind to her – she’s a beauty.
Crams Farm Reserve
Rocky Creek Dam
Clarrie Hall Dam or Crams Farm Reserve is located on Doon Doon Creek – an arm of the Tweed River, south-west of Murwillumbah. Crams Farm is a peaceful day spent out. A little bit Yosemite National Park, a little American summer camp right here in our Shire.
Rocky Creek Dam is a place for platypus lovers (we are included here). The dam has a platypus viewing platform, elevated boardwalk and pontoon bridge. There is a bloody amazing picnic and barbecue area (with wood supplied), benches, tables and children’s play equipment.
THIS COMMUNITY
OF OURS
THE WAY WE WERE
Read all about a legendary rock’n’roll legacy that spanned over 40 years ... in 3000 words. Meet Keven & Karin Oxford and Dan Doeppel, the formidable trio that brought us to The Cramps when we were 14 years old, The Arts Factory and The East Coast Blues Festival (now Bluesfest). Thanks Keven for this golden tale of music history.
Words– Keven Oxford Images– All photos taken at The Arts Factory by Karin Oxford
The golden days 1967 to 1978– Meeting Dan, early days of promoting music in Byron Bay in the 70’s and Sunrock 78 It was at a screening of the movie The Endless Summer at Gosford Cinema in 1967 as an 18-year-old surfer that I first crossed paths with Dan Doeppel. My friends and I had travelled from the Ocean Beach on the Central Coast for the movie and during interval had snuck outside to partake of a little weed, in order to enhance our cinematic experience. As we huddled in the shadows performing our illicit ceremony, we were confronted by a group of longhaired, buckskin jacketed, bead-wearing freaks looking like they’d just arrived from the ‘Summer Of Love’, begging to join in our illegal activity. These colourful characters turned out to be The Nutwood Rug Band, card carrying members of a psychedelic, electric, music group, newly arrived by boat from Manhattan Beach, California and fresh from playing with the likes of The Doors. The band numbered five, plus two buddies that’d joined them in their adventure to the bottom of the world to escape the draft. They chose the NSW central coast as their destination, after researching local libraries back home looking for good surf spots within a twohour drive of Sydney. Two of the guys in the band were good surfers. After the movie, we adjourned to their temporary rented digs, an abandoned bowling alley. Once inside, they prepared to 54
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
blow our young, fragile, eggshell minds, with music we’d only read about. The sounds of Love, Buffalo Springfield & Big Brother and The Holding Company flowed from their speakers. A bond was forged that night that lasted almost 40 years. A chance meeting that changed the lives of some of us forever. Some months later, Dan purchased Sunnybank Farm at Ourimbah, a beautiful country farmhouse on acres with enough room to create music in paradise. Nutwood Rug Band quickly became part of Sydney’s burgeoning progressive Psychedelic scene, joining groups like Tamam Shud, Tully & The Id playing Intergalactic Light Shows presented by underground filmmakers UBU with light shows courtesy of Ellis D Fogg. Dan became part of a collective that staged Australia’s first music festival. Pilgrimage For Pop was held over Australia Day weekend in 1970. Nutwood Rug, Max Merritt & The Meteors, Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, Tully, Tamam Shud & Chain along with the cream of Sydney’s progressive bands performed. As the Vietnam War raged a crowd of 12,000 came together for two days of peace, love & music at Ourimbah. Success proved elusive for Nutwood Rug. They recorded an incredible album that never saw the light of day and sadly drifted apart. I spent a lot of time with Dan during the post-band years, living at Sunnybank Farm, travelling Australia and playing music together. Disillusioned, he eventually sold Sunnybank Farm and headed
north, finally settling in Byron Bay. We’d lost touch for a few years, but in 1976 he visited my wife Karin and I on the central coast with an offer to pack up the family & move to Byron and become partners in a concert promotions company and Live Coverage was born. The company was formed primarily to fund renovations for a ramshackle ex-piggery that Dan purchased for the princely sum of $17,000. His vision was to create an arts-hub, where likeminded artisans came together to create under the one roof and exhibit in a large licenced restaurant and performance space. Live Coverage picked up touring international and Australian artists and presented them at various venues from Coffs Harbour to the QLD border. Our main venue was Lismore City Hall, where we promoted concerts by Blondie, BB King, Split Enz, Fairport Convention, Little River Band, Osibisa and many others. For almost three years we staged concerts for a northern rivers audience, starved of quality music. At one outdoor concert at The Everglades (now Byron at Byron) with Richard Clapton headlining and several local bands supporting, we’d anticipated a few hundred punters, but over 3000 tickets were sold on the day and we had to close the gates. When Richard opened with Blue Bay Blues, his ode to Byron Bay, the locals went crazy. On the 1978 Australia Day weekend we promoted a one-day music festival at Globetrotters Park (now Elements of Byron
THE GOLDEN DAYS
The Cramps playing at The Arts Factory, November 1990. On opposite page from left Karin Oxford, Dan Doeppel, Keven Oxford and Merv Watriama. (Merv was a crazy character and well known Byron personality.)
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THIS COMMUNITY
OF OURS
Resort). Sunrock 78 with Aussie festival stalwart Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs headlining drew a respectable crowd, but nowhere near enough to cover our huge setup costs. Dubbed, “Where the old wave meets the new wave & washes up in paradise”, we’d brought a few new wave and punk bands from Sydney and Brisbane plus local bands and threw them together with Thorpie. Not our greatest idea. Despite ABC’s new alternative radio station 2 Double Jay getting behind the event, we just didn’t draw the crowd required. That turned out to be Live Coverage’s swansong. 1983 to 1990– Birth of The Piggery, Byron Bay Arts Factory, our involvement, Bands, The Golden Days etc Even though Live Coverage didn’t work out, Dan, Karin and I were obsessed with making his dream for a multi-purpose arts centre become a reality. Karin and I returned to Sydney to raise funds and return to Byron. With financial help from his mum back in California and support from talented locals, Dan managed to put together a unique venue, unlike anything at the time. In 1983 we received the call from Dan. We packed up the family and headed north once more. My wife Karin, like many university students, had supported herself by working and managing some of the best bars & restaurants in Sydney. She was a natural as licensee for The Piggery. I’d been working for record companies and managing and producing bands with some success. I’d made great contacts that would prove invaluable for the venue. Working alongside Dan again we were a formidable trio. We believed that we had the best venue, in the best town in Australia. We just needed to convince everyone else. In 1985 we began to look further afield for stimulus that would enhance our business. We undertook annual pilgrimages to the USA for inspiration. We’d travel thousands of miles scouring swap meets and yard sales throughout California & beyond to bring back unique objects to decorate the venue. It became a shrine to pop culture. In the late eighties there was nothing in the country like The Piggery Arts Factory. Good news spreads fast & we found ourselves in the enviable position of having international artists request a stopover in Byron as part of their itinerary. We were the only regional date outside of capital cities for many international tours. Our booking policy was eclectic to say the least; we dealt direct with promoters and managers enabling us to secure incredible talent. The list of artists that played the venue over its 10-year history is truly impressive. National acts like Midnight Oil, Hunters & Collectors, The Divinyls, Hoodoo Gurus, The Angels, Paul Kelly, The Models, Yothu Yindi and The Go-Betweens to name but a few. Crowded House played their first ever show at The Piggery. International artists the calibre of New Order, PIL, The Ramones, Henry Rollins, The Cramps, Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth and 56
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
THE WAY WE WERE
The Buzzcocks. Our Australia Day concerts were legendary with the likes of The Pogues and Violent Femmes performing. From Marianne Faithfull, The Band, Lucinda Williams, Michelle Shocked, Jeff Healy, Cheap Trick, Rick Wakeman, Los Lobos, Rik Mayall & Ben Elton, Tom Rush to The Wailers. Whether it was Punk, Prog, Funk, Folk, Reggae, Jazz, Comedy, Dance, Fashion Parades or Skateboard Demos, you’d find it at The Piggery. Did someone mention Blues? Everyone from Robert Cray, Albert Collins, Roy Buchannan, Brownie McGhee, Johnny Winter, Buddy Guy, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bo Diddley, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Jimmy Witherspoon, John Hammond and Albert King. Punters would drive from Brisbane regularly to see artists in Byron. During our decade reign we presented over 1500 major concerts. Our liquor licence allowed under 18’s entry if accompanied by a responsible adult and consequently we became hugely popular with local youth. I knew something was happening when my 16-year-old daughter and her girlfriends begged me to allow them to deliver Fugazi’s band rider backstage. Attending shows became a right of passage for many of Byron’s young. Even today, I hear from forty year olds who remind me of incredible nights spent with their favourite bands at the venue. Good things however, don’t last forever. The Piggery was once on the wrong side of the tracks and neighbours weren’t too close. But, when Dan and I saw surveyors pegging out building blocks directly across the road from us, we knew life as we knew it, was about to become a lot harder. The ten Housing Commission dwellings that were eventually erected on those blocks contained families that didn’t appreciate being woken up by drunken revellers stumbling back into town and pissing on their front lawns. Inevitably, a community action group was formed. Concerned residents, who opposed live music and late-night venues, now had a voice. Live music was not only under threat at our venue, but every venue in town. Heated public meetings were held and nobody could agree on a solution. Police encouraged residents to make noise complaints, whether valid or not. Something had to give, and it did. During a packed to the rafter’s night with US Blues legend Albert Collins & The Icebreakers, an elite Police unit from Liquor Licencing, Sydney armed with video recorders decided to raid us. As Police burst in, Albert with his trademark 30m long guitar lead was standing atop our back bar, shredding with his guitar. When Karin the Licensee confronted the officers wearing a rubber mini-skirt, it was all a bit too much for the officers. We were 300 over our legal capacity (900), which alone was enough for them to issue us with serious fines and threats of loss liquor licence. Costly court battles ensued that resulted in a reduction of closing time from 3am to 1am. It didn’t stop there. We had RBT units set up at the entrance to Skinners Shoot Road, causing traffic jams at closing time while they endeavoured to breath-test every vehicle leaving the venue. Not
random. This hit our trading hard. We employed extra security and even had our own Patrol Car, painted just like an American Police vehicle that cruised our neighbourhood nightly. If we were to survive, it was time to think outside the box. 1988 to 1992– The Birth Of Bluesfest and The Death Of The Piggery, Byron Bay During our annual sojourns to the USA, we’d attend many music festivals, Rock, Reggae, Folk and Blues. While sitting on a hill overlooking the 1988 San Francisco Blues Festival, with the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop, listening to Bobby “Blue” Bland & John Lee Hooker perform, I leaned over and said to Dan, “I want to do something like this back home”. Later that same trip on our way down to Mexico, we stopped off at a little surf town called Solana Beach to grab a bite to eat. We saw a poster for a local club called The Belly-Up Tavern where bands were playing that night. The club opened early, so we decided to head down and have a drink. The Belly-Up was not unlike The Piggery in many ways. Two long adjoining rooms not far from railroad line, close to the beach and adorned with memorabilia. The similarities didn’t stop there. Do you believe in synchronicity? I sure as shit do. We started a conversation with the bartender about the venue and he told us a guy named Dave Hodges from LA owned it. “That’s funny,” said Dan, “I went to High School with a Dave Hodges”. When Dave turned up, of course it was the same guy from Dan’s school! Does it stop there, absolutely not? We found out that his club had been experiencing the same difficulties as us with neighbours and unruly patrons. We were joined at the bar later on by Dave’s manager and talent booker, a gentleman named Kevin Morrow, (are you following? Dan, Dave, Keven, Kevin). Do the similarities end there, hell no? Kevin Morrow’s partner was Karen and Kevin was a Virgo, just like me. Spooky. We stayed in town for a couple of days as the club was holding a two-day mini-Blues Festival that weekend, so we had to stick around. I struck up an immediate and long-lasting friendship with Kevin Morrow, a well respected, award winning Talent Buyer. His influence and contacts were instrumental in establishing what would eventually become Bluesfest. He managed artists like Charlie Musselwhite, The Five Blindboys of Alabama, The Paladins and ex-Rolling Stone Mick Taylor. Morrow told me he’d cut me deals with artists if I wanted to do something similar at The Piggery. It was extremely tempting. All I had to do was find money for artist fees, international airfares and such. On the way home it was all I could think about. But, even though it sounded like a great idea, I didn’t have the money to risk. It was time to cast the net further. My sister was the Groups Manager for Continental Airlines and possibly good for discount flights from the USA, all I had to do was convince her to get behind the concept. She did. It took almost a year of planning to pull off the inaugural Festival. I named it The East Coast Blues Festival, because if it didn’t work in Byron I
THE GOLDEN DAYS
We believed that we had the best venue, in the best town in Australia. We just needed to convince everyone else. had plenty of other options. I chose the 1990 Easter Weekend to kick it off. It was a short four-day holiday, easier for people to take a break. I booked four artists through my friend Kevin and purchased shows from three fellow Australian promoters who were touring acts at the same time. I booked the cream of Australian Blues artists to round it off, put all the international airfares, accommodation, ground transport and whatever else I could on my American Express card, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. We put the event on sale and the demand for tickets was unbelievable. With little more than word of mouth we sold 6,000 individual tickets. That first festival was an artistic and financial success and saved our arses, at least for the time being. Our company had borrowed a large amount of money from the Commonwealth Development Bank to fund the construction of The Arts Factory Lodge and interest rates were almost 18% in 1990. We knew the future lay with the Backpackers as they flocked to the venue for every gig we put on. In the late 80’s and early 90’s Byron Bay was a very different town. Tourists came for summer and holiday periods, but outside of those times it was hard to survive. During winter you could fire a cannon down Jonson Street and you’d be lucky to wake a sleeping dog. The 1991 Festival held over three days was another huge success, but we couldn’t keep the momentum going. Summers were profitable but winters were deadly. I managed to convince ABC-TV to coproduce with me the filming of the third festival in 1992. A four episode series called “Blues Moon Over Byron” was broadcast nationally giving the festival great exposure. Acclaimed Gospel group The Five Blindboys of Alabama took the stage for the final performances and sanctified both audience and venue. You couldn’t have scripted a more fitting finale. Dan had been in the USA for those last performances. He’d flown to Los Angeles as his mother had taken ill and sadly she passed away not long after. 1992 spelt the end. We could no longer service the huge debt that the company had borrowed and the only option was to place the venue and accommodation up for sale. Dan was disillusioned and wanted to return to the USA to clean up his mother’s estate after her passing. We had a huge sale, sold off all the memorabilia and closed the doors for the last time. The property sold not long after for a bargain price and after all debts were paid, Dan, Karin and I walked away with not a lot to show for ten years of working our butts off. The dream that Dan made a reality had ended. Ironically, the Beach Hotel opened not long after we sold and Byron Bay began an 57
upswing in popularity that hasn’t stopped yet. Dan would never return to Byron Bay. In 2005 he passed away from Diabetic complications in Oregon. Just over a week before he was to meet myself and other friends from Byron Bay in Los Angeles. He lapsed into a coma and never regained consciousness. For somebody who had lead such a big life, he left this mortal coil quietly and without fanfare. 1993 to 2004– From East Coast Blues Festival to Bluesfest After the closure & subsequent sale of the Arts Factory and Dan’s decision to remain in the USA, Karin and I pushed on with the Festival and took it outdoors for it’s fourth instalment. The venue was what is now known as Belongil Fields. I booked a solid international and national line-up and decided on a two-day concept with two scaled down Sydney dates. Moving outdoors proved to be a big learning curve, having to secure the infrastructure required to stage an outdoor event. Procuring circus tents, portable toilets and fences increased costs significantly. There’s a huge industry now that supplies Festivals Australia wide. Back in 1993 you’d track down Circus families and find companies that set-up conferences in order to stage a festival. With ABC-TV on-board again coproducing a second series of “Blues Moon Over Byron”, the event was an artistic success, but failed to breakeven, leaving Karin and I with a significant debt. If I’d extended the Byron dates to three or four days, it would’ve been a different story. The money leftover from the sale of The Piggery was quickly gobbled up and it was decided that if we were to go ahead with our dream, then I had to secure financial partners. Local record storeowner Clide Cue was first to put his hand up, followed by Peter Noble, a tour promoter who we’d worked with at The Piggery. The 1994 event was held once again at Belongil Fields in terrible weather. Great performances, increased attendance and it turned a small profit. It was evident Clide wasn’t cut out to be a festival producer, so Noble and I purchased his share and set about working on the next event. The sixth Festival had the largest contingent of international artists yet and I brought in Michelle Shocked considered to be an edgy Folk performer, not the sort of artist you’d find on a Blues Festival. I’d added Gospel in 1992 with The Blindboys of Alabama and again in 1993 with The Gospel Hummingbirds. The shift of adding related music genres to expand the event’s fan-base had already begun. The 1996 Festival was a breakthrough year. An American agent friend Chris Goldsmith had been pestering me for a couple of years to
book one of his artists and I finally agreed to have Ben Harper come play for us. Ben introduced a new generation of fans to the festival, a younger demographic with an open mind. He proved so popular, that I booked him the following year. I took Chris’s advice again in 2002 and added another artist that would boost the festival – Jack Johnson. We moved to Byron Footy Grounds in 1997 and I altered the name by adding Blues & Roots to encompass the change in the music we were adding to the bill each year. For the next seven years the Festival developed artistically and it’s audience and reputation grew both here and as an internationally recognised event. We were the first event to embrace recycling, unheard of in those days. From the Festival’s inception I’d either executed or supervised every poster design. In 2004 I was lucky enough to secure the services of internationally acclaimed poster artist Ken Taylor and I instructed him to add the abbreviation Bluesfest to the event’s title. It was a direct cop from an event in Ottawa and homage to the New Orleans Jazzfest. It retains that name to this day. For fifteen years the Festival was a family run event. My wife, daughter, son-in-law, sisterin-law, brother-in-law and other sundry family members worked for us. Not only blood family, but also Arts Factory family, staff that had worked for Dan, Karin and I for over twenty years. That didn’t bide well for a partnership and made for an uneasy alliance with Noble and I. In December 2004 after months of mediation and negotiation, it came down to the highest bidder would secure the others 50% share of the festival. Although I had the support of our bank in the buy-out, the figure rose to where my bank manager got nervous. Noble had three partners to buy-in with him and I wanted none. In the end, he was successful. The music business can be a soul-sucking industry. I refer to myself as a music fan that found the perfect job. Who wouldn’t want to travel the world every year checking out music and getting paid? I liked Hunter S Thompson’s take when he said – “The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side”. It’s ironic that Karin and my last festival in 2004 was nominated for International Festival Of The Year, alongside Glastonbury and The Montreaux Jazz Festival in the prestigious Pollstar Music Industry Awards held in Los Angeles in February 2005. Karin and I attended the event as nominees and I wondered what the hell I’d say if we actually won. I didn’t have to worry, the award went to Glastonbury.
THIS COMMUNITY
OF OURS
CELEBRATING
Good People Image courtesy Angus Kennedy
Clean Coast Collective We are ... A not-for-profit lifestyle brand offering conservation projects Paradiso talks to ... Nat and Dan, Co-Founders Find us ... cleancoastcollective.org
If you died tomorrow, what would you want to be remembered for? For the downto-earth, salty couple Nat and Dan, from the not-forprofit Clean Coast Collective (CCC), success to them is being remembered for the positive impact you’ve made, not for the designer clothes you wore … Tackling the global crisis of five trillion tonnes of plastic floating in our oceans head on with the intention of effecting behavioural change in those who don’t have saving the environment as their top priority is a lofty challenge. Yet this couple approach it with hope, energy and a belief that individuals and businesses can influence communities and communities can influence the world! They find the time in this ‘busy’ world to not only be committed to cleaning up Australia’s most polluted beaches through their Trash Tribe missions but through their lifestyle products – mindful alternatives to singleuse plastic commodities. They’re not about foretelling the world’s demise but instead operate on three simple principles: give people the facts but don’t overwhelm them, always be positive, and lead by example. We caught up with 58
We’re constantly asking ourselves how we can influence people outside of the eco bubble ...
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
Nat and Dan recently, to dive a little deeper into her world, her thoughts about influencing change and living a good life … How did you both arrive at setting up Clean Coast Collective (CCC)? In 2014 we were both working in jobs that didn’t inspire us and we started to feel really unfulfilled and wondering where our careers were headed. At the same time, we were spending our weekends exploring the far south coast of New South Wales, hiking into remote beaches along the coastline. It was on these weekend wanderings that we started to notice how much plastic was washing up on these shores and through some quick research, we soon learnt about the huge problem of plastics in our oceans. We started Clean Coast Collective on a whim as a fun little side project and just a way to run some beach clean ups with friends. A few months later, curious to explore more of the Australian coastline we set plans to leave our jobs and travel for six months cleaning beaches and meeting people all around Australia working in the marine debris space. It was an eye opening adventure and we learnt so much about ourselves, this wild country, and the pollution on our shores. It was during this journey, that we first travelled to Cape York and realised that the beaches up there are some of Australia’s most polluted. CCC is more of a social enterprise, how does it work? For legal purposes we are registered as a not-for-profit, but we’ve never tried to present
ourselves that way. We know that if we don’t do anything to stop plastics at the source, we will be cleaning up beaches forever. While we’re removing multiple tonnes off Cape York beaches each year through our Trash Tribe expeditions, the flow of plastics into our oceans is never ending. There’s nothing glamorous about picking up rubbish or talking about trash all the time, so from the very beginning we knew we wanted to make everything we do visually appealing. When we first started learning about the amount of plastic in our oceans, we were shocked that none of the surfers we were friends with knew anything about it. It was such a huge issue for our oceans, yet the surfing community, or at least ours, wasn’t talking about it. Because of this we spent a lot of time thinking about why some issues are more engaging than others, and
GOOD PEOPLE
Words– Jasmin Daly @jasmindaly Photographers– Angus Kennedy @askdsn Jemma Scott @thesalty.dreamers
Image courtesy Angus Kennedy
Image courtesy Jemma Scott
how behavioural change is created. The problems of plastic in our oceans stems from the effectiveness of large corporations marketing their packaged goods in a way that is so enticing, that people can’t resist them, regardless of negative impacts on their health or environment. So if clever imagery, words and branding can convince millions of people to waste money on sugary drinks packaged in harmful plastic bottles, we thought why couldn’t the same tactics be used to convince people not to use plastic at all? We’re constantly asking ourselves how we can influence people outside of the eco bubble and change the behaviour of those who couldn’t give two hoots about turtles or the ocean, because the people who already care about the turtles are already converted! What is the inspiration behind your products? When we started creating our first products we came back to the same question as our branding, how do we convince people to stop using plastics? So our products try to appeal to people who love things because they’re stylish and beautiful — a gold straw to put in your hemp seed green smoothie, or a bamboo toothbrush for your island luxe style bathroom. Perhaps it seems vain, but we live in a culture that wants to put every detail of their lives on show through social media, so our products need to fit that aesthetic. We’re pretty lucky in this part of the world, where people tend to care for the environment and make conscious purchasing decisions but you definitely can’t paint the whole of Australia, let alone the world with the same brush stroke. Despite your efforts, it must feel like an uphill battle. How do 59
you think we can accelerate people’s awareness, level of care and motivate them to take action? Definitely does feel like an uphill battle sometimes, but even in just the past 12 months we have seen such a huge shift of consciousness of the issue of plastics. ABC’s ‘War On Waste’ TV series really thrust the issue into the limelight and opened so many people’s eyes. So there is a shift that is occurring, particularly with top-down changes like the NSW Container Deposit Scheme, Woolworths and Coles both committing to banning lightweight plastic bags in their stores, and state plastic bag bans too. For us, encouraging behaviour change in either our family and friends, or wider community has been about following three key principles; give people the facts but don’t overwhelm them, always be positive, and lead by example. We always seek to provide the facts to educate people, but we never want to do so in a way that makes people feel overwhelmed, helpless, or guilty. I think sometimes when things are too shocking, us humans tend to disengage and simply shut off to the issue because it feels too big. So we try to be light in the way that we present the scale of the issue — which is a constant battle when the problem is so big, so it’s something we’re still learning ourselves. Imagine in a few decades from now, when you both have grey hair, what do you hope for the oceans of the world? We hope that they are cleaner than they are today, that coral reefs are still thriving, that fish stocks have been replenished and that marine wildlife are being
respected rather than hunted. And that goes for all of our natural environments, whether that’s freshwater systems, desert plains, icefields, or forests — I hope the natural world is protected and allowed to flourish as it needs to for not only its own survival, but for our survival too. What would be your top tips/hacks for someone who is keen to stop using disposable plastics? If you’re just starting out on this journey, start with the easiest things to switch: • BYO reusable coffee cup to the café • Take your own bags shopping • Swap a plastic toothbrush for a bamboo one • Ask for no straw when out drinking. Treat your plastic-free changes as a journey, it will take time for habits to form and sometimes you’ll be caught out without your straw or coffee cup and that’s ok, it happens to everyone, even us!
THIS COMMUNITY
OF OURS
Words– Shien Chee @shienanigan Photographer– Lila Theodoros
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Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
BE THE CHANG E
61 large scale, remote beach clean ups I have volunteered on. We count and collate the data on these trips for science. I keep each sculpture strictly single origin, in the coffee sense. I keep track of the date, and journey or coastline from which it was salvaged. The rope itself holds so much character, so many quirks and mysteries. At the mercy of the elements it has become brittle, faded, tangled and worn. Often falling apart in my hands as I unravel it. Your journey to collect large amounts of debris for your art has led you to experiences you’d never have dreamed of. Can you describe some of the most inspirational places, people or moments you’ve travelled upon? The remote South West of Tasmania, a World Heritage Wilderness Area, is inaccessible by road. The coastline conjures up prehistoric visions. It is raw and humbling. Twice I have spent 10 days combing that coastline by foot, living on fishing boats with South West Marine Debris Cleanup. I have also met some of my other best buddies travelling in the opposite end of Australia, Cape York with Clean Coast
See Jessica’s work in real life at Lone Goat Gallery, from 16 March, Byron Bay. jessicaleitmanis.com
Collective. Hunter gathering coconuts, composing questionable rap songs, and watching friends charm snakes. From your perspective as an artist, you have some rad and hopeful thoughts about how we humans can change our relationship with plastics and waste. Can you talk us through some of these ideas? How can we use our creativity and technology for the betterment of all? Yeah, I think the big shifts will occur if we collectively choose to harness innovation that is driven by fully considered, sustainable design solutions. At the moment we are quite disconnected from our ‘stuff’ through its production cycle, and where it goes after its fulfilled a primary purpose. When objects have value, it changes our relationship with them. If we gain insights into the full lifespan of our ‘stuff’, the true cost, the delayed cost, our perspective on value may change.
Shien Chee chatted with four radical ladies all doing their bit for their environment and community. They talk about their work, passions and how to rock the world.
Jess, growing up by the ocean in Torquay, you’ve always been conscious of the impact humans have on our beach environments, but what turned this observation of washed-up waste into an obsession with debris? There were two notable moments that set me down that road. In 2008 I travelled through Mexico and Central America. We observed aspiring mountains of trash, in obscure side of road locations and shared waves with undesirable objects that had migrated from the river to the sea, after heavy rains. The other moment, a year later, I was slapped in the face and stabbed in the heart by Chris Jordan’s photographs of the albatross chicks on Midway Atoll. It was then that I opened my ink bottle. Your collection began as research for ink drawings, micro-plastics, and now rope. Just how much rope do you have saved up at the moment? I love how each and every piece you collect holds a story and value for you. Do you have a system to keep track of it all? It’s a heavyweight arena. My rope collection is weighing in at approx 720kgs. The majority has been acquired from
Sculpture Artist
Jessica Leitmanis
Very rad ladies doing very rad things
VERY RAD LADIES DOING VERY RAD THINGS
To read the full and inspiring interviews with these incredible ladies, visit thisisparadiso.com.au
THIS COMMUNITY
OF OURS
BE THE CHANG E
Jen White Stop Adani
I’ve seen the stickers and heard the cry to ‘Stop Adani!’. I understand it’s about preventing mining and destruction of the Great Barrier Reef which I’m 100% behind. But there’s more to this struggle, isn’t there? We need to stop Adani in order to secure the whole of the Galilee Basin – an area covering 250,000 square kilometres and containing one of the largest quantities of coal on the earth. This basin has not yet been exploited due
Enriqueta Marquez Plastic Free Byron
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to its remote location but the construction of a rail line for the Adani mine will mean that coal from the whole area can be easily transported from the mines to the coastal ports. If Adani’s disastrous megamine proceeds, then the whole of the basin will be opened up to coal mining. There are at least nine new mines proposed for this area, with the potential to produce 705 million tonnes of carbon pollution every year, for decades. Such production will not only have catastrophic consequences for global warming but also on our artesian basin, the Great Barrier Reef and First Nation sovereignty. Jen, I love your personal story of how you came to lead the Stop Adani Byron Shire movement and what it says about your passion. How did glandular fever and boredom lead to 900 people on a beach in Byron last October? In April last year I was really sick, laid up in bed for weeks. Having googled and facebooked endlessly, I started to research the Adani mine. I knew a bit about it, but once I started really looking into it I couldn’t believe how something so diabolical could ever get off the ground. I searched for an anti-Adani group to join but I was unable to find one in the Shire. I decided at that point that rather than close my laptop and ignore the issue, that I would set about trying to organise one – a local, united effort to halt this national, global monstrosity from happening.
You began the “Plastic-Free July” initiative in collaboration with Santos Organics two years ago. How is that going? Why do you think Byron Shire can be free of single-use plastic bags for good? Santos initiated a strong group of organisations to join forces and be involved in PFI (an international movement started in WA), with a clear, loud message to refuse single-use plastics for the month of July in the hope that after the initial challenging phase, people would have created new patterns and realised how easy and beneficial the switch actually is. From my point of view, ditching single-use plastics is in everyone’s best interest, and it is only natural that in this Paradiso where we live leads the way to protect what we enjoy and exploit the most: our natural environment. Let’s make the switch and show how harmoniously it fits in with the experience of living in the Shire. So many people are already bringing their own bags or asking for cardboard
Paradiso ~ Feb—Mar 2018 ~ Our long hot summer ...
You’ve had some pretty amazing victories since you began the dialogue about Adani here in Byron Shire. What has been your most memorable? I think our most memorable victory thus far would be the forced withdrawal of financial support for the mine from all big four banks in Australia, and several international banks, due to our unyielding pressure. Also the decision of Downer, Adani’s biggest contractor, not to build and manage this mine was extremely significant and positive. Seeing people literally locked-on to the Adani conveyor belts is inspiring and obviously putting a halt to their progress. If I want to get involved but can’t get to the frontline, or confrontation isn’t for me, what’s the best way to support the resistance? For those wishing to get involved I would suggest checking out our Facebook page – Stop Adani Byron Shire. Here you will find campaign news and events. If you’re not on Facebook why not come to one of our weekly meetings, held every Monday night from 6:30pm, upstairs in the function room of the Middle Hotel, Mullumbimby. We also hold social nights once a month at Wildspace in Mullumbimby, again, details can be found on the Facebook page. Check out @stopadanibyronshire on Facebook for upcoming events and to join the fight.
boxes at the counter, NSW is the only state in Australia that has not yet announced the ban of single-use plastic bags. It’s surely time to catch up and step up! Due to your collaboration with Dennett’s IGA in Mullumbimby, singleuse plastic bags are no longer supplied by their store. As a shopper of stores myself, I think very highly of establishments that take the obvious and
VERY RAD LADIES DOING VERY RAD THINGS
Vanessa Marion Groove Therapy 101
Groove Therapy 101 is for adult beginner dancers who “don’t need another social situation to make them feel awkward about their rhythm”. What can we expect when we turn up to class? Dim lights, no mirrors and a good time in which we force you to actually meet each other. Groove Therapy for me was born from a gap in the market where dance studios were elitist and inaccessible for the everyday person but a lot of the beginner stuff out there simply didn’t teach proper street dance technique. We aim to create a safe space and legit street dance class, not a culturally appropriated fitness gimmick. It’s a bunch of party dances (think the running man, the dougie, the moonwalk) as opposed to complicated choreography and we like to call it ‘practical life skills’ for your next dance floor encounter. You’re into education, and make sure to explain the history and sociopolitical context of the street dance styles you teach. Can you tell us about one? Oh my. Where to start? So for example there’s the dancehall move Zip It Up which refers to the adversity faced by so many Jamaican people living in desperate poverty. When you’re told to Zip It Up on the dance floor it’s about putting your
worries away - ’zipping it up’ and just expressing yourself. Many Pantsula moves are based on imitations of life in South African townships and they range from huge political statements to simply grooving out the every day action of hailing down a bus. Then there’s Vogue which was born from the need for solidarity by the black queer community in 1970s New York. Then there’s the entire evolution of hip hop, a raw and underground rebellion to the shiny glitz of disco that championed the mantra ‘peace, love, unity and havin’ a good time!’. Tell us about your dance programs for elderly dementia sufferers? We play music from their yesteryears to trigger long term memory and facilitate an environment where they can engage with loved ones and feel joy, human connection and sneak in a few physio exercises while we’re at it. Apart from the physical benefits of learning to groove, why is it so important to dance? How does dance impact other areas of our lives? First of all it’s a phonefree activity and it’s about human connection. When you go to a class every week, you see familiar faces, you become part of a community. When you dance you release those great exercise endorphins. When you’re
necessary direction for our world and future. Why do you think there are still stores that use plastic bags in this day and age? What would you like to collectively say to the shop-owners and managers who are doubtful about taking the step to eliminate plastic? Mullumbimby’s IGA is a clear example of how explaining to customers why you make a certain decision and providing them with an alternative solution to their needs. They see the community embrace change very rapidly. IGA manager, Dan, thinks they should have done it ten years ago! It’s a win-win-win situation. Obvious alternatives to plastic bags include cardboard boxes that reduce the store’s waste. Enriqueta, you’re an artist in your own right, and make stunning, unique, re-usable purses and totes from recycled plastic bags @bolsabags. What initially inspired you to create these works? 63
asked to move to music you get out of your head and into your body, and that body-mind connection is something that so many of us have lost. Lastly, when you dance, you’re engaging in an expressive art form, which can be more powerful than talking to a shrink in the early stages of coming to grips with a shitty chapter in your life. Overall it ticks the boxes for mental wellness and this is important, because we are a society on the verge of a mental illness tsunami. Catch a Groove Therapy class at 6pm on Thursdays at 1 Acacia St, Byron Industrial Estate. groovetherapy101.com
Being able to highlight the power of transformation totally blows my mind. Turning plastics that were designed to be used once and yet last hundreds of years in landfills (best case scenario) into something else that we can practically use for years was a really powerful concept which I fell in love with. What’s on the horizon for the Plastic-Free Byron team? In 2018, Santos Organics, Clean Coast Collective and Bolsa Bags are working closely with the community to help create a single-use plastic free Shire. We are educating our youth with great ways to work with waste materials to inspire creativity and reduction of waste in the community. You can pick up a fab Bolsa Bag from Tinker Tailor in Mullumbimby. @bolsabags plasticfreebyron.com
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