There’s nothing quite like walking through a new town. You see those things that the townsfolk sometimes forget are interesting and unique.

Heath Missen took one of those wanderings through Mullumbimby and this is what he captured.

For more photos from Heath, checkout his facebook page HERE.

So who wants a slice of Byron Bay this Winter?

The team from Common Ground Australia, Sundive, Byron Luxury Homes, Nikon and Naked Treaties have put together the Ultimate Winter Getaway in Byron Bay… You might even get to see yourself a whale! To go into the draw to win you need to sign up and follow Common Ground Australia via our page on Community Engine – www.communityengine.com.au.

If you’re not already on Community Engine, its Australia’s newest Social Commerce website, and if you decide to become a member of Common Ground ($5 a month) you will be eligible to enter some really cool giveaways over the coming months, as well as heaps of other benefits. This is just the beginning of some great new things from us to you, and don’t forget if you decide to join us 5% of your membership fee goes straight back into Community Based Projects through the Common Ground Community Support Fund.

Let’s get to this prize!

- 4 Nights Accommodation at beautiful Watermark at Watego’s Beach Byron Bay 
Byron Bay Luxury Homes are offering the opportunity to win an accommodation package for 2 people for 4 nights midweek (Mon-Thurs) during June, July or August at the amazing Watermark at Watego’s Beach. Settle in to your self contained luxury suite, with absolute beach frontage onto one of Australia’s most iconic and beautiful beaches -

 www.wategoswatermark.com

- A Dive Course with Sundive
Ever wanted to become a certified diver and go scuba diving at Julian Rocks in Byron Bay?

Located just 2.5 kilometres from Byron Bay, Julian Rocks Marine Park is rated as one of the top five scuba diving locations in Australia. The mixing of tropical warm currents with cooler temperate waters makes the diving near Byron Bay unique. Whales, Dolphins, Manta Rays, Leopard Sharks, the endangered Grey Nurse Shark and three species of Turtle are all common visitors to Julian Rocks. All the action is just 10 minutes from Byron Bay’s main beach!

Sundive is Byron Bay’s only PADI 5 Star Dive Centre. Sundive are providing a full dive course to our winner that runs from Monday through to Friday, and will also throw in a snorkel trip at the Julian Rocks for your friend.

- A Nikon s2600…I am a happy snap!
Within its slim dimensions you’ll find the quality features that COOLPIX is renowned for. High picture quality has a sure footing with the 14 effective-megapixel CCD image sensor. Electronic VR image stabilisation helps to minimise image blur whether zoomed in or out, and upgraded auto noise reduction offers superior results in low light situations. It also shoots HD video at 720p! Perfect for your trip to Byron Bay – mynikonlife.com.au/gear/digital-compact-cameras/s2600

- A $50 Voucher at Naked Treaties
Green smoothies and Raw nut milk smoothies spiked with Superfoods. Raw protein powders, E3 live and Bushflower essences all made with fresh young coconuts! Nut milk local spray free coffee, Magical Chai, Raw (warm!) Cacao and herbal teas and of course their Delicious Naked Treaties! Whilst you are in Byron Bay you will be able to pop in and see Jemma and her team for your daily fix of 100% raw, certified organic, vegan, gluten, dairy and sugar free treats.

What you need to do to win!
- To enter you will need to sign up to Community Engine you can do that by clicking HERE.
- You will need to follow Common Ground Australia, Sundive, Byron Bay Luxury Homes or Naked Treaties Community Engine Profiles (or all of them if you like).
- And finally, leave a comment on the Common Ground Australia’s community engine profile telling us why you are so passionate about winning this amazing giveaway!

Entries close May 31, so GOODLUCK!!!

Terms and Conditions
- Flights and travel to Byron Bay are not included.
- Prizes cannot be resold or swapped for the cash value.
- Accommodation and Dive Course only available mid week during June, July and August subject to availability.
- You must be 18 years or over to enter.
- You must pass medicals required for your dive course at your own expense.
- The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.

This morning I went for a late morning walk with the extended family (someone special to us is getting married on Saturday).

So I thought it was a nice opportunity to give a weird little Holga lens (for my Nikon) I bought on Ebay a whirl.

Every time I go up to the Lighthouse, it always gives to me more than I seem to give to it. It’s breathtaking. And with the 5/6 days of straight clear blue skies it makes for an extra special treat.

And to finish the morning off, we went for a family coffee. Can’t ask for a much better morning. Enjoy the blurry snaps.

Pics taken on a Nikon D7000 with a weird plasitc Holga Lens – www.mynikonlife.com.au
More from Johnny can be seen here – www.johnnyabegg.com

On Saturday 26 May, get set for Sew & Tell, a Handmade & Hand-me-down Fair will fill Bangalow’s historic A&I Hall with a kaleidoscope of crafty, vintage and thrifty goodness.

Tory Bauer and Gabe Cramb, curators of the inaugural event, collectively have over 25 years experience working in the fashion, film and music realm, however it was their mutual love of hand-made and vintage finds that brought the duo together.

“We initially met when we were both working on a music festival together, but as soon as we discovered our mutual love of craft, the conversation quickly changed from bands to buttons” said organiser Tory Bauer.
 
“There’s so much love involved in the creation of anything hand-crafted. No matter how much or how little you pay for it there is always a gift intrinsically attached…the gift of someone’s time and the labour of love“ said Gabe Cramb. 
 
“The same goes for vintage wares. There’s a wonderful mystery attached to any item that has had a previous life.”

The two crafty locals of the Tweed and Byron Shires, have combined their passion for all things pre-loved and hand-made to bring to the table a selection of handpicked stall holders with diverse talents and backgrounds.

Amongst the 30 stallholders you will find the Great Niece of pattern/fashion icon Enid Gilchrist, a designer who was commissioned to make a dinner set for Elton John, a former craft publisher who sold more than 5 million copies worldwide, a film crew member of the cult reality show Survivor, a contributor for Frankie magazine and a former writer for Vogue.

There will be a diverse array of crafty goods for sale including everything from screen printing, paper craft, book binding, stencilling and felting to applique, ceramics, photography, jewellery and sew much more.
 
As well as craft there will be vintage clothes, retro wares and hundreds of arts and crafts, graphic design, home decorating and gardening books, something for the green thumbs and even a man cave for the men!
 
At Sew & Tell you’ll find beautiful objects of desire for children, your home and yourself! Plus we’ll have sweety- sweets and baked treats aplenty should you feel the need for a snackette.

Sew! Mark May 26 in your diary and get set to get your craft on with a bunch of super creative and thrifty folks at the inaugural Sew & Tell Handmade & Hand-me-down Fair! For more info’ check out the facebook event and the Sew & Tell Blogspot.

Anna Porter was down at Broken Head this morning (May 9th) and captured the last day of a magic run of swell in Byron Bay. Enjoy the pics.

If you love music and are into art then this is the night for you!

Twisted Tales is a multi art form collaboration between Yunyu (a former triple j unearthed winner) and New York Times #1 Best Selling Manga Artist Queenie Chan and leading animators from around the world. The result is the compelling corruption of childhood fairytales launching them into a modern paradigm. Yunyu meshes her songs with contemporary animation and manga art to give a whole new meaning to Disney on ice. Merging live music with cutting edge technology, this innovative show will be brought to you by Yunyu, her five piece band, VJ and designer Imogen Ross.  Twisted Tales is coming to Byron Bay Thursday 24th of May at The Buddha Bar. Tickets are $12 doors are at 8:00pm. For more details see  see Yunyu‘s Facebook Page or the website . See you down the yellow brick road !

If you happened to miss the swell of the last three days. Well, it was special. Nothing worse than someone rubbing in what you’ve missed.

May as it’s known in Byron Bay is a special month. The crowds thin. South Westerly’s blow early and the skies clear.

It’s been magic. For those of you who did get a taste of the swell, I’m sure you are smiling from ear to ear.

Meet Lecia Robertson (the blonde in the photo’s). Lecia is passionate about healthy food, organic farming, giving her husband and children the best food and life experiences she can, horses, art, books, music, theatre and she is an active at Anti Coal Seam Gas protests across the Northern Rivers. She loves being the centre of attention and….she loves opera.

As the youngest of six, Lecia had to fight to be seen and heard. The beginning for a performer with 5 hecklers to appease.  A keen and accomplished horse rider, Lecia went to farm school and followed the sheep, deciding to become a vet. There was a bit of piano playing and ballet in there but it was horses all the way until that big day. Lecia’s Mum took her to singing lessons after a school prank backfired and instead of annoying the teacher, singing lessons were prescribed. Never pretend to be an opera singer to wind up your music teacher if you actually have a voice….it doesn’t work!

Lecia’s parents were thrilled when she announced after just one lesson that she would indeed become an opera singer and not a vet. What were they all thinking? It’s true, performing was in her blood and drama schools were soon auditioned for, and a job riding at El Caballo Blanco in the meantime. At drama school, the desire to be on stage became an urgent need and there was no waiting for the arduous opera training ahead so Lecia learned to belt and croon and sing cabaret and headed off to London to be on the West End Stage! A year in the acclaimed RSC/Opera North production of Showboat soon had her back on track toward the opera goal and retraining the voice properly began.

Experience was gained with small touring opera companies and then a few bigger breaks in London started to look like a big career was going ahead when the pitter patter of little melodramatics gave Lecia something else to obsess about. At least while they were little.

Wanting to give her little ones a taste of the country life she was brought up in, Lecia and long suffering husband, Andrew headed to paradise and bought a citrus and macadamia farm in Newrybar near Byron Bay. A chance meeting at a kiddy party led them to Alasdair who helped them convert to organic and brought his Munch Crunch Organics operation to the farm. Now there are 10 acres of veggies as well as the citrus and maccas and a little farmstay cabin. Why organic? Besides the lack of nasty chemicals, it’s the selling local, supporting community and wildlife. Lecia jets off from time to time to the big cities to sing leaving poor Andrew to look after the lot of it. Well that’s what you get when you marry an opera singer. Later this year she will be singing Micaela in Carmen for Opera Queensland.

Lecia’s passion for delicious organic food passes over into parenting and performing. She loves the marriage between food and music just as she loves the marriage between music and theatre that is opera. Her children also eat delicious real food and play beautiful music.

“Opera is extraordinarily exciting because when it’s good, it draws from all the art forms and puts them together with sublime music into an organic experience that can’t be described. I love that I am lucky enough to be part of that. My voice can be heard live without a microphone in a 2500 seat theatre over an 80 piece orchestra. Nothing is more exciting and natural than that.”

Meet Margaret Curtis – Margaret is passionate about her family, her dogs, laughing, community both here and oversea’s, playing music and being the best she can be.

No. 4 in a line up of 11 children Margaret commenced studies on the piano at the age of 4.  Not content with the response of ‘you’ll have to wait til you get to school’ she asked the next door neighbour to start teaching her.  By the time school arrived Margaret had already completed her first music book.  Her first diploma in music, (she has six) was at the age of 16 and achieved with her Fellowship with the Trinity College of London at 26.

During this time she led a somewhat different type of life, in the corporate world.  She has worked with several of Australia’s largest companies as the National Training Manager.  With one company she also travelled extensively to India with 19 trips to Mumbai alone.

In 2000 Margaret started learning the Harp taking up studies with Louise Johnson, Principal harpist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.  Neither instrument is particularly portable much to the chagrin of Margaret’s husband of 30 years, John.

Since moving to Bangalow in 2007 Margaret has spent more time on her music career she teaches privately on both harp and piano, plays the harp at weddings, is the harpist in the Lismore Symphony Orchestra and has also performed as a soloist with the orchestra.  She is also the Logistics Co-ordinator for the Bangalow Music Festival.

Together Lecia and Margaret perform as Aria Viva and they only perform acoustically. No microphones. Venues are chosen that are intimate so they can communicate directly with the audience. ‘’We speak to them about the music, describe the story, introduce them to the composers who created these wonderful works of art and then we communicate the abstract intricacies through our performance. Once during a performance I was concerned that a lady in the audience was sobbing after I sang a particularly sad aria. One of her friends came to talk to me and I expressed concern. She had told them that she felt like she was touched by an angel. Wow. It doesn’t get any better than that does it?”

I had goose bumps on my skin as I pretended that I needed them to perform while I shot the photos for this story. I was just revelling in the fact that I had their spectacular performance all to myself.

Aria Viva are performing “Song’s My Mother Taught Me” on Mothers Day this Sunday May 13^th at 3pm in the Byron Theatre at The Byron Bay Community Centre. Tickets: $30/$25 Concession $100 group of 4.

Bookings can be made by clicking here: http://www.byroncentre.com.au/whats-on/details/202?xref=328