If you have visited the Bangalow Parklands lately you would more than likely have noticed that the bridge over the creek is back in place after a very long and difficult rebirth. The bridge now sits beautifully in place reflecting the silver of the eucalyptus trunks, the Bangalow palms, and the grey colours of the park infrastructure.

The community can now access the small but peaceful area across the creek. There is still work to do in this section. Byron Shire Council has plans to sensitively clear the weeds, dead trees, and debris from the floods earlier this year, using the latter to form a natural circular track. Bush tucker trees will then be planted. The Bangalow Parklands group will be working alongside Byron Council on this project. Bangalow Landcare planted many of the existing trees on this side many years ago and are keen to do some work in this area also.

The story of the bridge goes back to 1990, when Council recommended that the pool be upgraded.  The old wooden ‘bridge’ over the creek was originally the starting board for the swimming pool, located at the south end of what is now the concrete slab.

Two years later, in 1992, council installed a new steel bridge at a cost of $12,500. Twenty years later the bridge was starting to show its age and was becoming unsafe. In 2011 the weir under the bridge also developed cracks in the foundations due to tree roots from a eucalyptus tree planted beside the bridge abutments. So, the area around the bridge and the old children’s pool was fenced off. It remained this way until 2016 when the Bangalow Parklands group, after building the waterfront rotunda, lobbied Council successfully to have the fence removed. Then in August 2017, Council closed access onto the bridge.

Council engineers inspected the bridge on several occasions and the Bangalow Parklands group continued to push to have it repaired, but to no avail. Originally the idea was to take the bridge out and put it in the carpark where it would be sandblasted and painted, but this was found to be too costly.

In 2020 the Bangalow Progress Association (BPA) came on board to help move things along. The group included an engineer with experience with bridges, and he was able to do an independent appraisal of the bridge and write a report for Council. The BPA and the Bangalow Parklands group worked together on this project and were successful in obtaining $85,000 in Council funds to repair the bridge. Thanks to the BPA for working together on this project — one could say it is symbolic of groups building bridges within the community.

The bridge was removed for refurbishment in April 2021. It was then split into three parts, the structure strengthened, and the frame sent to Brisbane to be galvanised. New stainless-steel sides were also put on, and when the three parts of the frame arrived back at the Bangalow Parklands they were joined together. The slip-resistant treads were put in, and on August 24, the bridge was installed with the help of a crane and secured into place. Many thanks and appreciation to all the Council workers who worked on the bridge over this time.

Council has also built a 76-metre shared path at Bangalow Parklands that links the park shelter and rotunda to the carpark and amenities building, enabling better access to the park for people of all ages and abilities.

Feature photo: on Smith, Terry Bleakley, Lynn Smith and Christobel Munson from Bangalow Parklands Group on the refurbished bridge

It was early on a cold winter morning when Linda Sparrow heard someone yelling at the front gate of her Bangalow home.

At first, she thought it was a delivery driver, but the reality was far worse – a man carrying a dead koala and her joey, which had been hit by a car on the Hinterland Way in the town’s south. Just days earlier, fellow Bangalow Koalas member, Dale Viola, had erected a sign asking drivers to slow down at that very spot, between Lawlers Lane and Wiley Road, after being notified of their presence. For someone who has dedicated years of her life to creating a wildlife corridor for koalas across the Northern Rivers region, the sight was nothing short of devastating. “That was the worst day of my life,” Linda says. “The day before I’d heard about another koala and joey that were killed on Broken Head Road at Broken Head.”

Linda, who is president of Bangalow Koalas, is urging drivers to slow down and keep their dogs inside, or at least contained, between dusk and dawn during koala breeding season, which began in July and continues through to March. “That’s why the mothers and joeys are killed – they’re desperately trying to get away from males,” she says. “This is the time of year when there’s more car strikes and dog attacks. The younger ones are trying to find their own territory and if there’s not enough trees, they’re on the ground more. The more trees we cut down, the more time they spend on the ground.”

Linda says Lismore Road near Dudgeons Lane, which leads to Bangalow Industrial Estate, and Granuaille Road leading onto Hinterland Way are known koala kill hotspots. In August, a koala crept onto the verandah of a house in Palm-Lily Crescent in the early hours of the morning. Koalas have also been spotted in Raftons Road, Rifle Range Road, Lismore Road, Dudgeons Lane, Palm Tree Crescent, Deacon Street and Clover Hill Circuit.

Now a registered environmental organisation, Bangalow Koalas Inc. formed from a Facebook page called Friends of Bangalow Koalas in 2016 when members of the local community began realising the importance of the population on the western side of Bangalow. It initially began by protecting a 400-metre stretch of trees at the end of Rifle Range Road, then started working with Byron Shire Council to encourage people to record koala sightings. “When we started asking people, we realised how many koalas were in the area,” Linda says. “There’s a lot more than people thought.”

The exact number, however, is unknown as there haven’t been systematic surveys conducted across the area. “Precise koala population numbers are very hard to estimate, owing to their cryptic nature,” Byron Shire Council’s biodiversity team leader Liz Caddick says. “We’ve recently completed koala activity surveys in the coastal area, which suggests a slight increase in the number of active sites, but a decrease in activity levels. We are also partnering with neighbouring local government areas to do some broad scale koala activity monitoring throughout the Northern Rivers region. We do know that the entire hinterland is within an Area of Regional Koala Significance, with frequent koala sightings made by residents. The Northern Rivers region is likely to become increasingly important as habitat for koalas as the climate changes, so it is a real priority area for habitat conservation and restoration.”

Lismore-based Friends of the Koala figures show 51 koalas from the Byron Shire were admitted to its hospital in the 2021/22 financial year. More than half of those admitted had chlamydia or other diseases, while 11 had been hit by cars. “We are incredibly lucky to live in an area with a significant koala population, but it is up to all of us to play a part in their protection,” says Aliison Kelly, who is president of Friends of the Koala, which also operates a 24-hour rescue hotline, an education centre and a koala care facility with a dedicated kindy for orphaned koalas.

In February 2022 the status of the koala changed from vulnerable to endangered in New South Wales, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory. Bangalow Koalas’ long-term goal is to form a linkage of habitat from Byron Bay west towards Tenterfield and south towards Grafton. It aims to plant 500,000 trees by the end of 2025 – 80,000 of them this year. “At the moment we have about 72,000 funded,” Linda says. The organisation has about six community plantings each year, with up to 170 people showing up to help pre-COVID. The devastating floods that hit the region in February have also thrown a spanner in the works. “There’s some properties that we need to plant but we still can’t get access to them for preparation for planting because they were flooded,” Linda says. Despite this, the organisation is still on track to reach its goal for 2022.

If you come across a sick or injured koala, call the 24 hour Koala Rescue Hotline on 6622 1233. To report a koala sighting, volunteer or donate visit bangalowkoalas.com.au or friendsofthekoala.org

Initially Aaron played rugby until he was forced out of the game with an injury aged 42.  Then surfing occupied much of his spare time.  The power and beauty of the sea and close encounters with dolphins, turtles and the occasional whale sightings answered the call of the wild but he knew something was still missing.  At the end of 2019, a good friend introduced him to the world of trail ultra-marathons which range from 42 km plus in length and can last for many hours.  Aaron was not a runner, so he engaged an experienced coach, Andy Du Bois, and they set an ambitious goal to tackle in July 2020 his first 100km race in the hinterland of Port Macquarie. This is known as a particularly brutal course as it has 5,500 metres in elevation gain. Aaron crossed the finish line in 1st place in just over 16 hours setting a new course record. 
Since then, he has been successful in many similar events.  His solitary weekly training run of four hours takes him deep into the rainforest of the Nightcap and Mt Jerusalem National Park and he enjoys the diversity of the flora and fauna.  Kangaroos, potoroos, koalas, birds, butterflies, snakes, and lizards are his constant companions.  Aaron feels being an ultratrail runner is as much an intellectual pursuit as a physical challenge.  He keeps up with all the scientific research into the physiology and psychology required to continue to successfully compete. 

He says running is the time he carves out for himself and appreciates being in the moment with nature and with his own thoughts.  In turn this enables him to be a better husband, father, colleague, coach and friend.  He feels fortunate to have the support of his wife Madeleine, Bangalow podiatrist Moira Ryan and local myotherapist Imelda Johnston.  Aaron has a full calendar of races this year and the next.  The big challenge is The Elephant Trail Race of 100 miles later this year.  His sons are following in his footsteps and have had considerable success in their school cross country runs and athletic carnivals. 
Aaron is a member of the Bangalow Runners founded by local runner Tim Woods (see breakout box). “Tim and I would love to see more locals at the weekly fun run.  If it has been a long time since you last put on a pair of joggers or if you have never run before and want to try it out, if you are young, middle aged or if you are wise and getting on in years show up and experience the delight of any activity that leaves you feeling totally engaged with life’s journey.”
Helen Johnston

Audiences are in for a rare treat at the much loved ‘Locals Night’ when the Bangalow Music Festival returns this month after a two-year COVID-induced interlude.
They will hear three quirky and engaging pieces by a young neurodiverse Northern Rivers woman who is an internationally recognised composer and multi-instrumentalist, with a fluency across a wide range of musical forms.
Three of Tilly Jones’ compositions will be performed by the Southern Cross Soloists and Next Gen Artists on the Thursday night – works that the Festival’s Artistic Director Tania Frazer describes as “gorgeous vignettes that showcase Tilly’s incredibly vast style of composition, incorporating classical, jazz and world music”.
The names of the three pieces give a flavour of Tilly’s wit and sense of fun, and her Australian-ness: The Gumboot-Wearing Steampunk, Cockatoo Calling, and Octatonic and Gin.
These are quirky, interesting pieces that provide a glimpse into Tilly’s ability to understand and work with many different genres, Tania says.  “I have never seen such breadth in someone so young.”
The pieces can be heard, along with a number of Tilly’s other compositions at soundcloud.com/tillyjonescomposer
Aged just 20, Tilly has an impressive CV already: she has been commissioned to write pieces for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, performed with the Lismore Symphony Orchestra and played alongside such luminaries as Richard Gill, James Morrison, Jane Rutter and Tobias Brieder.
She has composed pieces for a host of local organisations, including the the Lismore Lantern Parade and the Northern Rivers Conservatorium and is the winner of the Byron Bay branch of the Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society (ADFAS) 2022 Young Musician Award.
Tilly was diagnosed at a young age with cerebral palsy, ADHD and autism, and while these neurodiversities fuel her passion for disability inclusivity in the music industry, they have not made her journey an easy one.
“So many musicians are neurodiverse that people expect creativity to flow easily out of me,” she says. But that expectation underestimates the hard work that goes into creating such exhilarating music, and ignores the sensory difficulties that can make crowds and noise overwhelming for her.
Tilly’s success in such a public sphere as concert performance came to the world’s attention when she was featured in the 2016 film Tilly’s Symphony as part of the ABC’s  Createability series.
The film was recognised by the Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival in Austin, Texas, who commissioned her to compose works for their programs.
Tilly began her formal musical training on the piano at the Northern Rivers Conservatorium at the age of eight, then she took up the violin, cello, bass clarinet and saxophone. Currently she is a student at the Bachelor of Contemporary Music at Southern Cross University and has an internship with the Flowers of Peace program overseen by Australian War Memorial Artist in Residence Chris Latham.

And if that isn’t enough, she is working on setting up a jazz quintet and plans to make a record with them.
The opportunity to have her pieces played to a large and discerning audience at the Bangalow Music Festival means a lot to her. “It’s rare that you get to do that,” she says.
As well as its five-year collaboration with ADFAS to recognise and nurture the achievements of young local musicians such as Tilly, SXS’s encouragement of young artists takes a range of forms: among them is the Next Gen Artists program, which fills a gap between the students’ university days and their careers as chamber music performers.
The program supports and guides the careers of emerging musicians through mentoring experiences and performance opportunities.  The Locals’ Night concert will showcase these emerging stars of tomorrow, as they play Tilly’s pieces alongside the more seasoned SXS professionals.
And in the wake of the natural disasters that hit the Northern Rivers this year, SXS is also looking for – and finding – donors to support the resurrection of the Northern Rivers Conservatorium, provide fee assistance to music students to enable them to continue their studies, and support those primary schools devastated by the floods to allow their pupils to attend some of the concerts at this year’s festival and see a host of world-class performers in action.
The aim is to educate as well as entertain: the Festival’s Schools Concert on the Thursday will explore the rich cultural legacy of Australia’s First Nations people as the world’s first astronomers, with didgeridoo compositions, storytelling and dance – a compelling introduction to music’s wonder and universal appeal.

Bangalow Music Festival runs from August 11-14. Tickets available at southernxsoloists.com/bangalow

Louis, 7, from Bangalow says “Our family is recycling, composting and has solar panels.” “Yeah, we should all get solar panels on our roofs to stop coal mining,” says Miles, 9, from Bangalow. His older sister Sia, 11, agrees, adding “we should also try not to use as much single use plastic bags and grow some of our own food plants.” Louis would love to see green bins in the main street for people to dispose of their food scraps more sustainably. “We are careful about food waste and we find new recipes to use leftover ingredients when we are cooking meals so nothing gets thrown out,” says Stella, 15.

But it’s not just energy and recycling that our kids see as important, it’s conservation and care of the land too. “My grandmother has a farm in Coopers Creek, and she has been trying to regenerate it to bring it back to the rainforest,” says Sia. “I help my grandad to protect the forests,” says Miles. “He is an environmentalist. He has made blockades to stop loggers getting in. He has made protests to get more national parks,” His grandfather is none other than renowned environmental activist and artist, Dalian Pugh OAM.

The young people also observe changes to our daily lives, even in the seemingly busy streets of 2479 and beyond. “There should be more bike paths and free bikes so people can leave their cars at home,” says Louis, who is yet to wrestle with the challenges of driving on our local roads or finding a convenient parking spot in 2479.

“Cafes shouldn’t have single use plastic straws and they should also put their rubbish in the right bin to protect our local creeks and the ocean,” says Sia.

“We should be planting more trees for the birds and koalas,” says Louis. “We can also bring back the creek by planting native trees along the riverbank to make it cleaner and healthier,” says Sia. “Yes, and everyone should donate to Bangalow Koalas!” says animal loving Miles.

Meanwhile, the school landscape presents its own environmental challenges. “We should buy nude food and not use single-use plastic in our lunchboxes,” says Miles. As Zero Waste Chef Anne Marie Boneu says “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” “My mum gives me nude food in my lunch box, and I don’t always eat it so, yay, there is more compost!” says Louis. So, what can the people of 2479 be doing to make a difference to the care of our environment?

It is day six after the devastating flood, the audition space for Byron Casting’s latest production is urgently moved to make way for the amazing crew organising emergency food supplies at the Moller Pavilion. The rain continues its droll rhythm, the lingering storm threatens, the casting panel awaits. Having washed off their volunteer’s mud, Anouska Gammon and Bobbie Field from Byron Casting wistfully glance at the open door wondering ‘why are we here, will anyone come?’

Months earlier, Anouska and Bobbie yet again rolled their creative dice with a dream to bring a powerful Australian drama to our region and create opportunity for local youth to tread the boards at the wonderful Rochdale Theatre in Lismore.

Facing the daunting unknowns of curating live performance is familiar territory for this determined duo. Byron Castings original short film “Selected” written and acted by 18 local teens just premiered at the Bangalow Film Festival. They were also integral in Bangalow Theatre Company’s lauded production of RENT which precariously navigated COVID lockdowns to deliver a blockbuster of a show to a packed Bangalow A&I Hall.

Those nights of intense music and dazzling performance felt a world away as the flood levy burst and the cruel dark waters consumed the land. Anouska and Bobbie, like many in our wonderful community, joined the army of volunteers. As the days blurred and the magnitude of the devastation unfolded it became clear their dreams for a show were also being washed away.

Fate though had other plans. With no stable phone or internet, there was no sure way to cancel auditions and so the pair patiently waited to audition any actor who braved the elements.

Gentle footsteps brought a fresh melody to the Scout Hall, a young barefoot actor gracefully enters the audition dressed in his Sunday best, he smiles a warm greeting then humbly apologises for his lack of shoes. He shares his dramatic story of waking at 2am and having a few desperate minutes to escape the rising water by climbing into the roof cavity. He had lost his home and his possessions, yet in the days that followed this opportunity to perform became a beacon of hope. He borrowed clothes from his grandfather, washed the mud from his skin, and rehearsed his lines. (Yes, he got the part).

Slowly, more and more actors from across our region arrived to audition, sharing stories of loss, survival, kindness and courage. As Anouska and Bobbie embraced these events it reignited their dream and affirmed their commitment to give these brave and talented actors a stage in which to share their craft. Having helped to clean and restore the physical effects of the floods, the pair seized the opportunity to support the emotional wellbeing of our community.

Live performance is an intrinsic part of our humanity and provides freedom to explore complex issues and create meaningful conversations. A Property of the Clan was written by Nick Enright in the early ‘90s and has become an important and powerful piece of Australian theatre exploring deep cultural issues of Australian masculinity and misogyny.

“I have always wanted to direct this play. I am a huge fan of Australian theatre, especially pieces that hold a mirror up to society and make us question our ways. This piece is confronting and raw, and its main themes are very prevalent today,” says Anouska.

According to an analysis by Ernst & Young, COVID lockdown’s caused a 72% decline in revenue for theatres across Australia, and just last month the Federal government significantly reduced its financial support of creatives, with regional arts funding is set to fall from $18 million in 2021-22 to $7.5 million in 2022-23.

There has never been a more important time than now to support our wonderful local performers, artists, and musicians.  As our youth bravely navigate these turbulent years, performing arts offers them an amazing avenue to find safe passage, to grow as a person, and to share incredible stories with our community.

Fortunately for Anouska, Bobbie and their team of 20 actors four incredible local businesses First National Real estate (Byron Bay), Harvest Café (Newrybar), Trip a Deal (Byron Bay) and Cumulus VFX (Byron Bay) have generously come in as sponsors to ensure the show will still go on.

“We were planning for a cast of 10. However, we were so impressed by the talent of these young actors, and how brave and prepared they were we now have a cast of 20, with 17 of those being teenagers. It’s pretty powerful stuff seeing them so engaged, finding meaning in the words and bringing the script to life,” says Anouska.

The hard work of pre-production and rehearsal is underway, the excitement of possibility is building and these local businesses have ensured the theatre doors will be open. But there is no show without you.

“The last couple of years have been incredibly tough for our youth. Witnessing them turn up to rehearsals, connecting with their peers and doing what they love is just what they need. I feel honoured to be facilitating this opportunity with such great actors,” says producer Bobbie Field.

A Property of the Clan is produced by Byron Casting and will be performed at the Rochdale Theatre, Lismore 20-28 May.

Tickets are on sale at: byroncasting.com

Terry’s Christmas story

Santa delivered more than a few presents to our house on Christmas Day. Along with my wife, Trish, and myself, 22 family members contracted COVID at our Christmas lunch…we couldn’t blame the prawns for that! Cases were gradually revealed over the next few days, with symptoms being mild or non-existent. Everyone was vaccinated, and no one arrived at our house knowingly having symptoms. A few family members work in retail, and it is likely a customer or staff member shared the love a little too enthusiastically and handed it over with their credit card. I am immune-compromised, and after 15 days, I still test positive, despite being invited out of isolation by Government text at day seven. My symptoms returned, and I have re-entered isolation (at the time of writing) to wait it out. Our initial symptoms included fatigue, headaches, raspy throat and elevated temperature. Later symptoms are mainly fatigue and a mild, chesty productive cough. COVID is a nuisance, but only because of vaccines. Without the vax, it would be disastrous. Aided by an abundance of information out there, most vaxxed people have little to fear. Good old common sense is the best antidote for dealing with COVID, the same common sense that led to getting vaxxed in the first place. Terry

The isolation of COVID

My initial reaction to testing positive was OH SHIT! Because I had only done a test two days previous (it did feel a little like a pregnancy test but had more chance of wind pollination, ha ha!) At first, I felt dirty, my house felt dirty. I thought: God, I don’t want anyone to know about this and I will just hide. Then I thought… when have you ever hidden from anything? So, no, I am loud and proud and one of the cool COVID kids now. The first 72 hours was the worst. I experienced a tight chest, was clammy, had night sweats and extreme tiredness. I had a very congested chest due to previous asthma and chest infections. I have to say, I was a little afraid. I couldn’t breathe properly, and living on my own was of a concern to me. I am vaccinated twice over. Now due to me having had COVID, I have to wait six weeks after feeling well and having a negative test to be eligible to have my booster shot. Being in lockdown is one thing. You can still go out for a walk, to the beach and exercise. Being in total isolation is another. The most challenging part of having this at home is being alone. I live in a small studio, and it feels very isolated. The days are long and the nights even longer. The hardest, I think, was Saturday morning… it’s market day, and it’s my favourite day of the week. But the unconditional love and support from people in our community has been amazing. Angela and her team at the Bangalow Pharmacy delivered medicine to me, and friends delivered food and supplies. Pip from the Bangalow Cellars did a delivery for the Irish medicinal needs… Andrea

Parenting with COVID

My husband tested positive first, so he isolated away from the rest of the family in a separate room. With young children who don’t understand, I quickly started to hope I would get it (as bad as that sounds) so that I didn’t have to isolate with them for seven days while also trying to keep them away from their dad! I tested positive the following day, and the kids (aged one and five) after that. Our main concern was that we had been at a small gathering a few days beforehand, and we felt tremendous guilt about possibly exposing our friends (some with other health issues). Community support has been nothing short of amazing. Every person we told offered to bring us food, we had soup and brownies left at our door, and my lovely mum did our groceries for us. The kids were only very mildly unwell, but my husband and I were quite unwell for two to three days; fevers, chills, shakes, sweating, sore throat, headaches… which is made 100 times worse with having young children around that still need to be fed, supervised and entertained. My sense of smell is still a bit intermittent. My husband works in the hospitality industry and generally works a lot over Christmas/New Year, so, as unwell as we were, it was nice to have some quality family time together. We are double vaxxed and will be getting our booster shots when we are eligible. I support vaccination and believe we need to do what we can to protect those who may be more susceptible to suffering complications from the virus. Lucy.

Preparing for the inevitable

I sort of had in the back of my mind that I was going to test positive as it’s been years since I had a cold, so for being sick at this time of year I was thinking maybe it was COVID. I didn’t really panic, I just went and got tested at Byron Hospital. For me, it was a light head cold with nasal drip causing a tickle in the throat. I got onto the Betadine gargle, so no sore throat and no temperature but I was sneezy for a couple of days. My ears got a bit blocked and lost smell and taste, and I guess still nearly three weeks later I’m slowly getting my taste and smell back. But overall, the main symptoms lasted, say, five days. The only scary part was wondering how sick I was going to get, basically the unknown and all the hype we have endured over the past two years.

I am double vaxxed and get a booster in March. I am not antivax in any way. I’m alive today because of childhood vaccinations like most people. I have underlying health issues as far as I had a heart valve replaced last year also a section of lung removed, leftover from cancer I had 10 years ago, but generally I live a healthy lifestyle. There was no stigma with having COVID, I told everyone I had been in contact with, and they were sorry, but not upset with me whatsoever. The only challenge was being isolated as I live alone and food was an original worry but people rallied for me. It was fairly easy, really. I was just happy it was a mild event but I still worry when I go out and about as people are so blasé not wearing masks. Blah, blah. It’s very frustrating. I also got a call from a triage nurse the same day a doctor from Bangalow Medical Centre informed me I was positive. The nurse took all my details and said I would get a phone call everyday as I was in the high-risk category but I got absolutely no support or calls from anyone. Name withheld.

Sarah’s Sydney souvenir

We’d just returned from Sydney after visiting family over the Christmas period, where we no doubt picked up COVID. We came home to our very small rental in Bangalow, a three-bed villa (which also doubles as my husband’s office – he sits in the corner of the lounge room). The living areas are open plan but there is minimal opportunity for proper flow through ventilation. One of the biggest challenges for us was attempting to isolate family members in such a small house, but also trying to look after our younger family members (and three cats) when both of us tested positive and were feeling at our worst. My husband was the first to test positive, followed by me and then shortly afterwards our kids, although we all knew we had it before we had our PCR tests back because we’d driven back from Sydney while my husband was at his most infectious. Although we did make an effort to isolate him when we got home, it really did feel a little bit hopeless! I work at a local hospital, and throughout the pandemic I assumed I’d contract COVID through work, but ironically it was Sydney that got us in the end! Sarah