Articles
North Coast news online
Èëōĕ Eĕşǔ !ſşƱƐIJĕſǽ ǨǬ lëſĈIJ Ǩǰǫǫ ȑǨǪ żſĶō ǩǧǩǨ America on a shoeEĕşǓ ƱëƆ ë ƐſƖĕ ĕƶżōşſĕſ string and later, as a ëŕĎ ëĎưĕŕƐƖſĕſ ƱIJş ƱĕŕƐ Hundreds of thousands of co-author, India – a people met Geoff when they travel survival kit. He ćĕƷşŕĎ ćşƖŕĎëſĶĕƆ ëŕĎ ćşſĎĕſƆȁ travelled overland in Africa, played an enormous şŔĕƐĶŔĕƆǼ ōĶƐĕſëōōƷ ëŕĎ India, South America, and part in the in the creaŔĕƐëżIJşſĶĈëōōƷǼ IJĕ ƱĕŕƐ Ɛşş Īëſȁ Asia, clutching their Lonely tion of Lonely Planet’s Planet guidebook. ethos and style. Geoff was the herculean Everyone who used abbreviated version from the author of an unbelievable Geoff’s uncompromising, 2nd edition of South America number of guidebooks that opinionated, invaluable on a shoestring follows: audaciously covered entire guidebooks felt they knew ‘Born in Yorkshire, Engcontinents. They included him, thanks in part to his land, Geoff Crowther took to Lonely Planet’s Africa on photo and the brief autobihis heels early on his search the cheap (which became ography that came at the for the miraculous. The lure Africa on a shoestring, South beginning of all his books. An of the unknown took him to Kabul, Kathmandu, and for M Perf Lamu in the days before oth ect ONE DAY SALE! the Woodstock generation ers Da Exquisite Scarves & Shawls became customers in the y! chai shops of the East and flush toilets were unknown. His experiences led him to join the now legendary alternative information centre BIT in London in the early ’70s. No-one who could rein him Here he put together OverAuthentic Pashmina’s in. He was a charming rogue, land to India & Australia and Assorted Silks with a fearsome appetite Overland through Africa. In for life that sometimes chal1977 he wrote his first guide Pure Wool Authentic Pashminas ~ Assorted Silks ~ Pure Wool lenged those caught up in his for Lonely Planet. When not Ethically fromKashmir Kashmir Ethicallysourced sourced from wake. watching for gorillas in the Ruwenzoris, tramping over Geoff’s books quickly Saturday 1 May 10am – 6pm Inca roads in the High Andes, made him a patron saint for 1 May Centre Upstairs Saturday @ Byron Community or pitting his wits against the tribes of hippies, hobos, 10am – 6pm 69 Jonson Street, Byron Bay Indian bureaucracy Geoff dreamers, and adventurers lives in a converted banana (backpacker was not a word shed with his Korean wife, when Geoff started writing) Hyung Poon, in the rainforwho followed him. Thouests of New South Wales and sands sent him letters to spends his time pursuing help him update his books. noxious weeds, cultivating All were acknowledged. tropical fruits, and brewing Among this enormous pile mango wine.’ of letters there were some Geoff was a true explorer who criticised Geoff’s accuand adventurer who went racy and some from irritable beyond boundaries and travellers who thought his borders. Sometimes, literally maps, in particular, were and metaphorically, he sometimes part-fantasy. went too far. But there was Part-fantasy or not, nothing that could stop him. Geoff’s maps were very often Richard Everist
ONE DAY SALE! Exquisite Scarves & Shawls
Things that are good for you don’t come wrapped in plastic! Don’t forget to take
your reusable shopping bags!
<HOORZVWRQH %XWWHUÁ\ Ballina
• NOURISHING MEALS • DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR • NO WAITING LIST OR LOCK-IN CONTRACT • CONTACT FREE
MORE THAN JUST A MEAL
EPING WE’RE KE E BY F YOU SA THE G REDUCIN OU Y R NEED FO ING P P O TO GO SH
KEEPING YOU CONNECTED
the best (or only!) maps available and they have been formally recognised for their quality and significance, by the British Library. In his book Zanzibar Chest former Reuters correspondent Aidan Hartley recounts how in 1991 Ethiopian rebels used Geoff’s maps, photocopied from Africa on a shoestring, as they drove their captured Soviet tanks into Addis Ababa in their successful overthrow of Mengistu, the despotic Ethiopian ruler. The New South Wales rainforest, referred to in Geoff’s bio, grew outside Burringbar on one of the Northern Rivers’ oldest and most successful multipleoccupancy properties. Geoff ultimately moved from his
banana shed into a spectacular house, inspired by Sumatran long houses, and constructed by his friends using traditional Japanese carpentry techniques. There were at least eight distinct chapters in Geoff Crowther’s life, probably more. Every life has distinct chapters, albeit with a common hero, but some chapters in Geoff’s life seem so disconnected from the previous narrative as to be almost unbelievable. Those who were lucky enough to meet face to face with Geoff in his early chapters found a charismatic, politically engaged leftist, and a funny, generous, charming, drunk. He would talk with everyone who crossed his path, whatever their apparent status in life, from rickshaw men in Calcutta and bandits in Nairobi to anyone entering the Burringbar District Sports Club. Suffering from dementia, Geoff spent the last 14 years of his life in the Kirrahaven Residential Care Centre. It was a long and cruel death. In the Northern Rivers, Geoff is survived by Hyung Poon, and in Korea, by their son Ashley. Q Richard Everist is a former Lonely Planet publisher and guidebook writer who lives in a half-finished house with his Italian/Australian wife, Lucrezia Migliore, in a Northern Rivers suburb and spends his time pursuing renovations, cultivating his first novel and brewing coffee.
FOR INFORMATION ON SOME OF THE BEST VENUES IN THE NORTHERN RIVERS
We deliver nutritious, delicious meals to the elderly, people with a disability or high risk consumers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Meals can be delivered weekly as frozen packs for you to heat or daily if you require a hot meal. Our social support volunteers will phone you for a social chat and check on your wellbeing.
6686 2636 W. Ballinamealsonwheels.com.au E. bsmow@bigpond.com.au
A solitary old man gives shelter to his daughter and her friends, who are on the run from the secret police. He becomes a target himself when two scientific entrepreneurs with very different solutions to our political problems arrive on his doorstep, one with a genetically engineered house cat. Meanwhile in David Lovejoy’s SF story California slides into the sea, the tundra melts and Australia’s last butterfly vanishes. ON SALE AT THE MULLUM ECHO OFFICE $13 Also historical novel Hypatia’s Legacy $12 Gods and Heroes Greek myths revisited $10
14 The Byron Shire Echo żſĶō ǩǯǽ ǩǧǩǨ
2020 NSW Far North Coast Venues & Event Planning Venues • Event Services • Luxury Weddings • Luxury Accommodation Free for you to take
Pick up the book around the towns or from WKH (FKR RIÀ FH RU WKH %\URQ 9LVLWRUV· &HQWUH byronvenue.com.au | @byronvenue www.echo.net.au