UP IN SMOKE SINCE 1986 The Byron Shire Echo • Volume 35 #47 • Wednesday, May 5, 2021 • www.echo.net.au
Echo turns 35 and You are invited!
şćĕſ ƆƐşŕĕſƆ ŔëſĈIJ Īşſ ĎſƖī ōëƱ ſĕĪşſŔ
Last year many of Rupert Murdoch’s regional print newspapers folded. Surviving as a community newspaper is tough, throw in COVID, and a trend towards digital media and you have double trouble. But The Echo remains; a fierce independent voice in a community full of fierce independent people. This year The Echo turns 35, and to celebrate this momentous anniversary they are putting on The Echo Community Awards – and everyone is invited!
For the people Most years it’s a lavish do, but this year because it’s been a tough time for so many we’ve decided to keep it grassroots and accessible to the whole community. You can frock up, or you can turn up in your jeans and Crocs, we don’t judge. Long time Echo writer, comedian, and provocateur Mandy Nolan will host an Awards night that features half hour performances by some of the country’s finest artists: comedian Akmal and musicians Tex Perkins & Jez Mead. Although they have known each other for about 25 years it was not until recently, and more specifically, the COVID-19 pandemic that Tex and Jez formed their current musical working partnership. Tex Perkins (The Beasts of Bourbon, The Cruel Sea, The Dark Horses, The Man in Black, T’n’T, to name a few) has built his reputation on a restless sense of adventure, an ability to evolve and adapt, a dark sense of humour and a knack for teaming up with uniquely talented players who help get the best out of him (just like The Echo). These are community awards and we’d love to know who you ▶ Continued on page 3
A moat-like ring of ‘crocodiles’ (police drug testing units) around the two-street town of Nimbin wasn’t enough to deter thousands from this year’s famous MardiGrass festival and anti-prohibition march. At least 2,500 people attended the festival on Saturday, but Nimbin HEMP Embassy President, Michael Balderstone, said many more came to march on Sunday, driven – sometimes literally – to protest for drug law reform thanks to a continued campaign of police roadside drug testing in NSW. Read more online at: www.echo.net.au. Photo Jeff ‘Ganja Faerie’ Dawson
dşĈëō ƆĕƐƆ ƱşſōĎ ŊĶƐĕƆƖſǕ ŕī ſĕĈşſĎȂ mĕƶƐǽ ƐIJĕ żëŕīōĕĎ 'ſşŕīş Paul Bibby It was a cold, windy night on the rugged NSW south coast and Brian Kiss von Soly was wrapped up in a silver emergency blanket like a human burrito. A kind-hearted camper had given him the blanket to keep warm – perhaps recognising that the Ocean Shores resident was a long way from home. ‘Things were getting pretty chilly
Board defends New palliative management of Mullum care service Rural Co-op ▶ p4 ▶ p9
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by the end,’ the local adventurer and beer brewer says. ‘Some of the spots were pretty rugged and remote.’ It was one of many small and not-so-small acts of kindness that helped Kiss von Soly achieve a remarkable feat: setting a new world record for the longest ever kitesurfing journey. In an epic three-month adventure, the 35-year-old kite-surfed from New Brighton to Melbourne.
Dying art of conversation ▶ p20
HINTS FOR LIVING A SUSTAINABLE LIFE!
Lift Out page 23.
ddŚĞ ĞƐƚ dĞĐŚŶŽůŽŐLJ ŝŶ ^ŽůĂƌ WŽǁĞƌ͕ KĨĨ 'ƌŝĚ͕ ZĞƐŝĚĞŶƚŝĂů Θ ƵƐŝŶĞƐƐ ϲ Ŭt ůĂĚĞ ĂŶĚ ^ƵŶŐƌŽǁ ^ƉĞĐŝĂůĂů ϲ Ŭt Ͳ ϭϲ dž ^ĞƌĂƉŚŝŵ ůĂĚĞ ϯϳϬt ^Ɖůŝƚ Ğůů WĂŶĞůƐ ,ŝŐŚĞƌ zŝĞůĚ ƵĞ ƚŽ ĞƚƚĞƌ ^ŚĂĚŝŶŐ ZĞƐƉŽŶƐĞ DŽƌĞ WŽǁĞƌ ŝŶ ůĞƐƐ ƐƉĂĐĞ
&ƌĞĞ WŽǁĞƌ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ŐŽŽĚ ƚŚŝŶŐƐ ŝŶ >ŝĨĞ
‘I wanted to see my parents and I thought I’d have a go at going down the coast... It feels pretty good now that I look back at it. It was a pretty epic adventure. Your body adapts – camping, sleeping in the bush, kitesurfing for hours each day…’ One of the most memorable aspects of the adventure, Kiss von Soly says, was the people he met along the way. ‘There were a few places where ▶ Continued on page 2
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zŽƵ ĐĂŶ ŐĞƚ Ăůů ƚŚĞ ĨƌĞĞ ĞŶĞƌŐLJ LJŽƵ ŶĞĞĚ ĨŽƌ ůŝĨĞ͛Ɛ ĞƐƐĞŶƚŝĂůƐ Ͳ WŽŽů ĂŶĚ WŽŽů ,ĞĂƚŝŶŐ͕ ŝƌ ŽŶĚŝƚŝŽŶŝŶŐ͕ ůĞĐƚƌŝĐ sĞŚŝĐůĞƐ͕ ,Žƚ tĂƚĞƌ ĂŶĚ ŵŽƌĞ͘͘͘ dĂŬĞ ĂĚǀĂŶƚĂŐĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĂůůͲƚŝŵĞ ůŽǁĞƐƚ ĐŽƐƚ ĨŽƌ ƐŽůĂƌ ŶŽǁ͊ DŽƌĞ ^ŽůĂƌ Ͳ DŽƌĞ 'ŽŽĚ͊
The incredible solo mission covered more than 2,000kms, smashing the previous record of 862kms and setting a new mark that could well remain in the books for decades to come. Kiss von Soly arrived back in the Shire last week and is now awaiting official confirmation of his world record attempt from Guinness. ‘I just wanted a bit of adventure…’ Kiss von Soly says in his typically understated style.
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