Northern Rivers residents are showing keen interest in the innovative Mews Precinct lots at Angels Beach North in East Ballina.

Agent Narelle Elks believes the mews lots, a living style popular in Europe yet relatively new to Australia, offer an alternative suited to empty nesters and young professionals. “While they need space for family to stay they also like to lock up and leave, so the low maintenance mews homes are attractive” she said. “The lots are more compact. They are a very clever design, with all homes fronting the park. They don’t front a road, instead they have rear lane access for garages”.

Angels Beach North Mews Precinct resident Jan Stocks moved into her new home over two years ago. “I downsized” she said. “This is a lot easier to look after than the 6,500 square metres I had at Tintenbar. Even though my home has four bedrooms, it’s easy living. The thing I like about it most is that I’m on the park. I’m not on the street I’m on the park”.

“The lots are torrens title” outlined Narelle, “so there is no body corporate and no ongoing costs. They are innovative stand alone blocks where you can build to boundary on one side. The mews homes are set high, higher than street level, so they overlook the park and surrounding reserve”.

Residents of Angels Beach North gathered in one of the Estate’s parks to celebrate recently. “Two more new owners moved into the Mews Precinct, so we have had much to celebrate” said Jan Stocks. “It was lovely, the kids all played and we got to know each other a bit better”. This was the second community get together for residents of the Estate.

Violet Bakos lives her family at Angels Beach North. “We watch the evening rituals of the Bush Stone-Curlews from our bedroom window” she said. “It keeps us entertained, they are absolutely beautiful. My kids love it here and it’s very safe for them. There’s a tremendous community spirit – it’s really family friendly. The other thing is that people are house proud, Angels Beach North is a very respectful environment”.

“The Bush Stone-Curlews have returned with their babies to our two hectare nature reserve within the Estate” said Narelle Elks. “They are being tracked as they are threatened. It’s magnificent to watch them. We also have migratory Bee Eaters here each year”.

Angels Beach North offers 58 master planned lots ranging from 400 to 700 m². With its two parks, childrens’ play equipment and two hectare nature reserve, the estate is now 50% sold. Land is priced from $300,000 up to $525,000 for an elevated site with ocean views. Designer house and land packages, which include an architect designed and energy conscious home with a contemporary fit-out, landscaping and fences, are priced from $550,000.

www.angelsbeachballina.com.au

Internationally renowned artist Angus McDonald will join friends and guests at The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa on August 9th to discuss the art world he inhabits and how it has changed in the past twenty years.

“Art evolves constantly and is a mirror reflecting the era we live in” said McDonald. “What is art for the artist, the art lover, the art world. Why do we make it and collect it? What makes a piece of art a piece of art? What is all the fuss about anyway?”

Celebrated Australian identity Tim Olsen, of the Tim Olsen Gallery in Sydney, will introduce Angus and give an introductory talk on collecting art and growing up in the art world.

“Angus was always a much better drawer than me” said Olsen. “And he didn’t even do art as a subject. He was studying to become an economist and businessman and I was the one who was becoming an artist. It has all turned out the wrong way around! Angus is an incredible draftsman who is able to translate his understanding of light and shade and tonality. He is one of the most underrated still life artists in Australia today. His still lives are not just pictures adorned with pots and drapery, intermingled with fruit. They are conversations or stories about how things interrelate in space. Each object relates with one another in a way that there is a conversation…. saying do I really belong here.

“As a person Angus has always been a wylie character, a maverick, completely unpredictable. He’s a loyal friend and a talented artist that I am proud to have within my stable”.

Born in Sydney in 1961, McDonald studied full time at the Julian Ashton Art School in Sydney for three years, receiving the Brett Whiteley Scholarship in 1994. He was a finalist in the NSW Travelling Art Scholarship in the same year. McDonald lived and worked on the Greek Island of Leros between 1996 and 2001 and attended the Florence Academy in Italy in1999/2000. Since 1995 he has held 25 solo exhibitions in Australia, Japan and the UK. He was an Archibald Prize finalist in 2009 and 2011 and has been selected in numerous other prizes including the Dobell, the Country Energy, the Blake, the JADA Drawing Prize and the Australian Studio Furniture Design Awards. He has travelled twice to Antarctica, first as an expedition artist for the Mawson’s Huts Foundation in 2006 and as the artist in residence with Aurora Expeditions in 2008.

Angus lives and works in Lennox Head on the New South Wales North Coast. To view his work visit www.angusmcdonald.com.au

Byron at Byron Presents Angus McDonald and Tim Olsen
7:00pm Thursday August 9, The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa
$70 for two courses, a glass of wine and Angus. Stay the night from $330 for two people.

Bookings essential. 02 66392105 or reservations@thebyronatbyron.com.au

Whilst businesses and industry groups petition for funding to increase their web traffic one local business quietly leads the way, achieving more traffic than every other regional tourism website combined.

Byronbay.com turns 15 this year. The iconic website’s staggering visitation make it the most visited destination website on the NSW North Coast.

“Byronbay.com continues to attract over one million visitors per year” said Founder and Director Rick Slater. “Statistics indicate that over half of the people who visit Byron come to our website first”.

“With an estimated 1.7 million visitors annually to Byron, byronbay.com’s one million visitors annually represents a huge chunk of that traffic” outlined Cameron Arnold, Chair of Northern Rivers Tourism. “This is a remarkable achievement for a local business, particularly given the number of tourism websites vying for attention”.

The website enjoyed 1,040,943 visitors in 2011, representing 204 different countries, with 131,102 different search terms containing the word “Byron” used to find byronbay.com
This figure, according to Slater, shows that visitors want to know all kinds of things about the region and they are doing their independent research before they arrive.
“Our role is to provide information including festivals, events, accommodation, restaurants, weddings, activities and visitor information on Byron and the surrounding region.” said Rick Slater. “We don’t take commissions, which I think makes us more credible to consumers. We simply provide exposure for local businesses and organizations so consumers can easily conduct their research and then make direct contact for a more personalized service”.

When Slater started byronbay.com in 1997 the website served to provide information for visitors and co-operative marketing for local business. “What we now find is that we possess the most comprehensive and up to date statistics on tourism in our region” said Mr Slater.

“From the number of visitors that we are seeing from China to whether visitors want to stay in houses, apartment, hotels or camping accommodation, we can explain the past and provide good predictions for tourism trends to come” he said.  “We share this information with our clients where appropriate and we also hope to use it to contribute more broadly to tourism in our magnificent region.

“We are older than google, youtube and facebook. Fifteen years is a long time online” said Slater.

Yes that’s right. Splendour In The Grass is planning to return to Byron Bay for the 2012 event.

After two years at Woodfordia in Queensland, Splendour In The Grass organisers are currently working on taking Australia’s premier winter music and arts festival back to where it all started, Belongil Fields in Byron Bay.

The dates for the 2012 event are Friday 27, Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 July.

“Despite great efforts to have the festival at North Byron Parklands this year, we are yet to have a determination on the application.” said Splendour Co-Producer Jessica Ducrou.

“In the meantime and after much consideration we are excited at the prospect of returning to the birth place of Splendour.”

One of Australia’s premier holiday locations, Byron Bay is internationally renowned for its beautiful beaches, lush hinterland and laid back culture.

Byron Shire Mayor Jan Barham has welcomed Splendour back to Byron Bay for 2012.

“Splendour’s home is Byron Bay and there is defined benefit that the festival delivers to the area, especially in winter, so it is a welcome return” said Mayor Barham

“Taking the event back to Byron Bay allows us to give our audience the true Splendour experience, a quality music and arts festival combined with that distinctive Byron culture” Ms Ducrou said.

“We’d like to thank Woodfordia and the very wonderful Bill Hauritz, Mayor Allan Sutherland and Moreton Bay Regional Council for welcoming us with open arms and hosting our event for the last two years.”

The 2012 Splendour In The Grass Publicity contacts are:

Gabe Cramb @ Scrabble PR
0419 798 995
gabe@scrabble.net.au

Patrick Martin
0423 359 737
media@splendourinthegrass.com

We’ll be in contact again in a few months time with lineup information for the 2012 event.

Please DO NOT send media accreditation requests yet. We will forward you the relevant information when the time is right!

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:
Please direct any enquiries about Splendour In The Grass 2012 to 
Gabe Cramb @ Scrabble PR
0419 798 995
gabe@scrabble.net.au