The Earth belongs to anyone who stops for a moment, gazes and goes on his way.   Colette

A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.   George Moore

An ariel view of our farm in Byron Shire

After many years of travelling the world Sean and Wendy settled in Mullumbimby which is sub-tropical rainforest in the hinterland of Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Byron Bay boasts some of the world’s best surfing with miles of glorious beaches. Created by ones of the greatest cataclysms known on Earth, the geology of the area is unique and spectacular. A few miles north of Mullumbimby is Wollumbin, or commonly known as Mount Warning – named in 1770 by Captain James Cook because of a dangerous shoal 5km off the coast.

Twenty two million years ago the area was a massive volcano that erupted. Although it is now extinct the caldera valley is over 1000 metres deep with a diameter of over forty kilometres making it the biggest erosion caldera in the southern hemisphere, and one of the largest in the world. It is one of the world's great natural wonders having been caused by the largest known eruption on Earth. Over the past 20 million years the vast majority of the volcanic debris has been eroded away, creating the many creeks & rivers that give the area its regional name, The Northern Rivers. The rim of the caldera has a cap of very hard basaltic rock which forms vertical cliffs around the western side of Mt Warning. It now stands at just over 1100 meters.

In recent years it has become increasingly known by its aboriginal name, ‘Wollumbin’ meaning ‘Cloud Catcher’ in Bunjalung. Being so high and so far east on the Australian coast, it is the first peak on the mainland in Australia to be touched by the rising sun at the Autumn and Spring Equinox. It also had first continental landfall of the sun at the dawn of the new millennium in 2000. Sugar cane, cattle and dairy farming make use of the fertile volcanic caldera floor, while the higher ranges consist of five World Heritage National Parks. One of these, the Mt. Jerusalem National Park backs onto our farm. The rainforest here is an environmental success story having been regenerated from pasture over the last 20 years by a dedicated community in an area that has become known as the Rainbow Region.

Byron Bay

Byron Bay is a beachside town located in the far-northeastern corner of the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located 772 kilometres (480 mi) north of Sydney and 165 kilometres (103 mi) south of Brisbane. Cape Byron, a headland adjacent to the town, is the easternmost point of mainland Australia. At the 2006 Census, the town had a permanent population of 4,981. The town is in turn the nucleus of Byron Shire, which has in excess of 28,000 residents. Captain James Cook named Cape Byron after circumnavigator of the world John Byron, grandfather of the poet, Lord Byron.

The town has several beaches which are popular for surfing. It is a resort popular with both domestic and international tourists, including backpackers, who travel along the Australian coast, and the scenery attracts sky divers. The area is also noted for its wildlife, with the whale watching industry a significant contributor to the local economy. An oceanway runs from the centre of town to the Cape Byron lighthouse. Visitors are encouraged to use sustainable options for moving around town like walking and cycling. Temperate and tropical waters merge at Byron Bay, making it a popular area for scuba diving and snorkelling. Most diving is done at Julian Rocks which is part of the recently established Cape Byron Marine Park and only a few minutes boat ride from Main Beach. Byron Bay also lies close to subtropical rainforests, and areas such as the Nightcap National Park with the Minyon Falls are all within easy reach of the town.

Mullumbimby

Mullumbimby is a town in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, Australia in Byron Shire, and is colloquially referred to as The Biggest Little Town in Australia. It lies at the foot of Mount Chincogan in the Brunswick Valley about 10 kilometres (6 mi) from the sea. It is a gateway to a number of hinterland areas of great beauty. Mullumbimby is close to the towns of Ocean Shores, Brunswick Heads and Wilsons Creek. The Mullumbimby town and surrounding area became a centre of alternative or counter culture in the 1970s and 1980s, alongside existing mainstream society, as did nearby Byron Bay and remains so today.