The Echo (Australia)

Broken Head surfer Leihani Zoric Paul Bibby Most 13-year-olds would be happy just to make an under-18 world final. Two weeks ago Broken Head surfer Leihani Zoric took out the whole thing. Zoric has become the youngest-ever ISA Under-18 World Junior Champion after winning gold at the World Junior Surfing Championships in El Salvador, despite competing three age divisions above her own.

Lightyears ahead Whether you’re pulling up to the terrazzo bar for a quick drink or settling in for a full-scale feast, Light Years is ready for both. Located within Byron Bay’s Jonson Lane, the 95-seat modern Asian diner has room for the whole crew, complete with an intimate private dining space and a handful of bar seats for those last-minute dinner plans. Any intention of ordering ‘just a few things’ tends to unravel as soon as the menu lands, starting with the bao buns.

From acclaimed director David Ayer (Fury) comes Heart of the Beast, a sweeping and visceral survival thriller that sends Academy Award-winner Brad Pitt (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) into the beautiful, but merciless Alaskan wilderness, where survival will depend on the companion at his side. Retired Special Forces Command Sergeant Major James Belmont and his combat dog Odin land their plane on a remote Alaskan lake and make camp for the night. Both veterans suffer from PTSD and nightmares.

Nonnies – Something a little different Tucked into the heart of Mullumbimby, Nonnie’s Wine Store is not your typical bottle shop. It’s a place for people who love good wine, good food and discovering something a little different. Founded by locals Arnhem Bickley and Ryan Bettles, Nonnie’s was created with a simple idea: to bring together great wines from small, independent producers alongside the things you want to eat and share with them.

Hiatus Kaiyote Few contemporary bands have reshaped the language of modern music like Hiatus Kaiyote. Formed in Melbourne in 2011, the quartet of Nai Palm (vocals, guitar), Paul Bender (bass), Simon Mavin (keys) and Perrin Moss (drums) has become one of Australia’s most celebrated musical exports, earning global acclaim for a sound that seamlessly bridges jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, electronic music and progressive composition.

Nudge Nudge 2026 The Shed is calling! Nudge Nudge Wink Wink returns to the Billinudgel Hotel on Saturday for seven hours of exceptional music, connection, unexpected delights and the unmistakable feeling of The Shed in full flight. Since 2015, Cunning Stunts has donated more than $460,352 to 42 local charities, continuing its long-standing ethos as a true ‘party with a conscience’. Octoberbrings a killer mix of international experience, fresh local talent and Nudge favourites.

Holly Throsby Holly Throsby has just released her sixth studio album Normal Magic – her first in nine years. Holly says the concept for Normal Magic stemmed from a conversation about what is normal and what is magic. ‘Art making, for example, is quite magical and quite normal at the same time, and the concept expanded as the songs were written, to be a kind of a celebration of the magic of normal life – little moments of beauty and wonder which can be so sustaining.

A talking fox, a magic hole. and some spectacularly bad relationship advice launch the 20th Byron Bay International Film Festival this October. The Fox, winner of the Sydney Film Festival Audience Award for Best Australian Feature, stars Jai Courtney and Emily Browning, with Olivia Colman voicing the decidedly untrustworthy Fox, and the late Sam Neill as a magpie. Director Dario Russo says foxes are a big problem in the Adelaide Hills, where he’s from.

Wilsons River Lismore. Photo Duncan Wilson –www.aerialpunkin.com. Lismore residents are being called on to shape the future of more than 70 hectares of newly created public land – a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the city’s flood buyback land into vibrant community spaces. The NSW Reconstruction Authority is inviting locals, businesses, and community groups to share their vision for four key precincts across Lismore.

Outgoing Ballina GM Paul Hickey. Supplied With Ballina Shire Council General Manager Paul Hickey deciding to retire after more than a decade in the role, and almost twenty years time as a staff member, the task of finding a replacement has begun. Cr Damien Loone was also returned as Deputy Mayor after Cr Simon Chate withdrew his nomination.