THE BETOOTA Advocate has run a brilliant satirical yarn about a young girl who hates what tourism has done to Byron Bay.
The Advocate states that “After living in the alternative, eco-friendly beach town of Byron Bay for just over 6 months, Kiara Godfrey (29) says she’s starting to understand the subtle undertow of anti-tourist sentiment across the district.
“They just don’t get it,” she says.
“Byron Bay isn’t just a holiday. It’s a lifestyle, a state of mind,”
The Advocate reckons Kiara is one of the many expatriated city youths that make up 60% percent of the Byron Bay population – and like most, she hasn’t relocated there for work.
The Advocate also says that Kiara believes the faux-hippy lifestyle of tourists has created a damaging sense of entitlement in the community.
“She says it upsets her as a resident who know feels comfortable enough to call Byron home, after speaking to an Aboriginal man at the pub on Sunday.
“While still looking for a job, Kiara is currently relying on help from her parents to set herself up. In the meanwhile, she is renting an ‘understated little beach shack’ on the main street and spends her afternoons playing bongo drums on the front stoop.
“It’s such a unique culture here,” Kiara says in the well-written yarn.
“It’s such a shame that all these tourists come here with their coffee and surfboards.”
“It’s so pretentious that they think they can pull in from Brisbane and Sydney and just pretend to be like us,”
“They are so transient. They don’t get the real Byron, like I do.”
Voice of Byron left it a day to publish, after reading the Advocate’s post, but we’re still chuckling as we make it live…
Unfortunately, folks like Kiara (and she’s not alone) fail to see what makes Byron attract so many people. It’s the open acceptance. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you’re from, Byron luvs ya anyway! That’s what makes Byron great.
So, 6 months living in Byron and now beholds and epitomises the apparently desired elements of Byron Bay. I imagine one has contributed to infrastructures, community services and small business’s alike!. ………….Yes we have the token tourists stepping out of their Lexus(maybe funded by parents too), off to get a tattoo( must be henna) and piercing, and perhaps don some dreadlocks, whilst sitting on a milk crate busking, all with chai in hand, ultimately masquerading as a faux hippee. Sound Familiar……
Tsk Tsk
I got a job straight away late 80 ties early 90 ties at woo lies because no one wanted to work then. But I couldn’t find any where to live. I really don’t like hippies.
I am Kiara, I only wanted to awaken spiritually and allow the government and family to provide me that opportunity.
I have met so many really open, loving and tactile men, mainly in their 40’s who offer all us young girls spiritual and life advice and all they want is to have nude bingo circle and and chakra development through kundalini awakening which again is nude but the way they explain it makes like so much sense….
Some of the comments here are hurtful not so much for me because I like don’t read it but saw it on my Facebook feed but to all of us who have always search for this home, it should not matter that I went to. Private girls school and lived in the north shore of Sydney because finding my soul is far greater than the inheritance I will receive….. Peace out
Ash , summed it all up….. I moved to Ballina 43 years ago …and yes Byron is another planet to visit and enjoy ,,but would never want to live there ….Bands, food, chicks n people watching and occasionally good surf ….
Ballina ,, employment ,, Normality, a little urban n the best constant surf on the whole of the north Coast . Paradise
A sleepy town with beautiful beaches as you head
up th rd coast. Perfect and why wouldn’t we all want to visit it. No she is young and opinionated wishing it was like it was in the 70s. O well maybe she can keep dreaming or move to the next sleepy town to be discovered.
Such is life.
It’s satirical.
I like your sentiment Dan!
I had a surf factory there for 8 years
Couldn’t get anyone to work 2 days in a row
Dresdlocked deadbeats
Drugged drummers
Dole dole drums
Moved back to the real world
Hey Dan I just want to comment so you can reply, ‘It’s satirical.’ 😉
p.s. Do you think Kiara knows?
Hey Dan, I think they need a dictionary…
Thanks Dan, you are patient persistent and correct.
At 6 months she still is a tourist.
It’s satirical.
Six months isn’t long …. I moved there in 86 and saw the changes coming at us thick n fast ~ Mullum was always where I lived ~ I watched Beautiful Byron go down the gurgler when the developers marched on in …. Bla bla bla … I left the area in 2000 …. Couldn’t afford To live up there now ….. But maybe I could stay with Kiara a couple of nights and play bongos with her on the street when I come and play at The Mullum Music fest 🎵
It’s satirical
How funny. The tourist perspective on how another tourist should be! Not much entitlement there!
It’s satirical.
That’s all well and good this resident to say however, the very small businesses that she is possibly lobbying for work are the same businesses that rely on that faux hippie tourism. The same tourism that has contributed to what Byron itself has become. Btw that same faux hippie tourism is probably what lead kiara to move to Byron for that relaxed feeling and free spirited natural town because the popularity to move to Byron derived from tourism and word of mouth that it is what it is. How does she think Byron would seuvive without tourism and this industry. It wouldn’t. Although maybe it would serve her better if it wasn’t so popular as she could live there at a low cost and play bongo drums til her hearts content. I’ve lived in the northern rivers for more than 20 years and I’ve watched Byron develop from a sleepy beach town to what it is and trust me none of the locals have complained when their business has doubled even tripled and so have their house prices.
It’s satirical
“I’ve lived in the northern rivers for more than 20 years and I’ve watched Byron develop from a sleepy beach town to what it is and trust me none of the locals have complained when their business has doubled even tripled and so have their house prices.” – 20 years – That’s only 1996! If you think Byron was sleepy in 1996 you have no idea Ash. Don’t forget business rents & rates have more than trippled. House price increases are only good when you sell (or use the equity) so it doesn’t have any benefit for long term residents who don’t want to get forced out of town particularly once they retire & try to live on a pension.
Suggest she goes back where she comes from and contributes her worldliness there
It’s satirical.