Our May Rituals & Rhythms

May marks the start of the annual whale migration along the east coast of Australia, and as the continent’s most easterly point, Byron Bay is the perfect place to spot these gentle giants as they pass on by. Our favourite whale watching spots include the Cape Byron (Walgun) Lighthouse, Broken Head headland, and Lennox Point. When the seas are calm, you might even be lucky enough to spot a curious whale close to the shore along one of the region’s beaches.

Besides whale watching, here’s what we’re doing this month: 

- This Saturday (and every Saturday from now on!), we’ll be popping down to Bangalow Farmers Market to buy flowers from Sienna team member, Meran. Meran looks after you and your orders every day, and produces the most beautiful bunches on her farm in Mullumbimby. Follow Meran and her flowers on Instagram.

Meran and Luen's Flower Stall, Bangalow Farmers Market

- Don’t forget that Sunday 3rd May is election day! Get down to your local polling place and exercise your democratic right to vote. We’ll be voting with the climate in mind and we urge you to consider what you value in this life and on this planet. Project Planet Aus has developed a great app to help you do this. Build a Ballot asks you what matters to you, and tells you which candidates align best with your values. Check it out here.

- This month we’re excited to see the landscape painting exhibition InSitu, exhibiting at Lone Goat Gallery in Byron Bay until 31 May. We’re particularly excited to see the works of Northern Rivers artist Emily Imeson who has a beautiful way of capturing the colours and textures of the landscapes she paints.

Standing Dead Growing Season, on Cat’s Claw Batik (Mountain Dirt), 2025, by Emily Imeson.

- On Tuesday 13 May we’ll be heading to the bright lights of Sydney for Australian Fashion Week. We’ve partnered with Nagnata to create a new signature polish colour to complement their new collection. Keep your eyes peeled to our socials to see the new colour and to catch all the fashion action.

A first look at the signature shade for Nagnata

- The Gidjuum Gulganyi multi-day hike has just opened in the Northern Rivers, linking Mount Jerusalem and Nightcap National Parks. Gidjuum Gulganyi, meaning ‘Old People’s Track’, follows a walking journey made by First Nations peoples for millennia. There are a number of shorter sections of the hike that can be completed in a day. We’ve got our sights set on the Byan Yangala loop.  

View from the Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk 

- Sunday 18 May, we’ll be heading back to Bangalow for one of the most iconic events in the Northern Rivers – the annual Bangalow Billy Cart Derby. Now in its 31st year, the Billy Cart Derby was first run in 1994 when the highway was re-routed to bypass Bangalow, so naturally the community celebrated by closing the main street and racing home made billy carts down the steep hill. Expect ingenious homemade engineering and daredevil drivers aged 5 and up.

View from the Gidjuum Gulganyi Walk 

What we’re reading:

- The latest independent publication to come from our region’s creative brains has hit digital newsstands. We’re diving between the pages of Moi Magazine, an exploration of pleasure through a women-focussed lens. 

Moi Pleasure: Issue No. One

What we’re listening to:
 

We’ve had Jack River on repeat because not only is she a powerhouse creative and mother, but she is also on a personal crusade to make politics and climate action accessible and relatable for young people in this country.

Vote for the planet 🌏,
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