Our January Rituals & Rhythms

Happy New Year! Wishing you and your loved ones peace, love and joy for 2025. Here are a few ways you might like to start 2025 on Bundjalung Country.

January is hot, hot, hot, so sometimes we want to seek a little more shade than the beach can offer. Take a trip inland to one of the hinterland’s beautiful swimming holes,like Whian Whian Falls, or head to Tallow Creek behind Byron Bay High School. We ask you not to visit the Ti Tree lakes between Suffolk Park and Broken Head– these are sacred women’s sites for the Arakwal people.

Drone view of Tallow Creek

On the 4th, catch LP Giobbi at Byron Beach Hotel for her signature euphoric dance beats.
The bathhouse and sauna trend has officially landed in the Northern Rivers. Treat yourself to a soak at Banya or Kiva in Mullumbimby, Comma in Byron Industrial, or the brand new Byron Bathhouse in Byron town.

The idyllic setting of The Banya in Mullumbimby

The full moon on 13 January offers the perfect opportunity for a moon rise picnic. We recommend heading to Broken Head for a late arvo surf and swim, then carrying a picnic dinner along the headland path to the Three Sisters lookout. Set some full moon intentions, listing the things you want to release and set free for the next moon cycle.
If you find yourself in Lismore this month, head into Living Lab Northern Rivers for their exhibition,Tracing the Past, Shaping the Future,on how Indigenous Knowledge and cultural land management can shape a more sustainable future. You can find the Living Lab in Lismore CBD at 11 Woodlark Street.

Tracing the Past, Shaping the Future exhibition

Also in Lismore, if you have teens in your life who are interested in art, Lismore Regional Gallery is running a charcoal drawing workshop for young people aged 13-17 years on 23 January 2025. Book a spot here.
On 26 January we’ll be taking the time to reflect on the history of this continent and the enduring culture of the many First Nations peoples that have called this land home for over 60,000 years. The Arakwal Corporation hosts a Survival Day celebration every year at Apex Park, Main Beach, Gabanbaa (Byron Bay). It’s a fantastic family-friendly event with singing, dancing and a spirit of togetherness. Follow Aunty Delta and Explore Byron Bay for more info.

Follow Aunty Delta and Explore Byron Bay for more info.

One of our favourite authors, Robin Wall Kimmerer, has released her third book ‘Serviceberry: an economy of gifts and abundance’. We can’t wait to read this work on what nature and Indigenous models of reciprocity can teach us how we can all live with more abundance. If you haven’t read Robin’s bestselling work, Braiding Sweetgrass, add that to your reading list too.
And for a novel that is hilarious and sweet and perfect for beach reading, we recommend ‘Romantic Comedy’ by Curtis Sittenfeld.

Romantic Comedy, Curtis Sittenfeld's most popular novel yet.

If you’re road tripping this month, let the hours cruise by with these podcasts:

Waterpeople Podcast by Byron local legends, Lauren L. Hill and Dave Rastovich,traverses topics as unpredictable as the seas–dive into sustainable surfboard technology, tales of pioneer women of the waves, and wonderful lives by the sea.
If there’s anything that gets us through a long, hot drive,it’s talk of cults. Sounds Like a Cult podcast takes you deep into the world of modern “cults” like Astrology Apps, Gilmore Girls, Hollywood, Tradwives and more. You might have to extend the road trip to get through them all.

Stay safe and have fun,
The Sienna team