March 15, 2010
Byron Shire Echo – Ph 02 6684 1777
September , Byron Shire EchoLetterscontinued from page 9you very much, and went along my merry way, ready to conquer my own backyard. I felt like an adventurer, charting unknown territory. Driving out there, I did feel like driving on the outback roads, except swap the long dusty stretches for the windy, lush and green rainforest. I even had to drive through a national park. I took my friend on a couple of occasions, and we got bogged for a couple of hours. I thought to myself, what would Steve Irwin do if he were in this situation. I looked around, and there was some old carpet someone threw out. Lucky, I had my friend with me, and she helped me put the carpet under the four wheels. Another time, we had a at tyre and a Good Samaritan came to our help. Eventually, I did get out slowly. Amazingly, I did meet some wonderful people, who I call the quiet achievers. Some had built massive veggie gardens, built their houses from recycled timbers, some even had solar power and wind generators. Some even worked on their places from dawn to dusk. I even had a cuppa where we exchanged our stories. People used to look at me funny, but Id show them my census badge and said, I am only the census lady Some people had their own chooks, goats etc and many other things. While the rest of the world is wasting our precious resources and energy, thesequiet achievers are actually making a difference to the planet and the environment. All of us should stand up and take note. Coming back to civilisation, I felt as if I had actually achieved something. We all do not like lling out forms, or wanting the government to know everything about our personal lives, but apparently the council uses the census to do things like xing up the roads etc. After visiting these people, I really wanted to do something for these quiet achievers, so, I hope that our council does try and x up some of our rural roads. Am I ready for the next challenge As Steve Irwin would say, By Crikey, yes. Places have been changed to protect peoples privacy.Michele PooleMullumbimby CreekHoliday bluesMy family and I were visitors to lovely Byron last week, however our stay was somewhat marred by a rather nasty incident regarding accommodation I booked via the internet. I found a holiday house in Belongil Beach. I called the owner, a private operator, and he took a deposit for a six night stay balance due on day of arrival no linen included. Pics of the place looked ne on internet. I paid for linen and cot hire. When we arrived late on Sunday September it was raining cats and dogs we got a rather nasty shock. Thehouse was appalling holes in walls and oors, dirty black marks on doors, broken cupboards, dirty stained shower, cracked shower screen, broken missing tiles, lino dirty and coming off in the kitchen oor, windows that would not close, etc. I called the owner that evening and told him I felt the accommodation to be substandard and not to a standard where we could stay there. I requested the money be returned to my account. He refused, and told me itwas my choice whether I wanted to stay or not but the money would not be returned. I believe a total of has been taken from my credit account denitely was taken, am waiting to hear from my bank about remaining . The owner has since pulled the house from the website. We found somewhere else to stay, which was clean and a relief as we have a four year old boy and a ve month old baby. The locals tell me this sortof thing has been happening quite a bit. I know plus linen hire for six nights isnt a fortune but I do believe that there should be some kind of basic standard a person should offer. Ive made some enquiries with Fair Trading.Lisa Angelinithe gutters or on the road the footpaths are just too challenging. The excitement of living in Ocean Shores is never ending the roads are unsafe for parked cars and the footpaths too hazardous for pedestrians.Penny FoxNorthcote, VictoriaOcean ShoresWild footpathsRegarding Council services in Ocean Shores, Id like to comment on the footpaths. The narrow roads and double lines means that parking vehicles legally is frequently a serious hazard and leads to people parking on the footpaths. Generally rangers use their common sense and turn a blind eye to infringements, but when a complaint is made they are forced to act. I can swear to one criterion that they use Could two persons in wheel chairs pass side by side on this footpath I have yet to see a lone wheelchaired person foolhardy enough to tackle our footpaths, let alone two. They would encounter steeply sloped uneven ground, muddy areas, grass past their wheel hubs, overhanging branches, rocks and protruding tree roots and the vehicles of residents, visitors and workers who have nowhere else to park. The majority of pedestrians choose to walk inAntisemitismIn the last few weeks we have read a lot of letters on the Middle East conict. There have been a plethora of attacks on Israel. I never noticed any letters attacking Muslim large scale destruction of life and property, in Darfur , reported dead and 2,, displaced, or of the many attacks against non-Muslims in Muslim countries. I can but wonder why the happenings in the Middle East in which Israel is involved bring forth so much venom. I can only suggest that some suffer from a severe problem of latent antisemitism yes, I know it is a misnomer which has been used for the last 2, years or so of which they are unaware or to which they will not admit. In her latest letter Jenny Coman has even told us the growing antisemitism worldwide springs from Israeli actions in Gaza and Lebanon. Bingo Does it mean thatThanks for all the shI am writing in order to provide feedback and information to those people who either made a complaint to the RTAAbigroup, or have an interest in the campaign aimed at reducing the level of sediment pollution from the Yelgun to Brunswick River highway upgrade. As most readers of The Echo will know, a coalition of community and