Visitors welcome at Byron’s Stonehenge

Luis Feliu

To many Byron locals who know him, Tyagarah resident Dieter Horstmann is a visionary and a champion of sustainability.
For more than 25 years Mr Horstmann has spent much blood, sweat and tears working to make his 75-hectare property Eagle Farm a showpiece of environmental best practice.
This weekend, the property, adjacent to the Tyagarah airfield, will be open for visitors to discover its many natural and manmade attractions and take part in a series of free happenings and workshops.
The German-born owner/creator of this paradise wants others to be inspired by his vision, which is supported by many locals. For the past 15 years he has worked on his lifelong dream to establish Byron Ecopark, an ecologically sustainable village/health resort and educational centre.
The aim of the Ecopark is to promote environmentally sound industries, transport, ecotourism, new and renewable energies, indigenous enterprises, transport, art, music and theatre.
The open days at Eagle Farm (off Grays Lane) will be on Saturday, October 20, from 10am to 6pm and Sunday 11am–3pm.
It will include talks and workshops on a range of topics such as renewable energies, biochar, the draft LEP zones and mapping, medicinal bee production and sustainable research.
Seahorse Riding School, which recently moved to Eagle Farm from Byron Bay, will be on hand for those who’d like to inspect the scenic property from atop a horse, with child-friendly ponies available.
Eagle Farm has inspired many who have seen its many different ecosystems and landforms, including a littoral rainforest remnant, as well as its stunning manmade features, including a stone castle/observation tower above a cave on a hill.
Sets of giant stone structures, some up to 10 metres long, built from ancient basalt columns, are dotted over the property, Stonehenge-like, and evoke scenes from ancient times when man was more attuned to nature.
Handmade stone walls, wooden bridges and lagoons give the property a timeless feel of humans interacting with nature, and make a visit to Eagle Farm worthwhile just for the ambience.
For info on the ecopark project visit www.ByronECOpark.com.