14.9 C
Byron Shire
June 9, 2026

The race, the food, the fun

Latest News

Lismore residents call to stop the demolition of homes

Community group Reclaim our Recovery are urging Lismore residents to join a gathering at the Lismore QUAD this Saturday from 11am to 'stop the demolitions of our Big Scrub heritage homes — and the NSW Reconstruction Authority needs to know we are not going away'.

Other News

Australia’s first greenhouse gas monitoring network launches

With World Environment Day being today, June 5, NSW government scientists say they have launched Australia’s first dedicated regional greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring network, "which will help inform emissions reduction as we head towards net zero".

Israel’s rehabilitation

Israel’s genocide of the Palestinians has not ended and it will not end before Israel officially renounces its intention...

Lennox headland tree planting day this Friday

Ballina Shire Council, GeoLINK and Rous Council are inviting the community to roll up their sleeves and help restore the iconic Lennox Headland, at the 21st Lennox Head Community Tree Planting Day on Friday 5 June.

Kyogle Council encourages making contact before starting development

"Planning a development? Contact Council before you start" – that's the message from Kyogle Council around building and construction.

Mandy Nolan’s Soapbox: Saying Goodbye to a Very Handsome Man

Last week an old friend of mine died. His name was Gary Cook. We met here in Byron Bay, when I was 23. He would have been in his early 30s. He was handsome. And funny. And weird. And self-involved. He used to come to Ringos, where I worked as a waitress. He’d sing to himself, bludge cigarettes, and shine up the serviette holder. He loved looking at himself. He’d laugh and say, ‘God, I’m a handsome man,’ and then he’d laugh this really infectious laugh

Bay FM’s Karena Wynn-Moylan wins at Aus Audio Awards

Australia’s top radio and podcast talent were crowned at the inaugural Australian Audio Awards last Thursday night at Carriageworks in Sydney. Entries were judged on their technical expertise, audio quality, content and impact.

Yum

Get ready to celebrate Cup Day at Ballina’s home of good times, The Australian Hotel.

On Tuesday, November 4, the race that stops the nation takes over everyone’s favourite local, bringing the kind of energy only Cup Day can deliver, with a fresh twist on the classic race-day celebration.

Rally the office crew for the ultimate Cup Day experience, featuring a two-course menu and a glass of bubbles, or a cold one, on arrival.

The menu, crafted by Australian Hotel Ballina’s expert chefs, blends modern pub favourites with coastal flair: a mouthwatering prawn cocktail with Bloody Mary dressing to start, followed by your choice of flank steak or grilled barramundi, each served with creamy mash and crisp garden salad. It’s the kind of lunch worth celebrating and toasting to – all for just $55 per person.

For the first time ever, punters can catch every stride of the big race on a giant outdoor projector in the beer garden – no squinting at tiny screens, no missing a moment. Just you, the roar of the crowd, and that electric Cup Day energy that takes over the whole venue.

From the first pour to the final photo finish, expect sweeps, lucky door prizes, TAB facilities, and live coverage across five big screens (plus the new giant one, of course).

There’ll also be prizes for best dressed and a cocktail happy hour from 4pm to 6pm, because it wouldn’t be Cup Day without a few celebratory drinks (hello margaritas!)

Whether you’re here for the fashion, the food, or the photo finish, Cup Day at The Australian is your ticket to the ultimate coastal race-day celebration.

Bookings essential, lunch sitting from 12pm – reserve your table now at bit.ly/AHBMelbCup25.

Previous articleJoJo’s unforgettable night
Next articlePlanting seeds


For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling.

If you are a local business owner help us and in turn we help you. All The Echo asks for is advertising, not a free ride. It is every advert in The Echo and on www.echo.net.au, which creates the space for all the stories and coverage of community events, happenings and concerns.

If you are a reader you can become a sponsor of The Echo. Your support keeps the us independent.

Even a small one-off or regular donation from you will help keep the echo’s independent voice alive and strong.

Support Us

Become one of the supporters who helps keep independent, local journalism alive in the Byron Shire by contributing anything from as little as the cost of a coffee each month.

You're Wonderful, Thank you for supporting independent journalism in the Byron Shire

You’re supporting The Echo, thank you

Your contribution is keeping independent, local journalism alive in the Northern Rivers.

Because of supporters like you, we can keep every story free for everyone — no paywall, no exceptions. Your money goes directly to funding our newsroom of 40-odd local workers covering the stories that matter to this community.

Tell us what you think, give us your opinion

The Echo loves your letters and comments and is proud to provide a community forum on the issues that matter most to our readers and the people of the NSW north coast. So don’t be a passive reader, email us your epistles at editor@echo.net.au.

The letters deadline for The Echo is noon Friday. Letters longer than 200 words may be cut. The publication of letters is at the discretion of the letters editor. Please remember to include your full name, address and telephone number.

Online comments are no longer available.

Byron Youth Service continues to invest in young people and community spaces

Byron Youth Service is celebrating another year of supporting young people across the Byron Shire through a diverse range of creative, educational, and wellbeing initiatives, while continuing significant improvements to The YAC.

Man seriously assaulted in Byron Bay

NSW Police say detectives have commenced an investigation after a man was seriously assaulted in the local area overnight.

Tour de Cure pays tribute to Professor Richard Scolyer AO

Renowned Australian pathologist Richard Anthony Scolyer AO, died yesterday after living for three years with a grade 4 glioblastoma IDH wild-type brain tumour.

Evans Head STP: kicking the environmental can down the road

For decades the Evans Head Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) has been dumping effluent into Salty Lagoon in Broadwater National Park. Rich in nutrients and other contaminants, the lake succumbed to these pollutants with a massive fish and bird kill in 2005.