Thanks Jeff Rake for your reply to my letter.
I don’t personally know Mandy, but I know she has been writing for the Echo a long time and I used to always get a giggle from her articles and witty commentary.
I thought this time though she was coming down pretty hard on tourism and harping on the old narrative of ‘Byron has changed. For the worst.’
I am kinda tired of that one too. I was born here in 1985 (not really sure if that even makes me local since I’ve also lived in Melbourne half my life) and thanks to the community that we have here, we have achieved a pretty cool place. Very little development – thank God!
We kept big corporations like McDonald’s out. We value the free-loving hippy spirit, world peace vibes.
This place is pretty awesome, and thanks to some amazing nature activists and people who really care about environmental causes, this beautiful home of ours stays at the very top of many people’s holiday destination list.
Some tourists who come here are super-respectful and stay on to fight the good fight of living in hope of peace and doing everything to protect this special place.
Back in my dad’s day, he was born in Mullumbimby, a house in Lismore cost more than in Byron. Sure, some things have changed.
But hasn’t the whole world? I think as a town, and as a community we’re doing pretty good.
We have pretty amazing people here who love and understand each other and keep Byron peaceful, fun, magical, and nature-wise the most beautiful place on Earth.
Hope to see you at the top park at sunset soon, Jeff. We can share a wine, although I have to be honest – mine will probably be a $20 organic, not a $10 cask. We can have a yarn about the good old days.
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. 
