On a beautiful October afternoon in Mullumbimby, the hall adorned with John Allan’s spectacular, fragrant orchids evoking Spring, a crowd of 100 sat still and silent, as they were regaled with five powerful and diverse stories from Gabby le Brun of The Cassettes, Death walker Zenith Virago, Ngara member Paul Josif, Pathways to Manhood facilitator John Imbrogno and storyteller, Jenni Cargill-Strong.
Zenith, Virago, Paul Josif, John Imbrogno, Gabby le Brun and Jenni Cargill-Strong told ‘Stories of Place and Stories of Hope and Trust’ to a hundred warm-hearted story lovers. Abhirami said she heard a new comer to the shire say, ‘If someone wants to know what Byron is really about, this is it.’
I lead a tree visualisation, sang my song ‘Stories to Light the Dark’ which the audience joined in with and told my original story, ‘Goldenheart’.
Gabby le Brun of the Byron Bay Writer’s Festival and member of the Cassettes told ‘IFO’, the tragicomic tale of not heeding warnings, of showing off, of friendship, of doing stupid things in your 40’s and a wake up call. Gabby brought her tale to life with involved roller skates, X-rays and a striptease to boob tube and shorts.
John Imbrogno, a senior facilitator for a variety of rites of passage programs as well as men’s behaviour change programs told ‘The Genie in the Bottle’.
Paul Josif of the Ngara Institute who worked for many years in health in Aboriginal communities in northern Australia and told of the transformative experience of being 18 and getting the job of assisting on a documentary called “The Last Hunt’ of the Pintubi people in the Western desert.
Zenith Virago, ended the story afternoon, taking us very deep. Many people were moved to tears, as she shared a tale about what death teaches about living life to the fullest, not missing those moments when life offers you something big!
BIG THANKS to my dear friend and artist Georgia Whiley for taking the majority of these fabulous shots with my camera! 
