This page contains information about Byron Bay, and about meetings with Isaac and Meike for visitors unfamiliar with Byron. All prices below are in Australian dollars.
Last updated 24 June 2008
Byron Bay
Byron Bay is a popular seaside resort on the most eastern tip of mainland Australia. It is located just off the Pacific Highway, 800 kms north of Sydney, and 160 kms south of Brisbane.
Byron Bay has a population of about 10,000 (and considerably more in the holiday season). Byron Shire, which consists of Byron Bay plus a number of other towns and villages, has a population of about 30,000. The average summer temperature is 27°C (84°F), and the average winter temperature 22°C (74°F). Average annual rainfall is about 1,750mm.
There are many fine beaches, an unspoilt landscape, and numerous tourist activities in the area.
Airports
Brisbane International Airport, situated near the City of Brisbane, is about 160 km north of Byron Bay.
The Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta, about 50 km north of Byron Bay, is a local airport with a few international connections. There are also smaller local airports at Ballina, about 40 km south of Byron, and at Lismore, 40 km south-west of Byron.
Coach Transport to Byron Bay
The recommended option for travel from Brisbane Airport to Byron Bay is:
- Take a Coachtrans or McCaffertys coach to Brisbane City bus terminal (Roma Street) - cost $9.
Then take a McCaffertys / Greyhound Pioneer coach from Brisbane City to Byron Bay - cost about $33. Phone 131499, or visit their website at www.greyhound.com.au.
Alternatives are:
- The Byron Bay International Express Airport Shuttle runs express mini-coaches from Brisbane Airport to Byron Bay. Phone 02 66857447.
- Airport Transfers Byron Bay. Phone 1800 135660.
- OR Take a Coachtrans coach from Brisbane Airport to Coolangatta Airport - a frequent but slow service. Phone 07 3238 4700 or enquire at the airport. About $35.
Then from Tweed Heads near Coolangatta, take a McCaffertys coach (phone 131499), or a Kirklands coach (02 66221499) to Byron Bay.
Note that Tweed Heads is a few kilometres from Coolangatta - phone coach companies to check if and how their services meet up and where their terminals are.
For travel from Coolangatta Airport to Byron Bay:
- The Coolangatta Byron Bay Airporter. Phone 0414 608 660.
For travel from Ballina Airport to Byron Bay:
- Try Coachtrans (02) 66813355 - cost $25.
For travel from Sydney to Byron Bay:
- Try Greyhound Pioneer coach - cost about $85, and travel time about 14 hours. Phone 131499, or visit their website at www.greyhound.com.au.
Trains to Byron Bay
Note that trains no longer run to Byron Bay.
Accommodation
Byron is a popular holiday resort, and has a variety of holiday accommodation, including holiday apartments, hotels, motels, backpacker hostels, cabins, and camping sites.
As a rough guide, backpacker dormitories start at about $25 per night, motels and holiday park cabins in the non-peak season start about $80 per night, and maybe twice that in the peak holiday season (late December and January). See the Byron websites below for more details.
Also, it is quite common to rent houses to share with friends. A room in a shared house is about $150 to $200 per week.
It is probably true to say that most visitors arrive without reservations. However, in the peak holiday season (late December and January) or if you are travelling with children or have other special requirements, it may be advisable to make reservations.
Byron Web Sites
For all kinds of information about Byron, see the websites:
www.byron-bay.com
www.dropbears.com/l/links/byron_bay.htm
www.echo.net.au
Meetings in Truth with Isaac and Meike
See the Library Page of this website to get some feeling for the flavour of meetings with Isaac and Meike.
In practice, their meetings revolve around free-form dialogues with Isaac and Meike, often very low key, often very funny. Sometimes there is singing, music, meditation, etc. But it is much more than this -
It is a meeting with Truth, an invitation to see who you really are. It is always here and is usually overlooked. We can watch a bird flying in the sky, but when asked "What do you see?", people say "A bird". The sky itself is overlooked. The bird comes and goes, the sky remains. It may be cloudy or sunny, the sky is always there. Isaac points to the emptiness in which everything appears, which is always here.
In Isaac's meetings, everything can come up and go - jealousy, anger, fear and love, the fire of hell as well as the light of heaven. Deeper than this, you are. In this recognition there is laughter, tears and wondrous silence. It is not about getting anything or about getting anywhere. To get, you need something and someone to get it. Being together with Isaac one can see that there is not two, there is only one.
Isaac and Meike's evening meetings generally run for about 2 hours. Meetings on the weekends generally run from 11am to 6pm with a lunch break and tea break. There is no need to book for either the evening or weekend meetings. On the weekends, lunch is available at local cafes, or you could bring your own.
All meetings are by donation - in Australia, Isaac suggests donations of $10 for evening meetings and $50 for whole day meetings. Retreats have fixed charges depending on the venue - for more details about retreats, please email the appropriate contact person listed on the Schedule Page.
There is no child minding service, but in general there is no problem in bringing a child to Isaac and Meike's meetings provided you are happy to take your child outside if he/she becomes noisy.
Venues for Meetings
See the details on the Byron schedule page.
Meetings on the weekends (usually a Saturday) are held at the Ocean Shores Community Centre, 55 Rajah Road, Ocean Shores. Ocean Shores is about 20 km north of Byron along the Pacific Highway. See the Ocean Shores map for the location of the centre. There are often people driving to the Saturday meetings from Byron Bay who can give a lift.