About GondwanaGondwana Sanctuary
Gondwana Sanctuary is a residential community on 40 hectares of land at Tyagarah, near Byron Bay on the sub-tropical east coast of Australia. It is situated 2 km from Tyagarah beach with wonderful views of Cape Byron and Mount Warning. Gondwana Sanctuary is a community with a well-defined vision of community and spiritual life. We have regular meditations, working bees, community meals, and other community events. If you are inspired by Osho, eastern spiritual traditions, meditation, permaculture, Papaji, sustainable development, bush regeneration, Amma, 5 Rythms, NVC, Watsu, gardening, John de Ruiter, vipassana, contact dance, yoga, or just long walks on the beach then you are likely to find people here who share your enthusiasms. All the dwellings at Gondwana Sanctuary lie on a ridge on the Prestons Road side (eastern side) of the Gondwana property. In the above satellite photograph, Prestons Lane is the road shown running vertically past the Gondwana Main House. Note that the road shown as Black Rock Road is now known as Grays Lane - this connects at its western end with the Pacific Highway. Grays Lane is subject to flooding, and on occasions Gondwana is cut off from the rest of the world for 3 or 4 days at a time. History of GondwanaGondwana Sanctuary has been in existence as a community since 1987 when our land site was bought from the Hancock family who had owned it for several generations. In 1988 the Byron Shire Council approved the land as a Multiple Occupancy development, and dwellings were subsequently built on each of the Multiple Occupancy blocks. In 2011, Gondwana Sanctuary was registered as a Community Title property, and its official title is now the Gondwana Sanctuary Neighbourhood Association. This change from Multiple Occupancy to Community Title offers an improved legal structure for Gondwana, including separate land titles for each dwelling site which will enable us to raise mortgages on dwelling sites. We have been working towards this for over ten years now, so greet this final registration with a great sense of relief (as well as a great feeling of exhaustion). For an account of our early history, see the History of Gondwana webpage. Byron BayByron Bay, the nearest town to Gondwana Sanctuary, is a popular seaside resort situated on the extreme 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 1,700mm. Byron is an eclectic place with a great variety of local activities, and lifestyles from the hippie to the yuppie. There are many fine beaches, an unspoilt landscape, and numerous tourist activities in the area. The local Byron area is also well known for the healing arts, alternative therapies and for spiritual teachers of all kinds. For information about Byron, see the websites: Directions to Find GondwanaFor directions to Gondwana, and a map of the area, please see our Directions Page. Landcare and WildlifeGondwana is an active wildlife sanctuary having restored what was cattle pasture to a flourishing natural environment. There has been over the life of the community an extensive program of environmental repair and regeneration.The majority of the total land area is being progressively revegetated. See the Landcare and Wildlife Page for more information. There is a great deal of wildlife on Gondwana - mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, including a number of regionally significant and vulnerable species. Our wildlife includes koalas, wallabies, echidnas, flying foxes, bandicoots, and a wide variety of birdlife. Because of this extensive wildlife, cats, dogs and poisons are not permitted on Gondwana. Weekly Community MealA community meal (two or three course vegetarian) is held at the Gondwana Community House on most Wednesday evenings, starting at 6:30 pm in winter and 7:00 pm in summer. All friends of Gondwana Sanctuary are welcome to come. It is best to phone the Community House on the day (phone number on Contacts Page), to check whether the community meal is happening. There is a nominal charge. Gondwana Sanctuary Ownership InformationFrom 2011, Gondwana Sanctuary is registered as a Community Title property, with official designation the Gondwana Sanctuary Neighbourhood Association. There are eleven dwelling lots in the Association, of which ten are owned by individuals, or pairs of individuals (14 persons altogether). The eleventh lot, which contains our community house, is owned jointly by the proprietors of the other ten lots through a company structure. The dwellings lots are approximately 2,500 to 4,300 square metres, and are clustered on a ridge at the east end of the property. Eighty percent of the land, and the community centre lot are used communally. Decisions about the running of Gondwana are made by the resident lot proprietors, under a constitution codified in a Neighbourhood Association Management Statement and other documents. The maximum number of dwelling sites at Gondwana permitted by our local council has now been reached. Very occasionally an existing dwelling site becomes available for purchase. The purchase of a site on Gondwana requires a three-month provisional residential period, and the agreement of the current community shareholders. Please note that at the present time there are no lots or dwellings for sale. Accommodation at GondwanaTemporary accommodation for visitors is sometimes available at Gondwana's Community House. In general we try to reserve accommodation for people who share our inspirations and enthusiasms. Contact the Community House Manager if you have an interest in staying here. Please note that Gondwana is not able to offer accommodation in exchange for work.  |
