Positions Vacant

Experienced Waitperson – Required for Brunswick restaurant. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Bar and coffee experience preferred but not necessary. Telephone 0424 319 715 or email: damian@fatbellykat.com

Byron – Girl Backpacker for easy domestic help $100 per day, casual. 6685 7887

Short Order Cook – Experience not necessary. Must be able to work nights and weekends. Resumes to Chincogan Store, Mullumbimby.

Retail Casual – for busy beach hire store. Interest in surfing crucial, flexible hours, knowledge of bikes an advantage. Phone 0407 247 177

Farewell Roger and thanks for making us laugh~!

Roger left us this morning and we will miss him. He has an excellent sense of humour and has made us all laugh on a daily basis. His farewell was unique, as the pictures show!

Please tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are from?

I’m from Switzerland, from a small village in the south west, a place with 2700 people in it.

What did you do back at home and what made you decide to come to Australia?

In Switzerland I am a house painter. I decided to come to Australia as I spent 10 weeks in NZ last year, where I met a girl from my village who had lived in Byron Bay before, she had the best time here, and so I promised her that I would come to Byron! So now I’m here….

How long have you been at GV Byron and what were you studying?

I was here for 10 weeks, studying general English

What do you plan to do when you have completed your studies with us?

Well, sadly, I have to go home to start work and see my friends and family again.

What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?

Ahh.. so many things.. The teachers have been really friendly and nice. Rebecca and you have been great, looked after me and made me smile a lot. Kayaking, the  circus … these things were great, BBQs! As is say.. so many things

What is your favourite place in Byron?

The Main beach is my favourite place, I stayed there a lot of the time,  when I wasn’t studying!!) and of course Cocomangas and the Rails..

Is there anything you’d like to add??

If I could find a real long term job here, I think I would live in Byron Bay forever. It’s a really nice place, it’s beautiful, the people are cool and it’s a great life.. I’m going to miss it!

Thanks Roger for all the laughs. You really have made the school a funny place to be! Take care, all the best and keep in touch!

Dolphins, turtles, sea creatures and sun!

The big event of the week was sea kayaking. It was an unbeliveably beautiful day with no wind, sunshine and a stunning ocean. What better way to enjoy it than to go kayaking!


On the tour we were joined by lots of dolphins and sea turtles. Supposedly some of the turtles are over 70 years old, which seems impressive! The dolphins were playing with waves and made a perfect day even more perfect. Thanks Alessia for the photos and being such a great co-pilot!

GV Work Shop..

Looking for a job in Byron? Need help? We have all the answers!! Come along to the GV Byron Bay workshop which starts on Tuesday the 6th of April.

Make sure you come to the free GV Work Shop every Tuesday and Thursday April 6th and 8th from 2:00pm to 3:00pm.

Teacher Andrew will go through information on on how to write a resume and cover letter, interview techniques, language assistance and where the best places are to find work in Byron.

Don’t miss out on this essential information to give yourself the best chance at getting a job in Byron Bay.

Byron Lounge Cinema Student Deal

The Byron Lounge Cinema is offering Global Village students $6.90 movie tickets. You can collect coupons from the front office, otherwise if you present your student card at the cinema you will receive entry for only $7.90!!!

The Byron Lounge Cinema with Dolby surround sound, is warm in winter and cool in summer, with full 35mm projecting they show Art House and Block Buster  Features. The Byron Lounge Cimena seats about 135 patrons with the first five rows being comfortable lounge style seating.

Popcorn, lollies and drinks are available for purchase when you buy your ticket at the box office. You can also get fresh espresso coffee and cakes.

The Byron Lounge Cinema is only a seven minutes walk from the Rails Hotel or a two minute drive from downtown Byron.

Located beside the Buddha Gardens Day Spa and the Buddha Bar Restaurant. Old piggery, 19 Gordon Street (via Butler Street), Byron Bay NSW 2481.

Telephone (02) 6685 5828.

For movie session times please visit:-  http://www.loungecinema.com

Positions Vacant

Kitchenhand / Packer – Experienced, required for afternoon / night work at Byron Gourmet Pies, must be fit. Phone between 3-4pm only. 6685 8649

FINS – Now hiring waiter and barman – Experience required, immediate start. Please email resumes to dining@fins.com.au attention Morgan Frazer. Phone 02 6674 4833 Salt village Kingscliff

Byron at Byron – Maintenance / Handyman required. Mature person required to join the maintenance team at The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa. Self starter, ability to work unsupervised and prioritise tasks. Casual position 5 days a week on a 7 day rotating roster, including afternoon shift rotation. Basic computer skills required. Trade skills highly regarded. To perform various jobs such as accommodation room repairs, property maintenance and assist with renovations and upgrades as required. Please email your application letter and resume to Maintenance Manager Sean Allen at seana@thebyronatbyron.com.au by Monday 29th March.

Pastry Cook / Baker– Required for afternoon / evening work at Byron Gourmet Pies. Phone between 3-4pm only on 6685 8649

Chef – Qualified, enthusiastic, hardworking for busy Bangalow Bistro and restaurant. Please phone Adam on 0423454773

Welcome to the new students.. and the study begins straightaway!

Yesterday was a big day for us here at GV Byron Bay, with the start of our new Cambridge courses and of course welcoming our new students from around the `world.

We welcome you one and all to GV Byron Bay and wish you all the best in your new life here and with your studies!

New FCE, CAE and IELTS course starting on the 22nd March

As you all know our classes are about to finsih this week and the new courses start on Monday. If you are thinking of moving into an academic preparation program, please speak to Justin to reserve your place.


On March the 22nd, we will be running the following courses:

Cambridge Exam Courses

These are general English exams. The certificates never expire and are recognised by around the world by employers, universities and government ministries as proof of ability to use English. The exams are held on the same days all around the world in March, June and December. Computer Based testing is now being introduced and extra exam dates are available in July/August.

Students are required to sit an entry test to confirm their level. The exams offered at GV Byron Bay.\

  • FCE                             Upper Intermediate Level
  • CAE                            Advanced Level

The exams take place over two days and consist of five papers; Listening, reading, writing, speaking and use of English. Cambridge has an average pass rate world wide of 60%. Byron Bay is proud to have a pass rate of 100%!!!

The courses are intensive full time (25 hours per week) and run for:

  • 12 weeks March to June
  • 8 weeks June to August
  • 12 weeks September to December

IELTS Examination Course

This is a 12 week full time course designed to prepare students to sit the International English Language Testing System, which is designed to assess the language ability of candidates who wish to study at an Australian university or college,  or apply for permanent residency.

The exams take place on one  or two days and there are four papers;  listening, reading, writing and speaking.  The result will consist of a score in each of the four skills (listening, reading, writing, speaking) which is then averaged to give the Overall Band Score or final mark.  Performance is rated in each skill on a scale of 9 to 1. To study at an Australian University, an overall score of 6.5 is usually required.

The certificates are only valid for two years.

Students are required to sit a pre test. A level of around 4.5 ( intermediate) is required for entry.

Interested?  Drop in and speak to Justin as soon as you can!



Katie, Our New Taiwanese Super Student Support Star!!

A few weeks ago Katie joined the adminstration team here at GV Byron Bay. She wanted to let everyone know what she is doing here and so I had a quick chat to her yesterday afternoon. Welcome Katie!

How long have you been working at GV Byron Bay and what did you do before you worked here?

Hi my name is Katie, I’m from Taiwan from a big city just outside of Taipei. I have just recently started working here at GV Byron Bay, and am working to help support Rebbecca and to help with some of the student services.

At home I was an English teacher, teaching kids. I studied Italian at University and spent almost a year in Italy which was great fun in many different ways. It has been really nice to be here at GV to meet all the international students and to meet the Italians here.

I came to Byron as a great friend of mine highly recommended the life here and I had heard that Byron Bay is paradise! I also checked the blog and it looked like a great time! Besides this I really wanted to improve my English and I knew that GV Byron would be ideal for this.

Do you speak another language and what was your biggest challenge when learning it?

Well I obviously speak Chinese (Mandarin), some Taiwanese, Italian, and English. I really like learning languages, I have found that by learning a different language my whole world has opened up, and I find it fascinating to get a real glimpse into other cultures, and I think the only way that you can do that is by speaking different countries languages. I guess the most difficult thing about learning a language for me, is that I have to study after class!!

What has been the single best moment that you have experienced since you joined GV Byron?

I love my job and I loved the interaction with all of the students from around the world and making friends with them all.  I am really thankful to the school for offering me the opportunity to work here and I really appreciate this chance.

What is your favourite place in Byron?

Wow this is a hard question to answer. I have to say there are two places that I really love. One is the bicycle path from my home to school as it feels like going on an adventure every time I come to work. During the day time I can see beautiful trees and animals and in the evening the sky looks so amazing. There are millions of stars and it’s astonishingly gorgeous. The other place I really like is the beach of course!!

Is there anything you’d like to add??

I just want to let the students know that I really understand where they are coming from as English is not my first language either. Please feel free to come into the office at any time to talk to me. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know!

Positions Vacant

Chef Wanted – for Dish Restaurant. Call Bret or Michael on 6685 7320

Chef – Qualified, enthusiastic, hardworking for  busy Bangalow Bistro and Restaurant. Please telephone Adam on 0423 454 773

Utopia Cafe – Chef and floor staff wanted. Chef must be able to work unsupervised and supervise apprentices. Telephone before 9am or after 3pm ONLY. Graeme 6687 2088

Goodbye FCE and CAE class!

Our FCE and CAE classes left us on Friday and to celebrate we had a BBQ in the sun. It was a day of mixed emotions, as everyone was happy to have the exams out of the way, but over the last three months really good friendships have been forged, and it is very sad to say goodbye to such a special group of people. We will really miss you guys, thanks for making the last few months such a great and special experience!



Positions Vacant

Munch Takeaway Juice Bar – Requires experienced Short Order Cook. Please come in with resume.

Delicatessen  Junior – Up to 30 hours per week including weekends. Phone Richard 6684 2207

Delicatessen Senior – Experienced – Up to full-time. Please call Richard 6684 2207

Chef Wanted – organised, happy and passionate, 20-30 hours per week, Bayleaf Cafe. Phone Nico 0402 912 465

Tips for improving your English!

Research shows that reading increases your exposure to the English language which increases your vocabulary knowledge which MAKES YOU A BETTER ENGLISH SPEAKER


The research strongly suggests that free reading is one of the best things you can do to bridge the gap from the beginning level to truly advanced levels.  Once you are confident reading English you will be more confident writing and speaking English.

  • Borrow a book from our library – it is free and works on an honesty system
  • If you are a long term student, join the Byron Bay Library. It is free  !
  • Read the free weekly local newspaper
  • Read magazines that interest you – sport, gossip, current affairs etc

Whilst you read:

  • Try to interpret new words from the whole meaning of the sentence
  • Write down new words in an exercise book and look up their meaning
  • Try to use the new words in your conversations.

Best of luck to the CAE guys!!

Tomorrow it’s the CAE test!

Some of the students in our CAE class will be doing the CAE reading, writing, use of English and listening tests tomorrow.

Try to relax and remember all the things you’ve learnt over the last 9 weeks. You’ve had plenty of practice and you know what the test is about. We wish you all the best!

Anyone For Trapeze?

26 students thought that it would be a good idea to jump off a perfectly good platform and swing high up in the sky hanging by their legs and then let go with their arms stretched out in front of them to be caught by our very own Maria Weiss.. Check out the photos, they speak for themselves!!

I am sure that I can speak for all when I say.. “It’s amazing and if you haven’t tried it before then you are missing out!!”

Positions Vacant

Part-Time – Sales person for ladies retail fashion in Byron Bay, must have minimum of 3 years experience. 6685 3973

Pizza Cook – Experience. All rounder with great customer service skills, part-time, weekends, evenings. Email resume to: dblackstock08@gmail.com

The Dolphin Cafe – Requires a Chef / Cook – Full-Time 7 day roster. Apply in person. Brunswick Heads. Phone 6685 1355

Organic Clothing Store – Requires store assistant for Byron and Bangalow markets, Apr – Oct. Storage, car, retail experience essential. Phone after 5pm 6685 3960