Cloudcatchers – Australian Haiku Society

Cloudcatchers Summer Ginko No. 80

DATE: Thursday 22.01.2026
PLACE: Torakina Park, Brunswick Heads NSW
PRESENT: Norma Watts, Richard Watts, Robyn Braithwaite, Quendryth Young, Vivien Royston, Angela Smith.

Summertime, and the Cloudcatchers’ Group celebrated its eightieth gathering of haiku poets at the spot where it all began. It was in the December summer of 2005 that John Bird assembled a group of writers who had indicated a yearning to learn more about haiku. The site was Torakina Park, a picnic spot at the mouth of the Brunswick River, at Brunswick Heads, on the north coast of New South Wales. So this is where we gathered once more to celebrate our eightieth ginko, twenty summers later.

Cloudcatchers Spring Ginko No. 79

A rainforest Remnant, at Dalwood, in the hinterland of the far north coast
of New South Wales is one of the Cloudcatchers’ favourite venues. Six of us
gathered there on Thursday 9th October for our Spring experience, and once again walked the boardwalk through this untouched captured remnant of the past, where the Bunjalung people lived so long ago.

Cloudcatchers GINKO No. 77

Autumn, Shark Bay, Evans Head

The Cloudcatchers Group met for our autumn ginko on Thursday 29th May
and were blessed with a lovely sunny day. This was spent at a site new to us, at Shark Bay, Evans Head. The gathering comprised Laurel Astle, Robyn Braithewaite, Norma Watts and Quendryth Young, with visitors Richard Watts and Garry Glover.

Cloudcatchers GINKO No. 76

Summer, February

Cloudcatchers Ginko No. 76 was held in Pop Denison Park, Ballina and as a Virtual Ginko. Norma Watts and Laurel Astle were at the park, while Angela Smith, Vivien Royston, Quendryth Young, and Robyn Braithwaite participated virtually.

Cloudcatchers Winter Ginko No. 74

August 2024

What a cold winter it has been, but the Cloudcatchers held their winter ginko none-the-less, at a coastal venue – the home of one of our long-time members, Angela Smith, just south of Byron Bay on the far north coast of New South Wales. The grounds extend down a steep slope to a coastal reserve by the beach, with the sea breezes in our nostrils, and the sounds of the sea creeping into many haiku. Angela had suggested we wait for this one until winter, so all the brown snakes in the area would be asleep!

There were six of us, one an enthusiastic visitor, with two additional other members who couldn’t be present due to health restrictions joining us in thought in a ‘virtual ginko’, and contributing later to the Round Robin, which is currently underway. We lunched together at a nearby Suffolk Park venue, The Park. Another successful, stimulating and bonding haiku ginko!

Quendryth Young

(L to R) Quendryth Young, Robyn Braithwaite, Laurel Astle, Angela Smith, Lynette Holland, and (seated) Vivien Royston.

Cloudcatchers Ginko No. 73

Thursday 9 May 2024
Bullwinkle Park, Alstonville

Amid all that rainy period the Cloudcatchers held Ginko No.73 in Bullwinkle Park at Alstonviille, named for a pioneering resident of this district. Through this area runs McGuire’s Creek in which platypuses still dwell, along with a few turtles. As we gathered mid-morning in intermittent drizzle, there was no hope of a sighting that day, but it is always a comfort to know that they are there.

Cloudcatchers Ginko No. 72

DATE: Thursday 8 February (summer)
PLACE: Missingham Park, Ballina at 10 am

Cloudcatchers’ Summer Ginko (No.72) was held between raindrops on the southern bank of the mouth of the Richmond River in Ballina, on Thursday 8 February 2024, with the group assembling at 10 am. Missingham Park is adjacent to the Skate Park, which subsequently featured in a few of our haiku.

Cloudcatchers’ Spring Ginko (No. 71)

DATE: Thursday 9 November
PLACE: Bicentennial Park, Ballina
TIME: 10 am

The weatherman had a lot of trouble deciding what our day would bring, but all was well. There were blue skies, not too hot, and a new venue to be explored at the Bicentennial Park in Ballina, with picnic facilities along with some first-growth coastal forest.