Billy J. Jones

A Curious Hombre … Escaping the Ordinary

Born in Toronto, Billy moved to Australia in 1964 after the sudden death of his father. He grew up on a farm in northern New South Wales, trading city life for country life and wide horizons. At eighteen, he purchased a 29-foot yacht and lived aboard, sailing in search of freedom and direction. During this time, he discovered the Essene Gospel of Peace, an ancient text that shaped his commitment to simple living, natural healing, and a life guided by harmony and reflection.

Costa Rica Calling

Driven by curiosity, Billy traveled to the United States and backpacked through Central America to Costa Rica, hoping to meet Edmond Bordeaux Szekely, translator of the Essene Gospel of Peace. Although Szekely had died before they could meet, his work shaped Billy’s lifelong interest in ancient wisdom, biogenic (life generating) living, cosmology, and emerging metaphysical thought.

Raw Foods & Revolution in the USA

In the early 1980s, Billy trained in Boston under Ann Wigmore, pioneer of the raw food movement and co-founder of the Hippocrates Health Institute. He became an instructor in the Living Foods Lifestyle Program, working closely with Ann to guide guests toward health through raw foods, wheatgrass, and natural living.

Jungle Life & Fruit Feasts in Costa Rica

After his training in Boston, Billy returned to Costa Rica, where he worked in Montezuma with former Hippocrates Health Institute staff who were establishing a new beachside health retreat, now known as Ylang Ylang Beach Resort. During this period, he practiced water fasting and fruit-based living while deepening his study of physical and spiritual discipline.

Back to Australia: Retreats, Romance & Raw Living

He later returned to Australia, where he met Wendy, his future wife. Together they founded the Seaside Health Retreat on the Gold Coast, offering a program grounded in Essene philosophy, natural elements, detoxification, water fasting, and the living foods lifestyle.

Love, Fasting & Global Wanderlust

Married in New Zealand, Billy and Wendy embarked on an 18-month honeymoon and a journey of travel, adventure and study, sailing and hiking across several countries. Their travels led them to Texas, where they lived and worked with TC Fry, legendary Natural Hygiene teacher and influence behind the bestseller Fit for Life.

Gaia Fiji: Island Dreams Come True

They later moved with their newborn son, Benjamin, to Fiji, where they restored a 96-acre abandoned beach resort and founded Gaia Fiji, The retreat combined permaculture, natural healing, and eco-tourism, and later became the Wellesley Resort.

A New Chapter in Canada

After moving from Fiji to New Zealand, Billy was widowed when Wendy died in a car accident. As a single father to Benjamin and infant Jasmine, he relocated first to Australia’s Sunshine Coast and later to Nelson, British Columbia, to rebuild their lives.

In 2001, he founded the Permaworld Foundation, followed by PermaHOST, a web hosting and domain service. He also helped establish a local currency project, Columbia Community Dollars, and created Earth Matters Eco Store, providing employment for people with special needs. Alongside his work, he remained active as a musician, singing and playing guitar in local bluegrass bands.

Asia, Crypto & the Modern Retreat Life

After his children completed high school in Canada, they returned to Australia and Billy went traveling through Asia. He worked in China as a chief marketing officer on a cryptocurrency launch and later lived in Thailand while developing plans for a health retreat near Phuket Airport. These plans were halted by the COVID pandemic, and he returned to Australia in 2020.

Hiking, Nature & the Open Road

Today, Billy continues his life of exploration, seeking out wild places and meaningful journeys across the globe. From hidden trails in Central Europe to the rugged mountains of the Balkans and the ancient paths of Turkey, he invites fellow adventurers to join him on a new series of hikes beginning in April 2026—where nature, movement, and discovery come together on the open road.