Byron Bay Bonanza

Woke up today feeling a little groggy but happy, after all I am in Byron Bay, how bad can life really be! Finally I leave the room and head into town with Caitlin, Emily, Olivia. Emily has some bad, and I mean bad, sun burn! So after a quick nip into Woolies and the pharmacy, we’ve got both lunch sorted, a chicken Caesar salad for me, and Emily has dropped over hundred dollars on oils and ointments for her sunburn. Once I get back from the shop I spend time just chilling in the room; once again the sun is just too much for me. You would think with all the travelling I have been doing I would get better at dealing with he heat, but turns out you can take the man out of Britain but can’t take the Britain out of the man. To be fair I was fairly happy to have a chilled one as tomorrow is an early start, we are up at 4:30am to head to the lighthouse at the Cape Byron State conservation area to watch the sunrise – I am looking forward to it.

As expected my excitement is dampened a bit when my alarm goes off at 4:30am.As much as I try, waking up has never been, and I fear never will be, my strong suit. However, fresh and beautiful scenery has a way of waking one up and, I have to say, although I have been sceptical of the existence of a soul, I know for a fact that if we do have one a little sunrise hike is good for it. The lighthouse is awesome and it is lovely to watch the sunrise with everyone, but this morning we are especially lucky for in the waters below our eagle eyed leader Mollie spots something. With the help of camera zooms and more importantly Charlie’s drone we quickly realise we have been honoured by the presence of a small dolphin pod and later on, what we are pretty certain is, a shark. It is true what they say about Australia, you really do seem to be surrounded by wildlife out here. Once the sun has risen and the sea life has moved on some of the girls and I start the walk back into town. Mollie leads Kerry, Thyme, Raph and American Liv to a coffee shop whilst the rest of us catch the tram back to the hostel where I treat myself to, for me, an unusually healthy breakfast: yoghurt topped with banana and a green tea. I know how travelling can change a man, although if I am honest the craving for a full English or Irish fry up is a part of who I am as a person and I don’t think it will ever not be.

Up early for the sunrise

A rare moment of balance

After breakfast I have some time to chill at our hostel and get another blog written by the pool, enjoying the sun, life really ain’t bad! Finishing up my blog it is pretty much time for my next adventure, the Behind the Bay tour, that I and a few others have signed up for. The tour is a simple operation, essentially a man with a van (small coach) and a love for his adopted home that he wants to share with those who find themselves passing through. Our first stop is Killeen waterfall. Once parked the group come across the falls after a short walk in the bush, first coming across the viewing platform and then secondly down to the base where we can fully enjoy the powerful nature of the falls as well as spotting some of the locals; a turtle or two having a swim and sunbathe.

Tea infused Ainsworth Lake

A short walk through the bush to Killeen waterfall

Next on our list is the surfer town of Lennox, more specifically Ainsworth Lake, which is surrounded by tea trees, meaning the water is infused with the natural oils of the tree that come from the roots. So after a light lunch the others and I are straight into the skin smoothing, hair strengthening and sweet smelling water. As I am sure many of you know, or at least suspect, I am not a man who has a beauty or skin care regime, but the feel of this lake may be changing my mind on that – it feels lovely. The paddle boarding however is not for me, after watching countless people master the craft and then failing miserably to find my balance I accept my fate and confine myself to merely being a swimmer in the lake.

Three Sisters Rocks

Cape Byron Lighthouse

Once the team is sufficiently smooth skinned and refreshed we head out to Broken Head National Park for a bush trail walk. It is a lovely walk along the coast and we pass the Three Sisters Rocks. They get their name from a cautionary tale from the Dreamland religion, told by aboriginal parents to warn their children of the dangers of the tide. The story goes that there was once three sisters that lived on Broken Head, the youngest of whom once went out swimming and got caught in the current between the rocky terrain. Seeing this her two older sisters swam out in an ultimately fatal attempt to save her, they themselves getting trapped which led to the drowning of all three sisters. They then turned into the three prominent rocks we see, a bleak reminder of the power and danger of Mother Nature.

Having passed the rocks we come across what our guide calls Byrons three secret beaches, apparently a hotspot for the Hemsworth family who enjoy surfing this area when in town. The possibility of a celebrity sighting isn’t really something that interests me that much but I have to say these beaches are splendid! After taking a little time to enjoy the beaches we head back to the hostel having enjoyed a great day. To be honest the tour guide was full of a lot more information and passion than I feel I have accurately portrayed here but for anyone heading to Byron, I would say the Behind the Bay tour is a good one!

Once back at the hostel I have a little time to shower and change before heading to the pool area for the BBQ the hostel has going for a few cheeky hotdogs and, more importantly, a few drinks with the group. After we have filled ourselves with food and drink we are once again back on the town, this time heading for the the famous Byron piano bar. A fully packed bar which at its centre has two pianos facing each other, with two musicians spending the night tickling the ivories, playing whatever songs are requested by the crowd. Which, unsurprisingly, leads to a night of sing-a-long classics and a few more drinks. At the end of the night me and some of the gang end the night in a classic way, with a greasy kebab. Maybe I am not as changed as that healthy breakfast this morning had me thinking!

Byron Piano Bar

(click on the top right hand icon)