Loka: Stop 3: A Week in Byron Bay

On our way to Byron we stopped off at Yamba for lunch and to admire the Angourie Blue Pool. Yamba was a cute little town, which is apparently packed in the high season. There were even two girls on the bus that would be staying for a few days. We didn't see too much of it, we'd left Spot X so late so were on a tight schedule.

The Blue Pool was not as blue as we had expected, it had been infested by algae so was now a more green/brown colour. Here, had there been better weather and no algae, we could have tried cliff jumping. Instead, we wandered beyond the pool to the coast. We found no sand, but extensive rocks between us and the sea. Naturally, we clambered all over them and were rewarded with great views of Angourie Beach and beyond.

Arriving in Byron, Wes gave us an orientation drive through the town and around Cape Byron. Most of us were staying at Nomads, bar Elle and Emily at the slightly hippie Arts Factory. We bid them farewell, unsure if we would be seeing them again. We'd been dropped at the bus stop, but luckily a few of the guys had been listening to directions.

Following the longest check-in ever, I was given a key to 204. I'd be sharing with Julia, Celine, Guro and four others. As soon as we opened the door we knew the four must be blokes. It stank! The air con didn't seem to be working. We went to reception as a team and got the guy to fix it.

Once we'd settled in and freshened up, we met Sofia, Tobias and Naomi downstairs. Julia and the Swedes had to collect vouchers from one of the travel agents so we agreed to collect them en route. We decided we would walk to the lighthouse before sunset, but first we wanted icecream. Sofia and Tobias returned and we set off, walking through town we realised how small it actually was.

While waiting for Julia we wandered up the street and were stopped by Greyhound travel. After him promising us icecream, we decided to have a look inside. Very productive, Guro bought a snorkelling/diving trip and the rest of us had a nice rest on the sofas. Finally back to collect Julia and head on our way up to Cape Byron. It was getting pretty late in the evening now and we were worried we wouldn't make it back down before dark.

The first part of the walk was easy enough, until we had to start our ascent. This obviously meant my old nemesis.. stairs! The humid conditions didn't help one bit as I struggled up each step. It had been a while since all that hiking in Tassie and I was out of practice. It's pathetic really, something I need to sort out!

I eventually made it to what I thought was the top, only to realise it was just a lookout. By this point I was sweating all over and enjoyed the breeze. We were at the Most Easterly Point of Australia. We took a few photos of the views and I psyched myself up for the final steps. Unfortunately they were those awkward ones, too steep and wide for just one step up, but too narrow for more. Such fun.

We got to the lighthouse just as the sun was disappearing behind the clouds and light began to fade. It was an impressive build, from 1901. The view of the surrounding sea was far more interesting to me though. A few locals even pointed out some stingrays swimming far below us. Once I'd found the amenities, and then found the toilet and sink in the pitch black, we were ready to head down.

Instead of climbing back down the stairs and risking creepy crawlies, we walked down the road. This was much easier, and slightly better lit. We did reach a fork in the road though, with Julia and Celine deciding on the pedestrian route, with the rest of us sticking to the road. Who would get back first?

We reached the main boardwalk before the others, much to Naomi's joy, and headed to Aldi for dinner supplies. We made it at 20.04, only to realise they had been closed for 4mins. Luckily, there was a Woolworths down the road open until midnight. We brainstormed and settled for chilli con carne. As it was getting so late, we voted against pasta/rice and grabbed a few wraps last minute.

Back to the hostel and it was time to cook. It was so much quicker and easier with the group of us all taking a role. Mine was to cut carrots, something I think I excel at. We hadn't realised that we'd completely forgotten to buy any spices, everyone was fretting over how bland it would be so I pinched a touch of paprika from someone else. Perfect.

Full of mince and all tidied up, we were all pretty tired. It was time for bed, we were hoping on good weather for the beach tomorrow.

~

It was a tad cloudy when we woke up, but we'd be heading to the beach regardless. A cheeky hot chocolate, drank out of a bowl thanks to the lack of mugs, and a few satsumas for breakfast. Then, with bags packed we walked to Main Beach.

Had an amazing morning chilling on the beach. It was actually the perfect temperature to relax and enjoy the sun without boiling completely. Me and Guro spent some time paddling in the sea and jumping the waves. We met two wonderful ladies in their seventies who were on holiday. As a group of four, they had spent a weekend away together every year "since the kids left home". They'd known each other since they were twelve!

It wasn't until we waded back to shore and lay on our towels that I noticed something rather odd. I had two massive slashes across both my thighs. I'd been stung by a jellyfish, there was no other explanation. Was this it? Would I die now? They didn't hurt but that didn't stop Guro frantically googling other symptoms for me. I decided it was best to seek a professional opinion and hunted down the lifeguards. He looked incredibly bored and unconcerned and told me to wash the wounds with fresh water and they'd be fine. Oh.

Now I knew I was going to live I was quite proud of my battlewounds, I looked proper badass. The others were certainly impressed when they saw them. I just hope they won't scar, I can't make up a cool story involving sharks and death-defying antics once this is published.

Covered in sand and sea, showers were very much needed. It was so nice to feel clean again, although I knew I'd still be finding sand in the strangest places over the next week. I didn't have many plans for the rest of the day, we'd agreed on a beachside bbq at 6. Then Celine and Guro invited me to join them, they were meeting friends they'd made in Thailand!

Benni and Lottie were so lovely, brother and sister from Germany, they were travelling the world together. We wandered through the streets and bumped into Sofia, Tobias and Julia. We joined them on their mini shopping trip until the rain started to pour. Leaving Julia to it, we decided to sit down in the dry and have a drink. I ordered a summer berry ice tea, which was incredibly sweet, but delicious.

Deciding that the beach BBQ wouldn't be half as fun in the rain, we headed to Aldi to buy bits for homemade burgers. We were a bit earlier than agreed, but no-one else showed up while we were there so we just bought what we wanted. This included mince, onions, salsa, bread, cheese, lettuce, spinach, tomatoes.. I was super excited for the feast!

We had a great time making the burgers and salad together. I was on team salad, and chopped a few carrots before leaving the rest to it... too many cooks spoil the broth! What a meal, it was scrummy. Once we'd polished off the salad and done the dishes, we had to bid farewell to the Germans.

We had wanted to walk them all the way to their campervan, but it was getting damp again and it was a bit of a walk. We all fancied a bit of a boogie and so it was time to checkout the nightlife.

There had been whispers of a skateboard up for winning at Woodys so we made that our first port of call. Julia had a bottle of wine with her, and so we split into two groups. I don't really know what the plan was here, but either way she left us to go the beach. Inside was small and quiet.. well it was only 10pm! The bartender was a very jolly man who whipped us up three extra special, all completely unique and super refreshing, waters.

Once we'd had a little dance and received our stamps, it was off to the next place. Railway was just down the road and seemed nice enough, it was a bit too loud though and there wasnt really anywhere to sit. And so, with another stamp on our forearms, we left. It had now become our mission to collect stamps!

The Northen stamped our hands with a rather unsightly "18+".. still it was a stamp nonetheless and a helpful reminder if I happened to forget. We found a sofa here and stayed a while chopsing about this and that. But alas, we must press on in the quest for stamps..

Over the road we found La La Land, they didn't give stamps but we climbed the stairs to the fancy rooftop bar anyway. And my, was it fancy. I was so excited to find a chair swing, just what I thought was always lacking from clubs. It gave me a chance to have a little sit down and a swing while the kids danced to songs I didn't know.

We wandered down to the beach to find Julia, she was with the guys in the park along the front. It was getting a bit chilly so we left them to it. On the way home we made a stop at the 23hr bakery... yes 23 HOUR!

It had been a glorious day! The girls were leaving the following morning and I wasn't sure if I'd see them again along the route... but we were meeting for breakfast anyway. No time to mourn just yet, it was time to sleep!

~

I have a feeling I was awake before the girls were this morning, dressed and ready to see them off. First was breakfast and then I decided to walk to the bus stop with them. Myself, Sofia and Tobias, and Emma and Sinead were the only ones staying here. I hugged everyone goodbye and wished them well, some I'd be catching up en route and some I'd just have to visit in their own countries.

It was a still a little early for most of the shops to be open, I had a few I knew I wanted to checkout and a card or two to post too. While I was waiting I wandered along to the beach and saw a fair few dedicated surfers already out in the swell.  I was a tad tired, so once I'd finished my errands it was back to the hostel.

I nabbed a hammock in the courtyard and tried so hard to stay awake and write this. It wasn't to be and I enjoyed a lovely snooze outside, good job it wasn't raining! When I woke up I had a message from Sofia, her and Tobias were at the beach. Perfect. I got changed and grabbed my things before heading to them. I was too late, they'd nipped off to grab some lunch.

I strolled along the beach, finding that the left side - Clarkes Beach - was so much nicer and quieter than where we had been yesterday. The tide was out and the view was gorgeous, the sun was starting to peep out from behind the clouds too. Sofia and Tobias joined me and we watched the waves together until it was time for them to go. They had booked a dolphin kayaking tour.

I spent the rest of the afternoon shopping, finally buying a new pyjama top. It was very "Byrony", just what I wanted. It was rainbow tie-dye with a heart in the middle. When the heavens opened I ran back to the hostel and paid a visit Hajj at the travel desk. I booked some very exciting things, all along the East Coast... watch this space!

Mike appeared with the next Loka Bus, it was so good to see him and great to hear he'd done well at Surf Camp. He was off out for dinner with a few of the girls on the bus and so I watched Moana while waiting for Sofia and Tobias. Such a good film.

We had gone for simple dinners tonight, with me having soup and the guys having salad rolls. It was still raining so it was only right to have a night in. The TV room was occupied when we went in, but we agreed we could watch whatever on earth it was they were watching. It was a very weird si-fi time machine type thing.

Once that was over and we had the room to ourselves, Sofia browsed the DVDs and found Friends! Perfect! We spent the rest of the evening watching a few episodes before bed.

~

I woke up ridiculously early and had a cuppa and porridge for breakfast, my new routine. The four of us had planned to meet at 10am and hop aboard the shuttle to Nimbin. We bought our tickets from Hajj and made our way to the bus stop, it was looking a bit grey out.

The Nimbin Shuttle didn't leave until 11am, so we were a little early. Sofia and Tobias grabbed breakfast from the 23hr bakery while Mike and I drooled over the cakes. We were first on the bus and, cool kids that we are, headed straight for the back.

Our driver was very chilled and hippie, a typical Byronite (or whatever you call them). We listened to 70s music on the way, it was a bit of a bumby ride over the hills and through the national park. I still managed to have a nap, although it was a fractured one at that. I kept hitting my elbow on the side of the bus and getting woken.

En route we had a quick stop to look at the Nimbin Rocks. These were quite impressive, incredibly tall formations standing above the trees. They all had names but the driver couldn't quite remember them. I took a few photos and then it was back on board to our final stop of the day.

We were all given a friendly lecture from our driver as we arrived. Basically, remember that drugs are illegal but have fun. He was funny, we had already picked out who on the bus we thought would be getting high. Not us, we just wanted to get a feel for the 'alternative lifestyle' that was favoured here.

As we only had until 3pm, our first stop was tourist information to see what they would suggest. With a few things to see we now headed back down the high street. There were lots of crystal shops and boutiques with crotchet or tie-dye clothing. We also visited two art galleries and an arcade that seemed to be dedicated purely to marijuana accessories.

We walked to the edge of town, past a rainbow coloured community centre and over a bridge with far too many bolts in. The candle making factory was one of the highlights according to the lady earlier. First, we found a cafe and so we sat and enjoyed a drink outside. Then it was time to visit the hidden gem of Nimbin.

The factory looked rather small, but was like a rabbit warren, with rooms leading off of rooms. I was amazed by how colourful all the equipment was, obviously wax had dripped and spilled over the years and was simply left. It was a good effect and went well with the multicoloured taper candles hanging in bunches around the room. Me and Sofia were fascinated to see how the pyramid candles were made, and the method in which a marble effect was created.

The museum/factory was surprisingly fun and yet we had to start heading back if we wanted to get on the bus home! We were a little bit early, but gradually began to see others we recognised so we knew we were in the right spot. The journey home passed much as before, with plenty of bumps to keep me awake.

There was a market next to the bus stop when we pulled up. Meandering from stall to stall we saw lots of different things, just what I would expect from a market here. Handmade jewellery with coins, wood, gems and teeth, whale CDs, roasted nuts, tarot readings, headscarves,  dreamcatchers, hair feathers, knitted baby clothes and tie-dye as colourful as the stall owners.

Walking back to the hostel we stopped off in Aldi to get stuffs for dinner. We decided to be really lazy and cook curry, with a jar of sauce and microwave rice. It didn't take us long to cook at all, with such little prep required. Within the hour we were tucking in to a delicious butter chicken curry. Sitting outside, we made the most of the evening sun.

We were hoping the TV room would be free so we could watch Friends again.. It wasn't to be. I was a bit earlier than the others so sat in the dark for a while, watching a group of friends argue over what to watch. Didn't seem like much hope of getting them out.

Mike came up with a genius idea and we all met in the Goon Room (Sofia and Tobias'). We were to watch episodes from his laptop, on the comfy bed with grapes. Could it be any better?

~

Woke up to gorgeous sunshine today and headed to the beach with Mike. Sofia had slept in, so we would meet the Swedes on the beach later. We went left again and found a perfect spot to lay out the towels and commence tanning. What a glorious way to spend the day.

When the others arrived we took it in turns to have a little splash around in the waves. Apparently the sea is currently at it's warmest temperature while we're here.. something to do with currents and science. It was lovely, no jelly fish today either!

Mike's friend arrived and agreed to look after our stuff so we could all play in the waves. I took my camera, but it didn't fare too well. I managed a few photos and videos but then it froze, not entirely sure why as it has been in water before. We had fun posing and jumping around like idiots.

Once everyone had had some lunch, Mike and Izzy hired surfboards and headed out into the surf. We opted to just watch and cheer, they weren't bad and caught a fair few waves between them! The clouds were closing in quick and so, once the surfers were back for a break, we left them to it.

We de-sanded and met for dinner at 6ish, I had some tomato soup and tried some Turkish bread. A classic combination, it was good, just what I needed. We all fancied an icecream, so took a stroll up to Woolworths to see what we could find. Magnums in hands we wandered through the shops on the way back, admiring the trinkets on offer.

Popping into the TV Room, we caught the end of one of my favourite films, The Avengers. With it being Mother's Day I then headed downstairs to Skype my mother. Thanks to some sneaky work from Ben, she wasn't expecting a call, and I think I managed to surprise her!

It was wonderful to get to talk to Mum, and then Dad and Ben. Slightly peeved that they seem to be set for better weather than me, for the next few days at least. Ah well, we had some sunshine today.

~

Sofia and Tobias left this morning, I joined them for breakfast and waved them off. With Mike walking to the lighthouse, I had a busy day ahead of me. I had a birthday present to buy and a card to post.

But first, I made the most of the morning sun and took a stroll along the beach. I walked all the way along the bay on the right side. Starting from Main Beach I watched the surfers and dog walkers and runners as I made my way across the sand. I found myself at the Fisherman's Lookout in no time, I couldn't climb up though as the tide was too high and I wasn't prepped for getting wet.

I had seen an interesting necklace in one of the shops we'd visited the night before. I just had to remember which one. I found it surprisingly quickly, it was basically a tiny bottle and stopper on a string. And so so I set off back to the beach to fill it with sand/shells/other fun stuff.

I walked left this time, along my favourite part of the beach. It was a gorgeous day and I immediately began to see all sorts of beautiful things to fill the bottle. Along the way I also gained a friend. At first, I thought he just wanted a quick chat and then he'd be on his way. Oh no, this guy hung around for hours asking me stupid questions and commenting on how I had "great posture" and look "really intelligent".

I tried to shake him off by hanging back to collect shells... but he would wait for me. I practically ran ahead as he went for a paddle... but he caught up. I somehow wandered on to a nudist beach and decided to just keep walking along the sand... It didn't bother him at all. Eventually I did what I was far too polite to do in the first place and told him to please leave me alone. Or words to that effect. All I had wanted was a nice, quiet stroll along the beach - not an annoying talkative shadow.

Without my pal, I enjoyed the rest of my walk back towards Main Beach. To cross the river, I walked inland and got a bit lost and confused in a caravan park. Found my way back to the sea and finally filled the last of the bottle with sand. Perfect. Now to post it, I have a feeling it might not make it in time (sorry Sarah) due to our good friend Debbie causing havoc.

I showered off the sand and met Mike for dinner. I made up a batch of tuna pasta, enough to last until the bus on Friday. I then watched Moana for the third time (don't judge me) and headed to bed.

~

Another day of glorious sunshine! Woke up feeling fresh and ready for a day enjoying the weather. News of Cyclone Debbie was upsetting, so many people getting stuck or missing out on tours etc. Apparently there were floods now in South Queensland so no doubt we'd be  next.

First up this morning was a cheeky yoga session in the courtyard. There were five of us and a very lovely teacher. I was hoping it wouldn't be too taxing, I just needed a good stretch and relax. My balance has suffered terribly, I couldn't do half of the moves that involved sticking a leg in the air. My heart sunk when we had to do handstands. I could barely balance on my feet yet alone my head!

I really felt like I'd earned my breakfast after that session! Mike left to grab brunch and find a patch on the beach. I had a leisurely start and then walked out to Tallow Beach to find a lush beach, practically empty with Roos and Mike already sunning themselves. It was such a beautiful day!

Me and Roos were both super paranoid about burning, we were reapplying suncream constantly. I spent some time jumping the waves and had a mini nap on the sand. It was almost too hot though, after a few hours we decided to walk back. Mike went to Main Beach and we went to the hostel to grab some lunch.

Full of soup, it was time to shower off the sand. I was going to head back to the beach but opted for a wander through town instead. I didn't want to get sandy again, and had noticed a patch of burn near the armpit. Always the bloody armpits. The clothes and jewellery here are all so nice, but unfortunately very expensive.

I somehow ended back along the esplanade. Instead of going onto the sand I found a rock to sit on and alternated between writing this and watching the surfers. There's something oddly therapeutic about both. Especially with the ocean as background music.

Back to the hostel I heated the pasta (I love bulk cooking!) and had a quick research of my next few locations. Oh and also New Zealand.. me and Ben are going at the end of the year! It's somewhere I never seriously considered but now I'm super excited. It'll be so much fun!

It was Mike's last night in Byron so I suggested we head to the beach and watch the sunset. It seems I wasn't the only one with that idea, the beach and nearby park were packed! Once the sun began to set it wasn't very hard to see why. The colours were incredible. I loved that there were still surfers out in the water, getting the last few scraps of daylight.

~

Mike left this morning, I woke up a bit later than normal and was worried I'd missed him. Luckily not and I got to say "see you later". And that was it, I was the last of the original Loka Gang in Byron!

After breakfast I decided I needed a bit of an admin day so set off for the library. I caught up with my emails, did a few boring finance bits and was then free to do my favourite thing... read about places to visit! I was drowning in Lonely Planet books and I loved it!

My favourite travel agent at the hostel, Hajj from Leicester (closest I'd found to Northampton in a while) had suggested that myself and Ben make lists of places in NZ that we wanted to visit. So I set myself and him homework. Once I had a list of places to visit both there and further up the coast here, I was happy to head home.

Of course I headed home via the beach, and then grabbed some grapes from Woolworths. These, following a simple soup dinner would do today. Bed time!

~

Cyclone Debbie had been causing havoc with the weather, it had been constant rain from about 3am onwards. I spent most of the morning hiding in bed, listening to the rain outside. Me and Ben also finally accumulated a shortlist, it was certainly promising that we wanted to see the same things!

Once I'd dragged myself out of bed and had my breakfast I headed down to visit Hajj. I had been planning on two nights in Sufers Paradise, but if the weather was going to be terrible there wasn't much point. I was advised to head straight to Brisbane. This meant losing my deposit at Surfers, but I got a meal voucher for my troubles.

With that sorted I felt relieved. I also purchased accommodation passes for NZ, which was exciting. I was in a happy mood.. But with it raining so much I couldn't do an awful lot with my day. That's the only issue with Byron, it's basically just beach and shops. I'm not complaining, there were lots of people worse off than me due to Debbie. All the schools were evacuated today and there were bad floods along the coast.

I ran to Aldi and bought myself some rice crackers, salsa dip and popcorn. Perfect for a Disney film! With the weather setting the mood I went for Maleficent. It was not at all what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

The rain had ceased so I took a little stroll and phoned my Nan and Grandad. It was lovely to talk to them and hear about their latest adventures. It wasn't until I was enjoying my dinner (the last of the pasta) that I loaded an email informing me that my bus was cancelled. Flooded motorways and terrible conditions meant Loka didn't want to risk it. It looked like I'd be in Byron just a little bit longer.

I had been planning on an early night, but now I didn't have to wake up quite so early. So I popped to the TV room to find it surprisingly empty. Whilst looking for DVDs I found the latest Jack Reacher novel. Perfect. I had to force myself to stop reading otherwise I'd have been up way past midnight!

~

I was still up early this morning, I wanted to talk to Hajj before I had to check out. Even though I was at reception waiting from way before 8, she didn't arrive until way after. Turns out her car broke down because of Debbie and there was no power in her house. What a babe for still coming to work!

I had to pay for another two nights here, I couldn't transfer my Brisbane booking. Unfortunately for me, this meant weekend prices. I checked out and dumped my bag in luggage storage. I'd be moving rooms to save a few bucks. This meant I couldn't check back in just yet, no worries. I had breakfast to eat.

There was no rain yet today so I walked down to Main Beach. The waves were incredible and I wasn't surprised to see a pack of surfers taking advantage. I couldn't help but join the crowds that had started to form and watch in awe. Now, these guys weren't pros but they were a downsight better than I could ever hope of being. It was refreshing to see a few wipe outs though.

The wind was pretty strong and I was starting to feel cold. Back to the hostel.. I had left Jack Reacher in the TV room, but luckily he was exactly where I had hoped. And so I spent a good few hours finishing off the book and people watching.

As I was going to be here a few more nights, I made up a soup/sauce thing using tomatoes, courgettes, carrots, peppers, spinach, beans and sweetcorn. I'm practically vegetarian at the moment, it's just so much easier and quicker to just cook with vegetables. I enjoyed my first batch, along with my favourite Turkish bread rolls, for lunch.

Time to get up and about, I was set on conquering that lighthouse walk once and for all. The conditions were perfect, a good cloud cover and not too much wind, just a light breeze to keep me cool. I did have a deadline though, I had a meeting with Hajj at 4.30pm.

I walked along the boardwalk as before, but then cheated a little. Well, not cheated, I chose to walk up the hill instead of the steps. I didn't want to kill myself off! The hill route was still pretty steep so I knew I was getting a good workout. I'm not 100% sure pedestrians were meant to be on the road, but no-one told me otherwise so I kept on up.

I was rewarded with some fantastic views on my way up, and was happy to see the lighthouse creep into sight. It was still light this time, so I could see much further than before. I reached the top, having to climb my first thirteen steps of the walk. I couldn't stay too long, so I took a few photos and opted to walk down the steps to complete my loop of Cape Byron.

Despite a greying sky and threatening clouds, all was going well. What I had forgotten was that there were a few steps down when we walked before.. meaning I now had to climb up a few times. I managed fine - yay - but I knew any more would have been a struggle. I sound like a grandma. Who knows what's wrong with me?!

It was 4.28pm when I walked through the doors of the hostel and I flopped straight into a chair. Now I just wanted Brisbane sorting out and I'd have won the day. This was no issue for Hajj and she made a few phone calls here and there and used her charm to confirm my bookings. I was on the list for a Loka on Sunday morning, they were hoping to add a second bus to accommodate us lot. I now also had eight nights in Brissie from whenever I arrived, and still got the food voucher! Boom.

I boiled some pasta to go with my veggies for dinner and moved into my new room. It was a noisy 10bed, but hopefully I'd get a good night's sleep anyway. I had lots of pent up energy from my lighthouse walk, so I went for a stroll in the town and gave Emily a ring. She was full of stories from South Africa and I loved hearing what a great time was had. Travel is the best thing you can ever do!

I tried to go back to the room to sleep but there was a mini party so I grabbed my tablet and went to reception. It was much quieter here and I watched Sleeping Beauty - seemed only right after watching Maleficent. Back to the room, I couldn't find my ear plugs but hopefully I was so tired I'd sleep.

~

I woke up so late for me and was greeted with several missed calls from Sarah. I immediately text her back and cooked some porridge and a cuppa while I waited for a response. Hallelujah, she was still awake! And so I got to speak to my very happy, slightly drunk, best friend. It was a short but sweet call, and a fantastic start to my morning!

I did a load of washing and packed ready to leave tomorrow. No matter what, I would be leaving Byron on Sunday. I was beginning to go a little stir crazy. I heated some more soup for lunch and surprise surprise, just as I went outside to eat it the heavens opened. More rain. This wasn't as heavy as we had had though, more annoying drizzle.

I had been planning on a last walk by the beach, but I couldn't really be bothered to find my rain coat. Instead, I finally finished reading Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love). It was a really good read, very inspiring and completely relatable.

The rain finally stopped so I got my last walk. I wandered in and out the streets of the town, finding a few places I hadn't actually seen before. I then walked to my favourite spot on the rocks to watch the sunset over the gorgeous beaches of Byron.

Back to the hostel for some food and to watch Point Break with a load of guys. It was their film choice, I'd never seen it before but it was bound to be good. Surfing? Check. Crime? Check. FBI rookie? Check. Patrick Swayze? Check.

I got the call I'd been waiting for around 7pm. The wonderful Jordi at Loka could get me to Gold Coast the following morning. Perfect. An onward Greyhound to Brisbane booked, I was finally ready to go. It had been a pleasure, but boy was I glad to be moving on!