Cairns to Sydney – 16 Day Tour (Days 13 to 16)

Lovely New South Wales

Day 13: Byron Bay

Today was a great day. I woke at 5am and was taken by bus to the lighthouse that overlooked Byron Bay. At 5am, it was quite dark, but by 7am, the sun had risen and the blue/turquoise ocean was glistening. Pia and I sat and ate breakfast by the beach, indulging in patisseries and fresh juice.

At 8am we were picked up for our surf lesson. In a typical east coast manner, the dude that picked us up in his mini-bus honked his horn and asked us all to introduce ourselves and state the craziest thing that we have done since we have been travelling. Three Austrian girls could not even say what their was….so, who knows that they have been up to?! We soon arrived at Lennox Head, some 20 minutes drive from Byron Bay.

Our surf lesson consisted of a warm up on the beach and tips to stand on the board – always useful as I learned more upon that which the surf teacher in South Africa taught us. Then, it was time to get into the water and did I surf like a pro. I caught virtually every wave I went for and by the end was even making efforts at turning the board. Admittedly, it was a very big stable board, but I think I have at last mastered popping up with some grace and style.

Elin, Jess and I treated ourselves to Sushi Train for lunch; a way of eating that I have not done before. The sushi was delicious and set me up for an afternoon cycle ride back up to the lighthouse. The views were just as stunning as this morning, but with the sun shining brightly, the sea more vibrant. I cooked with Elin, Tomi and Kathryn and enjoyed a post-dinner film at the flicks – Casino Royale. I’m not convinced that James Bond should have blond hair and continue to think that Sean Connery is the best James Bond yet. It did surprise me how many people on the tour thought that Pierce B was the best.

Day 14: Byron Bay to Surf Camp

Sadly we had to leave Byron Bay at 11am to make our way to surf camp, but I did manage to squeeze in a trip to the beach and a littl’ bit of yoga on the beach before we left. I was going to miss Byron Bay; I really enjoyed the hippy atmosphere, the different people that lived there, the closeness of the sea to the town and the gorgeous hilly and green surroundings.

Fortunately, it was not long before we arrived at Surf Camp and I was back in the water for a second surf lesson. The waves at surf camp were a little less dumpy than yesterday and slower, which was good as I had decided to take out a smaller board to the one I was using at Lennox Head. All was good again and I caught a fair few good waves.

Diner at Surf Camp was just what I needed after spending the afternoon in the water – good ol’ Mexican Tortilla. I proceeded to wash this down with wine and a number of Cowboys (a combined shot of Baileys and Butterscotch Schnapps), kindly given to us by Ralph. Cowboys are delicious and I will endeavour to make a few on my return to England. After silent hours, one of the Surf Camp dudes took us to the beach for a party, which was sadly called short due to lightening and rain. There was enough time for him to tell us that Tiger Sharks inhabited the water offshore of the beach that we were surfing at today and will be the following day. Ah well, all in the name of sport!

Day 15: Surf Camp to Barrington Tops

After a 7am breakfast, I was once again in the water surfing my heart out, but soon exhausted! It was a fair distance on the bus from Surf Camp to Barrington Tops, but I was glad of the rest.

Barrington Tops is a World Heritage Area and is just beautiful. A website describes Barrington Tops as such: ‘the eastern and southern slopes of the Barrington Tops plateau lead down from lush and pristine forests through rolling farmland to towns that retain the charm of yesteryear’. I would say that the scenery looked like somewhere from the Lord of the Rings, and brought back memories of deepest Wales, with the immense greenery, steep grassy slopes and wondering cows.

Before being taken to our accommodation, we stopped for a walk through the subtropical rainforest. The forest was beautiful and I enjoyed the walk very much. That night we stayed at Barrington River Lodge. A strange experience indeed…

I’d say we were greeted by people I could only describe a rednecks. Never mind niceties, we POMEs were slammed for being English and if that was not bad enough, slammed for being rubbish at cricket and lots of other things in general. Not getting patriotic or anything (well, in fact I think I am), I should add at this point POME does in fact stand for Prisoner of Mother England, and given that Europeans were the first White Men to arrive in Australia, all Australians are in fact descendents of white Europeans. Plonkers hey?!

After a bit of faffing (I later learned that this was because the Plonkers were drunk), we were shown to our lodge. One of the plonkers then proceeded to call me a &lsquo w***er’, as when being shown to our room he took us to a bathroom; I stated that we were going the wrong way. It’s behind that door you w***er he replied. Despite being reminded of how the Australian countrymen behave, I should add that from our lodge, we did have stunning views down to the Barrington River. In the distance, the greens hills met to form a perfect ‘v’.

All you can eat fire roasted pizza was served and I was once again in good spirits and donning Christmas hats as we geared up for the festive season. The pizza was delicious and the company good fun. Jess got a little pipsi and ended up falling and twisting her ankle. Being the good nurse maid, one of the plonkers drove me up to the lodge to collect a bandage. It never occurred to me that he would leave the hand brake off, while being positioned on the upslope of a steep hill, but he did and my life flashed before my eyes. Thank goodness the drink had not slowed the plonker’s senses down too much as he managed to dive into the van and catch the handbrake just before we reached the edge of the hill. I dare say I enjoyed a glass of wine after that.

Day 16: Barrington Tops to Sydney

Well, today was the last day of the tour. Pistol Pete had to be in Sydney by 1.30pm that day, so we literally drove from Barrington Tops to Sydney all morning. It was very exciting to arrive in Sydney, and strange to be in a big city once again. Pete kindly drove us across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. In the distance I could see the Opera House and the delights that Sydney had to offer. I was very excited and looking forward very much to the next 10 days that I would be spending in the big city.

Pete dropped us off in the city centre and we said goodbye to those tour pals who were going onwards with their journey and agreed to meet with those who would be staying in Sydney for the Christmas period. Jess and I took a taxi to The Original Backpackers in Kings Cross. We dumped our wares and took a train back to the city centre to explore.

To be honest, Kings Cross was a bit of a culture shock. I had heard rumours on what the area had to offer, but I am not sure I was prepared for the rawness of what I saw. Homeless people lazed in the dirty streets, combing the bins for food, a pimp stood next to a lady perched on a stool – probing gentlemen to come and see the show, and more sex shops littered the streets. Kings Cross was also populated by hippy style folk, non-conforming people and on closer inspection some gorgeous architecture. By the end of my stay in Sydney, I did become quite fond of Kings Cross.

On first impression, Sydney had a good feeling about it – lots of shops! There were still lots more to see, but that would have to wait until tomorrow as it was now getting dark and turning up in Kings Cross on a dark night did not seem so appealing on our first night in Sydney! So, exhausted from 16 days of touring, I snuggled up into bed and was fast asleep by 9pm.

Lots of Love, Em x