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Hi all,
Finally I am going up the East Coast! I have been waiting 2 months to be able to travel again after my accident and I can't move quick enough. I've got just over 4 weeks to get from Sydney to Cairns so I'm going to be constantly on the move. I will have to miss out Surfer's Paradise, Noosa Heads and Brisbane but these sacrifices have to be made!
I booked a ticket on the Premier Motor Service which cosy me about 100 quid to get me all the way up, which isn't bad really. I also booked a package to do the Frazer Island 4WD/camp and the Whitsunday's sailing plus 4 nights accomadation. That cost just over 100 quid so a think I got a really good deal.
First stop - Byron Bay, just a 12 hour coach ride to look forward to so armed with travel cushion, ear plugs and eye mask I settled in. Owen had a nightmare, left his camera in the taxi - gutted, bought a portable DVD player for the journey - genius, forgot to charge it - gutted! Just my book and MP3 player. The journey wasn't too bad, got some sleep and arrived in Byron Bay at about 10am, with no where to stay. We managed to het into the Belongil Beach house which was lucky as Byron was packed - I think all the backpackers from Sydney decied to migrate to Byron at the same time. We checked into a mixed dorm with 5 lads and just me, they were all lovely and we landed on our feet with our roomies as they were having a BBQ and invited us - no need to chip in as they were loaded and just on holiday - result. Before we went to the BBQ we decided to go and check out the beach and the town. What a gorgeous beach, lovely warm sea, not like Coogee where it is freezing and you take your life into your own hands in the waves. It was a really hot sunny day so we sunbathed for most of it. Got back to the hostel and soon realised it was a really hippy place with realxation area's with meditation music, insense, and everyone behind reception was stoned! Took ages to explain that I just wanted 1/2 hour on the internet!
Anyway, on to the BBQ, having scimped and saved as much as possible - some days just having cereal or beans on toast - was I in for a treat. One of the lads we shared with was a chef and so the BBQ consisted of Kangeroo steak, marinated King Prawns, roasted veg, chicken, sausages, Ceaser salad and so much more, the food was as good as any posh restaurant I've eaten in. Well impressed! After the BBQ we headed into Byron for a night out, we met up with Paul and Natalie who had left the Wizard the same day as us in the Beach hotel - really cool bar. We then went to Coco mango's and onto La La Land to dance into the wee hours. I didn;y buy a drink all night, and Byron is so laid back that twice the bar tender insisted I didn't pay - I'm really considering moving there for ever! After the club we all walked home, Owen got lost and ended up sleeping on the beach!
The next day we got up and went to the beach with the lads, oh did I mention in their BMW convertible that they had hired! We definitely picked the right room! Too rough to actually walk to the lighthouse, I just admired it from a far while eating my fish and chips on the sea front. That's apparently the most easterly point in OZ. That evening we met up with some more of the Wizard gang, Steve, Chris, Tone, and H. We had a couple of drinks and then early to bed ready for Nimbin the next day. The guys picked us in their jeep that they are travelling in and we all headed to Nimbin. I've been anywhere like it! It's sucha weird little town, lots of hippies who just have either souveneir shops, cafe's or weird hemp clothing shops. The only other profession it seems is the baking of space cookies, and I would put money on most of residents counting the space cookies as their only really food source. Everyone was stoned and walking round asking if you wanted to but marijuana, space cakes etc...... I think I got asked about 10 times in half an hour. We went to the museum and had a look round the souveneir shop - which mostly consisted of bongs and insense sticks. After that we had dinner and decided to head off to Nimbin Falls, there's not too much to do in the town as there isn't much there is you don't want to get stoned.
Off we headed to Nimbin Falls for a much needed dip - I can't even describe how hot it was once you move inland away from the coast! We got there and there were loads of rocks to jump off into a lake and a tree swing that made me dizzy just looking at it. I was happy just jumping off the rocks - the first time I did though I got a bit of a shock as it'd higher than it looks and I was actually wondering when I would hit the water. There were alot of true small town Ozzie's there - it must be what they do at the weekend. One guy explained to us that there was a tractor deep down in the lake where one Ozzie had just decided to drive it over the edge - I think you kinda het the picture of the people that live around there.
That night we went to the Wizard lot's camp site and had a few drinks and some dinner. Was pretty chilled and then to bed as we had a monster journey ahead of us in the morning to Hervey Bay........
That's all for now
Lots of Love
Jules x x x
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