Whats Up Byron Bay?

The last few days I have been on an "Extreme Adventures" tour with a group of international students down to Byron Bay. It has been quite an experience! Before Byron we stopped at the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary. We got so see kangaroos, koalas, tasmanian devils, snakes, and dingoes. It was a cool experience especially petting and feeding a kangaroo.Kangaroos outnumber humans in Australia 6 to 1!

 

After the wildlife sanctuary we continued on to Byron, and entered New South Whales- about a 50 minute ride, when we arrived we immediately went on a hike up to a lighthouse. It was very sunny and hot, and we all were having a hard time getting up to the top- once we made, the view was worth it. I think that may have been my favorite part of the weekend. I learned about a mountain called Mt. Danger which is the highest peak in the Byron skyline and the first people (hundreds of years ago) to settle there were scared because they thought that the top of Mt. Danger blew off and landed in the ocean. The tops were actually peaks of previously active volcanoes in the ocean that you could see, so they did not want to settle in the area. I am missing a lot of the story but from what I heard the tour guides explain, was that later the town eventually did become inhabited and sort of turned into a small hippie town and was built up by the locals. 

There are maybe four to six blocks of shops with everything from organic food to souvenirs to pharmacies and delicious coffee! I was happy that I got a chance to walk the town everyday- sometimes twice a day, because that gave me a feeling that I got to know the area well. We started to recognize the streets and shops as we walked by the second or third time and I will be able to remember a lot more of the town because of that. 

 

 

The second night was the best out of the two. We started at the hostel with a BBQ and live music. Australians eat a lot of sausages and wrap them in plain bread, it is called a "sausage sizzle". There was live acoustic music, which was amazing. The musician sang Oasis, Green Day and other artists that I recognized :) Then we went out to a bar called Woody’s Surf Shack and I really enjoyed it. The ceiling had surf boards and the walls were wood like a real surf shack. There were pictures all on the walls of the locals and the surf/beach and just Byron in general. It was very relaxed; people were playing pool and chilling on couches.  The people of Byron seemed friendly and even more relaxed than those in Gold Coast.

Another highlight of the trip was the surfing session. We got to spend time with some surf instructors who helped us to learn to surf. I have tried surfing before, but it was really helpful to listen to an expert break down the steps. Back home, I just always watched others who were doing it, but now I understand a bit more. I stood up probably ten to fifteen times, but not for long. I want to keep practicing though! Another cool part about the surfing was that the water was a dark red color- I guess the rain from the night before had washed debris from the surrounding tea trees whose bark gave the darker coloration. In turn, the water had tea tree oil in it which is really good for your skin!

We also went sea kayaking- I was paired with a guy from Germany. This part of the trip would have been way cooler with less people. We had too many kayaks and everyone kept smashing into one another. I was getting frustrated because people didn't pay attention and the next thing you know your boat is hitting someone else which is very dangerous with the huge waves. We went pretty far out in the ocean over a reef and we were supposed to see dolphins and sea turtles but none came. I don’t know if I would do it again, but I am glad to say that I have tried it once. I think my favorite part was going over the waves, so maybe white water rafting might be a good fit for me. 

Byron was an amazing place, if we get the chance to go back, we will go with a small group of four to six, do our own thing and check out the waterfalls at Nimbin- the one place we didn't make it to. Nimbin apparently has day trips which will take you to swimming holes and places to jump off of a waterfall cliff. For now, I am so glad to be home in my own bed and to get a nice hot shower- this weekend has definitely been an experience!!!