Breakfast was at 6.30am this morning in time for our 7am surf lesson. Poor old Kirsty ended up missing it because she was so tired/hungover she couldn't be bothered to get up. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. It was SO much fun, I even stood up a few times and kept my balance for a good 10 seconds before falling off! If there's one thing I've realised since going to Australia it's that I really love the water!! The Aussie surfer dudes certainly lived up to their stereotype as well! Tanned, blonde curly hair... I honestly don't think I saw an unattractive Aussie the whole time I was there!
After the surf lesson we packed our suitcases again and headed 3 hours North to Byron Bay. Byron Bay is basically the Brighton of Australia, known for it's laid back and hippy vibes. We made a quick stop at Cape Byron, Australia's most easterly point, to visit the lighthouse and see panoramic views of Byron Bay. I can't even describe how hot it was that day, definitely regret wearing a long sleeved t-shirt! After we checked in at the hostel, we all headed out for food then me and some of the girls had a look around the hippy markets that lined the beach. I was so tired that day from the early surf lesson that all I wanted to do was head back to the hostel, shower and sleep for a million years. I chose my bed over the beach (I'M SO LAME) but a girl's gotta sleep when a girl's gotta sleep! Because Contiki is so fast paced, you barely have time to shower and get ready properly before you have to meet up with the group again for dinner. It really is GO GO GO, so I was pretty naive to think I had time for a nap!!
We all met for dinner then went to a bar afterwards which was seriously the coolest place ever! We got free drinks on arrival, there were face painters (typical Byron Bay!) and everyone was dancing on the tables and playing drinking games where you could win prizes. I don't know why (maybe because I was still ridiculously tired), but I couldn't get drunk and I just wasn't in the mood at all. Me and one of the Aussie guys decided to bail and headed down to the beach instead as neither of us were really feeling it that night. The strip of shops by the beach were full of buskers and the pavements were overcrowded with travellers in their tribal hareems and backpacks, sat on the concrete surrounding the buskers and just listening and enjoying as they played. We happened to pass a guy playing his acoustic guitar singing Ordinary People, which fyi is one of my favourite songs ever. That moment in particular was probably my favourite of the entire trip. Where else in the world would a group of strangers actually sit on a pavement together listening to a random busker play the most perfect rendition of a John Legend song? It really was so lovely (clip of busker will be on Day 15 if anyone is interested).
The beach was really busy at night, full of people drinking and having BBQ's (yep that's right, a 24 hour communal BBQ where people bring there own meat) and smoking that drug that happens to be very popular in Amsterdam if you know what I mean...
I'm a bit of a hippy at heart so I honestly felt so at home in Byron Bay and I can't wait to visit again very very soon!
xxx
No comments:
Post a Comment