Around beautiful Byron and Ballina

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I love the drive from the border down to this Byron Bay/Ballina area. The hills rising above the coastline are green and lush and the beaches are long and tempting. Driving beside the Tweed River and seeing Mount Warning rising above the cane fields is always a thrill. From Murwillumbah we made a little diversion to the rather hippy little town of Uki, then continued on our way to busy backpacker/beautiful people Byron Bay.

A must is always a walk along the long and fabulous beach there, but a wind had come up and put paid to that, so instead we just drove around the main streets, seeing what goodies all the shops had in their windows, and on then to the pretty nearby town of Bangalow. Bangalow’s little country shops are now quite upmarket, with upmarket prices - we walked up and down each side of town, choosing many pretty things we’d buy if we were wealthy, a type of retail therapy. We continued our drive along the high green ridge where spectacular views to the ocean take in avocado and macadamia nut farms, a few dairy farms and green paddocks, even in drought-struck Queensland.

I always imagined us living there, in one of the lovely Queenslander homes perched on a rise with wide verandahs overlooking the sea, our own big Moreton Bay fig tree supplying the shade and a garden full of every tropical fruit tree. Never happened, but it’s always nice to return and dream. It was here where we did our balloon ride in April this year and floated above all this beautiful scenery.

So to Lennox Head, the quieter area between Byron Bay and Ballina where we are booked for two nights. Today after washing just about everything and leaving it blowing in the sun on the line, we drove into Ballina to have some photos developed and have a look around the area. It’s a nice town with a holiday air. We passed the now rather anaemic looking Big Prawn and took a photo for posterity - the Big Prawn is about to be gobbled by progress. A lot of Ballinarians (?) are sad to see the end of their 20 year icon but I have always wondered ‘what were they thinking?’

We drove up to Alstonville for a little tour and then along the coast, constantly whale watching but the sea is choppy and none to be seen. We are again back in our little spot, for me to scrapbook my photos and maybe even iron if the mood takes me ... then again, perhaps it won’t.

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