Surfers Paradise and Byron Bay

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After I left Kelli's on Friday I headed on to Surfers Paradise, which is a high rise tourist town. I didn't see much of it to be honest but I did go to the water park "Wet n Wild," which was awesome, not as great as "Water World" in Colorado but still good fun!

On Sunday I arrived into Byron Bay, it's supposed to be was Surfers was a few years ago, but I think it's trying to be a bit hippier, if that's a word. I met up with Anna, who I met on my first day out of sticky Cairns, for dinner. We had naughty pudding, honey comb and cookie dogh ice cream and a mars bar slice!

On Monday morning I went snorkeling, we went out to sea to do it, so it was much harder than at the Reef as there were lots of choppy waves. I'm not as good a swimmer as I once was so it was quite exhausting to do!

In the afternoon I pottered around Byron Bay, it is full of little shops selling lots of hippy clothes and stuff that would cost pennies in India! Quite pleasant though if very touristy! In the evening I went for a "Bush Tucker" walk around the hostel grounds, I learnt about all sorts of trees and plants you can eat, how to make fire and I also just about managed to throw a spear.

Today was the best however. I went on a "Local Knowledge" tour to the surrounding area and Nimbin. Nimbin is basicly a miniature Amsterdam with people getting stoned left right and centre, there are "tours" that just go there for people to buy weed, mine was better though - more educational and we got see lots of great stuff.

We went to three waterfalls and at one we were able to swim, I'd not brought my swim stuff but I went on it anyway, definately worth it! I just about managed to swim to the waterfall its self, but I had to grab our guide's foot in order to do so! We went to a lake full of tea tree oil, it's supposed to be very good for you to swim in it. We also went to an aboriginal ceremony ground and tried to throw a boomarang (I was awful, it's nothing like a frisbee!). We bought local, fatty, yummy and cheap macadamia nuts, saw some beautiful "Australian" countryside, although it looked much like England, as settlers tried to make it so! We also saw a massive Goanna lizard and from a distance, a sleepy koala. I think that's mostly it, oh and of course Nimbin, not that great compared to all the other great stuff I saw!

So, a great day! Now I'm back at my super hippy hostel for the evening.

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Photos

Goanna Lizard
About a metre long!

Comments

[Helen]

Woah, lizard!