Byron Bay & Brisbane

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12 hours on a bus. Overnight.



That is what awaited Sam and I when we left Iain and Emilies on a late Sunday night. Pretty buzzing so we were ...



We had booked the Greyhound bus to get to Byron Bay our middle stop before eventually getting to Brisbane. I don't sleep on any mode of transport so I didn't hold out much hope for an overnight bus. In all honesty, it was fine. The bus had wifi, USB ports to charge up our phones and we had our music. A few stops, in and out of sleep and 12 hours later we got to Byron!!





For this part of the trip we decided to not bother with the expensive hostel option and spend a similar amount of money on an Air B'n'B room. Our hosts Ben and Ruby were amazing! They had a lovely cottage about 25 mins from the town centre which was just dandy. We had our own personal local information centre with the guys being super helpful and giving us great suggestions!



Our first couple of days in Byron were sunny and gave us a great indication of the lifestyle in this hippy beach town. Everyone was chilled out, surfing or high as a kite - with some people being all 3!! We took some amazing snaps of the incredible beach and sights - which was just as well because the next 3 days were torrential rain! The bad weather can't be a coincedence, it was following us. The highlight of our time here was the walk to the famous Cape Byron lighthouse - a beautiful ligththouse built in 1901, with panoramic views of the beach, cliffs and surrounding areas. A few days here was definitely enough, especially in poor weather, but it was great for a half way house.



Next up was another bus to Brisbane. This time it was only a few hours. The rain was still pishing down but luckily for us Ruby was so nice she gave us a lift to the bus station. Finally some sunshine was coming our way.



Or not. We arrived in Brisbane to a full on storm with streets flooding, roads closed and a few fatalities. Unbelievable. Luckily again for us, we were staying with Mhairi and Stephen - friends from home who now live here. They picked us up, we grabbed some take away and headed to their beautiful home in the suburbs of Brisbane. We didn't quite get the full effect of their pool and balconies until the morning. Thankfully the sun was out when we woke up and we got to enjoy some heat. The guys took us up to mount coot-tha which was amazing. We got some great views of Brisbane CBD from a unique platform. They then took us on a bit of a brisbane walking tour to show us the highlights of the city. Brisbane often gets a bad rap, mostly from Australians or people who haven't actually been - but we absolutely loved it! A few beers and some food we devised our evening plan. We went to dinner at Eat Street Market which was similar to Victoria night market in Melbourne. The food was fantastic! After a few dishes we went to the crowning glory CRONUTS AND CRUFFINS! A hybrid between donuts and croissants and muffins and croissants. Best and worst $16 we've ever spent. The sugar comedown was pretty epic - but was totally epic and I would definitely do it again. No photo evidence of these wonderful creations, they didn't last long enough.



Our last day in Brisbane just so happened to be the day of 'the fight of the century'. In hindsight we know it didn't live up to this tag. However on the day, the whole of Brisbane was out to see it! We couldn't get into the original pub and had to settle for a dodgy view at the Casino. It was a good laugh and a nice way to end our time with the guys. Another huge thank you needed to both Mhairi and Stephen for letting us stay with them and being amazing hosts.



First thing we got up, packed (again!) and got back on the bus to Surfers Paradise.



Finally somewhere to call home for a few weeks / months.



Adios amigos x

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