Time to settle for 12 days

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Last entry was from Brisbane where we spent two nights in a really good hostel, whilst in Brisbane had a couple of good nights out, I went to an art gallery which was really good and took in a bit of the city. Brisbane is a good city but for backpackers there is not a great deal to do. After leaving Brisbane we travelled down to Surfers Paradise which is like the Malibu of Australia, high rise beach apartments back on the the ocean its a really good place, went surfing again but it was a little more difficlut this time. Went for a night out and bumped into a mates girlfriend and her mate who decided to come out with us, also on the night out was Rays cousin who he had never met before so there was a good random crowd. Had a really good night out and spent the day on the beach. Caught the bus down the road to Byron Bay where we spent three days...
Byron was really good probably my favourite place in oz as of yet, we stayed in another hostel where we met a couple of sound lads, we got on well and went out for a few nights out with them, we spent the first day on the beach and on the second day we went to Nimbin which is a hippy paradise about 50 miles from Byron, it was like going back to the 60's and 70's ( I imagine), we travelled there on this old hippy bus driven by this guy called Jim who loved taking about old stories and playing music associated with different parts of the journey, on the way back we stopped at his hippy friends house and also at a waterfall which drops 122 meters and has a permenant rainbow it was a really good day out.
We left Byron early the next day and went to a place called surf camp, here we had a surf lesson and met some cool instructors who just loved surfing and seemed to have found their vocation, there was a bit of a beach party and then Ray and I got up early for a surf an then got on the 11 hour bus to Sydney. We arrived in Sydney early last night and instead of staying in our hostel we are staying with Rays friend who has a flat in Manly which seems like a really cool place, again that brings us up to date....

NB The beard has now gone but could be back anytime soon and despite being Chrsitmas Eve it couldnt feel any less like Christmas, think it must be the time of year but missing home a bit.

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