Sydney to Brisbane

---

Surf Camp
We left Bens house at an ungodly 5am to catch our first Oz Experience bus! This is where we start to realize just how big Australia is as our first leg is nine hours and we dont reach anywhere in particular! Surf camp is on the coast, obviously, far from any real civilisation which is nice. We arrived late afternoon and after getting ourselves squared away in very very basic accomodation we were treated to a BBQ dinner followed by a party down on the beach where many beers were had and i spent most of my time chatting to a bloke from Guildford, small world! (also stars were amazing! southern cross orion belt and all that)

Next day up at 6am with rather sore heads we were given massive beginer sized surf boards told a few thing about surfing and chucked into the ocean where we were met by 8-10ft swells : ( We mostly stayed to the white wash as the big waves would have killed us but we were both up on the boards surfing away in no time! after a quick clean up it was back on our way headed for our next stop Byron Bay.

Byron Bay
Byron is the surfers mecca of Oz so its a very little chilled out beach town. We spent abou a week there but its so chilled out there is no point doing a day to day run down as we spent most days just chilling on the beach! Ben and Adri joined us for a couple of days and we went out played cards and chilled at the beach then Tim came down from Brisbane in his van and we did much the same thing again!

Road Trip
Let me start by telling you about our transport Tims lovely van, its some banged up toyota service van with seating for just about three in the front and a bed that tim has mocked up in the back very simple done a few hundred thousand miles already! We left Byron at a nice reasonable hour and travelled up to the point where the state New South Wales meets the state Queensland! this is significant because Queensland does not believe in daylight savings so the time changes when you cross the line! Next we headed to the gold coast and Surfers Paradise a bit of a tourist mecca got out saw the beach then kept going reaching Tims Island or as the rest of the world calls it Stradbroke Island in late afternoon.

Stradbroke Island
Straddie is the second largest sand island in the world with a relatively small population and one road! We spent most of our time here on the beach or drinking with Tim and the other travellers working at the hostel. We also did a bit of snorkelling and i saw some rays and a wobygong shark! One night we went to the very nice restaurant where Tim & Patrice work for a slap up dinner.

Brisbane
We only really stayed here a day and it was easter sunday so bog all was happening! Theres not really a lot to say about Brisbane its just another city i went for a walk through a botanical garden and got a bus up a big hill for a view of the city while Lyndsay went to a Koala sanctuary and got to cuddle a koala furthering her growing obsession with them!

---

Photos

Byron Bay Beach
In distance is Julian Rocks which is where north current meets south current = pretty sealife!