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Two days ago we made the stupid decision to leave Byron Bay and go to Surfers Paradise. The bus ride was an hour which wasn't too bad except that of course the second we step off the bus it starts to rain, and it has not stopped since. On top of the rain all the beaches were closed due to a tsunami warning that was issued because of the Chile earthquake. So here we are in "paradise" and it is raining and a potential disaster zone.

The city itself is a lot like Miami, minus all the old people. There are sky-rises everywhere, everything is very dirty and very expensive. However we did manage to get a $12.00 steak (it wasn't nearly as good as the $10 one from Sydney but what can you do). We went out the first night with everyone from the hostel which was okay, I did get a free beach hat so it made it all worth it. The hostel we are staying in in disgusting. The room smells, there is no a.c., and these annoying Canadians party literally 24/7 at the pool which is right outside our door. Plus the staff frequently comes into our room to tell us to clean up, put our clothes away, and sprays this awful stuff all over the floor and our bags. Oh and the front door (that faces the pool) is 1/2 see-through so there is no place to change without the whole world seeing you. The lack of a.c is no doubt the worst, even through its raining it is still about 85 degrees, 100% humidity, and no breeze whatsoever.

The good news is we are leaving for Brisbane today, actually in a couple of hours. The drive is an hour so thats good. But honestly I would be okay with a 12 hour drive if it meant we could get the hell out of Surfers Paradise. That surprises me that is this is such a huge tourist destination and I don't get it at all. Word of advice to any people that travel to Australia, stay an extra night in Byron and skip Surfers.

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