Day 165 - to Ballina via Byron Bay

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We drove over the river (into NSW) looking for a place to have coffee and finally, we spied a coffee vendor outside a shopping centre just as we were driving out of Tweed Heads. He had great coffee and a selection of roasted nuts for just $2. Yum.

As we drove down the motorway sipping on our coffee, police cars kept flashing by with sirens going. We counted seven!!

We had planned to bypass Byron but Georgi was keen to have a look and there was a lot of roadworks happening so it seemed like a good idea to have a break. Byron is a wonderful place (geographically) but there are far too many rules - there are dictatorial toilets (they sing and then say you must finish in ten minutes or the door will open!) and it seems that you must only cross the road in a herd (and not at the intersection either - wire fences guide you down the road to the designated herd crossing). Not my sort of place.

We thought we would visit the lighthouse and take some photos from the most easterly point on the coast of Oz, but when we got to the carpark, the attendant was apologetic but firm. You need to pay $7 to park up here. And the cafe was closed. And there was no parking for buses anyway. We drove back down the hill into town ready to hunt down some lunch.

We should have checked tripadvisor to see what was the best in town, but instead chose a place next to the bank, that served flies (no extra charge) with its food. There were flies in the cake cabinet (lucky we didn't have cake) and even flies in the sugar dispenser! Yuck.

We got out of Byron as quick as we could and hightailed it to Ballina (where it is not crowded, they have fly-free food and you can park anywhere for free).

As we parked the bus at the caravan park, a huge black cloud moved up the coast, dropping big spots of rain and even a few hailstones. Luckily, it edged past us and the sun came back out even hotter than before.

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Photos

Byron Bay
Looking south towards Tallow Beach

Byron Bay
Looking west past Clarkes Beach

Byron Bay
The lighthouse

Ballina
A huge black cloud....

Ballina
...but the sun came out again.