February 6th – The Sun Always Shines On TV
OMG we wake up to blue skies and the strangest sounding horn. The milk van comes round the holiday park to sell it’s wares and the mechanical horn tries to sound like a cow moo but kind of fails so you get this alien sounding horn which is a bit bewildering until you have worked out what it is. As soon as we were dressed it was off for a walk into town. It feels so good to have the sun on your skin again and it feels like everyone else is out too. Byron Bay is a small town and a collection of beaches. The town has it’s own unique vibe with a mixture of surfer, new age and art shops. It’s quirky and I really like it. We spend a small fortune on tee shirts from Dr Moose and also pick up some beautiful small photos of the bays when the sun is shining. Shop owners are especially friendly today (probably eager for us to part with our dosh after the long wet spell) and are eager to give us advice on the best spots. I love the way when you say you are from the UK you always get tales of their own travel experiences and the assumption that you know every town in your own country. I really must sort out some exploring of my own back yard when we return.
The weather is holding up so we walk back along the golden sands of the beach. The sand around the east coast of Australia was exported to make the mud flats of Waikiki more appealing – I love the feel of walking barefoot. Everyone seems to be out and there is still lots of room on the neverending sands. Surfers share the water with swimmers, paddlers and body boarders and the sunbathers range in age from 1 to 80+.
My camera is restless in my bag so we all bundle into the van and make the trip up to the lighthouse. We pass many people who make the trip by bike and on foot – most are huffing and red faced when we drive by – air conditioning on full, Josh even waves! The clouds are starting to gather but they are not considerate enough to get into shot just behind the lighthouse for my camera so my masterpiece will have to wait. The views are amazing and Australia stretches North as far as the eye can see, curving in and out of bays. We also walk past the sign, easternmost point of Australia, but it is covered in Japanese tourists so not much pf a photo opp. We did see a great tee shirt this morning – Save The Whales – Kill The Japanese Instead, since then we have seen 2 people wearing it. Whaling is incredibly unpopular here and is all over the news as are the horrific photos of the catches.
By the time we get back and sorted the weather has turned so we sit nice and snug in the campervan during a massive thunderstorm. The windows have started to leak a bit so we get to play “Raindrops Keep Falling On Whose Head First?” O wonders if the lightning strikes the beach if those glass sculptures will be created. Must remember to look.
The storm passes and although it rains a little there is a huge rainbow and one of the most beautiful sunsets. The light has an eerie quality to it and the skies are full of beautiful oranges and reds. I go down to watch the sunset on the beach and again remember how lucky I am to be here.
Tags: Australia, Travel
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