Alice’s Gap Year Travels

We were picked up in the morning around 6.30am by an Oz Experience bus, our driver up to Surf Camp was “Uncle Buck” who let us play karaoke and eat McDonalds along the way! It was a pretty long drive so as well as various ‘convenience’ stops we also got the opportunity to stop at a Koala Hospital. A brilliant little old lady showed us around and we were able to learn lots about the native animals – as well as the lady herself as she told us of how after our tour she was off to her pool for a naked swim! She was a hoot!

Surf Camp is the most laid-back place you’ve ever been times a million. When we got there a guy showed us around, we had a BBQ dinner which you just helped yourself to then after that everyone got around the camp fire and drank beers and ‘goon’ (wine from a bag in a box… in Oz it’s essential to ‘get on the goon’ before a big night out!) All the staff join in as well, we had a limbo competitionm, went on the beach to see the stars and basically hardly slept… shall we just say that the 8am breakfast call was a little difficult.

Having forced down a bit of cooked brekky we bikinied up and then a guy with long dredlocks called Josh did our ‘intro’ to surfing – he told us all about the currents and waves and rips – he went through some safety stuff and most importantly taught us how to look cool at all times whilst trying to surf, haha! We got some wet suits and our own boards but they were softer ones than the real things as we were all beginners. On the beach we all had to practice lying on our boards then jumping up to ride the waves… simple on sand so it was time to get in the water! LOVED IT. The staff would come and help you out by pushing your board into the waves allowing us to just consentrate on getting up rather than paddeling as well – i managed to stand a couple of times with thier help but mostly everyone would get to thier knees and fall. Finally i saw a wave i wanted to catch and went for it – and i stood up – BY MYSELF! It may have only been once but it was a great feeling

After a couple of hours in the surf we went and got showered then hopped back on the bus with Buck and drove up to Byron Bay. Last night we all went out to Cheeky Monkeys where they were giving away loads of stuff and our mate Jack won a trip to the Whitsundays! The louder you are the more free booze they give you so you can imagine we did pretty well off that! haha Also you can dance on the tables there which was such fun but this morning in our room you have never seen a group of people with so many bruises haha :/ 

We’re planning to stay here 5 days and the hostel is appartment blocks which is awsome as Holly, me and Mikaela (our swedish bestie) are in one room with a guy who actually works on reception there and then next door are our mates from the bus Bob, Jack and Temo plus a swiss guy and then we all share a bathroom, kitchen, lounge. It’s wicked.

Off to Nimbin on a tour tomorrow which is some kind of crazy hippie town just outside Byron so i’ll let you know how that goes!

XXXXXXX

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