Byron Bay

My last stop in New South Wales was the city of Byron.  When I arrived, it was pouring rain.  Actually, it was nice until we got off the bus and had to haul our luggage a few hundred yards across a gravel path to the van that was there to take us to the hostel.  I stayed at the Arts Factory, and my accommodation ended up being a humongous teepee.  Inside there were 10 cots and a fireplace.  While the fire was lit with the intention of keeping us warm, overnight it would go out and didn't really end up doing much.  Unfortunately the weather didn't show any signs of clearing up, so most of the time was spent inside.  On my one journey out of the hostel, I went to Byron Bay and ended up watching an entire group of surfers for just about an hour.  I had intended to go to the lighthouse, but the path was closed due to construction.  I found a lookout point instead and as I said before, got distracted by the surfers.  At this point the sun was peaking out but as I started home again it began to rain.

The evening turned out to be nice.  I had gone to the store earlier because I decided I wanted to cook instead of buying dinner.  After a week of going out I was getting tired of it, not to mention that cooking is easier on my wallet.  I made pasta and vegetables, and it was fun to be in the kitchen with a bunch of other people from the hostel.  At 7pm they brought in some live music.  Pretty mellow stuff, but there were four different artists and the last one was an amazing guitar specialist.  It was nice to sit in the common area around the fire and just have something to listen to for a couple of hours.

Byron Bay and the other little towns I've been to don't really cater to the tourist, so besides the local attractions, there isn't too much to do.  I took the bus to Surfers Paradise today and as soon as I crossed the border between New South Wales and Queensland I was hit with the sun and I couldn't be happier.  I went for a run on the boardwalk and watched the sun set over the water.  This town is like the Vegas of Australia (or so I'm told) and tonight is the "Big Night Out" where a bunch of the local hostels get their residents together and for a flat fee you get entry into four clubs and a free drink at each, as well as transportation.  And oh yes, a free cowboy hat and glow stick.  The other girls in my room and I are excited to get outside without having to be watchful for rainclouds.  I'm currently out in a sundress and a sweater...quite a change from the past few days and even this morning.  I'm hoping that it stays like this for the duration of my trip.