Posts tagged byron bay
Byron Bay, Australia
Our next stop along the way was Byron Bay, the coolest surf town in the universe. I’ve seriously never been in another place so welcoming and chilled out. I know I speak on behalf of my fellow travelers when I say that Byron Bay is an essential stop when traveling the Land Down Under! Upon arriving on our first day, we ventured up to the lighthouse to admire the most easterly point of Australia (the very point beneath our feet), take in a rainbow-infused sunset, and look out for whales during their migration.
After that, we hit up a joint that locals and travelers alike adore: The Rails. We ate some delicious grub, took care of our thirst with some great Aussie beer, and just relaxed with the laid-back vibe of the town. For anyone who likes people-watching, The Rails is the place to do it. You get wayward travelers chatting with men in safari shirts and crocodile hunter hats, and hippie surfers playing pool with stylish young foreigners. That, ladies and gents, is my favorite type of place.
On another such grand night in Byron, we visited Cheeky Monkey’s which is, as its name would imply, a bit cheeky. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, cheeky means “trashy in the fun sort of way.” The evening quickly stretched into night and then right on into the wee hours of the morning without any of us stopping the table-dancing to take note. Ah, the nocturnal life of a student traveler…
During our several days in Byron Bay, the group members spent their time there in a number of different ways: surfing, ocean kayaking, whale- and dolphin-watching, biking, reclining on the beaches, shopping, and skydiving. Awesome! I, of course, was one of the individuals crazy enough to jump out of a plane. While I had been twice before, both times were over Ohio; so, I couldn’t very well pass up the opportunity to go again over the Pacific, the mountains, the most easterly point of Australia, and the red soil of the Land Down Under. It was fabulous.
Sadly, after a couple amazing days in Byron Bay, we had to move on with our journey. Luckily enough for us, we were on to the renowned Gold Coast! Now, the weather wasn’t up to its usual sunny standards in the city of Surfer’s Paradise (no really – that’s its name), so our days were spent relaxing, shopping, and getting to know the local watering holes as opposed to doing the surf/adventure thing. As it was Magic Megs’ birthday on our first night there, we made sure to show her a terrific time at a club called Melba’s, indulging in fancy and colorful drinks and dancing on the podiums as is necessary for the birthday of a twenty-something tour operator.
And soon enough, our daytime relaxation and nighttime antics came to a close in Surfer’s Paradise as we jetted off once more toward the horizon. This time, we sped across the coast with just enough time to catch an afternoon ferry to the glorious Fraser Island, the world’s largest sand island. Now, I realize you’re probably thinking, “Uh, right. Largest sand island. Sounds exciting… (sarcasm evident in your tone),” but I assure you that this place is awesome! It’s no large mound of sand, folks – it’s a VERY large mound of sand (170ish miles long, I think) with fantastically lush rain forests, rainwater lakes of the brightest teal, shipwrecks upon the beaches, and bright white silica sand in which to run your toes or shine your jewelry.
My favorite day there was absolutely the day we spent exploring the island in a 4 wheel-drive vehicle. Now, optional activities are usually well attended, but somehow we managed to get all 30+ people AND Leigh and Megs to come on the excursion. Fabulous! We rode that roller coaster of a voyage in a huge 4WD monster, racing through the soft white roads like there was no tomorrow. We stopped for a swim in the refreshing (read: cold, but not painfully so) and glorious Lake McKenzie, shined our jewelry (really, though), and had some tea and muffins along the way. Then it was off to take a magical rainforest walk, on which we sat in disbelief of the scenery and replenished any energy drained in the sun. And then we stopped for lunch, after which we blazed across the beaches on the “highway” of Fraser Island.
Full speed ahead, we tore past neverending turquoise ocean and kept our eyes peeled for sharks or whales. Then we stopped to admire massive walls of sand with 70+ shades of gold, red, and amber, and soon it was on to explore the shipwreck of a monstrous former ocean liner now eaten away by the sea and rusted a heavy mix of red and orange. After awkwardly getting pummeled by waves while trying to find my way around the ship (remember, I’m neither cool nor coordinated), the bunch of us regrouped and headed to a freshwater stream in which to wade or float back toward the ocean. Tanning and admiring the many fit and tan young men around us (sorry to the guys on board, but it’s true), we ladies whittled away the final hours of the afternoon before boarding the 4WD beast one last time and racing through the forest back to our cabins. Some watched the sunset, some read, and some indulged in a couple of cocktails before heading to our last dinner and night of fun at the Dingo Bar. If you still think that large sand island called Fraser sounds boring, well…you should probably reevaluate your travel priorities and be a little more open to adventure, ’cause that place is a ball!
