Byron Bay

Byron Bay lighthouse

After a brief stop-over in Brisbane where we had time to catch the new (amazing) Harry Potter film, we left for the hippie town of Byron Bay.

We both really liked this seaside town; it is touristy but has retained its charm and has a nice vibe about it with music performers playing on every street corner. Unfortunately for us, it was still raining... a lot!

An unusual market stall location!

After a stroll along two of Byron's seven beaches that stretch for miles, our first night was confined to our hostel as we listened to the rain battering against the windows. I downloaded Championship Manager 2011 on the iTouch for James thinking it would help pass the time... little did I realise it would dictate everything he wanted to do for the next 24 hours! He even wanted to play it while we were walking around the town... until he was sacked as Aberdeen manager in what he deemed 'very unfair circumstances'. He doesn't like the game so much any more!

On the lookout platform at The Point

Our last two nights were spent at the Baystay Bed and Breakfast which was so homely compared to the nice but sterile YHA. We enjoyed two amazing breakfasts and were pointed in the direction of the local Sunday Market.

The happy-go-lucky style of Byron Bay was on sh­­­­ow for all to see at the market. There were singers, flamenco dancers and the most incredible mix of smells as we meandered around all the stalls.

Cooking up a storm!

After some chocolate coated strawberries, we walked towards the lighthouse to see the most easterly point of the Australian mainland.

The busy Johnson Street

We kept thinking, 'ah, it's just over that hill' but it turned out it was a lot further away than we thought! Hours later, we made it to the top, grabbed some cake to refuel our weary limbs and then enjoyed the wonderful views over the Pacific Ocean.

At Byron Bay market

Just when we thought we saw a glimmer of sunshine - you guessed it - the rain came back on! We took shelter in one of the backpacker travel agents and ended up walking out with a campervan booked for New Zealand thanks to James' out-of-the-blue amazing haggling techniques... however, it did come at a cost of adding to our country's reputation of tight-fistedness as the travel agent said to us, 'Oh, you two really are Scottish!'

Pam

Spectacular view on the walk to Byron Bay lighthouse