Sunday 18th February, 2018
By 9.30 am we were on our way again – this time it was a short drive – some 126 km which we would have done in under 2 hours. We were surprised how luscious green this coast road is – there are numerous rivers flowing out into the Pacific Ocean and the rain forests head down right to the beaches where a constant surf is churning.
While Gerry was driving I tried to read up on the area we were driving to – Byron Bay, a mishmash of leftover hippies, virile surfers, tourists catching the Byron vibes and loads of traffic jams which we did experience. We finally arrived at Byron Bay and yes we literally crawled to the beachfront in our camper van . The town centre was filled with shops, restaurants, pubs, and loads of young people in travel mode! There was enough to see but it was ever so hectic. At the beach front, all the car parks were full so we only stopped to take a couple of pictures of the coast – and then with mutual consent, we headed back to the highway! This was not exactly what we were looking for!
So our next stop was some 80km further north – Burleigh Heads.We were now in Queensland and had left New South Wales after leaving Byron Bay! And we were on the Gold Coast. We found the town camp site situated close to the beach – and we were lucky as there was enough place so we booked for a 2 night stay. Once set up, we went for a walk around town and the beach boulevard – it’s Sunday and the beachfront was packed with families and tourists but there were good vibes in this place and certainly we got a glimpse of the Aussie way of life! Picnics under the tress and on the grass lining the beach front and watching surfers trying out their skills on the huge waves. After our stroll we ended up at the Burleigh Heights Hotel terrace (in the smokers’ section) to have a drink. Certainly Gerry needed his beer after driving so long and putting up with me and my emotions! And we were lucky! We had free WIFI!
Back at our campsite, I prepared a Greek salad and we sat outside enjoying the evening. This time we had a strange visitor strutting around us – some sort of a turkey! He was keen to see if we had leftovers for him and sometimes was quite daring…….
I was wondering whether I would be able to sleep tonight being that we were in the middle of the town and traffic – but Gerry assured me that I wouldn’t have any problems as the Aussies were all in bed by midnight or earlier…… Tomorrow we will be going for a hike round the Burleigh Headland’s National Park.
