Thursday 18th February
I learned to surf! I was amazing! LOL
Distance: Bus, 109km, on a surfboard...~5 feet?
Total Distance: 11826km
Today we were moving out and going surfing! But first we needed breakfast.
Across Australia there are small, beautiful, parks in each township. Many of these, in addition to public toilets and drinking fountains, have public barbecues. They look like a cube made out of brick, with a steel top and a rain cover. This one was beside a river, under the trees, with a circuit box to one side. The circuit box had sockets. We had a kettle. Time for tea!
The public barbecues are gas and the top gears up. We covered them in oil, heated, then threw on bacon and eggs. Breakfast of champions, greasy sandwiches for breakfast followed by watermelon. The barbecues are a great idea and very helpful. Yet they wouldn't work in the UK. Our guide pointed out that they'd get trashed or never cleaned (we cleaned this one thoroughly). I'd like to add that we get so few barbecue days in the UK there'd be a queue. Better to have those disposable barbecues- provided no one sets the bins on fire when disposing of them, as used to happen when I lived in Edinburgh.
We joined Mojo Surf School at a bay south of Byron Bay. We stretched out all of life's problems and knots in our muscles before we felt hip and cool enough to challenge the surf. Then we clambered around on the sand and over our boards getting the low down on surfing 101. With our rudimentary knowledge we were let lose onto a specific portion of the ocean. For two hours were tried to catch waves and get up, without going to hospital afterwards. At times we had to shift position to ensure we were in the lifeguardable zone for our hosts. Then, one by one, our teachers gave us pointers to improve our game.
I really enjoyed it! I needed the pointers, but I kept at it. Getting up the few times I did was exhilarating, even though each time I knew I wasn't getting it quite right. The sea was quick to point out my failing and dump me into the water after a few yards. Still, even as I tired (and it is tiring), I tried to get what I could out of experience. I'll have to try it again in the future. I'll never be good, but it's a fun activity to try out.
Afterwards we washed off in the brown, tannin filled, wars of the fresh water lake. It was cool and pleasant. The colour and tannins come from the trees and leaves that fall in the feeding rivers. Supposedly the tannins are very good for you- as they are from tea and red wine. Paddle, wash, dry, then we were off to Byron Bay.
At Bryon Bay our guide took us up the the lighthouse, past some of the most expensive neighbourhoods. He has an ex who has an uncle up here. I wonder if she's still available? Would have to be cougar though, I guess.
Our hostel was the coolest, most hippie hostel I've ever seen! It was used in the film Inbetweeners 2, as backdrop to scream "new age" "hippie" "gap yaah" and "exotic". I can't decided if I love it, or if I merely find it thoroughly entertaining. I'll have to come back for a long holiday to find out.
The main complex has a reception, travel agents, cafe, juice bar, bakery, games room, kitchen, beads, bracelets, and necklace stand. Beyond this is the swimming pool, dorm rooms, beach volleyball court, hammocks, didgeridoo lessons, surfboard repairman, green tropical lagoon, rainforest, and yoga/meditation/card reading workshop area. At the top of the hill is the Mojo Surf School camp site. Outside the hostel is a brewery that also does decent food.
Far behind the hostel is the campsite- it's an education to walk around. "Zero tolerance on marijuana" is obviously being challenged. There are tents on top of tents. Some are huge, some tiny. National and Buddhist flags abound. Plants have been planted and grown. It's like a British festival that's gone on too long. I walked around it casually enough to look like I might belong, rather than looking like a tourist taking a touristy tour of tourists. Talk about meta.
I walked around back to our glamping site deep in the rainforest. The hostel has these tents built as dorm rooms. Like polytunnels (the long white tunnels of plastic they use to grow soft fruits like strawberries), but with heavy coloured plastic, and a canvas building inside, each end solidly build with glass doors. They're lovely- although we have a moat of smelly lagoon water.
The bush turkeys and water dragons deserve a mention too. They're just about, chilling, looking out for scraps and picking up the sun. The dragons range from little ones that would fit in my hand to big guys the size of my arms. I like them- some of the girls are not so keen.
