One Photograph!!!!

Yes, this is all I've got.  One photograph since we left Byron Bay!!  Why?
Deleted. Format Card? Yes.  Oh no, wrong card!!!  Stop! stop! Too late!  All gone!
My Honey Pie is now Attila the Hun!  But what's the point of getting angry?  They're gone, for good.
Four days with Andrew's brother and sister-in-law and Sophie the dog - gone!
A night out at Coffs Harbour with two of Andrew's brothers and sisters-in-law - gone!
Spectacular sunset over the ocean - gone!

Oh Perfect Day

We had to move our car - and of course our tent, this morning, as we have booked one more night at the caravan park but our spot is not available tonight.  So change of scenery, two or three spots further along.
Despite this we still managed to do a lot more walking today
Everything is so close here.  We meet up with one of "The Boys" at Byron Beach Cafe.  Great catch up!  Food at the cafe is good, but can be a bit expensive.  Paid eight dollars fifty for an affogato. (The ONLY way I drink coffee). Great scones and jam for six dollars fifty. Great view, great weather, great company.
Drove out to Banksia Drive to visit art and craft shops and found a great crystal wholesaler called Heart of the Earth.  Went away with more gifts.  While we were there we heard about the issues concerning the locals, especially the condition of local roads.  As we drove out of Byron Bay, we were shocked to see kilometres of backed up traffic coming in!  The Ewingsdale Road is land locked on either side because of protected land.  Weekends and holidays sees traffic along the road into Byron Bay backed up for kilometres. The construction of a new entertainment centre threatens to further add to the dilemma. Lots of solutions but no one willing to give up their prime piece of real estate to solve the problem.
Maybe I've changed my mind about this being the best place to live in Australia.  Pity the poor locals.  But I remember when the Blue Mountains was similar and people that lived along the Great Western Highway wouldn't dare leave their house on the weekend.
Walked along Belongil Beach and Clarke's Beach. Phew, are the calf muscles aching!
Erosion on Belongil Beach is a sorry sight to see...sand bags keep the waves at bay but for how long?
Finally went for a walk through town, visited the Red Ginger store where I picked up a you beaut sauce jug. Also purchased fifty grams of star anise for two dollars fifty. Lots of lovely gift shops in Byron, with lots of unique gifts.
Finished off the day with dinner from FishHeads sitting on Main Beach, listening to the local drummers as the sun set.

W is for Walking

Oh, and for whale!
We have so far travelled around twenty five thousand kilometres on our journey and hardly seen a whale. (One I think, near Kalbarri).
Then, less than a thousand kilometres from home and suddenly the whales are countless!!!  In Byron Bay the best place to do a bit of whale spotting has to be at Cape Byron, at the lighthouse.
And how did we get from Clarke's Beach to the lighthouse?  Yes, that's right, we walked. And walked and walked.

Two whales, spotted off Cape Byron.
I was so excited to see countless whales heading in BOTH directions. Some slow coaches are still heading north while some are already heading south.
The first whale we saw was just metres from the coast, and spotted by a keen bunch of school children on excursion to the lighthouse.  Obviously, their eyesight is much better than mine.


Isn't the weather just brilliant?  Here's Honey Pie, posing for me in front of Byron Bay Lighthouse.

Millionaire's Row (Watego Beach). I reckon this must be the best place in Australia to live (apart from the Blue Mountains).  Pity I've left my run too late!!! 

Spotted this adventurous little fellow on our walk down from Cape Byron.
In broad daylight, he came out of hiding, had his fill of ants, and ventured back to his hiding place, completely ignoring passers by.
A local woman stopped to view the sight and eagerly told us about the python she found hanging about in her garden yesterday. 


After our coastal walk, we ventured up to the Top Shop for lunch.  I think this is the first time I've actually had trouble eating all my meal.  Besides huge servings, the food here is fresh and the menu is healthy and varied, and the prices reasonable.
Dinner tonight consisted of canned soup, stretched out with a bit of coconut milk and a portion of leftovers.  Yum!
I'd just like to add too, that Clarkes Beach Holiday Park has got it right for its campers!!  Well done!!!
Slap bang in the middle of the camp ground, the best camp kitchen yet, wow.  And they even provided power points to charge mobile telephones and laptops!  No signs here saying that charging mobile telephones etcetera is not permitted! 
Our camp site was less than fifty metres from the camp kitchen.  The site itself was well protected from the coastal weather and even though we couldn't actually see the ocean from our tent, it was a short walk to Clarke's Beach.
The ablution block was okay, but a new block is being constructed even as I write this.  Love this place.
Oh, and we're staying another night.
Tomorrow we hope to meet up with one half of Mark and Mal.  The last we saw of Mark and Mal was in  Wyndham. They have been back in Byron for around three weeks now, hard at work.