So we had even more rain all day again!
We decided to cover a few kms and stop for a long lunch for our anniversary meal instead of waiting for dinner in the rain ( when I say rain I mean torrential non stopping bucket loads of it coming straight down! )
We found another Outback Jacks at Mermaid beach just south of Surfers Paradise
Again we ate like lords and it continued to tip it down with rain the whole time we were there so it was a good decision !
We carried on through the storm and spent the night at Ballina We had all eaten so much for lunch that we only had tea and coffee when we got there and opted for an early night with our books
We only had a small shower during breakfast and decided to go to Byron Bay before we carried on down the Pacific Highway
What an eye opener... Everything you have ever read about it is absolutely true! It is like a backpackers / hippie hometown Most people have either flip flops or bare feet , dreadlocks by the score and every other person has a surf board which is not surprising when you realise there are 34 kms of surfing beaches to choose from!
There is a totally laid back attitude in every street and I have to say I wish we could have stayed longer Sadly the craft / home made market was cancelled due to the weather which was a shame as I am sure the artwork and handicrafts would have been really unique
If there are any backpackers / travellers reading this then all I can say is do it! There are streets and streets of backpackers accommodation wonderful shops and it looks as if life is just one long party Every corner is a meeting place and the whole of the town just bustles with happy faces The ratio of young people to us oldies was at least 95-1 and most of the 1's were latter day hippies ;-) We had an amazing all day breakfast which took 2 hours ( I told you it was laid back lol ) We were in an old colonial building with an open air balcony where the boys had a fun time people watching
Unfortunately we had to make our way a bit further down the coast and so reluctantly we left Byron Bay and arrived at a delightful site at Emerald Beach which is as pleasant as it sounds We were greeted with lots of wild kangaroos and other wildlife actually in the site itself .... Makes a change from New Forest ponies lol The site backs straight on to a beautiful beach , it has a marvellous pizza / pasta take away and a bottle shop ,so no cooking tonight either :-)))))))
What a lovely day ...oh and the sun shone at times too and very little rain :-))))))
Wish we could stay here longer as there is a lovely pool , the beach a sauna and a hot tub! We will have to get up early then lol
Speak soon folks xxxx