The drive from Brisbane to Surfers was only an hour and a bit….quite a shock to the system after being used to spending hours and hours on the buses. On arrival in Surfers we had a free pick up from our hostel and were slightly amused (but also grateful) at the very shabby and run-down limo that came to collect us…..living the high life again J

Although small, Surfers was very modern and impressive. We walked along the sandy beach, which was lined with tall skyscrapers showing off their mirrored walls, curved structures and huge apartments overlooking the fabulous view below. It looked as I would imagine Miami to be, only on a smaller scale. We spent a lot of time on the beach enjoying the sun and watching the large waves roll in, getting caught out a couple of time and ending up with very wet clothes J. The tall buildings made it difficult to stay in the sun and along with everyone else we kept finding ourselves in the shade as the sun moved behind each building in turn. We met back up with Nikki and Ben2 again for a drinks night and a DVD night, and on our final night in Surfers we opted for the $5 BBQ and Peter Kay night at our hostel J

Our next stop was the town of Byron Bay, home of our friend Rachel Hill and also described to us as a laid back place with a hippy vibe. We soon got the idea when Ben asked if there was a McDonalds and only got a look of disgust as a reply….he settled for a pie instead J So in Byron we managed to find Nikki and Ben2 again and also managed to find ourselves drinking again….mainly in the local bar/club: Cheeky monkeys. The aim of the game here was to win/get given as much beer or champagne as possible, we didn't fail J. During the days (once recovered from the nights before) we found ourselves on the beach learning to surf with the guidance of Ben2, as we decided an actual surf lesson was too expensive. Ben made a good effort and actually had a couple of seconds where he was standing on the board. I was not so successful and spent most of the time belly boarding, which I think is just as much fun J. We also managed to find our friend from home, Hill, who has lived in Australia for a few years. She took us up to the Byron Bay lighthouse where we spotted quite a few large whales just off the coast, amazing. We had lunch and then went for a couple of beers before it was time for Hill to go to work and for us to get on our next bus.