OK so after hours of searching for Accommodation for our next stop in Byron Bay we were completely unsuccessful!! With Christmas coming up and everyone trying to get down to Sydney the hostels get fully booked weeks in advance. Counting on a little luck to come our way we got on the OZ bus regardless and crossed our fingers that the driver/tour guide would be able to sort something out....else it was a night on the baech for us!! Thankfully he managed to get us in, not quite a dorm room but the TV room for our first night!! Not ideal but we were so grateful for a roof over our heads!

So not really having a room or anywhere to get ready we had a quick spruce up and headed out - not far at all the popular local hang out "Cheeky Monkeys!!" was literally accross the road from our hostel! We met everyone from the OZ bus and indulged in a 2 dollar meal, soon enough the free beer was flowing and we were feeling ready for an eventful night ahead. First there was the Babe Nation competition which you will all be glad to hear we did NOT enter!! Girls with their boobs out with just their country's flag painted on them to protect their modesty - not too attractive!!! Although Katie did whip her bra off (underneath her top dont panic!) for our friend Paul to put on the quickest in the aim of bagging a free sky dive - sadly to no avail!!We stuck to dancing the night away on the tables showing off our comical yet stylish moves!!!

The next morning, after a terrible nights sleep in the TV lounge (some guy coughing his guts out/farting/ snoring- anything disgusting you can think of- he was doing it!) we re-located to our nicest room yet- our little dorm chalet. We shared a room of four and with another room of four our own Kitchen and lounge, was a very sociable space! Nice and settled we headed into town... and instantly fell in love. Byron Bay is a little hippy town full of surfers, cafes and small boutiques selling the nicest one off dresses and jewellery (not that brought any... *cough cough*) After a 'little' shop and looksy we laid out on the beach and ducked and dived in the HUMUNGOUS waves- was so fun!!

You can't go anywhere without bumping into people though as our mate Brummy Dan soon found us and joined us to catch some rays. That was until the heavens decided to open and the whole beach stampeeded for cover!! We couldn't exactly complain as we just thought about everyone at work and it soon made us chirp up again hehe!! We sat and had a nice coffee until it was safe to step out again and lo and behold bumped into Paul and Fran our friends from Fraser Island. We arranged our evening meeting times and headed off for some more mooching and ok ok SHOPPING- there.... satisfied??! (Mummies!)

So back to Cheeky Monkeys it was for another bargain meal and a few bevvies!! This time we were taking it easy though as had a very early start to look forward to the next day. Instead of dancing on tables we had a few light rounds of Jenga!! haha. And once again there was naked girls (and boys this time!) to keep us entertained - mainly just cringing and laughing at them!!

So the alarm clock rang not so sweetly at 5am - our choice though!! We were driven up to the mostly easterly point of Australian mainland to visit the lighthouse and watch the sunrise with the most stunning of views!! It really was breathtaking and although a little chilly - silly us wore little shorts...was definitely worth it!!!! By 6:30am we were tucked up back in bed like nothing had happened hehe and had a well deserved lay in until 10:30!!

Back to the beach for some more well needed tanning! We met Dan, Fran and Paul and made the most of the awesome waves and glorious sunshine!! However we did not enjoy so much our rice cracker and raw carrot lunch...we felt as christmas was fast approaching we were allowed a little treat! After purchasing a santa hat each and of course the vital ingredient for the evening ahead - the goon we all stopped off at an ice cream shop to indulge in what was most definitely the best ice cream we have EVER had!! Soooo many luxurious flavours to choose from...snickers, rocky road, honeycomb, sticky date, cheesecake to name but a few all loaded with big chunks and probably lots of calories but oh well no regrets there!!!!!!

We felt it was time to get into the festive feeling- it was the 21st after all and still no sign of Christmas :o( so with our friends round our 'apartment' (if you will!) with all of us in our newly brought Santa hats and some banging Christmas tunes blaring we sat there and got steadily... okay very quickly Merry!! The goon went down a treat and within no time we were giving each other piggy backs, arm wrestles and singing the xmas number ones at the top of our voices- perfect!! A bit later than we planned we then headed to the Beach hotel- a sweet bar over looking the beach (funnily enough!). Unfortunately when we arrived the bouncer was not feeling as festive as us and didn't let us in as Jemma had forgotten her Id... we left the boys to get the drinks in and had a girly walk back- it was probably the best part of the evening! With Fran in tow we sneaked some Rum from our neighbours stash, grabbed the ID and took a veryyy longgg stroll back stopping on the way numerous times for photo opportunities at for example the telephone box, on top of the shopping trolleys- trees... oh everything was interesting to us!

Back at the bar the boys were getting worried but we finally showed and to their despair spent another hour or so in the toilets! Katie had somehow managed to spill rum all down her new WHITE dress and so the girls had her strip to her undies while they service washed and dried it for her- still with her hat on lets just say she got some funny looks from people coming for a wee!

A great night but not so great for the morning bus ride- 8am and we were on our way to Surf camp.. the thought of partaking in a surfing lesson was the last thing on our minds but we soon came round when we saw the hunks taking the lessons!!! The bus journey itself wasnt that long and we luckily managed to get a room the 5 of us to ourselves when we arrived at surf camp around 12pm.

After a very weird safety talk by what seemed a stoned 50 year old surfer dude (not sure he even knew what to do in an emergency!) we headed for the surf. Our lesson began on the beach practicing techniqies in getting up on the board and then within no time it was make or break, we were out on our own!! We had such a giggle, surfing is SO hard, Im not sure how they make it look so easy- it's bloody knackering and all! After dragging your board out over the huge waves again and again and again it became a sheer determination that you could at least stand up for 1 second to make it worth while! We stood up a couple of times very awkwardly but the majority of it we were knee boarding (not sure thats a technical term- we made it up!) but it was fun none the least... and I think we shall definitely try it again. That's if Katies knees and thumbs heal after getting scraped red raw!

After too much goon the night before we were in the minority of opting out of drink and ended the evening with a VERY bad copy of Madagascar 2 in the TV room. Some banter at bed time and then we were goners- the beds were the comfiest yet and we were delighted with the first Duvet we've had (the air con was on!) since leaving England... Heaven!