So after a 13 hour train journey listening to a couple argueing about him calling her a slag even though he had slept with his ex girlfriends mother and sister (dont ask!) we arrived in byron bay at the ungodly hour of 6am. Us, a german guy and an english guy called jonny who were on the train with us all decided the best plan was to head to the beach.

It was still pitch black when we arrived at the beach but we were suprised to find quite a few people there who had obviously spent the night kipping on the beach, not suprising really given how much of a rip off accomodation is there - the hippies must be minted ones! We got into our sleeping bags and waited for daylight to rear its pretty golden head. Jonny decided to light up a spliff and a beer - we politely declined to join him and instead had a hot cross bun.

It was stunning lying on the beach watching the sunrise, its amazing just how quickly the colours of the sky change. It was also suprising how quickly other people started to arrive. The sun had barely started to rise when people were turning up to have an early morning dip then a herd of about 30 old men wearing the smallest and tighest budgie smuggling speedos turned up to hit the surf and freaked us out a little! We then decided to do as the locals do and go for what was actually our first swim in oz (the water has just been too damn cold!) and it was really gorgeous until a fish came an swam around our ankles, we got freaked out and went back ashore!!!!!

After a quick shower in the public loos (we are truely tramps) we went for the most amazing breakfast (Laura had the greatest bacon and egg roll ever with aioli and pesto and claire had scrambled eggs with asparagus and artichokes) and then explored the one street that makes up byron. It was pretty much filled with surf shops and hippy shops, selling stuff we had seen in thailand at a tiny fraction of the price, occasionally interspaced with posh bars. Byron is a very cool, hippy laid back place and when we were there they were having a harmony festival (we didnt have a clue what it was about) and they had a salsa type band thingy going through the streets which was quite cool. After spending the rest of the afternoon bumming around on the beach we got the bus to brisbane which is where we are now, but more of that another time!

Take care and hope you are all suitably jelous of our stunning pics! xxx