On the way to Surfers Paradise we stopped to do some zorbing (for those who don't know zorbing is where you climb into a giant ball filled with water and roll down a hill!). We had to take a run up and dive into a tiny opening in the ball and then slide, feet first, out again. The experience was loads of fun and our arms and legs were flying around everywhere. We were laughing the entire time!

When arriving at Surfers Paradise it was raining so we were limited for things to do. We caught a bus into town for dinner and then met up with some guys from our dorm room, Lee and Paul, who were watching the Tottenham v Chelsea match, but not before we took advantage of the free champagne deal at a bar called Drink. Despite Leanna supposedly being a Spurs fan (in honor of her dad) we skipped the second half and went to bed! Our plan to spend the next day on the beach fell through when it started to pour and instead we took a casual stroll along it, then seeked shelter in a very cold and unexciting amusement arcade. Back at our hostel we sat down to the film The Aviator before hitting the sack. On our last day in Surfers we headed to what was supposed to be "the largest shopping mall in the whole of the southern hemisphere" but seeing as most of it was outdoors we didn't get to see much as it was raining yet again. Later that day we arrived at Byron Bay and headed out for some grub, free entertainment was provided during our meal as we had the pleasure of listening to how we are all going to hell by an old, intoxicated hippy lady walking the streets.

As far as first impressions go Byron Bay scores high on our list, with dozens of sweet little bohemian, vegan and hippy cafes and shops, it makes for a chilled out place to be... And Leanna has never had so much option when it comes to food! We hoped for some sun the next day and luckily enough the afternoon was a bright one. We walked around Cape Byron, along the coast and up to the lighthouse, where we watched surfers riding the waves and even spotted some dolphins nearby! We spent the rest of the day on the golden sand beach soaking up the rays, would you believe this is actually our first experience of Aussie beaches - in week 5! That night we decided to abandon our dirty hostel and take a visit to the cinema instead. The film Dan In The Real Life certainly provided us with a dose of cheese to last a lifetime! The day after, we were blessed with even more sun and with us keen to work on our 'white bits' we found a nearby nudest beach where Leanna went all the way and Nikki, reluctant at first, made it half way there. We ate yummy nut cheese pizzas at a vegan restaurant in the evening and it was surprisingly satisfying.

After 3 restless and itchy nights for Nikki, we're convinced her bed's invested with bedbugs - our first encounter and hopefully the last! So she is intending to catch up on her sleep on the bus to Surf Camp in the morning, where we'll have our Surf Lessons before heading to Sydney!