Like saying goodbye to the family at Manchester Airport and Kieran and Jordan in a Bangkok apartment, leaving Brian and Laura was an emotional event. For some reason the latter was even harder than the previous. Staying at the flat was so comfortable and I realised what a good and close friend I have in Brian. This and with them being the last link I’ll have with back home before I return home lead to a lump in my throat that remained long into my bus ride to S...

Like Mooloolaba nothing much happened in Coffs, it hasn’t even got a cool name. I did get to see my first BIG THING though which James will be pleased to hear; the Big Prawn of Ballina on the journey down and the Big Banana of Coffs Harbour. I also went boogie/body boarding and canoeing on Coffs Creek. That along with kayaking is fast becoming my favourite activity and something I’ll try and continue somewhere back in England.

‘Ok, you’ve made it to the promised land. God’s own earth.’ That is how the Lonely Planet describes Byron Bay and every word is utter truth. All down the east coast I had encountered people saying how much they enjoyed Byron and how a few days quickly turned into a few weeks in the utopian shire and it is easy to see how. Days spent sunbathing or surfing are followed by evenings of relaxing or partying. All surrounded by the laid back, hippy atmosphere in...