March 16 - Australia: Byron Bay, New South Wales
Today we caught a bus to Byron Bay. While our truck is being fixed in Brissie, we decided to spend a few quality days in Byron Bay. We've heard great things about this place and are excited to go there.
So we checked out of the South Pacific Motel and caught a taxi to the Brisbane Main Terminal where our 1:00 bus would leave. We're actually backpacking again, and I've forgotten how heavy these things are!
At the Main Terminal, we bought our round-trip tickets and went to the food court to get lunch. By this time, it was 11:30 and we were supposed to be at the bus at 12:30ish. So we bagged our plans for wandering the city and instead hung out in the bus station.
Our Kirklands Bus to Byron Bay
The bus trip took a little over three hours, but there's a time change between Queensland and New South Wales. Apparently, every state in Australia has a different time zone - some of them differing by only 15 minutes. They just have to be difficult, don't they?
Byron Bay
The drive was a nice one, through some pretty land and some cute little towns. We got to Byron Bay around 5:20, local time. Sadly enough, as we drove through Byron Bay, we noticed that many of the signs on the motels and apartments read "No Vacancy". So we knew that - at 6:00 at night - we were going to have a difficult time finding a place to stay. We hoisted our backpacks on our backs and began the walk down the street to find a hostel or something.
Byron Bay isn't that big, so we didn't have terribly far to go. But it was hot and the backpacks were heavy so we were a bit grumpy. We stopped at one point at a town map to look at the streets and some advertisements for motels. As we stood there, a guy with dreadlocks (most of the population here has dreadlocks) stopped and asked if we needed any help. Our first instinct - learned in Egypt and India and other tout-filled countries - was to blow him off and walk away. But we told him that we were looking for a place to stay and so we chatted about some of the options we had. Dreadlock Dude suggested that we just walk around and ask at different hostels and motels and we might find something. He said that most of the places are pretty decent so we shouldn't have a problem. He wished us luck and we were on our way again.
Our first stop was "Main Beach Backpackers", which is listed in Lonely Planet as an okay place to stay. So we walked in and asked about vacancy. Right away, the girl at the counter said "No" but also said that we were "in luck". Apparently, one of the night watchmen owns a two-bedroom apartment that he rents through Main Beach. She showed us pictures and a map of where it's located. They rent it only to couples because we fit a different makeup than single backpackers. The price was a good one, and so we decided to take it. Sue, the girl behind the counter, gave us the keys to Unit 3-B and a map to get there. We hit the street and started walking.
Twenty minutes and a lot of sweat later, we reached the Kendell Apartments. The other couple that was there - Chris and Rebecca - were just getting ready to go out to dinner. So we unpacked and headed back into town to get some food. For a change of pace, we walked along the beach into town. It was a very nice walk and there was a lovely sunset over the lighthouse.
The Byron Bay Lighthouse at Sunset
Earth 'N Sea Pizza
We walked into a place called "Earth 'N Sea Pizza" and ordered a few "Schooies" of Stella Artois. ("Schooie" is Australian for Schooner). We also ordered a Super Giant Vegetarian Pizza that was absolutely divine. The amount of garlic should have scared off every vampire within a hundred-mile radius. We had a nice time hanging out, drinking beer, and munching on our pizza.
Then we walked back to the apartment and crashed.