Byron Bay

We left Yamba on Thursday 14/07 at about 10 o'clock heading to the beautiful beaches of Byron. The drive wasn't very long and we arrived Lennox Head a nice little town only about 20 km south of Byron in the early afternoon. Out of the town towards the headland breaks a nearly perfect wave. It breaks over the rocks at the headland and peels its way into the bay, offering all you can wish for, from fast and hollow barrels to upholding slashable walls. However the day we were there wasn't quite as perfect but also fun with some good rides and nice 4ft waves. The wave easier to take off on than Angourie due to deeper water but it holds up to 15ft. The most tricky part is getting in and out of the water because you have to jump off the rocks into the waves and let them wash you back on to the rocks when you get out. Unfortunately I broke one of my fins off coming out of the water and lost it plus the plug attaching it to the board. I had a great surf though and was a bit disappointed, when the swell dropped the next day and I didn't get to surf it a second time.

This pic shows how long the shoulder of the wave actually is.

There is a lot of space on that wall to work on. It starts to barrel a bit further down.

After that great session we headed into Byron to meet Max at the beach for a Volleyball session and had dinner at his place afterwards. The next two days were very wet and cold and not comfortable at all. We sat in the car for most of the time and didn't do much. It was OK to go for a surf because you obviously didn't have to worry about getting wet but the waves were small and crowded. We went to the movies and had a coffee but decided to go back to the farm if the weather didn't improve. But miraculously it changed and we could enjoy the blue sky and sunny days.
The next days were beautiful. We enjoyed the sun on the beach and in the local cafes, loved it to check out all the surf shops dreaming of having lots of money every day and went for long surfing sessions at "ThePass". It is always nice to go back to Byron because there is such a magic in the air that you just have to love it. You literally want to take a picture of everything you see, the town, the beach, the hills in the inland, the sealife... Unfortunately we aren't the only ones seeing that beauty which attracts hordes of tourists and travelers who make that tiny coastal town burst with people and everything very expensive. I know, that I am one of those people even though it feels different in a way.
I had to get the fins on my board fixed so I gave it to a local shaper who did the fin and all the other little scratches for only 50$. It was a quite small business and the guys that worked there were very friendly. I would love to spend some time in such a workshop and learn something about shaping boards. I might just ask if I can watch the next time something breaks.
We've also started to organize our trip to South-East Asia. We had to get very expensive but necessary vaccinations for HepA and Typhoid but getting the needles wasn't as bad as I remembered it to be. We also have a checklist with all the stuff we still have to do during the next week. We are getting really exited through reading and hearing about all the deadly and life-threatening things that can happen to you but mainly because we are really looking forward to that great adventure.
Most of the pictures we took in Byron are really good (so I think...) but rather due to the picturesque spirit of the place than to my abilities as a photographer.

Finally a pic of me surfing! I like the light in this one. Everything is sparkling.

Bekki and I have also developed a love for sandcastles. It started in Yamba where I thought the old Mermaid or Dolphin stereotype was lame and we built our first sandcastle together. It was really cool with a suspension bridge over the moat (yeah, I had to look that word up...), cool decorations, including seaweed-flags and a lantern over the gate, and a secret entrance. Unfortunately we didn't bring the camera and the next time we were down there it was washed away by the flood.

This is our second model. It is bigger than the first but with less Schnickschnack. However this one has a war-tower, a kings-tower and a princess-tower (f.l.t.r.).