Dolphinately got the surfing bug

Departing Port Macquarie at 2am we boarded the overnight coach to Byron Bay. It really frustrates me, or maybe I'm just envious, that Jen has the ability to fall asleep within minutes of being on transport. Instead I had to endure a restless night of barely any sleep, ultimately feeling like a zombie on arrival.

Byron Bay was probably the place on the East Coast I was most looking forward to visiting. Within the Australian backpacker community it is known as a must see visit on the East Coast. It is known as hippy central and that couldn't be more true. More people than not found here have dreadlocks, tattoos, wear loose baggy clothes, walk bare foot and travel around in campervans. The town itself is relatively small with a very chilled out vibe.

We were gifted with lovely weather while we were here which was handy because there isn't a great deal to do if the weather is naff. The main attraction to the area is the beach. It was sooooo long, you could easily find a spot to chill that was isolated from others. It is also a dog beach, so I got to fuss a few :) I also enjoyed watching the sand crabs running in and out of their holes.

Spot the sand crab

After our surf lesson in Sydney we were eager for another. We booked up a lesson with Black Dog Surfing and definitely enjoyed it much more than the first one. We were made to do stretches at the start. Knowing how much I ached after my Sydney lesson (we didn't stretch) this impressed me a lot. Out of a group of about 12, only me and Jen had actually surfed before, so we got took off for a mini private lesson while the others learnt the basics. We got into the water and first attempt I managed to stand and catch a wave. Considering my entire Sydney lesson I barely stayed on the board lying down I was amazed. It wasn't beginners luck either because I stood up and caught the waves a fair bit. This lesson was made further enjoyable by the instructors. They had a genuine interest in each student and each time you failed to catch a wave they gave feedback on why this was and how to fix it for next time. I came away from this lesson knowing what to do and hooked on surfing.

Good surf waves

The final thing we did while here was a walk to the lighthouse on the eastern most point of mainland Australia. It was here we saw hundreds of dolphins playing in the sea. It was amazing! On return from the long walk we went for frozen yogurt.

Most eastern point on mainland Australia 

Soo many dolphins

and jump

I felt sick after

There was one downside to the area, the annoying tour sales people. Constantly getting stopped along the high street, trying to convince you to book the remainder of your East coast travel excursions with them, or miss out because you are leaving it too late to book. Well needless to say we didn't bide by this sales technique, and didn't book anything up in a panic.

Amester x