arrive in Byron bay after doing 3 hr buss journey. I left frazer in the early hours of the morning with a hang over from hell.
Once in byron around lunch time I get a lift in with the youyth hostel mini bus. I am staying a little way out. The youth hostel is nice with murals on the walls. Benjil Beaches I think it was called. I book some thgings to do for the next day and explore the town. The town is very much a backpacker/hippy haven. All sorts of people there, from dreadlocks to reall 60's chicks. Its a nice enough town but I fancy a quiet night and am up early nbext day so I head back.
In the morning I get picked up by this german man ... I forget jhis name but he's lived there for years and his wife and now kids are in byron. She's from sydney I think. His son has a problem with snakes...he loves them and thinks they are great pets and friends. He is only 3. Well this german is my gliding instructor. I am going for an hrs gliding over byron bay. We drive to the airport which is basically a hanger with 3 microlights an da couple of gliders and a small green areostrip that they share with the parachutists.
We get into the plane which is one with an enguine as well as a glider and rtake off. Well the flight isd so smooth and the views amazing. bruilliant blue skies and the stretch of byron bay belwo. Miles of sandy beaches. BEautiful; and loads of surfers as tiny dots below. We go over the volcanoe which has been inactive for years and he lets me fly! WOW! I have to hold the geer stick carefully and the slightest move turens the plane. Then you have to cancel the turn by moving to the centre while keeping the nose up or down. I was a natural apparently...even when he cut the enguine and I had a go at it while gliding. That was the most awsome thing ever.
After my hour flight and looking at the lighthouse and the small surfers down below I walk from our hostel to the light house. The first part of the walk along the beach was beautiful and about 3-4k. You saw the surfers and people by the beach sun bathing...yep it was sunny. Then I get to the half way mark which is the shopping area so I go quickly in and check out where the surf school (black dog surf school). is.
I then go to the next part of the walk towards the light house, its about another 3-4k plus. You walk to the boat ramp then up to a windy coastal boardwalk and up through the trees to the next bay. I start walking past that towards the lighthouse but realise I won't have time to get there and get to my surf lesson. So i go back down and along the beach back to the town. I also think it would be a good idea at this point to get some lunch. Nic (from brisbane) had told me about breaded scallops so I went to this fish and chip shop on the sea front and baught this big combo. Breaded scallops, fish in japense breadcrumbs, callamari rings and of course chips. I then go and find a place to sit and eat my breaded scallops which were amazing. I hadn't realised but a whole group of seagulls are standing behind me and now in front. It was like a scene from alfred hitchcocks the birds with a bit of nemo thrown in. These things are surrounding me and I am sure I can here them going "mine, mine, mine!!" So I have to leg it back to the fish and chip shop to have my lunch.
Then I get a bit early to the black dog surf school, maybe I would have had time to go to the light house after all. I have a coffe as a bit early. Then I go in and of course there's two sterotype surfer doods there and this woman who must be in her 70's thats scottish and there with her daughter while she works in the shop. I had a good chat to her as she moaned about the greyhound bus drivers and how they wouldn't let her off for a smoke. She did by the way smoke like a trooper.
Then I have to get my wet suit as all the others in the group have got there's. I say a shortie without realiseing it and get the comment of being brave...didn't really dawn on me that every one else is in a full length one and that it would be cold...doh!
Well the surfer doods take us in the mini bus and all we can take is our towels and a jumper. Again because i was busy chatting i hadn't noticed that everyone else had put their spare change of clothes in a big yellow and black box.
Eventually we get there and the blonder of the two gives us a lesson on safety dood! What rips are etc...its a whole new language. so we tool up strapping the chord to our ankles which is attached to teh surf board. I forget the lingo already. Then we have to work out if we are goofy or not. Basically that involves lying on the surf board then jumping up. If your right leg is naturally forward then your ok if its your left then you are goofy. In this and only this I'm not goofy!
Next we have to draw surf boards in the sand and try and get up. Initially our bodies are lying down and our toes pointing down on the edge of the board at the bottom. Next we jump up with our right leg forward and bring the other round. Looks easy...it isn't. I did better on the sand then I did on the board. The boards are made of a more polystyrene material rather than resin so as not to hurt you...they still can.
Well next its into the water. The guys will watch the waves and help you get on and tell you when to go...by the end of it I could stand ...for about 5 seconds before I fell off. Actually 5 secs is more generous. I spent more time under the surf board than on it. I think I am a wanna be goofy.
This went on for over an hr. A quick break to watch the surfer doods dog chase and fight another and then we could have some oranges then back again. I am still under the board more than on the board.
After the next half hr and because there are strong rips and currents we are having to get out and walk the board up as its dragging us down the beach. Well by this time I am completely nackered so myself and a couple of girls have an extra 5 min break. Then again off we go.... again i need another sit down..I'm too old for this shit. I did love it but by that point had drunk too much sea water. We are back in for the photo bits. Could I stand up for even one shot...no bloody way. I think on the photos I am crouching.
Any how eventually enough is enough and myself and one of the girls sits down...I have absolutely no energy after the gliding and the 11k walk which i probably should not have done. Although I wasn't cold in the half suit by now i am.
We get back to the mini bus and everyone gets changed...oh oh! The jacket and towel that i had left on the bus wasn't there. As i got told itr was probably back at the shop with the first group that went back. Oh shit as I am not allowed to wear the wet wet suit on the bus. I have to borrow a wet towel and make my way back to the bus. Great!! Its freezing!
We get back for some revolting homemade hot soup full of pepper...too peppery. I am not winging abouyt this I loved every minute of it but surfing and me need a hell of a lot of work before we become palls!
After the soup I go back to the hostel and have a shower, catch up on a bit op internet and get the bus straight back into town. I wait and have some food at the railway. A bar not far from the bus station that has live bands., The guy that played I orginally thought wasn't bad but he turned out to be shit. Mind you if the audience wasn't paying any attention and the only ones listening and dancing was a 5 year olds in tootoos I think I would be that way!
Eventually the bus arrives at 10 and i get on for my overnight bus journey to sydney.
Posted by alexd at July 23, 2004 03:58 AM