Byron Bay baby! January 20 to 22

Byron Bay is one of those famous-must-see places on every backpackers list. While I really hate following the crowd, it’s easy to see why this place has become so popular. It has one of the best collections of beaches around and boasts the most easterly point of Australia at its’ south end, complete with a historic lighthouse. Add to that rainforests, a thriving organic culture, plenty of shopping, diverse restaurants, a few nightclubs and beautiful people and Byron’s fast becoming a winner in my books.
On the way to Byron, however, is a town called Lennox Head. Directly across from the town, on the coastline is a lookout point. After hiking to the top, I was graced with views as far as the eye could see in all directions. Down below, waves crashed into the rocky cliffs. It’s easy to become entranced by the ocean and watching the waves. Dane and I stood up there for a long time, appreciating the raw power of nature at her best.
Byron Bay reminds me of the island culture in Thailand; maybe that’s why I like it so much here. There’s amazing beaches if one’s willing to get off the beaten path. And a lot of women go topless here... I refrained, but only because I was with my brother. We found a secluded stretch of silky white sand perched in between the cliffs. It was probably more appropriate for a couple but we didn’t care and had fun in the surf until the jellies came out. We’ve been noticing the jellies seem to come in with the tides in the afternoon and while these ones aren’t poisonous (those are further north) they still hurt like hell.
Thursday morning we set out to hike up to the lighthouse and around the headland, with a stop at the country’s easternmost poing. The lighthouse was built in 1901, just as the shipping trade was beginning to boom in the area. The white washed structure was necessary to warn boats of the huge cliffs they faced while negotiating Byron’s shores. The partial remains of a wreck from the 1880s are still visible from the main beach.
Like at Lennox Head, the raw power of the sea becomes very apparent from up here. You can feel the booming pound of it as it crashes into the cliffs and sprays white foam. Further out to sea we can see dolphins skimming up out of the water. Surfers are out in the hundreds but can’t compete with the dolphins grace as they both try to catch waves and ride them into shore.
I met a woman with long blonde hair in the bathroom the next morning at the beach. She was washing her clothes in the sink, because, as she informed me she was a “feral” and lives in her car. I said “Oh, well so do I!” She went on to tell me that a feral person is different from a homeless person in that he or she has accepted the fact that they do not have a home and choose this way of life. She informed me of all the places in Byron you can sleep in your car overnight (Dane and I had been leaving to sleep at sanctioned rest stops because signs all over town say “no sleeping in cars.”) She also complained about the lack of public showers and said before Byron got all “ritzy and rich” there were plenty of showers. Then they all got taken out and people now complain about the dirty ferals. From the sounds of it, there’s quite a few ferals in Byron. The woman I met, who is 55, says it’s a great money-saver and is quite content. While I’m enjoying living in the car for the moment, I can’t imagine wanting to live this way for more than a few months.